Verle Dean Tolley

Verle Dean Tolley was born on July 8th, 1937, in Gridley, California to Drextell Earl and Goldie Pearl McKinney Tolley. He passed away peacefully on July 20th, 2022 in Logan, Utah.

He spent his early years in Gridley and attended BYU, where he met his eternal sweetheart Colleen, his freshman year. He served an LDS mission to the Western Canadian mission from 1957-1959. He returned to BYU to finish his schooling and married Colleen in the Salt Lake Temple on November 20, 1959.

After graduation from BYU, he taught and coached at North Rich High School in Laketown, UT for three years and then moved to Heber City, UT where he taught school and Driver’s Ed and coached for 30 years. Coaching was his passion. Among his coaching accolades are one girls basketball state championship, one girls cross-country state championship, six track and field state championships, and the Referee’s Coach of the Year. He had the winningest girls basketball team at the time, with a streak of forty-four games and was featured on KSL. He was one of the first inductees into the Wasatch High School Hall of Fame. He ran the 3000 meters and pitched Horseshoes in the Huntsman Sr. Games in St. George, winning medals in each event. A highlight in his life was being chosen to be a torchbearer for the 2002 Paralympic games in Salt Lake City and being able to run his stretch with all four of his children.

He was the first Community School Director in Wasatch County and was the first Wasatch County Council on Aging Director, starting the Meals on Wheels program and developing the Senior Citizens program. He earned his Master’s Degree in Recreation Education.

Verle was an avid BYU fan and had season football tickets for 63 years. He was looking forward to the move to the Big 12. We thank those who have sat around us for the last 30 years. Your help and patience with him was amazing and much appreciated.

In November 1990, Verle was on his roof, cleaning up from a roofing project, and as he was coming down, the ladder slipped out from under him and he fell on his driveway hitting his head on the cement. This caused him to have a major head injury that he lived with for the rest of his life. He wasn’t expected to make it through that weekend, so we express gratitude for the extra thirty- one years we had with him.

Verle is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints serving in two Bishoprics, and as a High Councilor. Throughout his trials, his testimony in our Savior, Jesus Christ never wavered. He lived valiantly and completed his mission on earth faithfully.

Verle was preceded in death by his parents, brother-in-laws Jess Elgan and Gene Fowkes, and grandson, Shane Tolley. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Colleen, and his four children. Wende (Barry) Knight, Smithfield, UT, Janis (John) Rogers, Heber City, UT, Lori (Brian) Lewis, Cedar Hills, UT, and Steven (Tina) Tolley, Acme, Louisiana. He is also survived by 16 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren, and his three sisters, Nancy Elgan, Deanna Fowkes, and Jeanne Hart.

Funeral services will be held July 26, 2022 at 11:00 AM at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 325 East 500 North, West Building, Heber City, Utah, 84032. Viewing will be from 9:00 - 10:30AM.

Anyone wishing to watch services via like stream can do so at this link: https://webcast.funeralvue.com/events/viewer/76445