Terry Ann Vickers

January 7, 1949 - April 22, 2019

Terry Ann Patten Vickers died Monday, April 22, 2019, at the Summerfield Retirement Community in Orem, Utah. Terry Ann was a survivor and a fighter, beginning with her premature birth and continuing as a survivor of breast cancer in 1997 and her most recent battle with a chest wall angiosarcoma.

Terry Ann was born on a cold winter’s day on January 7, 1949, in Provo, Utah, to Sterling Floyd Patten and Edna Downard Patten. The oldest of four children, she is survived by her brothers Michael (Pam) Patten, Dennis (Donna) Patten, Kevin (Lynn) Patten, and many nephews and nieces. 

She was married on July 11, 1991, in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Steve Virgil Vickers, who preceded her in death on February 15, 2012.

Terry Ann attended Sharon Elementary, Windsor Elementary, Lincoln Junior High School, the new Orem Junior High School, and graduated from Orem High School in 1967. She also attended Snow College in Ephraim, Utah.

Terry Ann worked for Signetics until securing a position with the Internal Revenue Service in 1970, where she met her first husband, Larry Hansen. They were married May 12, 1972. Their marriage took them to Fresno and San Jose, California, and Salt Lake City, Utah. They divorced in 1979.

Terry Ann was transferred by the IRS to Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1978. Of all the places she lived, Hawaii was by far her favorite. She loved the beautiful flowers and beaches, getting to know the local people and their culture, and driving her Corvette around the island. As she said, she was the “Queen of the Hill – blonde, tanned, single, popular, etc.” She became good friends with Lisa Doble and together they met many movie stars and pro athletes at Pirates Cove, a popular hot spot in Honolulu. It was during her escapades with Lisa that she met Steve Vickers, who also worked for the IRS.

In 1984, Steve was transferred to Houston, Texas, and Terry Ann soon followed. In Houston she fell in love with country western music and developed a love for just about anything “cowboy.” It was here on a Christmas morning that Steve gave her a kitten, Shadow, who was the first of many cats they would share. Houston was her least favorite place to live, as she hated the mold and soon found that she had serious allergies that caused her to be sick most of the time that she lived there. She was happy to make the move to the Denver, Colorado, offices in 1988 when both she and Steve were transferred again. They purchased a home in Evergreen, Colorado, and loved being in the mountains again and enjoyed the wildlife that surrounded them. Eventually, they decided to purchase a 40-acre ranch in Larkspur, Colorado, and named it Paniolo Ranch. This name had special meaning to them and blended two loves – Hawaii and anything cowboy – as Paniolo is a Hawaiian word for cowboy. This ranch came complete with horses, dogs, cats, and goats. They loved their life in the Rocky Mountains – the weather, blue skies, and the mountains. While they lived here they both retired from the IRS. 

Terry Ann found herself a bit bored upon retirement, and while visiting PetSmart to pick up food for their animals, she met a representative from Blue Buffalo Pet Food, who was convinced that Terry Ann would make a great sales rep for the company. Terry Ann soon accepted this position. She enjoyed this social outlet to meet many different people as she traveled around the Colorado area. It was through this position that she met Deeana Gulke who introduced her to the breeding of exotic cats – specifically Bengals and Savannahs. Terry Ann began breeding cats, traveling to cat shows, and meeting a lot of new and interesting people – many of whom became very close friends and enriched her life during her last years in Colorado.

Her husband, Steve Vickers, passed away in Wilmington, Delaware while working as a consultant to the IRS Criminal Investigations Division. Steve’s passing left Terry Ann alone with a large ranch and many animals to care for. She soon decided to leave Colorado and move closer to family. In 2014, her brothers helped her to move to a new home in Levan, Utah. She was subsequently diagnosed with a chestwall angiosarcoma which was neither curable nor operable. She began chemotherapy immediately; the cancer initially responded well, but after many months’ treatment became ineffective and her health began to further decline. In February of 2019 it was apparent that she could no longer remain in her home and needed additional support. Upon her release from the Huntsman Institute and a short stay at the Orem Stonehenge Rehab Center, she moved to Summerfield Retirement Community with assistance from Envision Hospice, where she passed away on April 22, 2019.

Terry Ann was a very social person who really enjoyed meeting new people from all walks of life. She was raised in a loving family in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints faith. Having parents who grew-up during the depression, she was taught how to garden, can fruits and vegetables, sew, and fish . She had many fond memories of family camping and fishing trips, family reunions, and Fourth of July celebrations. She had many interests and hobbies and enjoyed taking tole and oil painting classes – more to meet people than anything else. She inherited her parents’ love of flowers, animals, gardening, and cooking – especially gourmet cooking!!! She loved what some would call the finer things of life – sports cars, jewelry, clothes, and experiencing new cultures and traveling to many new places. She had a tender heart for the “underdog” and was repeatedly accused of taking in too many strays– both animals and people. Terry Ann’s compassion and kindness will be missed by both family and friends.

Funeral Services will be held Saturday, April 27th, at 11:00 am, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Timpanogos Park Chapel, 955 North 300 East, Orem, Utah, where a Visitation will be held prior to the services from 9:00 to 10:30 am. Interment in Provo City Cemetery. 

Funeral Directors: Utah Valley Mortuary.