Maurice D. Nielson

Maurice D. Nielson, beloved husband, brother, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, passed peacefully from this life May 16, 2023, in Layton, Utah, surrounded by his family. He had fought a thirteen year battle with Alzheimer’s Disease.
Maurice was born May 19, 1942 in Salt Lake City to Mazel A. and Melda DeLange Nielson, the second of four children. Growing up on a “city farm” in the Cottonwood area of Salt Lake, he learned early the value of hard work. In addition to his responsibilities with the gardens and animals, he worked at a local dairy through high school, and continued to blend work and service throughout his life, including ten years with the Utah National Guard.
Maurice graduated from Olympus High School and then attended the University of Utah, earning a degree in Business Administration. His dedication and work ethic led him to success in completely unrelated industries. Maurice’s first career was more than twenty years with Milne Truck Lines, where he started as a laborer on the docks and worked his way up through the organization. By the time Milne closed their doors in 1987, he was serving as their Director of Administration. After his two decades in trucking, Maurice then turned his skills to the medical industry. At his retirement in 2007, he was Director of Facilities, Safety, and Support Services for Intermountain Healthcare’s Physician Division.
Although Maurice’s career was in business administration, he never gave up working the land as his father taught him. His homes in Holladay, Utah always had productive vegetable gardens and fruit trees, beautiful flower beds, and carefully maintained lawns. After he retired, he completed the Advanced Master Gardener program at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, Utah, eventually serving as the volunteer association’s President-Elect.
Maurice’s professional life was simply a way to support what was truly important to him – his family and his faith. Following his Army Basic Training, he served a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in New Zealand. Through his life he served the Lord in many capacities within the Church, including a second mission caring for the historic properties in and around Independence, Missouri with his wife Juli. Of all of his Church service experience, he was most affected by his calling to minister to residents of the Salt Lake County Jail. Although he loved to joke about having “served seven years in the county jail,” it was this time teaching and serving that touched him the most, and that he still spoke of even when many of his other memories had failed him.
Even more important to Maurice than his Church service was his family. On September 4, 1964, Maurice married Julianne Jackman in the Salt Lake Temple. They raised six daughters and a son, and also claim a  “bonus daughter” and her family. Nielson family gatherings now number over sixty people.
Maurice’s dedication to service – whether for his family, his neighbors, or people he would never meet – was legendary. There was always some project to be done. The family loves to tell of the evening at a public park when Maurice started weeding the flower beds. It needed to be done, he was there, and he knew how to do it!  His children and grandchildren all knew that if there was a job to be done, Maurice would have or would find the knowledge, the tools, and the time to get it done.  His enduring legacy is one of humility, kindness, and hard work.
This humble and gentle man will be greatly missed by his wife Julianne Jackman Nielson and children Carrie (Tom) Milligan, Holly (Rich) Riding, Marci (Mike) Tribe, Noni (Mike) Smith, Stacie Johnson, Susan (Roy) Gedge, Mark (Erin) Nielson, Amber (Chase) Holladay; 30 grandchildren and 6 spouses; 10 great grandchildren, and many friends.
Friends and family are invited to visit on Monday, May 22 from 6-8:30 pm at Memorial Holladay-Cottonwood Mortuary, 4670 South Highland Dr, Holladay, Utah. A graveside service will be held at 10:30 am on Tuesday, May 23 at at Memorial Holladay Cemetery.
The family would like to express sincere gratitude to the staff at Abbington Senior Living of Layton and at Inspiration Hospice for their loving and respectful care.
Service Information
Viewing May 22, 2023 at 6:00-8:30 PM
Memorial Holladay~Cottonwood Mortuary, 4670 South Highland Drive, Holladay,Utah 84117





Graveside Service
May 23, 2023 at 10:30 AM
Memorial Holladay Cemetery, 4900 South Memory Lane (1990 East), Holladay, Utah 84117