Dale John Harrison

Dale John Harrison passed away on October 13, 2019. He was born on September 1, 1948, in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was the fourth child of David Roberts Harrison and Ruth Virginia Jaynes Harrison. He grew up in humble circumstances in the Rose Park area of Salt Lake City. His parents worked hard to provide for their children, and Dale followed their example, developing a strong work ethic and an appreciation for the things he had. He graduated from West High School in 1966, where he took on a number of roles, including yearbook editor. He stayed connected to his high school friends, helping plan reunions as recently as last year. At the age of 18, he met his future wife, Annette Burton, while working at LDS Hospital. At a time when many young men were being drafted into the military, Dale was blessed to receive a mission call for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He served faithfully in the Samoa Mission from 1967 to 1970. Dale loved the people of Samoa and cherished the experiences he had. While on his mission, Dale lost his mother and his sister, Myrna. He bore this hardship without resentment and imparted the beauty of the Gospel and of the Polynesian culture whenever an occasion arose. After returning home, he married Annette on September 11, 1970, in the Salt Lake Temple. During their first years of marriage, Dale was attending school. Both he and Annette were also working. They juggled school, work, and the joys and challenges of raising two young boys, Jim and Steve. Dale graduated from the University of Utah in 1973 with a degree in accounting and finance. The Harrison family then moved from the Avenues in Salt Lake City to Sandy, where they welcomed three more children to their family: Tom, Ruth, and Liz. In the decades that followed, they raised their family in their home on Valley Circle. Family time included picnics in the canyons, impromptu dinners at his office when he had to work late, camping trips in Greys River, holidays spent with family, lots of laughs, making malts, Grandma Harrison’s fudge, and popcorn.
In 1971, Dale was diagnosed with diabetes and eventually went into kidney failure. In 1987, he was blessed to receive a kidney transplant from Mr. Collier Cobb Lilly, whose family remains dear to the hearts of the Harrisons. All throughout the health challenges that followed his transplant, and the multiple severe health issues that arose later in life, Dale did not stop working to provide for his family. Dale was a certified public accountant and worked as a controller, chief financial officer, and financial vice president at a number of companies over the course of his career. In work matters, Dale placed the highest value on his integrity. He sacrificed career opportunities in order to be truly honest in his dealings with his fellow men.
Despite his dedication to his career, Dale’s first priority was always his family. As a new accountant, his boss told him that the cost of success was giving up a strong relationship with his family. He decided early on that no success was worth that price and worked hard to provide for his family, often times difficult and sometimes unfulfilling work. Nevertheless, he made time for Scout camps, family trips, and church callings. Dale remarked that a parent can’t take too much credit for the way children turn out. But he worked diligently to impress on his children the importance of living the Gospel. Long after he retired, his greatest satisfaction was to see the lives his children and grandchildren were leading. Dale did not treat lightly his responsibilities to his family or to God. He remained a faithful servant of the Lord to the end. Dale and Annette worked hard to learn all they could about family history, and served faithfully in the family history center every Wednesday afternoon. Dale loved a good pun (or, even more, a bad one). He found jokes in ordinary sentences and often couldn’t wait for the end of a joke to deliver the punch line. Any good-natured humor was welcome and his most recent love was sharing and collecting “dumb jokes” with the grandkids.
Despite his physical limitations, which he found frustrating, he was not bitter. When he could not participate in physical activities, he spent time speaking with the people around him. Dale was an easy man to know, his deepest emotions often surfacing in regular conversation. He made it known to those close to him how dear they were. He was especially happy to be a grandfather, finding joy in his grandchildren’s performances, games, their smiles, or simply their company. He looked forward to each family party and every reunion. The only thing that eclipses his love for his children and grandchildren is his eternal love for Annette. Whatever he did, he wanted Annette to be with him.
Dale has finally reunited with his parents and his siblings, Myrna and Rex. His wife, children, his seventeen grandchildren, and his beloved sister, Kay Neeley, will wait to see him again.
A viewing will take place on October 18 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Jenkins-Soffe Funeral Home at 1007 W. South Jordan Parkway, South Jordan, Utah, 84095. An additional viewing will take place on October 19 from 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. at the Union Park 3rd Ward chapel at 8060 S. 610 E., Sandy, Utah, 84070. Services will follow at 11 a.m. His interment will be at the Sandy City Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to the LDS Humanitarian Fund.