David Ross Jorgensen, 84, died peacefully in bed on December 15, 2024. True to form, he managed to go out without a fuss but not before leaving his family with enough wild tales to fill several lifetimes-or at least a solid Netflix miniseries.
Born in Provo, Utah, to Wesley and Jennie Jorgensen, Dave grew up in the shadow of the mountains but spent much of his youth at a fishing camp in Scofield, Utah. It was there that he acquired a pet badger, proving early on that his definition of "good company" was delightfully unorthodox. His fondness for taming the untamable would serve him well later in life, whether he was racing speedboats at 90 mph or attempting to maneuver a house through a canyon (spoiler: the canyon won).
Dave lost an eye in his youth-someone else might have slowed down, but he simply saw it as an opportunity to speed up. He went on to race dirt bikes up the Widowmaker, stacking trophies like pancakes at the Coachmen (his all-time favorite restaurant). As for the speedboats and jet-skis? Well, let's just say he left a trail of spray in his wake.
For nearly 50 years, Dave ran Provo Diesel Service with his family, wrenching on cars and trucks and sharing hair-raising stories of crashes, dynamite explosions, and other adventures where he cheated death-and occasionally physics.
In 1974, Dave married Nancy Ellen Jorgensen. Together, they raised a family and spent nearly five decades proving that love can survive just about anything, including Dave's need for speed. Nancy preceded him in death in 2022, but we imagine she's now telling him to slow down in the afterlife, with a twinkle in her eye.
Dave's later years were filled with weekly trips to Wendover, where he and his kids delighted in slot machines and stories. (The size of the jackpots might have been small, but the tales? Colossal.) For his family, these trips weren't about winning or losing; they were about hearing Dave's endless trove of stories-some so outlandish you'd swear he was making them up. He wasn't.
Dave was preceded in death by his parents, Wesley and Jennie; his brother Rodney; his former wife Lynda McEwan; and his son David Rodney. He leaves behind a legacy of love, mischief, and memories in the hearts of his children: Steve (Kim), Jackie, Michael, Jessica Bolda (Dave), and Kacey Taylor (Chris); and his sister Kathleen Swenson (Leon). His grandkids and great-grandkids and even one great-great-grandkid? They've got big shoes to fill-and probably a dirt bike or two.
A celebration of Dave's life will be held on December 30, 2024, 7:00 pm at Sun River Gardens in Orem, UT, where we recently honored his beloved wife, Nancy. If you come, bring your best Dave story, because chances are, you've got one.