Vivian “Joy” Marilyn (Fullmer) Ytterhus, 84, of Nashua, NH

Vivian “Joy” Marilyn (Fullmer) Ytterhus, 84, of Nashua, NH, died June 21, 2024. She was married to the late J. Arthur Ytterhus.

Best described as a life-long learner with a love for dance, creativity, and well-being, Vivian grew up in Chicago and attended schools where her father and uncle were principals. She attended the University of Illinois at Champaign Urbana and the University of Chicago, and earned a BA in Biology from the University of Northern Iowa.

After spending several years in California, where her husband worked in the early rocket industry, the family moved to Denmark to be near his family. She then called Iowa home for over a decade, before settling in Massachusetts. Vivian moved into The Huntington of Nashua in 2017.

Along the way, Vivian held many positions, including secretary, administrator, public radio announcer, certified massage therapist, editor, proofreader, and indexer. She danced in a semi-professional concert dance company, Metro Dance Theatre, and was instrumental in forming and serving on its Board of Directors.

Vivian participated eight times in The Des Moines Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI), a 500-mile trek across the state attracting thousands of participants. Her hobbies have included cycling, dancing, gardening, and making jewelry based on the harmonics of music. In the past decade, she travelled many times to Newfoundland, Canada. She always said her goal was to “live each day lovingly.”

Vivian was preceded in death by her husband J. Arthur Ytterhus; parents Claran Emmitt Fullmer and Vivian Fullmer; sisters Marjorie Q. Fullmer, Virginia Fullmer, and Dorothy (Fullmer) Bright; and brother-in-law Richard Bright.

She is survived by her daughter Kari Ytterhus; brother and sister-in-law Edward and Lois Fullmer; niece Sara Jo (Fullmer) Hampton and her family; nephews Richard Bright and Jay and Wendy Fullmer and their children; and the extended families of Allan & Julie Brattset and Nona Brattset.

Her presence will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.

Funeral Notice

There will be private celebration of life at a future date. Memorials may be made in Vivian’s name to www.nashuariverwatershed.org, www.kittyangels.org, or The Huntington at Nashua scholarship fund https://silverstoneliving.org/