Tennie Joy Van Ry

My mother Tennie Joy Van Ry was born May 15th, 1939, to Alvis and Alice Nooner in a small place called Barney, Arkansas and she was the only girl. She had two older brothers, Shirrell (Elois) and Don, who has passed, (Laree still with us) and her younger brother, Bruce also has passed (Linda also still with us). As you can imagine, she was incessantly teased by her brothers who all loved her dearly. This family was living in a very small home with no electricity, plumbing or running water. As a child she picked cotton with her older brothers and walked a great distance to school and church. She grew up loving music.  Singing often with her family.
She grew up a fine young lady and moved across the country to attend BYU. She graduated with her degree in Social Work.
She met my father Otto, was married in the temple and they started a life and family together.  The birth of the twins, Brad and Kevin, made their life a whirlwind of busyness and more love. These two boys had her on her toes and were the apples of her eye. They were definitely “double trouble” for her as little ones. As she juggled these boys, almost three years later I was born. Her only daughter. We spent many years as a family in the Bay Area of California and as the twins hit teenage years we moved to Reno, Nevada. This was a new start and a huge change for all of us and it took its toll on us as a family. My parents divorced, the twins went with dad, and I stayed with mom. She and I moved back to her home state and resided there for several years. My mother had actively started using her degree to care for us and worked in the social work field helping children with issues and special needs.
The boys had gone on missions, returned home, moved to Utah, and found their wives. At some point mom wanted to be close to them and also returned to Utah. Here she used her wonderful skills in Social Work to take her career to helping the elderly. She met many friends in this area and have several of them here with us today.
In her later years she enjoyed her time shopping and going to the mountains where she collected rocks to put in our yard. She was obsessed with jewelry and reveled in always looking her best.  She loved her plants outside and took a start of several of them from everywhere she lived. Such as the daisies she received when I was born and the lilac bush from her great-grandfather’s farm. Both of which are still growing in our yard today. She worked out in the flower beds until her body was just not able to anymore. That was about the time that I took over and filled our patio with flowers for her to enjoy.
My mom had a deep love for Christ and was a very firm believer in the church. She was faithful to read her scriptures daily and loved the Liahona. She held many different callings with the church including being in young women’s and teaching Sunday school.
My mother’s later life proved to be very challenging for her health. She took five or six falls and each time it was just harder and harder for her. As her health started to fail her need for additional assistance was needed so I stepped in and did my best to care for her. The last almost twenty years I have done my best to care for her needs. This cantankerous, sweet, stubborn, friendly, lady has looked death in the face so many times,  and said nope not my time and came back to continue to spend time here with the family she loved. I think she may have been part cat because she used up all her nines lives and then some!
As her life ended on April 28th her family was in her last thoughts.
She is survived by her oldest brother, Shirrell (Elois); her twins, Brad (Katie) and Kevin (Pam); Denise; 7 grandchildren; 4 great grandchildren, and how she has loved these littles!!!; cousins; and many nieces and nephews. She is so loved by so many people and so she will be dearly missed by all.
We would like to thank the health care team at Aspen ridge home health and hospice for their time spent caring for mom. Especially to her nurse Pete who has spent countless hours with both of us to see to our comfort. There is a special place in my heart for your kind, Pete!!!
Funeral services will be held at 12:30 PM on Friday, May 5, 2023 at the Jordan Parkway Ward building, 1510 West Parliament Avenue, West Valley, Utah. A time of visitation will be held at the church on Friday from 11:00 AM until the time of the service. Interment will be in Elysian Burial Gardens, 1075 East College Street, Millcreek, Utah
Service Information
Viewing May 5, 2023 at 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM
Jordan Parkway Ward Building





Celebration of Life
May 5, 2023 at 12:30 PM
Jordan Parkway Ward Building