We have lost a beautiful, loving, and wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Jane (as she has been know all of her life), was born May 27, 1934 at Holy Cross Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah. Jane died December 27, 2014 at her home in Salt Lake City, moving onto another realm ‚ until we meet again.
Jane is the daughter of James Heber Hay and Elizabeth Craig McPhie Hay. She attended Uintah Elementary School, Roosevelt Jr. High School, and East High School, class of 1952. During high school she danced with Willem Christensen's Ballet, which became Ballet West. She attended the University of Utah and graduated in Elementary Education, class of 1955.
In the fall of 1951 she met Dean ZoBell at a church fireside and a casual relationship occurred with more interest on the part of Dean than from Jane. Upon graduation from high school in 1952 she went to work at Bryce Canyon Lodge for the summer and Dean was working there as a bell-hop. As Jane emerged from the bus, a "good bell-hop" spotted her, promptly carried her bags and escorted her to her dorm room. With seeing each other throughout the day every day, three meals together every day, evening programs together, and hikes in the canyon - it was a captive courtship. That "summer romance" continued as they hurried up studies at the University of Utah and planned for marriage. They were married on June 16, 1955 in the Salt Lake Temple. They spent that first summer working and as an "extended honeymoon" back at Bryce Canyon Lodge.
They moved to California in the fall and lived in San Francisco for 7 years. Jane taught 1st grade in South San Francisco, and Dean went through medical school and internship at the University of California at San Francisco. There was then a medical residency at the Ft. Miley Veterans Hospital in San Francisco. During that time, three children were born, and Jane was the Primary President in Sunset Ward in San Francisco. In 1962, Dean was assigned by the U.S. Navy to the Naval Hospital in Key West, Florida. In Key West, another child was born. Jane taught the Young Women and Dean was the Branch President.
In 1964 the family moved back to Salt Lake City where Dean was a founder and a physician at the Ear, Nose and Throat Center of Salt Lake City for 32 years. During this time two more children were born. Jane's enduring smile showed her love for all about her and her Savior Jesus Christ. She has served as the Arlington Hills Ward Relief Society President, the Emigration Stake Relief Society President, the Wasatch School PTA President, and the East High School PTA President. She has been active with travel, quilting, boating, and fun with children and grandchildren. The past several years she has had increasing neurological problems and a rapid onset dementia in the past several months yet she always maintained her cheerful, positive attitude.
Jane is survived by her husband of 59 years, Dean, and six children: Jim (Sylvia) of Bountiful, Anne Price (Ray) of Salt Lake City, Elizabeth Bennett (Sterling) of Bountiful, Susan Matthews (Paul) of Salt Lake City, John of Salt Lake City, and Steven (Tasha) of Bountiful. There is a wonderful progeny of 31 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her dear older sister Ruth Atwater. She is predeceased by her parents and one grandson (who died in infancy).
There will be a viewing at Larkin Mortuary, 260 East South Temple, Thursday, January 1 from 6:00 ‚ 8:00 pm, a visitation Friday, January 2 from 9:30 ‚ 10:30 am at the Arlington Hills/Federal Heights Ward building, 1300 Fairfax Road, and funeral at 11:00 am. Burial will be at the Salt Lake City Cemetery.
