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Selma (“Sunny”) Vance-Lauritzen passed away suddenly on August 14, 2024 after battling several health issues following the death of her husband in 2020. She was a fighter to the end, and her family will miss her dearly.
Sunny was born on November 6, 1951 at LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah, daughter to Bette Fahring Vance and E. Gale Vance. A few years after Sunny was born, she would become a big sister to David Vance. Following her graduation from Olympus high school, Sunny attended Utah State University, graduating with a bachelor’s degree and later a master’s in speech language pathology.
While attending Utah State, she met her first husband, Bruce Lauritzen. The two were married in 1977 at Snowbird Ski Resort. Together they had one son, J. D. Lauritzen (Kari Yurth).
After moving back to Utah from South Bend, Indiana, where Sunny worked at a hospital with children, she began her career in speech pathology. She would eventually go on to work at the Western Rehabilitation Institute in various capacities and then the University of Utah Hospital as its Administrative Director of Neuro / Rehabilitation for 17 years. Her unbending desire to serve others was forever on display, whether it was helping advance the careers of her many coworkers and the hospital’s rehab center or serving with other organizations like Junior League of Salt Lake City, the Assistance League of Salt Lake City, and the Utah Tennis Association. Those that knew Sunny professionally have always said that she had an incredible ability to grow those around her.
While working at the university, Sunny met her second husband, David Strand. She and Dave were married in Italy in 2006. The two enjoyed many happy years together. Unfortunately, Dave was paralyzed in the spring of 2016 after an injury at their home. As was her nature, Sunny cared tirelessly for Dave until his passing in August 2020. She showed so much compassion and understanding during those hard times, even if that meant foregoing her own needs for the needs of her ailing husband. Her courage and perseverance in caring for Dave was inspiring to many.
After Dave’s passing, Sunny experienced a broken heart, dealing with several different health ailments until her untimely passing. Despite what she was going through, she continued to care deeply for others, including her new friends that she made at The Ridge. Her selflessness knew no bounds, and that was evident right up until her death. She will forever be our hero, and we will do our best to carry on her attitude of service.
Sunny is survived by her son and brother. She was preceded in death by her parents and second husband.
Services will be held at Larkin Mortuary Sunset Gardens on Friday, August 23, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. Friends and family may visit from 12:30 p.m. until 2:00 p.m. on Friday, August 23, 2024 prior to the service. Interment will be at Larkin Mortuary Sunset Gardens.
To watch a recording of the service, please click on the tab above that says "Watch Service" or follow this link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/G4VAWwHA6IkPJR1ua5R-AuiGL4CecTgrgyAz793VSz-wgAWKFCCcVRwBHUE47NU.Y3mr4nOg7sQRyZ21?startTime=1724441650000
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Peggy Sheffield (Lilja)
We met in 5th grade when Sunny's family moved in three houses down. Had such fun together. I will miss you so very much my dear friend. Rest in Peace ♥️
Jeff Cooke
After so many years, I simply remember Selma as a friend. We weren't especially close friends, but I recall a friendly, warm lady with a quick mind. This is a sad passing.
Lynne Bodily (Dewey)
I can't think about high school without Selma (Sunny) in the thought! Sadly, we lost touch after high school. But she was a fun, great friend. I remember going and seeing "Help", the Beatles movie with her and then we just laid on her front yard and thought about how gorgeous Paul was and awesome their music was!! Prayers go out to her family! Selma, you were one of a kind!
Renee Hilpert
So sorry to hear of this event. Selma, as we knew her, and her smile, will ever come to mind.
I recall chatting at our 30th reunion surrounding our (comparatively) limited sets of off-spring, she said "I knew I could do it right...once...and let it go at that!"
Selma/Sunny (which surely captures her personality) remains a talented, gracious, and joyous force who accomplished all to perfection. While saddened by the loss, I'm priviledged to have walked a joint path.
Renee Hilpert
Kristy Bodily (DeMille)
Selma was my best Jr. High buddy at Evergreen. I remember one Saturday we walked all the way down to Highland Drive and caught the bus and went downtown to Auerbach's to shop. Can't remember if we bought anything but we had fun trying on clothes and laughing. By the time we walked all over downtown Salt Lake and then from Highland Drive back to our houses, we were dead tired and it didn't seem so fun after the fact.
We loved golfing in the summer. Neither one of us were very good but we laughed hysterically everytime one of us swung and missed the ball. We didn't have great golf course manners.
Selma was my Cottonwood Mall companion, keeper of secret dreams, and my singing buddy on the way home from school. I'm sad life pulled us into different directions and I lost track of her. Love you, Selma, and God be with you.
Randy Eagar
My oh my. Selma Vance. What a wonderful school buddy relationship I had with her. She was the classy and very thorough yearbook editor, and I had the priviledge of being the yearbook photo editor. We would oftten talk about what kinds of photos we could take that would tell a story. I remember one day that she got Principal Larsen to lean up against a skinny pole and I would be on the other side talking to him (or appearing to). It was such a funny staged shot that she couldn't stop laughing when she saw it. I was so tall and skinny, and he was . . . well you remember Principal Larsen.
Probably my most memorable thought of her was when we were checking into one of our reunions at Snowbird. I was checking in, and this gorgeous svelt chick walks up to me and says "Hi Randy". I looked at her and said "Do I know you"? She laughed (which gave her away) and said "I'm Sunny. You know, Selma"? I couldn't believe it. She looked so great. (This was definately not the plump girl that we used to throw darts at in the dark room.)
Selma had definately turned into "Sunny", but still had that beautiful smile and contagious laugh.
Thank you for being such a wonderful friend and an all around good person.
Randy