Noreen Cutler Omer

Our beloved daughter, sister, wife, mother and grandmother, Noreen Cutler Omer, peacefully passed away at the age of nearly 97 on January 11, 2024. Born January 28, 1927, in Salt Lake City, Utah, she was the first born of Dorothy Weiler and Frank Doral Cutler’s three children. Noreen and her siblings, Paul and Joan, led an idyllic childhood, growing up on Downington Avenue and then in the heart of Holladay. They lived in the “country” and enjoyed a full life among orchards and farmland. Holladay always held a special place in her heart.

Noreen was an energetic soul and brought light to her family and all who knew her with her infectious laugh and happy personality. She lived a remarkable life filled with service to friends, family, church and community. Abundantly talented, especially in music, she blessed the lives of all around her with her amazing spirit, work ethic, and natural abilities – she made it all look so easy. She began playing the piano at an early age, attending the McCune school of music as a teenager and taking up the organ at the age of 15 so that she could play in church. An amazing sight-reader who could keep the beat, she was everyone’s go-to organist and piano accompanist for nearly 80 years.

She met her life companion, John Sutherland Omer, in grade school and they married in the Salt Lake Temple on June 8th, 1950. They moved to Seattle for dental school and then returned to Holladay to raise their 7 children. They loved being together as a family and took their children on adventures from hiking the Grand Canyon to boating in Lake Powell to their annual week at Snowbird.

Noreen was accomplished as she graduated from the University of Utah with a BS in Elementary Education (1949) and worked full-time as an elementary educator, teaching kindergarten and 1st grade at Holladay Elementary, and later, Canyon Rim Elementary schools. She loved working with children and had a way of making them all feel special.

Noreen was a faithful, valiant member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and had a strong testimony of the Savior. She served a mission with John in the Harare, Zimbabwe mission from 1996-1998, an experience that had a lasting impression on her and one that she cherished deeply. She also served as a docent for the Church History Museum for many years and loved taking her grandkids with her to see the exhibits. She was actively engaged with both the Sons / Daughters of Utah Pioneers organizations for many years and served in many callings, always including organist, for her beloved Holladay 10th ward and was a staple in her congregation.

She loved her family and took any occasion to gather them all together. When asked what made her happy she replied, “Sunny days. My family and when they are happy.” She was especially proud of her grandchildren, and attended as many concerts, games and other activities as she was able. She loved to travel, work in her flower and vegetable garden, and was a big fan of See’s chocolates and Snelgrove’s ice cream. It was always a treat to go to grandma’s house!

She was preceded in death by her husband, John Sutherland Omer, her youngest son Steven Cutler Omer, and her oldest daughter Rebecca (Becky) McKown. She is survived by her remaining children, John Russell Omer (Giuliana), Doral Bryce Omer (Lyndy), Kent Cutler Omer (Debra), Carolyn Omer Bitner (Brian), and Christopher Cutler Omer (Joann), 34 grandchildren, and 63 great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held on Jan 19, 2024, 11am, at her long-time Holladay 10th Ward meeting house located at 4601 Chapel Street, Holladay, UT 84117. Viewings will be held on Jan 18, 2024 from 6-8pm at the Memorial-Holladay Cottonwood Mortuary, 4670 So. Highland Dr, Holladay, and again an hour before the funeral service on Jan 19th, beginning at 9:45am. Entombment at Holladay Memorial Park.

We wish to express our heartfelt gratitude to the excellent staff at the Spring Gardens Senior Living facility in Holladay, and to the hospice nurses from Inspiration Hospice Care for their compassionate attention to Noreen in her final days.

In lieu of flowers, the family is suggesting a donation be made to the General Missionary Fund of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. https://philanthropies.churchofjesuschrist.org/missionary/