Daila Day Paxton passed away June 17, 2017 in Salt Lake City. She was born in Fillmore, Utah July 12, 1920, the youngest of four children of Stella Huntsman Day and R. Erven Day. She graduated from Millard High School in 1937 and from the University of Utah in 1941 and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa Scholastic Honorary. She served as President of Alpha Delta Pi Sorority her senior year and was active for many years with the sorority's alumnae.
Following her graduation she signed a contract to teach school at Millard High School and taught there briefly, but she had met her future husband, Wendell Paxton, at the U and they planned to marry the following June. With the events happening in Europe and the Pacific, and the uncertainty of Wendell's coming assignment in the military, they were married in January of 1942. They lived at several military bases until she returned to Fillmore while Wendell served in Europe as a Captain of the 280th Artillery Battalion. After Wendell's return from Europe, they settled in Salt Lake City where they raised their six children.
She loved to spend time in Fillmore, returning to the family home there until traveling became difficult for her. She enjoyed sharing stories of her early years with siblings Vance, Tom and Belva. Her love of classical music, art and traveling were inspired by her mother Stella, and her passion for education and interest in politics by her father Erven. All four of the Day children were college graduates. Her father Erven opened the Fillmore Drug Store in 1914, and her sister Belva also became a pharmacist, operating the drug store into her 80s.
Our mother and father loved to spend time at Laguna Beach in California and traveled to many places in Europe. She was an accomplished pianist and her favorite pastime was reading, particularly books on history, politics and religion, novels by John Grisham, and biographies by David McCullough. She was interested in European history and spent many hours in discussion with her family members about the books she had read and the impact of events on world history. Her son Dick will especially miss those opportunities and the chance to discuss events in the daily newspaper with her.
Daila is survived by four sons and one daughter: Richard W. (Myrna), John L., Patrick R. (Suzanne), all of Holladay, Robert (Michelle) of Bountiful, and Belva Jane Guy (Mark), of Twain Harte California. She is also survived by eleven grandchildren, seventeen great-grandchildren, four great-great-grandchildren, and former daughter-in-law Christine Osborne Paxton. Preceded in death by her husband Wendell in June 2000, son Frederick (Rick) in May 1966, granddaughter Jacqueline Paxton in January 1972, and her three siblings.
Per Daila's request a family graveside service was held.
