Millie Klopp Lorbeck

Millie Lorbeck, 71, of Sandy, Utah, with family by her side peacefully passed away on February 5 from complications of Parkinson’s with dementia.

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She was born to parents John and Gustava (Sievers) Klopp, on November 11, 1951, in Chicago, Illinois, with her fraternal twin, Lillie. From the age of 2, after their mother died of breast cancer, the twins were raised by Raymond and Olga Gustafson of Wood Dale, Illinois.

Millie graduated from Fenton High School in Bensenville, Illinois, and received a business degree from Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois.

She is survived by her two children: Antoinette Tuscano of Niles, Illinois; Tanya Heiner (Phil), of Sandy, Utah; two grandchildren, Gracey Nosack and Parker Swingle; step-grandson Preston Heiner; as well as nieces and nephews. She is also survived by her foster brother, Raymond Gustafson, and her sister-in-law Darlene Gustafson. She is predeceased by her parents; her long-time partner and love of her life Mark Maddox, of Murray, Utah; her twin sister Lillie Lein and their brother, Carl Klopp, both of Marysville, Washington; her foster sister Ingrid Kohl; and her foster brothers Eric and John Gustafson.

While working at the headquarters for Jewel back in the late 1970s, Millie discovered she had a strong aptitude for math. She thought statistics and calculus were easy. This allowed her to train as a computer programmer at Jewel Food Stores. She went on to be a senior system engineer for the parent company SuperValu in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Millie loved her family, friends, her dogs, and her church, St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church, in Taylorsville, Utah. She also loved Star Trek, especially Spock.

She was a strong-willed, independent woman who worked full-time, while going to school at night, raised two daughters, and took care of a house. Despite how busy she was, she never left the house without her makeup on.

She raised her daughters to be strong and stand on their own two feet. When they stumbled, though, she was there for them. She loved her children and grandchildren unconditionally. They will always hold her in their hearts and never forget her.

The funeral will be held Friday, February 10, at St. Matthew’s Church, 5200 So. 2700 W. Taylorsville, Utah. There will be a viewing for an hour starting at 10:30 a.m. The service will start at 11:30 a.m. There will be a graveside service at 1 p.m. at Elysian Burial Gardens, 1075 E 4580 S, Millcreek, and a lunch at the church at 2 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (www.michaeljfox.org) or the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org).