Sean Sivertsen: Our Superman

Bagpipes beautifully played Amazing Grace as 8 teary eyed young men carried the mahogony casket to the gravesite through two long lines of saluting police officers. Tears streamed down every cheek as hundreds gathered near to say goodbye to one of the best men this world has EVER known.

Sean Sivertsen was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 20. When most young men are going off to college or serving missions, Sean was beginning an honorable battle with something no one wants to face. In 2004, he met Amy Boulter, a young single mother that took his breath away and instantly stole his heart. They fell in love quickly - seeing in each other something amazing, something very special, something most people will never see in someone else. True love in it's most perfect form. As they dated that first year, people watched with envy as Sean treated Amy with the utmost respect, even through disagreements. They watched as Amy selflessly served Sean during times of illness. And they watched as they fell into a love that only a fraction of the world will ever experience.

In December of 2005, on a beautiful snowy evening on Temple Square, Sean asked Amy to marry him. She didn't hesitate for a second. Afterall, they were the closest thing to soul mates that ever existed. Over the next year, they eagerly planned their wedding. We all looked forward to watching these two amazing people be sealed together in the temple for eternity. They deserved nothing less.

In November of 2006, a month before the wedding, Sean fell ill once again, as more tumors appeared. The doctors and nurses at the Huntsman Cancer Institute worked with what can only be explained as divine intervention. The tumors just seemed to disappear. Three weeks later, Amy and Sean entered the Salt Lake City temple, and were sealed together as a family. It was a ceremony that will never be forgotten. So much love filled that room. The spirit filled it as well, and tears of joy adorned the cheeks of those who were lucky enough to be there. The newly married couple were off to a gorgeous honeymoon in the Caribbean. After that, as a family of three, Sean and Amy took their son Jasen to Disneyland for the first time. The little family was already so close, and spending time together at the most magical place on earth only strengthened that!

In 2007, Sean signed on to start the Police Academy, with the Summit County Department of Corrections. He was to start in November, and nothing made him more excited! He wanted two things in life - to be a father, and a police officer. He had become an exceptional father, and now his dream of becoming a police officer was about to be realized. But he was about to face another battle: more tumors. This time they were on his brain. He needed to have surgery to remove the largest tumor, and would undergo pinpoint radiation treatments for the remaining. The academy would have to be delayed, for who knew how long.

The brain surgery went amazingly well, and the doctors were very pleased with the progress. That afternoon, Sean was up and was literally dancing down the halls of the hospital, with nurses and doctors watching in amazement. Sean had been training so hard, running miles and miles every day and exercising tirelessly to prepare himself for the academy. This, doctors said, had made his body so strong, that he made brain surgery look like a walk in the park. He was released shortly after that, and was able to start the academy at the beginning of 2008.

Sean was one of the most diligent human beings on earth. While undergoing radiation treatments and suffering chronic headaches and pain due to the remaining tumors on his brain, he finished the academy with flying colors in May 2008. At his graduation, he beamed with pride as an honorable officer of the law. His lieutenant couldn't help but express to his family just how proud he was of Sean and how incredible a person he knew he was. Of course no one knew that better than his wife and son.

Near the end of June, Sean's health began to decline rapidly. Tumors started to appear on the spine, and more on his brain. The doctors began a new treatment, one that wasn't guaranteed to work, but had a good possibility. However, when asked if this would ever go away, the attending doctor gave a sobering answer, which had already been known. It wouldn't.

In July, after much thought, prayer, and discussion with Amy, Sean knew he couldn't fight it much longer. The cancer was too strong, and his body, as strong as it was, just wasn't enough to fight. He had already been fighting for 9 years. God was calling him home, and he knew he needed to go. On July 23, 2008 at 1:05 pm, Sean slipped quietly from this mortal life, from the painful body that was holding him here, and returned home to his Father in Heaven. He was surrounded by his loved ones, most importantly his wife, whom he loved with all his heart.

Sean was our superman for SO many reasons. So many that if they were all to be listed here, it would take days to read. He would never let on to anyone just how sick he was, or how much pain he was in. The scars on his head and body were mere symbols of what he had been through and what he was currently facing. Not only did he continue to push himself to be the best he could be, he encouraged others to do the same, without even saying a word. Just being around Sean made someone want to be a better person. From his work with the Special Olympics to his selfless service as a police officer and father, Sean touched thousands of lives in a very short time. Sean never uttered an unkind thing to or about another person. Sean never raised his voice in anger. Sean taught his son special and important life lessons in a loving and spiritual way.

There's no question why God called him home early - there are hundreds of thousands of souls in need of a leader, a strong, amazing spiritual giant, and Sean is that man. That superman, who's powers exceed any one of Clark Kent's. The power of true love, the power of charity, the power of selflessness, the power to withstand the most excruciating mortal pain and bear it like a saint, the power to change his life and others for the better, without even meaning to. Knowing Sean was a blessing. Looking forward to seeing him again someday is a privelage. And his presence in this world is something that can never be replaced. The world is a better place for having him here, and we are better for knowing him.

Sean will NEVER be forgotten. Not by a single person who ever had the honor of knowing him. And he will live on through the memories created during his short time on this earth.

Until we meet again, Superman!