John Orten

John Walton Orten, 52, of Draper, Utah, passed away at his home on July 28, 2023 from surgical complications. John was born on June 23, 1971 in Salt Lake City, Utah to the late Frank Wesley Orten and Kathryn Black Orten.

Raised in southern California, John loved surfing and swimming in the ocean with his dad and brother on weekends. His passion for athletics landed him a coveted spot in the California State Wrestling Championship during his senior year at El Dorado High School in Placentia. John continued competing in wrestling at Brigham Young University before serving honorably in the Tampa Florida mission.

John’s love of weightlifting was obvious, and some of his life’s most meaningful experiences started in the gym. From lifting his first weights at age 14, to competing for the title of Mr. Utah heavyweight champion, to meeting his wife and soulmate Jennifer. They married in 1998 and moved to San Diego, where they worked together at Sony Electronics. Earning his MBA at San Diego State allowed John to enjoy a meaningful career as a skilled nursing and assisted living executive, blessing a multitude of lives throughout California and Utah, where they returned to live in 2012.

John and Jennifer raised four beautiful, energetic children: two boys and two girls. They loved spending time together on adventurous and unique outings. Jennifer’s love of travel was contagious, and John developed the same passion for traveling and together the family has visited over 70 countries. John loved sharing stories from his time in the Amazon, Israel, Iceland, Egypt, and Turkey, and much more. One of his most life-changing experiences was spending a month climbing to the base camp of Mount Everest. After that, he couldn't call Utah's mountains anything but hills.

John’s physical strength matched his inner strength. He was a warm, compassionate, funny, and loving husband, father, brother, friend, and boss. He was known for his hard-working nature, dedication to his family and God, humble but powerful leadership, and his unwavering integrity. He and Jennifer together fearlessly stood up for freedom and liberty, valiantly defended Christian values, and exposed corruption—no matter what the cost. Together they authored several books on the ordinances of Christ’s gospel.

On first meeting, John might have appeared intimidating by his outward strength, but this paled in comparison to the strength of his soul. Larger than life, both physically and spiritually, John’s passion and purpose were admired by everyone he met. John served each of his callings in life with genuine care, class, and integrity. As a husband and father, he loved without reservation; as a son and brother, he was constant and steadfast; as a servant of Jesus Christ, his faith shone bright. Throughout his life, his biggest muscle was his heart.

John Orten will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and all those whose lives he touched. Those fortunate enough to have known him will always remember him as kind, gentle, loyal, and without guile, unwavering in the protection and love of his family, friends, and freedom.

John is survived by his best friend and wife, Jennifer Orten, and their children, Alexa, Brennan, Zachary, and Maren. He is also survived by his sisters Juli (David) Rees and Suzann (Larry) Hoyt, and his brother Jim (Cindy) Orten.

In lieu of flowers, contributions to John’s wife and children can be made at www.givesendgo.com/jenandherkids

A viewing will be held Friday, August 4, 2023 from 6-8 pm and another on Saturday, August 5, 2023 from 9:30 am to 10:15 am at Anderson & Goff Mortuary in Draper. The funeral service will immediately follow at 10:30 am. Interment will take place at 2:30 pm at Richmond City Cemetery where he will be laid to rest among his and Jennifer’s ancestors.

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.)