James Philip “Phil” Yorgason

Our amazing and loving father, grandfather, and caring husband returned home to the open arms of our Heavenly Father peacefully in his sleep on May 19th, 2024, surrounded by family members.

Phil was born on December 11, 1941 in Salt Lake City, UT to James Delbert and Lillis Jane Marchant Yorgason who preceded him in death.

Phil is survived by his his loving and caring wife, Rhonda Poulsen Yorgason, children Jim and Karen Yorgason, Julie and George Nielsen, Jennifer and Garfield Russell, and Jane and Jason Cogswell. Grandchildren Jordan, Bradon, Kolten, Amanda, Kassidy, Brandi, Kyla, Kalai, Raeana, Jessica, Jalissa, Jayden, Eden, Aaron and 5 great grandchildren. He is also survived by his two sisters, Marilyn Moore and Linda Morgan.

Phil grew up in Midvale Utah where he met the love of his life, Rhonda. They were married and sealed on November 8, 1963 in the Salt Lake Temple, starting a 60 year lifelong adventure together. Phil and Rhonda were inseparable and loved spending time together.

Early in life Phil struggled with public speaking but as a testament to his hard work, he was determined to make that challenge into a strength and he became a master story teller. Whether it was telling ghost stories around a campfire, or speaking in church, Phil had an incredible ability to make words come to life and he used this to inspire and teach thousands of people in his lifetime.

Phil has a deep love and dedication to the Gospel and served in many capacities in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He served as a Scout Master, Bishop, a Member of the Stake Presidency, Temple worker and most recently a Patriarch. He loved serving in the Church and found comfort and peace in sharing the teachings of Christ with people around him.

Phil’s favorite place on earth was in the Temple, but that was followed closely by the beautiful earth we live on. He looked for any opportunity he could to spend time outdoors. He spent countless days in the Mountains and Deserts, casting one of his meticulously hand tied flies to an unsuspecting trout, searching for petrified wood in the deserts of Utah, hiking to the top of Kings Peak, or just simply working in his garden. His love for the outdoors also translated to his artistic ability where he showcased his painting talent to express how beautiful the world around us truly is. The outdoors were his “Heaven” here on earth.

Phil has an insatiable thirst for knowledge. He could always be found reading, learning and studying new things. His knowledge and work ethic made him successful in his career where he worked in the structural steel business. He very much enjoyed the process of building something amazing from raw materials and watching it transform into something useful. He enjoyed his work very much and just recently retired in December of 2023.

Phil’s greatest accomplishment was being an incredible, loving husband and father. Words cannot express how much he will be missed! His legacy will live on in the hearts and minds of those he touched.

A viewing will be held May 22nd, from 6:00-9:00 pm at Anderson & Goff Mortuary, 11859 S. 700 E., Draper UT 84020.

Funeral services will be May 23rd at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints meeting house on 1050 E. Galena Dr., Sandy, UT 84094 at 11:00 am. There will be an additional viewing from 9:00 - 10:30 prior to the service.

The service will be livestreamed on the Anderson & Goff Mortuary Facebook Page at the following link:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Funeral-Service---Cemetery/Anderson-Goff-Mortuary-293949407707203/
(The livestream video will appear when the service starts.)

Special thanks to Auburn Crest for their compassionate care given to Phil during his last days.