Marilyn Thomsen Moyer's Obituary
Marilyn was born on March 11, 1931, in St Paul, MN, to Harold and Hildegard Thomsen. She had a twin brother Marlyn and two older siblings, Roger and Ardyce, all of whom preceded her in death. Marilyn fell in love with figure skating at age nine and over the next ten years, with her twin brother, she earned three National Four Figure Skating Championships in 1947, 1948, and 1950, plus one North American Championship in 1949. Skating allowed her to travel for training and competitions all over Canada and the United States. She was particularly close to her brother, Marlyn, since he was her twin and also her skating partner. For the next 30 years, following marriage, she devoted her extra time to teaching young children how to skate, which she loved. When her husband accepted a position at the University of Utah Medical Center in 1980, she decided to change her efforts to judging figure skating at the intermediate level. This kept her active with skating for the next thirty years. She was fond of saying, “I competed for ten years and then spent the next sixty years in an ice rink watching others skate.” She hung up her clipboard after judging a Park City event in 2014.
Marilyn met Don Moyer in the winter of 1951-52 while working at Sun Valley, ID, and skating in the ice show. After marriage in Sept. 1952 in Rochester, NY, she spent 2 years with Don in Norfolk, VA while he served on a destroyer in the U S Navy. Settling down in Rochester, NY, she devoted her attention to raising three boys and a daughter. After 70 years of marriage, Marilyn leaves a legacy of family: sons Doug (Martha) of Gilbert, Arizona; Craig (Joan) of Woodland Hills, Utah; James (Sherry) of Sandy, Utah; and daughter Shauna Cavalli (Shawn) of Lehi, Utah; 21 grandchildren, and 20 great grandchildren. Marilyn’s favorite thing in life was spending time with her grandkids. In 1961 Don and Marilyn joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, while living in Rochester, NY. Almost on a whim, Don and Marilyn attended the Hill Cumorah Pageant in Palmyra, intending to learn a little about the Church. They signed a referral card and waited for the missionaries to come. That night after the Pageant, Marilyn stayed up and read two pamphlets - “The Joseph Smith Story” and “Which Church Is Right.” At one point she testified that she felt a warm wonderful feeling and knew in her heart that this was the true Church. She never denied that testimony. The missionaries taught them two lessons a week for three weeks. Marilyn, Don and Doug, who was eight at the time, were baptized on Sept. 21, 1961. Their marriage was solemnized in the Idaho Falls temple in 1965. Back in Rochester, following two years in Seattle, WA, they decided their family wasn't complete and Jim and Shauna were born two years apart. Over the next 15 years, Marilyn supported Don as he was called into leadership positions including Bishop and three Stake Presidencies. Marilyn had a love of the outdoors and enjoyed a lifetime of travel and camping throughout the US. Family vacations were spent camping in many National Parks and Monuments all across the west. During their time in Rochester, a group of friends developed who skied together for more than twenty-five years at ski resorts in New York, New England, and the Utah mountains. As the children left home, the parents of this group continued to travel together and expanded beyond the mountains and skiing. After retirement, Marilyn and Don spent 10 years traveling the world with both new and longtime friends. Marilyn served faithfully in many leadership and teaching positions on the stake and ward levels. Her greatest love was with the Young Women, and for 2 years Marilyn served on the Church’s Young Women’s Curriculum Committee, helping write Young Women lesson materials. In 1995-1996 Marilyn and Don served a mission for the LDS Church to London, England. As the older children began to go off to college at BYU, Don and Marilyn decided to relocate to the west, and moved to Utah in 1980. Following Don's retirement they relocated to Sun Lakes, AZ, but the lure of the mountains and a change of seasons brought them back to the Rocky Mountains and Utah in 2002, where she lived the remainder of her years. She loved decorating and took great pride in making her home a beautiful place. Her skating accomplishments carried her to the top of her chosen sport, but her family were her greatest joy. Marilyn will be remembered for her love of family, skating, and chocolate.
What’s your fondest memory of Marilyn?
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Share a story where Marilyn's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Marilyn you’ll never forget.
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