Shelly Litka Badger Tuft Cummins, Capitola resident, passed away on December 6, age 86. She was born on June 21, 1928 at Salt Lake City, Utah, the daughter of Ashby Jenkins Badger and Litka Robinson Badger. She attended Salt Lake City schools, including East High and the University of Utah, where she met and married Theodore Owen \"Ted\" Tuft. The marriage was later solemnized in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. They lived in Salt Lake City, Utah; Riverside, California; Stanford Connecticut and Palo Alto, California. She obtained her bachelor\s and master\s degrees from San Jose State University and taught in several secondary schools, retiring in 1985.
After Ted\s passing in 1972, she moved to Capitola where she met and married Richard Cummins, who also preceded her in death. She was a life-long learner and teacher. She traveled extensively throughout the world to increase her understanding of people and places and loved studying California and Utah history. She was a member of the Daughter of the Utah Pioneers. She enjoyed classical music and reading, particularly reading to her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
She was a devoted member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving in many capacities including Relief Society president, seminary teacher and worker in the Oakland Temple.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husbands and her sister, Alison Broadbent. She is survived by her five children: Steven (Susan) Tuft, Burley Idaho; Lesley (Clint) Arnoldus, Salt Lake City, Utah; Terri Myklebust, Reno, Nevada; Mark (Sue) Tuft, Manteca, California and Melissa Tuft, San Francisco, California; 18 grandchildren and 32 great grandchildren.
The funeral was held on Saturday December 13th, at 11 a.m. at the Capitola Ward of the LDS Church, 220 Elk Street, Santa Cruz, California. Shelly will be laid to rest beside her beloved husband Ted Tuft at the Salt Lake City Cemetery, Salt Lake City, Utah, on January 10, 2015 at 1:00 PM, where there will be abrief memorial for family and friends.Under the direction of Larkin Mortuary.
