Patricia Frances (Pierson) Terrill

August 2, 1944 — September 3, 2026

Patricia Frances (Pierson) Terrill, known to everyone as Pat, passed away from heart failure on September 3, 2026, at her home in St. George, Utah, at the age of 82. She spent her final weeks the way she had spent her life: surrounded by family.

Pat was born August 2, 1944, in Blythe, California, to Charles Frank Pierson and Edith Marie (Bird) Pierson. She was the second of fourteen children, and her family moved often between Southern California and Idaho as her father’s work required. She graduated from Sugar-Salem High School in Sugar City, Idaho, where she served as yearbook editor, and went on to Ricks College to study English, the Classics, and French. She spent her summers working in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

It was in Jackson Hole, at the Purple Cow Restaurant, that she first served a milkman named Robert (Bob) Terrill. She thought he seemed like a nice man. Not long after, he spotted her and a friend walking along a hot and dusty road toward the reservoir and warmly offered them a ride in his milk truck, and a cold drink too. A year later they became reacquainted at the Purple Cow, and a whirlwind romance followed. They were married September 25, 1963, and sealed in the Idaho Falls Temple on January 8, 1965.

Pat was blessed to become a mother to three adorable children, Monica, Art, and Jeff, upon her marriage to Bob. Previously inexperienced in matters of domestic life, she found an instant family made for a quick learning curve, and she threw her whole self into the role, learning to budget, to cook, to sew, and to mother. She and Bob went on to have eight more children. She raised eleven.

Motherhood did not end her love of learning. She resumed her studies at the University of California, Riverside, completing a bachelor’s degree in English. She assisted in Bob’s HVAC business, scheduling appointments, ordering parts, and drafting extremely well-written contracts, of which she was quite proud. After serving on an ad hoc committee reviewing the local school district’s curriculum, she elected to homeschool her four younger children. She took many continuing education courses because she wanted to learn. Pat read constantly. A book could always be found in her hand and another in her purse, with bookcases in every room filled with books on varied topics such as world history, gospel study, cooking and nutrition, and more. When the family was ready to head out the door, her standard refrain was “just give me five more minutes.” She was never behind on getting ready. She had simply reached the good part in her book and needed to see it through. She also had an eye for beauty, and every home she and Bob made was furnished well and lived in well. Thursday was her shopping day, and her children still remember watching for her return in the evening to see what treasures she had found.

Pat’s faith transcended simple belief. She had a strong relationship with her Heavenly Father. Her love for the Savior was personal and deeply rooted, forged by the trials He carried her through. Pat was a true scriptorian who studied the scriptures daily and looked for every chance to teach what she found. She served in many callings throughout her life, but treasured most her years as Gospel Doctrine Teacher, Valiant 11 Teacher, Nursery Leader, Ward Relief Society President, and Stake Relief Society President. She valued her membership in the Bloomington 5th Ward. She was also a gifted genealogist, compiling decades of research on both her family and Bob’s, and giving countless hours to help others find their own. Much of Pat’s generosity went deliberately unnoticed. She preferred that her kindnesses go unmentioned. She was a great friend and listener. She was constantly on the phone with siblings, children, nieces and nephews, grandchildren, and old friends, offering support, advice, and a listening ear to anyone who needed one.

Pat and Bob were industrious, turning every house they bought into a home, and they kept an open door for their children and grandchildren whenever life required one. They were never empty nesters, nor did they ever wish to be. Bob died March 26, 2011. For fifteen years, Pat eagerly looked forward to their reunion.

She is survived by her children, Monica (Burt), Jeff (Rebecca), Patty (Brett), Diana (Carl), Becca (Steve), Jennifer (Jim), Deborah (Clarence), Chris (Aubrey), and Katie (Lonnie); 62 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren; and her siblings Linda, Laurel, Elizabeth, Andy, Sharon, Rebecca, Sam, and Amy. She was preceded in death by her parents and five siblings; her husband, Bob; her sons Art and Greg (Vanessa); her grandson Andrew Terrill; and her great-granddaughter Cleo Neve.

She was a woman of quick wit and quicker laughter, and anyone who spent any time with her knew the sound of it. When she set her grandchildren to a task, she always sent them off with the same words: “When you’re through, report back.” She is through now, and has reported back.

Funeral services will be held Friday, September 18, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at the Bloomington Stake Center (200 W Brigham Road) in St. George, Utah. A viewing will be held before the service from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.