Feb. 2025 | Vol. 7 Iss. 2
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JED JENSEN LEAVES A LEGACY OF KINDNESS By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com
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hen Millcreek resident Jed Jensen died on Dec. 29, 2024, he left a legacy of love and service in the hearts of his family and friends. Jensen passed away after complications from a car crash that happened in early December but his contributions and connections to his community won’t soon be forgotten. Jensen, 64, worked as the Zamboni driver/Santa at the Millcreek Common Skate Loop for two years and was just starting his third year at the time of the accident. Black bands were placed on the Zamboni to honor his memory. “Jed never met a person that wasn’t a friend,” said Sheri Jensen, his wife of 31 years. “He liked talking to everyone and anyone. He would go up and strike up conversations and make friends everywhere. He loved driving the Zamboni and even when he didn’t wear his Santa suit the kids thought he was Santa. He loved that persona.” While he enjoyed driving the Zamboni and working his day job as an electrician, Jensen’s true passion was supporting his daughter Shelby Jensen Mitchell on her Paralympic journey as a parafencing competitor. After Mitchell competed at the
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2020 Tokyo Paralympian Games in 2021, her father designed and created a parafencing chair that was cost-effective and easily available to clubs. His design, the Jedi Chair, allowed athletes interested in wheelchair/para/seated fencing to try the sport without the hefty investment of $3,500 in a professional chair. Jensen and his wife both served on the board of the Utah Fencing Foundation and worked with its president Bill Nikolai who helped create and distribute the chairs. The UFF recently announced on its social media platforms that the chair would be renamed Jed’s Chair. “There are countries across the world that wanted our chair plan so they could make their own Jedi chairs,” Sheri Jensen said. “There are clubs across the country that want to start parafencing programs. They want to grow the sport because they’re looking to have a big, big showing at [the 2028 Summer Olympic] Games in L.A.” As a car enthusiast, Jensen was also involved with the W.O.W. Car Community and embraced the group’s motto, “Spread- Paralympian Shelby Mitchell and her father Jed Jensen at one of her many parafencing competitions. ing Smiles for Miles.” He loved cruising in Jensen created the Jedi Chair to help parafencing athletes. (Photo courtesy of Sheri Jensen) Continued page 8
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