Vivian Paulsen

Obituary

Vivian Paulsen, 68, passed away suddenly at her home of natural causes Saturday, October 2, 2010. She was born May 10, 1942 to Paul Herman Paulsen and Martha Blattmann Paulsen. Vivian was proud of her Norwegian heritage and loved the traditions and stories of her ancestors and their homeland.

Vivian attended Olympus High School and was an exchange student in Switzerland. She graduated from Brigham Young University with high honors, majoring in French and Political Science. Vivian was fluent in French, Tahitian, German and Norwegian. She pursued graduate studies at the University of Grenoble, France and at BYU.

Vivian served a mission in theTahiti Papeete Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Upon her return she was employed as an educator in the Salt Lake School District and at Brigham Young University before beginning her career in Church Magazines for the LDS Church. She was Associate Editor for the New Era for 12 years prior to being appointed Managing Editor for The Friend magazine in 1982 where she worked until her retirement in 2008. Vivian served on the Adult Correlation Review Committee of the Church, on the Teaching, No Greater Call Development Committee, and was a member of the Young Women’s General Board for four years.

Vivian was gifted with many talents and interests. She was an extraordinary teacher and talented artist and writer who had fun writing clever poems and stories. She loved reading, journal keeping, and children’s literature. She created beautiful hand crafted items, many of which she gave to others as gifts of love and friendship. Knitting was a passion. Vivian loved her many opportunities for Church service and enjoyed studying and learning from the scriptures and from writings of the Church. She was a cheerful, loving, gracious person without guile and those who knew her were blessed by her keen intellect and her unassuming goodness. We will miss her beautiful smile, her twinkling eyes and her Christ-like ways.

Vivian was preceded in death by her parents and two baby nieces. She is survived by brothers Grant Paulsen (Kristin), Thomas Paulsen (Gloria), David Paulsen (Fran), and sisters Peggy Ann Ellsworth (Richard), Janet Burt (Gerald) and their families.

A viewing will be held Friday Evening, 6-8 p.m. at the Wasatch Lawn Mortuary, 3401 South Highland Drive. Funeral services will be held at 12:00 noon on Saturday, October 9, 2010 at the Valley View Sixth Ward, 2000 East 3900 South, Salt Lake City with a viewing prior to the services from 10:30 to 11:45 a.m. Interment will be at the Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park.

If desired, donations can be made to the Missionary Fund or Humanitarian Fund of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.