Marsh Cornish, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend died suddenly and unexpectedly of a massive heart attack on August 10, 2023. Those of us left behind are dumbstruck, reeling, and bereft.
Marsh was born Mother’s Day, May 11, 1952, to Don Harold Cornish and Donna (Dickson) Cornish in Salt Lake City, Utah. His mom said it was the best Mother’s Day she ever had. He was the fifth of five children and every bit the baby of the family. He often said his mom was one of the wisest people he knew, and his oldest brother Jack one of the smartest.
Marsh graduated from West High School in 1970. In 1972, he began working at HydroFlame, a local manufacturer of RV appliances. He started as an assembly line worker, boxing furnaces. He later moved into quality, then purchasing, and eventually became the plant manager. After HydroFlame was acquired by Atwood Automotive, he took on management responsibilities for international manufacturing in China. He retired in 2015, having worked for the same employer for 43 years. He was lucky to be able to work with his brother Bill, and he made lifelong friends here and on the other side of the world.
Marsh met Eva “Boozie” Louise Rotzler in the spring of 1968. He was 15, and she was 14. He said, the first time he saw her, he knew they would end up together. And they did. They had their first kiss two and a half years after they met, started going steady on February 20, 1971, and were married April 27, 1974. Boozie and Boggs have been inseparable best-friends for more than fifty years. Marsh was singularly focused on making a good life for his wife, kids, and grandkids, and he succeeded at what he set out to do.
Boggs loved hard, deep, and wide. If you had the opportunity to share his campfire or his table, you knew that. He was never happier than when he had a dining room full of people that he could encourage to eat more and drink more, and you always had to fight him to pick up the check. He took incredible joy in everyday things: drinking coffee and solving the morning puzzles in the newspaper; playing pinochle or cribbage with friends; growing a tomato and sharing it with family; feeding the hummingbirds, squirrels, and deer in his yard; watching the sunset from his deck; smoking a brisket; sharing a bottle of scotch; watching old horror movies with his grandkids; traveling near and far with his sweetheart; and caring for others. He loved to be plugged into the hustle and bustle of everyone’s lives. Thank you to all the friends and family that invited him to share the important and unimportant events in your lives—he loved to support you. He was honest, generous, and loyal to a fault. He was an uncommonly good man; an exceptionally loving husband, dad, and grandpa; and an extraordinary friend.
He is survived by his wife Eva; his daughters Rita (Kyle) Cornish and Anna (Chad) Testa; his three grandchildren, Lillian, Eleanor, and Alex. We have no idea how life will go on without him.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, August 19, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. at Memorial Redwood Mortuary & Cemetery, 6500 South Redwood Road, West Jordan, Utah 84123. Friends and family are invited to visit at 10:00 a.m. before the service. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Safe Harbor Crisis Center, safeharborhope.org. Marsh lived a life surrounded by women and girls and considered himself lucky. He believed that they should have a safe, supportive place to thrive.Service Information
Viewing August 19, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Memorial Redwood Mortuary
Memorial Service
August 19, 2023 at 11:00 a.m.
Memorial Redwood Mortuary