Kirtley "Kirt" Othello Madsen

Kirtley Othello Madsen passed away on July 16, 2026, in Littleton, Colorado. He was nearly 84 years young, and was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, stepfather, stepgrandfather, brother, uncle, and friend.

Kirt was born in the small town of Salina, Utah, on August 4, 1942, to Henry Othello and Lawrean Jensen Madsen. A proud Sevier County boy, he spent his youth fishing, hunting, and camping in the mountains of central Utah. He was the youngest of three children and loved swimming at the local pool, ice skating, and earning money by selling night crawlers for 15 cents a dozen. His love of desserts and sweet things started as a child with root beer malts and his mother’s sugar cookies.

As a youth he succeeded in playing basketball, tennis, and softball, and running track and field. His strong work ethic began as a teenager, when he spent summers working on a mink farm, hauling hay, thinning beets, lifeguarding, and learning to work on cars in his father’s car garage.

He graduated from North Sevier High School and then attended the College of Southern Utah (now Southern Utah University) in Cedar City, Utah, where he met Linda Carpenter. Their first date was attending the inaugural play of the Utah Shakespeare Festival, The Taming of the Shrew, a tradition that became a large part of their family in the years to come. They dated, completed their associates degrees, and married June 11, 1963, in the Manti Utah LDS Temple.

While attending the University of Utah to complete their bachelor degrees, Kirt worked as an accountant with John Price Associates in Salt Lake City and following graduation, he took a job with Arthur Andersen Accounting in Los Angeles. After a short time, due to the impending Vietnam War, he enlisted in the Army in 1966 as an officer and received his medical administrator officer training at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. He served a tour in Vietnam at the 71st Evac Hospital from 1967-68, earning a Bronze Star for meritorious service in a combat zone.

Kirt and Linda’s first child, Marni, was born while he was in Vietnam. After serving in the military, they moved to Colorado where he worked for the U.S. General Accounting Office, Department of Energy, and Department of Defense where he had a thirty-year career. He and Linda welcomed three more children to their family––Nick, Marlo, and Kent––and built a home in Littleton, Colorado, where they raised their family. During this time he also earned a Masters of Public Administration from the University of Northern Colorado, and served in many callings for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, including years in the Scouting program.

Kirt was the epitome of a hardworking and dedicated husband and father. He took great pride in keeping his home, yard, and cars in pristine condition. He loved spending time with his family while camping, hiking, playing board games, traveling in the family trailer, and attending endless sports games and music and theatre performances.

After a 36-year marriage, the family tragically lost Linda to gall bladder cancer in 1999. Kirt married Anna Christensen in 2000 and enjoyed a 26-year marriage before his passing. They spent many vacations seeing the world and traveling to Hawaii, New England, Panama Canal, Greece, Norway, Austria, Germany, France, Spain, Poland, Czechia, and Italy (the Amalfi Coast was their favorite), among many others. Two of his preferred places, however, were closer to home: the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and visiting his and Anna’s children and grandchildren. They also served diligently together for 25 years in the Denver LDS Temple.

Kirt was loved, admired, and respected by so many friends and family. He is survived by his wife Anna; his children Marni (Dave) Maxwell, Nick (Andrea) Madsen, Marlo (Wyett) Ihler, and Kent (Beka) Madsen; Anna’s children Leslie Bosch, Dawn Christensen, Chad (Sheena) Christensen, and DeeAnna Christensen; twenty-five grandchildren; and twenty great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters, two brothers-in-laws, and his first wife Linda.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, July 25, 2026, at the LDS Webster Building, 6705 S. Webster St., Littleton, Colorado, at 11:30am. A viewing will take place from 10-11am prior to the funeral.

In lieu of flowers, please make any contributions to: Heroes Haven.

Kirt will be laid to rest at the Cedar City Cemetery, in Cedar City, Utah. A graveside service will take place on Monday, July 27, at 11am.