Terry Eugene Jeffries Obituary (1938 - 2017)

Terry Eugene Jeffries, loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend, passed away Thursday, January 5, 2017, and is now in the arms of the Savior, whom he loved! Terry was born a few minutes after his twin brother, Jerry, on March 8, 1938 in Shreveport, Louisiana to Carlyle Eugene Jeffries and Hazel Onita Salley. At the age of 2 Terry contracted polio. He spent many months in the hospital for treatment and surgeries. The polio left him with some crippling in his left leg, and he was unable to be as active as some young boys. He turned instead to music. He took piano lessons from a young age and added the violin in school. As a teen, he even played on television a number of times. His parents divorced when he was 8, so he was raised mostly by his mother. After high school, he attended Northwestern University. In 1958 he met and married Martha Ann Chesney. They had 8 children, but later divorced. On October 22, 1976, he married Judith Ann Riley. She was also divorced and had 6 children. As a blended family, they had 2 daughters, making a total of 16 children. Terry worked most of his adult life in the television industry. He was an operations engineer in Shreveport, Louisiana. After moving to Utah, he worked for KSL TV, Bonneville Satellite in Los Angeles, California, and KUED TV. He also worked for a short time in both Orlando and Daytona Beach TV stations. Though hampered by a leg that needed a long-legged brace, he learned to ride a bicycle, several kinds of scooters and motorcycles, and got a pilot's license and loved going up in small planes. As a young man he had always been interested in medicine, so in his 40's he decided to pursue his LPN license. He completed it while working full time at KUED. Just prior to retirement at age 65 he developed both post-polio and IBM (inclusion body myositis); both were crippling diseases that wasted the muscles. Over the next 13 years he lost the use of all his muscles and that was also the cause of his death. Terry loved his family and the gospel of Jesus Christ. He faithfully tried to serve both of them throughout his life. With many years in a wheelchair, with little or no use of his limbs, he was always cheerful and never complained. He was ever grateful for the care and service he was given. He will always be loved and sorely missed. He is survived by his wife, Judy Jeffries; brothers, Jerry (Jessie) and Prince; sister, Blanche (Jonnie); children: Terry (Barbara), Rachel (Richard), Cinde, Grace (Doug), Michael (Shelly), Jonathan (Heidi), David, Melody (Travis), Holly (Jeremiah), Jennifer (Brent), Shawn (Peggy), Carol, Stephen (Brenda), Richard (Cynthia), Lynn (Diane), Sharon (Chris); 59 grandchildren and a growing number of great-grandchildren. Preceded in death by his parents, Carlyle Jeffries and Hazel Cole; a half-brother; a grandson, Andrew; and 4 infant grandchildren Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, January 11, 2017, at 11:30 a.m. at the Winder 2nd LDS Ward, 1361 East 4000 South, Salt Lake City, Utah. Viewings will be held on Tuesday, January 10, 2016 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Jenkins-Soffe Mortuary, 4760 South State Street, Murray, Utah, and on Wednesday prior to the funeral service at the church from 10:00-11:15 a.m. Interment: Elysian Burial Gardens, 1075 East 4580 South, Salt Lake City, Utah. A special thanks to Maurico Coverrubias and Zach Wadsworth for their daily care of him. Thanks also to Alpha Home and Hospice for their help. Funeral Home: Jenkins-Soffe Mortuary-Murray 4760 South State Street Murray, UT