Teri Jensen

Teri Rae Jensen, 63, died after a three-year battle with cancer. She was born to Milt and Karen Jensen in Salt Lake City, Utah, on December 18, 1958. Teri was raised with her brothers Kim and Chris in Tooele, Utah. Graduating from Tooele High School, where she was the first woman in Utah to be a Stirling Scholar in science.
She loved camping and fishing in the Uinta and Central Mountains of Utah with her family. When Teri was ten, she set the state record for the largest cutthroat trout caught to that date. She caught the fish at Joes Valley Reservoir with a fly of her own design and construction while trolling in her uncle’s boat.
Teri received a B.S. in Economics from the University of Utah and a M.B.A. from Westminster College. She worked for Utah Paper Box Company for 37-years, becoming Vice President of Finance. UPB became part of her extended family. They vacationed together and worked on community projects like Tree Utah and the VOA Youth Center. They worked hard and played hard together skiing, camping, running rivers, and caring for one another. Integrity and caring for colleagues were the hallmarks of her career.
Teri loved being a member of the Salt Lake City Rotary Club, participating in Rotary community projects, and as a club board member. As a feminist, asserting women's rights and expanding their responsibilities was core to who she was. Teri was proud to be the great-granddaughter of a Utah suffragette. Teri represented the Utah chapter of the National Organization for Women in D.C. in 1989 and 1991 during Marches for Women’s Lives. She said that living in a country where she had the freedom and responsibility to fight for women's lives gave her an extraordinary feeling of patriotism.
Teri met David Hopkins her "soulmate" and husband of 43-years while attending the University of Utah. They "grew up together" and raised their son Eric (Koda) Hopkins. As a family, they loved to travel and explore. They visited Mexico, Europe, and a small part of Asia. She visited 49 of the 50 states as a young woman, purposefully leaving one state unexplored for some future date.
Teri loved her family and always stepped up to help any of them. She was especially close to her father, Milt, and nephew Aaron. Throughout her life, Teri forged deep enduring friendships with many who became family. Teri is preceded in death by her father, Milt and nephew, Austin. She is survived by her mother Karen, her husband David Hopkins, her son Eric (Koda) Hopkins, her brothers Kim (Carol), and Chris (Jodi), and her nephews Cody (Jamie), Shad (Cindy), and Aaron (Mary).
Please consider a donation to the National Organization for Women, VOA Homeless Youth Services Donate | Volunteers of America (voaut.org), or the American Cancer Society in remembrance of Teri's life.
A memorial service celebrating Teri's life will be held at Tate Mortuary, 110 S. Main Street Tooele, Utah, on Saturday, May 21, 2022, at 11:00 AM, with visitation beginning at 10:00 AM.