Dana Marie Terrill

Dana Marie Terrill, born December 14, 1938, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, went gently into the unknown on May 8, 2026, in Salt Lake City, Utah, after a long journey with dementia and congestive heart failure. She was 87 years old, and while she may have slipped away quietly, there was nothing quiet about the life she lived.

Dana was the daughter of Jesse Harold Jones and Maggie Zelma Sisk, and she grew up surrounded by a big, close family that would remain one of the anchoring forces of her life. She graduated in 1957 from Durango High School and attended briefly University of Northern Colorado at Greeley in 1958. In 1959, she married Bill Terrill, and though that marriage didn't last, the three children they brought into the world became her proudest achievement. She set each of them on paths toward excellence, leading by example with her own grit, humor, and determination.

After her divorce, Dana moved to Salt Lake City and discovered she had real estate in her blood, a gift inherited from her father, Jesse. Working with Chateau Realty, she excelled at selling homes in new subdivisions in what is now West Valley City. Some weekends she sold so many homes she lost count, and she built a reputation as someone who simply got things done.

But Dana had another remarkable chapter in her. She entered the Romance Writers of America conference competition, and out of more than 5,000 unsolicited manuscripts, her work placed second. That achievement led to an event in Houston TX, where she signed a book contract, and her novel was published by Simon and Schuster in English and seven other languages. Not bad for someone who probably could have talked her way into any room on charm and wit alone.

And what wit it was. Dana had a razor-sharp, dry sense of humor that caught people off guard and kept them laughing. You wanted her on your team for puzzle games or Trivial Pursuit, because she knew the answer to seemingly every question. Opponents often quit mid-game, their scores too pitiful to continue. She loved that.

Dana was a world traveler with three expired passports, every page stamped full. A trip to New Zealand with her parents left her marveling at more sheep than she ever thought possible. A journey to northern Italy with her sisters to explore their family roots turned into

a wonderful coincidence when they stumbled upon a Pelissero family reunion happening the very same weekend. She was also a devout Denver Broncos fan who endured years of losing before John Elway delivered back-to-back Super Bowl victories, vindicating every ounce of her loyalty. She was a big supporter of the LGBTQ+ community and never missed an opportunity to let you know that too.

In her final decade, Dana made her home at the Coventry, where she cultivated deep friendships, enjoyed water aerobics, and tended to her Christmas Cactus making it bloom a couple times per year with a green thumb passed down from her mother, Zelma. Dana was always where you went at Coventry if you wanted your puzzle solved and needed a winner for your team.

Dana was preceded in death by her parents, Jesse Harold Jones and Maggie Zelma Sisk; her son, Micheal Andrew Terrill; her brother, Gary Leroy Jones; and her sister, Kathleen Delores Stanger. She is survived by her daughter, Janine Marie Terrill of Salt Lake City; her son, Patrick Terrill and his husband Vernon Ollar of Cathedral City California her sisters, Leah Jones and her partner Sue Dickey of St. George Utah, Karen Neisler and her husband Ron Neisler of Sandy Utah and Barbara Jean Hansen of Herriman Utah ; and her beloved extended family, including her (3) grandchildren Summer Chelsea Brown, Hannah Terrill,, Lucas Terrill, and (5) great grandchildren Logan Jessika Rodgers, Tinslei Elise Preston, Tahleia Annelise Preston, Psyren Hope Terrill, Maze Prudence Terrill many nieces and nephews long with many dear friends gathered over a lifetime of adventures, and of course her beloved cat Kosmo Kramer who passed right before Dana went into St. Marks Hospital for the last time.

A Celebration of Dana's incredible life will be held Labor Day weekend in Salt Lake City, Utah, where friends, associates, and family members are welcome to come together and reminisce about her and the full, remarkable life she lived.

The family wishes to express their deep gratitude to the doctors, nurses, and caregivers at St. Mark's Hospital who made Dana's final days peaceful and comfortable. Knowing she was not suffering brought immeasurable solace during the hardest of moments. Dana may be gone, but her quick wit, her warmth, and her stories will keep winning the game for a long, long time.