On Dec. 4, 2015 Marion Pickett Pettey, precious daughter, wife, mother and friend, passed through the veil to be greeted by family and friends.
Born Oct. 13, 1924 in Richfield, UT, into a wonderful family. Father Harlow Pickett Sr. and Mother Stella (Edmonds) Brothers and Sisters; Marjorie (Vern) Parry, Don (Helen), Virginia (Robert) Backman, Gloria (Lee) Purrington, Harlow Jr. (Rilla) and Carol (Chariton) Stringham. She attended East High School and St. Mary\s of the Wasatch College, where she fulfilled her lifelong dream of becoming a Registered Nurse. She loved training and working with the Nun\s and Physicians at Holy Cross Hospital, as a surgical and pediatric nurse. As part the Greatest Generation, she also volunteered and served as a Cadet Nurse during World War II.
She married her childhood friend and neighbor, James Richard (Dick) Pettey, on Sept. 2, 1947, in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. He was a gifted artist, architect and engineer. She was by his side when he co-founded FC Torkelson Engineers in 1954, an engineering firm which designed and supervised construction projects for the U.S. Government, Army, Navy, and the Atomic Energy Commission. Other major clients included Thiokol and Kennecott Copper.
As she began the challenges of raising her family, she knew that she would need to master a few guiding principles, Gentleness, Meekness, Patience, Temperance, Persuasion, Long suffering and Love unfeigned. She always maintained an abiding testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and was active and faithful in the LDS Church all her life. She taught her children to appreciate history, art, literature, music, architecture, as well as having a soft spot for all of God\s creatures.
Ever patriotic, she never missed voting in an election and was Ronald Reagan\s biggest fan. She loved the music of Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Mavis Rivers (a close personal friend), Doris Day, Judy Garland and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. She enjoyed buttermilk, Dunford Chocolate Donuts, Diet Pepsi and especially summer evenings with family on the back porch, with majestic Mt. Olympus as her backdrop. She enjoyed sports, particularly the LA Dodgers and the BYU Cougars and was an accomplished tennis player and sprinter.
She loved her vast collection of books and was always reading something new. She taught her children to be curious and teachable and to always seek and attain new knowledge on a wide variety of subjects. \"Everyday was a new opportunity to expand our horizons\". Every vacation we ever took was, in actuality, a field trip of learning and discovery. When once visiting San Francisco, we not only drove over the Golden Gate Bridge, we took a ferry underneath it, just to appreciate and marvel at it\s engineering. She loved family get togethers at Liberty and George Washington Parks, rides in the \62 Galaxy 500 convertible, drive-in movies, summer days and evenings at the family cabin on Bear Lake.
When her kids were older she went back to nursing as a profession, spending the next 30 years as a Registered Nurse, serving on the Board of the Utah Nursing Association and serving several stints as Director of Nursing, while lovingly caring for the elderly. She retired from nursing at the age of 78. Always \"Young at Heart\", she taught everyone around her that youthfulness is a state of mind, even when your mortal body tells you differently. One must just learn to avoid mirrors and windows. Her British dry wit and sense of humor, assured that her home was blessed with love and laughter. She showed us what it is to have charity (the pure love of Christ) and to always strive to show empathy towards others. And most importantly, above all, she taught us to be prayerful and to always listen to the promptings of that \"Still Small Voice\", and that by doing so, she said, \You\ll never walk alone\". She also taught us to avoid whining and self-pity and to face adversity with confidence and resolve. She met all of life\s challenges fearlessly. She battled many illnesses throughout her life, many of which could have taken her much sooner, including breast cancer.
Whether caring for her family and friends, her patients or helping her neighbors, she was always about easing others burdens. On the Road to Jericho is where she lived her life, not as a spectator or means to a destination, but to serve others in need, along \"their\" journey. *When one was hungry and in need of sustenance- she was there, *When one was sad and lonely, she was there *When one stood in need of comfort and aid, she was there *When one needed a roof over their head, she was there *When one was downtrodden, poor and without hope, she was there. She truly lived her life as the Savior admonished, by losing herself in the service of others.
She is survived by Don and Helen Pickett, Carol Stringham, Rilla Pickett and Robert Backman- Children; Dennis (Vicki) Gayle (Ed) Nancy, Tracy (Alan) Cliff (Terri) Grandchildren; Kristine (Jeff), Lisa (Paul), Linzi, Denise, Andrew (Beth), Tony (Monique) Destiny (Carter) Michelle, Chase (Amy), Dallas, Britney (John) and 24 Great-Grandchildren. Preceded in death by James Richard, Stephen and Grethe and Earl Remington.
\"Sleep in Heavenly Peace\" Her favorite time of year was Christmas and the Holidays. She started counting the days on Dec. 26, for the next year. Merry Christmas Mom, you\re now free and unencumbered to \"Make Your Rounds,\" again.
Many thanks to the nurses at Draper Rehabilitation and Care Center for their compassionate service.
Friends and family may call at Larkin Sunset Gardens Mon., Dec. 14 from 6-8 pm. and again on Tues. Dec. 15 from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Graveside service- Noon. Luncheon and gathering for all of Marion\s friends and family is 1:00 p.m.at the LDS chapel 11755 So. 2000 E., Sandy UT. In lieu of flowers donations may be made at https://www.ldsphilanthropies.org/missionary.html
