Brenda Denison

Brenda Milagros Vargas Mena Denison, 54, passed away peacefully on May 14, 2020 surrounded by her loving family in Heber City, Utah.  She lived her life with passion and will be remembered for her beautiful smile, her loving heart, and her kindness.  She always looked for the good in others and she touched the lives of everyone she knew.  She was a devoted mother, wife, daughter, sister, friend, gardener and educator.
 
Brenda was born on May 28, 1965, in San Juan Puerto Rico, daughter of Hermes and the late Milagros Vargas.  She was the oldest of 4 siblings, Hermes “Tito” Vargas, the late Griselle Zelaya (Vargas), and the late Javier Francisco Vargas.  She lived in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico until she was 17 years old.  At 17, she was admitted to Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah where she finished with a Bachelor of Arts and a teaching certificate.  She taught Spanish at Brigham Young University as she worked on her Master’s in Education.
 
After her first son, Brandon, was born she moved to California to teach high school.  A few years later she returned to Utah, a place she also considered home, where her three other children, Joshua, Vanessa, and Sean were born.  Her children were the highlight of her life.  Her happiest memories were the times she spent with them.
 
She was so proud of being Puerto Rican and would love to travel back “home” often.  She had a passion for learning that continued throughout her whole life.  She became one of the first females in Utah to open an insurance agency.  She also went back to school to study Interior Design.  She owned and operated a feed store in Mapleton, Utah, and three home-décor stores in Riverton, South Jordan and Salt Lake City, Utah.
 
Her biggest passion was teaching.  She was a beloved high school teacher at Wasatch High School in Heber, Utah where she taught Spanish, AP Spanish, Spanish literature, and Dual Language Immersion Spanish.  For the last 4 years, Brenda was the mentor for the Latinos in Action Chapter for Wasatch High.  She loved instilling leadership and creating service opportunities for her students.  She took many students to her native Puerto Rico for cultural/learning experiences that taught them not only how to speak the language but to love and respect their Hispanic-Latino cultures.  One of her proudest achievements was when she was nominated and awarded Wasatch High School’s Teacher of the Year in 2019.  She has impacted the lives of thousands of students.
 
In September 2018 she married her best friend Ron Denison. They loved to travel the world and spend time together at their home in Heber City.  Ron supported Brenda in all her adventures and her projects and was always by her side.
 
Brenda is survived by her husband Ron; her children, Brandon, Joshua, Vanessa (Mitch), and Sean; her father Hermes; sibling: Hermes Vargas; and nieces and nephews.
 
An intimate in-person funeral service for the family will be held by invitation and will be streamed electronically for remote viewing as well.  Due to the current pandemic, a celebration of Brenda’s life for family, friends, students and the community will also be held at a future time, tentatively August, when it is safe to gather.  Please refer to BrendaMilagros.com for further information.  The family is incredibly grateful for the outpour of generosity from the community.  In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the fund that is set up in Brenda’s honor at BrendaMilagros.com.  All contributions to this fund will be used towards funeral expenses and the remaining will be donated to Wasatch High School, as a token of gratitude to the students and staff.