Thomas Arne Paulsen

Our beloved husband, father, and grandpa, Thomas Arne Paulsen, passed away in the comfort of his own home on Tuesday, June 11, 2019, at the age of 78. He was born September 11, 1940 in Salt Lake City to Paul Herman Paulsen and Martha Blattmann Paulsen. Through his many adventurous, and at times daring, dates he captured the heart of sweet Gloria Steiner whom he married in the Salt Lake City Temple. He graduated from the University of Utah with a Ph.D. in Mining Engineering and went out into the world to embrace his love of life as he moved from Utah to Northern Michigan, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Idaho, then back to Utah again. No climate he lived in could put a damper on his love of nature and being outdoors as an avid fisherman and camper. As a professor he loved teaching, and education was always a high priority for him. He loved learning and was an avid reader, things that he has passed on to all of his children. There was no equation you could throw at him that he couldn’t outsmart and his mad math skills helped him pass many more science and math classes than he ever thought he would need to take as he helped all of his children throughout their endeavors in education. One of his many important jobs was as a strongly opinionated Resident Typist for his college-aged children, which was often dangerous for the author. He was loving and caring, enjoyed serving others, meeting people and building relationships; he accepted everyone no matter who they were, all qualities that made him an excellent ward mission leader and the reason it was his absolute favorite calling. He could have a wicked sense of humor and always enjoyed a practical joke. As a lover of all things trains there was always a model railroad up and running in the basement, a passion that he has passed on to many of his grandchildren. He developed a love of baking and cooking all things Norwegian from an early age as he worked in the kitchen alongside his mom. He served an LDS mission in Oslo, Norway and although he was born stateside he was a true Viking through and through: he was fierce and bold, he stood up for what he believed in, worked with all his might at all he did, and put his family first. He is adored by his grandchildren and is a hero to his children. Thomas is preceded in death by his parents, sister Vivian Paulsen, brother David Paulsen (Fran), and granddaughter Nora Hancey (Megan and Cary). He is survived by his wife Gloria, his seven children and their spouses- Paige, Matthew (Nancy), Angella (Cristiano), Melanie (Neal), Heather, Erin (Fabio), Megan (Cary), 10 grandchildren- Madeline, Thomas, Annika, Clemente, Oliver, Leonardo, Abram, Theodore, Charlee, Amanda, two great grandchildren- Evelyn, Jaina, his brother Grant Paulsen (Kristin), and sisters Peggy Ann Ellsworth (Richard), Janet Burt (Gerald), sister-in-law Fran Paulsen, and their families. A viewing will be held Saturday, June 15 from 10:00 to 12:00 at Memorial Holladay-Cottonwood Mortuary, 4670 S Highland Drive in Holladay. Followed by a graveside service at 2:00 pm at Memorial Holladay Cemetery, 4900 S Memory Lane in Holladay. We love and are grateful for the legacy of commitment, forgiveness, faith and love that he has left behind.
Service Information
Viewing June 15, 2019 at 10:00-12:00
Memorial Holladay~Cottonwood Mortuary, 4670 South Highland Drive, Holladay,Utah 84117





Celebration of Life
June 15, 2019 at 2:00 PM
Memorial Holladay Cemetery, 4900 South Memory Lane (1990 East), Holladay, Utah 84117