Verlene DelPorto

VERLENE DELPORTO

1939 ~ 2021

Born on a Sunday morning February 19, 1939.   Deceased May 26, 2021.

Verlene was born at home in the Nicolo’s big red brick house in Magna. Her father was killed in an industrial accident in 1948 during the construction of the Garfield Refinery. It left a great trauma and void in the life of the family. Verlene was only 8 years old. She learned to be very self-reliant.

She was always a very curious and busy child. She gave her mother a “run for her money” growing up in our little town.

She was very active in school and graduated from Cyprus High School with many good friends that she stayed surrounded by all her life. She never stopped being social and full of mischief! She married Dean Sheppick in 1956 later divorced, married Gary White in 1972 later divorced. She raised three children basically on her own, Kyle D. Sheppick, Julie M. Sheppick and Tammy Sheppick.

Verlene took ballet, toe and tap for several years. She was a trained dancer and loved dancing her entire life. She would have danced her life away but spent most of her time working. She started by helping her Grandma Nicolo at a very young age and never stopped! You would never see her when she wasn’t busy, either at work, home or always helping out with family, friends or whoever needed her. She was there in a heartbeat! Her friends call her Ver-clean.

She was employed at the Salt Lake City School District over 13 years, then she worked for Governor Matheson in the early 80’s, her next job was at Hercules for 10 years (1984-94) where she made many friends and was a great secretary. She retired from Hercules in 1994 but she never retired from working! No one could make her stop even after she was diagnosed with AML, she kept up her busy pace.

Verlene is survived by her three children, Kyle (Robin), Tammy and Julie Sheppick; 4 grandchildren, Taylor, Cody, Brianna and Summer; 1 great-grandchild Lena Marie; sister-in-law Valerie Del Porto; 5 loving nephews, Dev, Kevyn and Kary Dern, Brett and Danny Del Porto and special niece Caryn Del Porto Hunt and their families. She is leaving behind innumerable relatives and special friends. (You know who you are.)

Preceded in death by her grandmother and grandfather Louie & Angiolina Nicolo, her father Julio (Dutch) Del Porto, mother Mary Nicolo Del Porto and her beloved brother Delbert Del Porto and sister Elaine Riley Dern.

Life-long member of the Catholic Church, Our Lady of Lourdes in Magna and St. Anne’s in Salt Lake City.

A celebration of Verlene’s life will be held at a later date