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Rita M McInnis passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on Tuesday, January 9^th, 2024. She was born March 5^th, 1935 in Toledo, Ohio to Stephen and Kathryn Irmen. She adopted three children, Kristin, Damien James, and Katie. She has 14 grandchildren and  9 great grandchildren. Rita also has 2 brothers and 3 sisters. Over 50 years of her life were dedicated to the service of others in the nursing profession. Rita went into nursing right out of high school getting her nursing degree from St. Vincent School of Nursing. She continued her education throughout the years obtaining a bachelor’s degree and two master’s degrees. Rita was active in the Catholic Church and loved spending time with her children and grandchildren. There will be a visitation at Bunker Garden Chapel, 33 N Centennial Way, on Sunday, January 21^st from 6-8 pm. Funeral services will be held at Saint Timothy Catholic Church, 1730 W Guadalupe Rd, on Monday, January 22^nd at 10 am. She will be laid to rest at Saint Francis Catholic Cemetery at 1pm. Memorial tributes may be made to the Catholic Church of your choice, or Hospice of the Valley.

John Talmage “Tal” Huber, Husband, Father, Grandfather, Great-Grandfather, and Friend returned home to his Heavenly Father on December 31, 2023.

Tal was born September 22, 1931, in Mesa, Arizona to Lee Jacob and Gladys Leona Pomeroy Huber.  On September 22, 1955, he married the love of his life, LaRae Jenson in the Mesa Arizona Temple, to whom he was married for 68 years. Tal was devoted to LaRae and his five children and was a powerful example and patriarch to his family.

He is preceded in death by his parents Lee Jacob and Leona Huber, older brothers Melvin and Clarence Huber and step-grandson Timothy Robinson.  He is survived by his wife, LaRae, brother Lee Huber and children; Kerri (Brent) Robinson, Marcie (Gray) Gallacher, Tammy Anderson, Jon (Denae) Huber and Joel Huber, 23 Grandchildren and 24 Great-Grandchildren.

Throughout his life, Tal nurtured a strong testimony of and desire to serve in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and share his love of the Gospel.  He served an honorable mission in Brazil and continued to speak Portuguese throughout his life.  He served as Bishop three times, as a Branch President twice, in several Bishoprics and has had many callings working with adults and youth.  He and LaRae served many years at the Provo MTC as well as Temple Workers at the Mount Timpanogos Temple.

Following his mission, Tal attended Arizona State University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Animal Science and Biochemistry.  He also completed ROTC training and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the US Army Reserve Medical Service Corps. He completed his active-duty military training at Brook Army Medical Center in San Antonio, TX and served in the US Army Active Reserve for 30 years, attaining the rank of Colonel.

Following his active military service, Tal and LaRae moved to Ames, Iowa where Tal received his PhD in Dairy Science from Iowa State University.  Upon graduation, Tal accepted a professorship at Virginia Polytechnic Institute (VPI) in Blacksburg, Virginia where he taught and did research.  Following 6 years at VPI, Tal was recruited to Michigan State University (MSU) in East Lansing, Michigan, where he continued his teaching and dairy research for 18 years.    He then took a research and teaching position at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, where he retired.

Professionally, Tal’s research and training of graduate students from countries throughout the world leaves an enduring legacy.  He traveled to many countries assisting farmers with nutrition and increasing their dairy yields.  He was a member of the American Dairy Science Association (ADSA) and was awarded the following distinctive awards: The American Feed Manufacturers Award (1968); Researcher of the Year (1993); Outstanding Dairy Nutritionist (1997); Fellow of ADSA (1997) and Outstanding Research in Dairy Science (Borden Award).

Tal was curious and loved learning.  He noticed and put the needs of others ahead of his own.  He would often go out of his way to help when he saw someone in need.  He loved his family, the gospel, his country and loved playing and watching basketball at almost every opportunity.  But, with all of Tal’s academic and professional success, the most important things in Tal’s life were always his faith in Jesus Christ and his family.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, January 6, 2024, at 11:00 AM at the LDS Orchard 6^th Ward Chapel at 1120 East 600 North, Orem, UT.  Family and friends are invited to a viewing at the chapel from 10:00 – 10:40 AM.

For those unable to attend the funeral service in person, you will be able to watch the service on your mobile device via Zoom at:  https://zoom.us/j/92194079926#success beginning shortly before 11:00 AM.

Interment and a graveside service and grave dedication will be at the Mesa City Cemetery in Mesa, Arizona on Friday January 12, 2024 at 1:00 p.m.

Arrangements by Bunker’s Garden Chapel, www.bunkerfuneral.com. Should this obituary appear anywhere but bunkerfuneral.com, please check our website for accurate details and service information.

In Loving Memory of John Leland Jarvis.

John Leland Jarvis was born in El Paso Texas to Lehi Defriez and Clare McGuire Jarvis, September 19, 1930.  John was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Carol Lucille Scott, four brothers; Lehi Marlin, Clarence Verl, Sidney Carl, Earl Lavon, and Melvin Richard Jarvis.

John’s growing up years were spent in Texas, Arizona, Idaho, California, and Oregon, where his family finally settled.  John went to Salem High School in Salem, Oregon.  At a young age of eighteen he joined the Marine Corps where he spent three years serving his country.  He was honorably discharged.

John met his wife, Carol, in Salem at church, and in a few months they were wed civilly. They were later sealed together for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake Temple.

John tried his hand as a glass glazer and insurance salesman.  He finally found his niche and for nearly forty years he worked at the Oregon Statesman/Capitol Journal Newspaper in Salem, Oregon where he retired.

John’s wife, Carol, passed away in 1998.  In 1999 he was privileged to meet and marry Viola Sanderson Walker.  John and Viola enjoyed 24 years of adventures together. They served a mission in Bilbao, Spain.  After serving their mission, they traveled to Mexico, visiting John’s grandfather’s homestead and the area where his father was born and grew up.  In other trips they traveled to Israel, Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina and several sites in the United States.  Two notable trips were to Nauvoo with Viola and then with his grandson to Washington D.C. to watch him receive an award at the Pentagon.

John’s dedication to his family and faith were primary to his life and could be seen in his everyday life.  His prayers were to be worthy to return to the presence of the Lord.  He also prayed that his family would be watched over and they would find their way to the Savior.

John is survived by his wife, Viola Sanderson Walker Jarvis, brothers James Vernon and Phillip Mac Jarvis, children Carol Ann Parkhurst, David Scott Jarvis (Laura), Dennis Lee Jarvis, Debra Sue Swift (Robert), and Jeffrey Brian Jarvis (Tracy).  He has 17 grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren and one great-great grandson.

Services may be LIVE streamed by using the zoom link for the funeral broadcast for John Jarvis:

https://zoom.us/j/98979425485

Arrangements by Bunker’s Garden Chapel, www.bunkerfuneral.com. Should this obituary appear anywhere but bunkerfuneral.com, please check our website for accurate details and service information.

Theresa Larsen Armstrong, 65, entered eternal rest on January 4, 2024 after a long battle with cancer, showing courage and strength until her final breath.

Theresa led an active life filled with family, friends and her love of the great outdoors. She will be remembered for her spunky personality, adventurous spirit and overall enthusiasm for life.

A memorial service will be held on January 22, 2024 at 10 AM at Bunker Family University Chapel, 3529 E University Dr, Mesa, AZ. Immediately following the service, a reception will be held at Simpleton’s Restaurant and Bar, 2639 E Broadway Rd, Mesa, AZ. All family and friends are welcome.

Arrangements by Bunker’s University Chapel, www.bunkerfuneral.com. Should this obituary appear anywhere but bunkerfuneral.com, please check our website for accurate details and service information.

John Keith Alston, 69, of Mesa, AZ passed away on January 5, 2024 in his home after a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease.  John was born on July 17, 1954 to John Henry and Marlene Jensen Alston in Pocatello, Idaho.  He was the third child, and first son, of seven children.

When he was 6-years-old, his family moved from Idaho, across the country to South Carolina where his family made many wonderful memories and grew to love the people of the South.  From a young age John was a motivated self-starter with an attention to detail, which helped him as he took charge of many family responsibilities at home, and worked several different jobs in the community.

Eventually his family moved back west to Utah and then to Las Vegas, Nevada where he graduated from ‘Valley High’ high school in 1973. Not long after that he helped to move his family to settle in the Mesa, Arizona area.

From 1973-1975, John served in the England Bristol Mission as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This spirit of missionary work would continue with him throughout the rest of his life.

After his mission, John met his sweetheart, Delia Ann Hale, when he threw her into a pool at a church activity for the young single adults.  They were married March 11, 1977 in the Mesa, Arizona Temple.

John graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelors of Science degree in Business Administration.  After college, they lived in Vallejo and Fairfield, CA for a few years where John worked as a sporting goods sales representative.  Eventually, new job opportunities brought him back to Arizona to be amongst family.  John worked sales and then eventually insurance for many years.

Introduced by his Uncle Don Jensen, John navigated the world of broadcasting.  After 10 uncertain years, in 1995, he was able to secure and create the station WB 61 with his brother-in-law, Gregg Brooks, where they were proud to bring General Conference for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to the Phoenix Valley.

John had a strong testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  He loved serving in the church and early on worked as a young men’s president and scout master, helping all four of his sons receive their Eagle Scout Awards.  He later went on to serve in the ward bishopric, on the stake high council, and loved serving as a ward missionary.

John had a gift of making people feel loved.  He could never enter an elevator or public space without making a new friend.  John knew how to make things happen, see things that needed to be done, and get them done in the most efficient manner possible.  He was funny, kind, and always a friend to the underdog.

Supporting his family was one of his greatest joys.   Through paper routes, making dip packets, school musicals, cast parties, fundraisers, dance festivals, church callings, coach, Little League president, trip planner, and listener he was there for the people he loved.

John is preceded in death by his parents.  He is survived by his wife: Delia, his siblings: Kathy (Gregg) Brooks, Teri (Rocky) Turner, Lori (Steven) Rhoton, Steven, Richard, David (Sandra), Mari-Ann (Jeremy) Allen and his seven children: John (Jamie), Christopher (Maria), Joshua (Amelia), Rebecca (Rob) Bingham, Jaimie, Jason (Anna), Katie (Kyle) Spaulding, and his 22 grandchildren.

Services will be held January 12, 2024 at 11:00 AM at the LDS Mountain View Stake Center (1550 N. Val Vista Dr, Mesa, AZ).  There will be a viewing held Thursday, January 11 from 6:00-8:00 PM and Friday, January 12 at 10:00 AM.  Interment will take place at the City of Mesa Cemetery, Saturday, January 13.

For those who are unable to attend the service in person, you will be able to view it here:  https://zoom.us/j/96606610728

Arrangements by Bunker’s University Chapel, www.bunkerfuneral.com. Should this obituary appear anywhere but bunkerfuneral.com, please check our website for accurate details and service information.

Freddie Alden Gilbert of Mesa, Arizona, age 86, joined his heavenly Father November 29, 2023. (Or as he would have said, he “got promoted!”)  Born April 27, 1937, to Donald Frederic Gilbert and Marian Elizabeth Stough Gilbert in Fort Morgan, Colorado, he was a cowboy at heart!

As a church janitor, USPS mail carrier, Ratheon employee, franchisee owner of 7-11 in Santa Clara, CA, owner of Gilbert Automotive, owner/operator for Mayflower Transit and driver at the General Motors Proving grounds, he truly was a “jack of all trades.”  Perhaps the job he held closest to his heart was being the Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Brandon, Minnesota.

He was a long time member of Desert Cross Lutheran Church in Tempe, Arizona, where he served passionately for over 30 years and was a founding member of the “Wise Guys.”

He is survived by his brothers Richard L. Gilbert of Las Vegas, Nevada and David B. Barber of Craig, Colorado, his children Timothy A. Gilbert of Incline Village, Nevada, Terri A. Reynolds of Buckeye, Arizona and Kyle E. Gilbert of Vancouver, Washington, his grandchildren Tiffany, Melissa, Veronica, Tim Jr., Victoria, Broderic and Fallon and 11 great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.  He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother Donald E. Barber, a sister Arlene F. Sisson and his wife Joyce Gilbert.

The memorial service will be held on January 13, 2024, at 11AM at Desert Cross Lutheran Church at 8600 S. McClintock Dr. in Tempe, AZ, 85284.  The service will be live streamed at youtube.com/@DesertCrossLutheranChurch.

Memorial donations may be made to the I-Help ministry at Desert Cross in Fred’s name.  Checks should be made out to Desert Cross with the notation of I-Help/Fred Gilbert.

Arrangements by Bunker’s University Chapel, www.bunkerfuneral.com. Should this obituary appear anywhere but bunkerfuneral.com, please check our website for accurate details and service information.

Jill Thomas Frost, age 56, passed away in her home in Mesa, Arizona on January 4th, 2024 due to complications with COVID and Diabetes. 

Jill burst into this world on January 3rd, 1968 to Barbara Kay Jansson and Robert Fred Thomas in Logan, Utah. She was the second of 7 children and was privileged to have been raised in a close-knit, warm, loud, welcoming home. Jill’s parents knew all her friends by name and took great interest and joy in their lives as they grew up, which Jill later continued with her own children’s friends. 

She spent her elementary school years in north Ogden, Utah and her junior high years in Littleton, Colorado where she made friends who have stayed close over the decades.  During the Littleton years, many happy days were spent in the mountains with skis underfoot. She was a great skier on water and snow.  Perhaps, the thing she liked most about both was the suntanned face she got in the mountains and the great tan she got on the boat. Jill was just simply happier with a good tan.

Her dad was a pharmaceutical rep who enjoyed taking Jill and her siblings on special daddy daughter/son work trips with him. Jill always had a tender relationship with her dad and it showed in the giant smile he had in her presence. “Tilly” as he called her, was an eager student and those early seeds planted from her medical office visits with her dad took root. Jill pursued her medical field passion by becoming a nurse and later in life was the biggest cheerleader for two sisters and several nieces who followed suit. 

Jill met her husband Rick when he strolled into Orem’s Kentucky Fried Chicken for an all-you-can-eat meal. Their first date was to homecoming at Orem High where Rick learned quickly he had a younger brother, Scott to win over. Rick and Jill and her siblings had a closely intertwined circle of friends who impacted them greatly and have continued to do so over the years. Jill graduated from Orem High, class of 1986. She corresponded with Rick faithfully for two years while he served an LDS service mission in Alabama. Shortly after he returned home, they were married in the Salt Lake City LDS Temple on July 14th 1989.

Their early years of marriage, as poor college students, at Utah State University were treasured years. Rick and Jill reflected on these years often. Some of Jill’s most cherished friendships developed in Logan. In January of 1994 they welcomed their daughter Sydni “Bug” Frost. In 1996, after accepting their first post-grad jobs in Huntington, Utah, they welcomed their daughter Cassidy, “Casper” Frost. She was equally proud, passionate and feisty in favorite roles as wife, mother and nurse. 

In the fall of 1999, Rick and Jill moved to Arizona to raise their family in the valley of the sun, where she could enjoy 364 sunny days a year. She made great efforts to manage her time and energy to ensure that her girls always got the best of her. She worked the graveyard shift as a nurse for years while the girls were young so she could be home with them during the day and available to them at the crossroads of their lives. In 2005, she pivoted into occupational health and collectively worked for over 20 years at Dignity Health. 

Jill never left a job undone, half done or even simply 100% done. She always over-delivered with her whole heart. She went above and beyond in her role as sister and aunt, earning the nickname “Aunt Hog” for her insistence on smothering with love. She instilled in her children the value of education as they watched her fiercely pursue her post graduate goals at both the University of Phoenix and Grand Canyon University. 

Jill was a nurturer. She was known in her community and neighborhood for sharing her time through meaningful conversation. She loved her pet wiener dogs, who were kept warm in the Arizona winters by her crochet sweaters. Her countless roles in Church service, her crocheted blankets, Christmas toffee, homemade rolls and the love she extended towards others has impacted many. However, her best days were spent with her family, toes in the sand and a crisp diet coke with lime in her hand. 

Jill stayed busy as the soccer mom, the basketball mom and the coach’s wife, the Lotoja support crew, the RMHS basketball bookkeeper, the Easter Pageant Nurse, etc. She dove head first into whatever her girls or husband loved. In her “empty nesting” years, Rick and Jill fell back in love with passing time together. They attended 80s band concerts with siblings, paddle boarded the Salt River, attended ASU football games, camped in the White Mountains and found ways to adventure together. They took every opportunity to gather their family together and create meaningful memories that will be cherished forever. Seeing Jill in her “Grandma Jilly” era was pure magic. She will be sorely missed. 

First and foremost, Jill was a mother with a lion heart who spent her days and nights in the pursuit of her children’s safety, peace and joy. Her husband was her companion and best friend from her teenage years as they grew in faith, purpose and experience together. They built their dreams together with purpose, planning and dedication. They were committed to their shared goals and worked hard to meet them. Rick and Jill had a way of finishing each other’s thoughts and guiding each other’s decisions and actions. They could communicate so much with a teasing quip or a humorous question that made the other pause and review a situation or a statement. Jill was always quick to speak, quick to share her opinion and quick to apologize and self-correct when needed.  She was a woman of true grace, a gracious and generous spouse, mother, daughter, sister, colleague and friend. We are all changed and bettered by our association with Jill. 

Jill is survived by her husband Frederick (Mesa, AZ);  her mother Barbara Thomas (Orem, Utah), her children Sydni (Samuel Snyder, Logan Utah) and Cassidy (Anchorage, AK), her two grandbabies Cal and Huddy and her 6 siblings; Lori Zubeck (Delta UT), Scott Thomas (Holladay, UT), Holley Aldred (Orem UT), Melanie Bullock (Orem, UT), Ryan Thomas (Portland, OR), and Lindsay Curtis (Riverton, UT) and her 32 nieces and nephews, all of whom consider themselves her favorite. She was preceded in death by her father, Robert Thomas, her brother-in-law Brent Bullock and her dear in-laws Herbert and Elinor Frost. 

In Mesa, a viewing will be held at the LDS church house at 3025 S. Hawes Road Mesa, AZ 85212 from 6-8PM on January 9th.  A Funeral service will be held on Wednesday, January 10th at 11am.  For those unable to attend the service in person, you will be able to follow this link: https://zoom.us/j/98346948401

In Utah, a viewing and open house will be held at 762 E 1200 N Orem, on Saturday, January 13th from 10am-12pm. 

In lieu of flowers, consider donating to help diabetes research at diabetes.org/ways-to-give  Get Involved | ADA (diabetes.org) 

Arrangements by Bunker’s University Chapel, www.bunkerfuneral.com. Should this obituary appear anywhere but bunkerfuneral.com, please check our website for accurate details and service information.

     It is with sad & heavy hearts we announce the passing of our sweet & precious Mom aka Grandma Rozi.  Heaven received a beautiful soul on December 30^th, 2023. Sweet Rozi has suffered with severe mental illness for over 50 years. She has also been suffering the devastating affects of Alzheimer’s disease for the past six years. While we will miss her terribly, we are extremely grateful she is able to go “home” to a perfect, loving Father in Heaven, where we know she will be healed of both of these most serious of illnesses. Since her diagnosis of SMI, outside of her closest family, most people didn’t have the opportunity to know precious Rozi. She was kind, shy, smart, grateful, childlike, and unbelievably sweet. Her smile could light a room. She loved Jesus, all types of church music- especially children’s music, beautiful desert plants, and red roses. For those of us who have been lucky enough to know and love her, we will be forever grateful to and for our Rozi. She has blessed our family so much with countless opportunities to love and serve her.  She has been all things love and light in this world.

Rozi’s two greatest accomplishments were her two children she adored: TJ Lindberg (Renee) and Heidi Lindberg-Roberts-Mitchell (Darrin), along with her 6 grandchildren (Tiffani, Owen, Stone, Paige, London, and Mason), 3 bonus-grandchildren (Mackenzie, Nicholas, & Brooklynn), and 1 great grandchild (Elianna). She is survived by brothers Kent Duncan (Becky) and Phil Duncan (Penny).

She will be reunited in heaven with her lost son McKay, mother and father Louis and Gerlene Duncan, with her brother Scott Duncan (Elaine)

We are grateful for the love and prayers being sent to us by extended family as well as dear friends of our family at this time. In lieu of sending flowers or attending traditional funeral services, will you please consider helping our family honor & share our sweet Mom/ Grandma Rozi’s memory by spreading her sweet love and kindness?  We will be doing this by gifting roses to as many in our community as we can for:

RED ROSES 4 ROZI

Individual roses can be ordered for…

*    $5 per individually wrapped rose OR

*    $20 for 5 individually wrapped roses.

Each rose will include the attached message- **PLEASE KNOW YOU ARE LOVED**

Please Venmo orders along with your name to: @Compassionate-Service Club

Or you can make a donation in any amount and a group of volunteers will deliver all purchased/donated roses to as many of God’s precious children as possible to Dementia care facilities and Mental health clinics. Thank you in advance for your love and support as we honor our beloved Rozi the best way we know how: by sharing her precious love and kindness with others.

Freddy Hyland Gagon Jr, age 78, of Mesa, Arizona, passed away on December 26, 2023 after a long and courageous battle with mantel cell lymphoma.

Freddy was born on January 2, 1946 to Marie Evans Gagon and Freddy Hyland Gagon in Phoenix, Arizona.

After Freddy graduated Phoenix Union High School in 1965, he honorably served in the army reserves. After his time in the reserves he dedicated 2 years of his life to serve the Lord on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Porto Alegre, Brazil. After his mission he studied physical therapy at Brigham Young University on a full ride scholarship for gymnastics.

Freddy had many talents in the business world and as an entrepreneur he facilitated and developed many innovative companies that created great success for him and his family. He loved going to garage sales and throwing fun parties. He loved traveling to Brazil and other countries and going on cruises.

He is survived by sisters Patti Miner and Sharon Gagon and wife Margareth Gagon and 4 children and 12 grand children.

Services will be held January 6, 2024 at 10 am at the LDS Stake Center 2549 North 32nd Street, Mesa, Arizona 85213.

For those unable to attend the service, you will be able to view it using this link: Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting

Arrangements by Bunker’s University Chapel, www.bunkerfuneral.com. Should this obituary appear anywhere but bunkerfuneral.com, please check our website for accurate details and service information.

Jim Lloyd Nichols played his final game of Scrabble at age 69, passing on December 28th, 2023. Born to Neldon and Janell (Kleinman) Nichols on July 27, 1954 in Mesa, Arizona, Jim was the 5th of 9 children. He loved numbers, baseball, autumn leaves, gift giving, and puns; in his community, “Dad Jokes” were more often known as “Jim Jokes.” He was the loving husband of Eileen Clement Nichols, and the proud father of two children, Drew and Willow, from his previous marriage. He traveled to national parks, sports stadiums, and historical sites all over the U.S., photographing covered bridges, elk, and his loved ones. A disciple of Jesus Christ, Jim looked forward to reuniting with Eileen after her passing in 2021. He was also preceded in death by siblings Nick, Peggy (Hipps), and Barbara (Gibson). He is survived by his children; siblings Linda (Petersen), Dave, Jack, Tom, and Alan; and the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, January 13th

Viewing for family, 9am
Funeral, 10am
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
1483 North Driftwood Drive
Gilbert, Arizona 85234

ZOOM

Jim Nichols Funeral
Jan 13, 2024 10:00 AM Arizona

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89406006739?pwd=UDJHSzd6RXpkcXNGYnlJSlBxSlFhZz09

Meeting ID: 894 0600 6739
Passcode: JimNichols

Graveside service, 12pm
City of Mesa Cemetery
1212 N. Center St.
Mesa, AZ 85201

Arrangements by Bunker’s Garden Chapel, www.bunkerfuneral.com. Should this obituary appear anywhere but bunkerfuneral.com, please check our website for accurate details and service information.

Delcena (“Delcie”) Robson Hatch passed away peacefully with her family at her side on the afternoon of December 24, 2023.  Returning home to be with her eternal companion David, who preceded her in death on February 12, 2018, was the best Christmas present our dad could receive.  Delcena was born January 20, 1933 in Mesa, AZ to Clara Phelps Robson and Charles Innes Robson III.  On the day she was born, remarkably it snowed in Mesa!

Delcena was the youngest, and last surviving child, of 6 children:  Innes Robson, Clarene Barney, Zula Walton, Betty Naegle, Frankie Decker, and our mother, Delcena.  Between her older brother and 4 older sisters, there was plenty of help and spoiling to go around.

Throughout her life, Delcena loved music.   When she was in high school, she wanted to be in band and learned how to play the clarinet.  She went on to play in the Mesa High and ASU Marching bands.  Her clarinet career ended when her sweet nephew, Jim, got a hold of it and took it a part to find out where that “squeaking” came from.   Typical of her love for her family, Delcena never got upset at him.  In fact, that was indicative of the love that she had for all her nieces and nephews.  She wrote, “Those children could do anything, and I never would have cared.  I loved each of them very much…”.  When Delcena was in 8^th grade she took, and excelled in, accordion lessons.  She was invited to be in a quartet with Hank Milano that went on tour performing in various city and church functions.  Hank even took the quartet on tour around the state to play in musical programs.  Later on she shared her love of music with her family and taught all her daughters to play the piano.

Delcena graduated in 1951 from Mesa High School.  She attended 2 years at Arizona State University while teaching accordion lessons at Milano’s.  During her 2^nd year at ASU, she met “a really cute guy” at a fireside named David.  That chance encounter quickly developed into a courtship, true love, and an engagement.

While engaged, David was drafted into the United States Army, so they had to move up their wedding plans.  David and Delcena were married in the Mesa Arizona Temple on March 6, 1953.  On March 12, 1953, David reported to basic training and then left for Fort Ord, CA.  Delcena was able to join David after the first month of basic training.  After that he received his orders for Germany.  It was because of her love for David that she was able to temporarily leave her country and home of Mesa.  Germany held many wonderful memories and growing experiences for our parents.  After the army, they moved to Tucson where David graduated from the University of Arizona in 1959 with a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering degree.  He was hired by APS and was transferred to various cities in his long and rewarding career.  Delcena got to return to Mesa for a short time after Tucson, but found that APS needed them in Yuma AZ, Farmington NM, and then Phoenix.  Each of their children was born in the different cities where David was assigned.  Treasured memories were made in each of those homes that involved friends and family.  After David’s 30 years with and retirement from APS, Delcena prevailed upon David to move back to the East Valley.  She finally got to come home to Mesa where she and David happily lived the rest of their days together around so many cherished family members.

Delcena also found joy in serving in different callings in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  In almost every ward Dad and Mom lived in, she served in the Primary organization as chorister or pianist.  She also enjoyed the sisterhood she found in serving in her ward Relief Society.

Delcena had a testimony of our Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ throughout her whole life.  She often spoke of the power of prayer and always had family prayer, no matter who was at home. She was always drawn to the commandment “Love one another” that Christ gave to his apostles.  In fact, she chose that to be her life’s theme and instilled it as one of her family’s core fundamentals.  Delcena found the most joy in her life with her family and close friends.  Her roles as wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, “Granny” and friend were very sacred to her.   Consequently, the love and grace that she emanated to all through those roles will be remembered, felt, and cherished for years to come.   It will be her legacy to all of us.

Delcena is survived by her 5 children:  David C. Hatch (Fayella), Sherie Kent (Lloyd), Dean R.  Hatch, Julie Hatch, and Kristen Durrant (Dan).  She and David also have 12 grandchildren, and 31 great-grandchildren.

Funeral services for Delcena will be on Saturday, January 6, 2024 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel at 1345 E University Dr., Mesa, AZ  85203.  There will be a visitation at 9:00 a.m. and the service will begin at 10:00 a.m.

Burial services will be held at the City of Mesa cemetery following the funeral service (1212 N Center St., Mesa AZ  85201).

Arrangements by Bunker’s Garden Chapel, www.bunkerfuneral.com. Should this obituary appear anywhere but bunkerfuneral.com, please check our website for accurate details and service information.

Shirley Jane Lester, age 93, passed away peacefully on December 27, 2023 in Tempe, Arizona.

Shirley, daughter of Queena and Virgil Bloyd, was born in Lincoln, Kansas, on November 13, 1930.  She lived there until she was graduated from Lincoln High School in 1948.  After graduation she attended Chillicothe Business College in Chillicothe, Missouri, and was graduated there with a secretarial diploma in the spring of 1949.  She immediately began work as a secretary for the Production and Marketing Administration in Manhattan, Kansas, where she worked until September 1950.  She then enrolled at Kansas State College in Manhattan.  During the summer while attending college, she worked in the office of the Quartzite Stone Company in Lincoln.

In January 1954, Shirley was graduated from Kansas State College with a B. S. Degree in Business Administration.  She began teaching business subjects at Atchison High School, Atchison, Kansas, that same month and continued until May 1956.

In June 1956, Shirley moved to San Diego, California, and accepted a job as a secretary with Solar Aircraft Company.  While in San Diego, she met and fell in love with Lt(jg) John Lester who was stationed with the Navy there.  They were married in Lincoln, Kansas, on June 22, 1957, and moved to Annapolis, Maryland, as John had been appointed as an instructor at The United States Naval Academy.  Shirley worked in the Superintendent’s Office at the Naval Academy one year and taught high school business subjects at South High School, Lothian, Maryland, during the 1958-59 school year.

In June 1959, Shirley and John moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where their son, Philip, was born in July 1959.  They lived in Minneapolis until April 1961, when they moved to Phoenix where Janet was born in May 1961.  In October 1961, the Lester family relocated to Tempe, where they resided for 38 years.  In January 2000 they relocated to Mesa.  In 2012, they returned to Tempe and took up residence at Friendship Village, a retirement community.

Shirley participated in various school-related activities while Phil and Janet attended the Scottsdale Schools.  In 1975, she was employed as a part-time Instructional Assistant in the Scottsdale, School District, working at Yavapai and Tonalea Schools for ten years.  She retired from this position in June, 1985.

In her free time, Shirley loved to play bridge and golf with her best friends.

During the years in Arizona Shirley was an active charter member of the Los Arcos United Methodist Church in Scottsdale, and subsequently became a member of Scottsdale United Methodist Church.  When they relocated to Friendship Village, they found a church home at St. Matthew United Methodist Church in Mesa.

Shirley was preceded in death by her parents and brother, Jerry.  Survivors include her husband of 66 years, John, their children Phil (Beth) and Janet (Dan) and her four granddaughters, Hilary (Patrick), Hannah (Jacob), Alexandria and Jenna.  A celebration of her life is planned for Saturday, January 27 at 1:00 p.m. at Friendship Village Skirm Auditorium, Tempe, AZ.  In lieu of flowers, donations to Hospice of the Valley or Friendship Village Foundation are suggested.

With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of our caring, kind, and loving wife, mother and grandmother, Joy Allen, who peacefully passed away at home surrounded by her family on December 27, 2023 at the age of 90.

She is forever loved and remembered by her beloved husband Jim Allen, her six doting children Donna Boxerman, Diane Ware, Janice Wagner, Michael Allen, Karl Allen and Rebecca Swann, 15 grandchildren, and 14 great grandchildren. She also leaves behind thousands of students whose lives she greatly touched during her 46 years of teaching grades 1-3 at Lowell Elementary and Lindbergh Elementary.

Born in Milton, Pennsylvania, Joy had a zest for life and the world from a young age. She joined the Air Force where she met the love of her life, husband Jim Allen, who was immediately taken by her “doe eyes.” She got her Masters in Education at ASU and went on to become revered in the teaching community by students and fellow teachers alike.

Joy loved adventure and traveled around the world with Jim, a highlight in their many travels being an African Safari, which had been her dream for years. She also loved taking regular trips down to the family home in Rocky Point, Mexico, and shared countless family memories there. Her love for the thrill of adventure never waned, and as she and Jim were both certified pilots, she celebrated her 70th birthday by going skydiving with her family.

The beauty within nature filled Joy’s heart through her whole life, a deep love and appreciation in which she passed on to her children and grandchildren, teaching them to stop and behold the sunset, marvel at the rising moon, and admire the clouds in the sky. Her legacy of strength, thrill for life’s adventures, passion for the beauty of nature, and deep love she held for others will carry on forever in the hearts of all who knew and loved her.

Her Celebration of Life was a private ceremony. Memorial donations may be made in memory of Joy Allen to the Mesa Public Schools Foundation.

The Herald Angels have called Shirley home. She left this mortal life on December 25th at 4:22 am. She was waiting for Christmas to go and see her mother and party on the other side celebrating the birth of Christ. We will all miss her, but we are happy for her graduation from this mortal world.

Services are:

January 4th, 2023. A viewing will be held at Bunker Family Funerals from 6-8 pm. Located at 33 N Centennial Way, Mesa, AZ 85201 480-964-8686

January 5th, 2023. Viewing at:

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Located at 940 E Southern Ave., Mesa, Arizona 85204 (East of Horne). The viewing will be from 9-10am. Services will be from 10-11:30.

Cemetery Services will be at 2pm. The cemetery is located at Mariposa Gardens Memorial Park 6747 E. Broadway Rd., Mesa, AZ 85206 (Southeast corner of Power and Broadway).

All are invited to come and celebrate her life with us.

Shirley was born in Lovington, Lea, New Mexico in 1935. Shirley led a very happy life filled with work, service and dedication to the Lord.

She was survived by her children Arthur LaRoy II, Michael Anthony, Judy Jeanette Johnson, Howard Fletcher, Daniel Keith and 22 grandchildren and 46 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by 2 grandchildren.

Arrangements by Bunker’s Garden Chapel, www.bunkerfuneral.com. Should this obituary appear anywhere but bunkerfuneral.com, please check our website for accurate details and service information.

On December 19, 2023, Georgia Elizabeth (Libby) Carpenter passed away at her home in Mesa, Arizona.

Born in Flemmingsburg, Kentucky, Libby married the love of her life, Robert Carpenter and they were lucky enough to have celebrated 64 years together raising their two children, Robert Russel Carpenter (Kathy), of Nashville, TN, and Tonya Kay Hughes (Chris), of Mesa, AZ.

Libby was preceded in death by her husband Robert, sisters, Helen I. Little, Louise Thompson, and her parents, Walter C. and Nellie M. Little. She is survived by her two children, Russ and Tonya, eight grandchildren: Ashlee, Andrew, Hayley, Courtney, Mike, Karen, Lauren, and John, and 10 great grandchildren: Dawson, Sterling, Remington, Westin, Alaina, Karter, Sophia, Braxton, Avery, and Elliot.

Our mother wanted to be remembered with smiles and laughter. She is at peace, and with my father, where she belongs and always wanted to be.

Arrangements by Bunker’s University Chapel, www.bunkerfuneral.com. Should this obituary appear anywhere but bunkerfuneral.com, please check our website for accurate details and service information.

David Michael Olson (77) passed away on December 25, 2023 in a Hospice facility in Chandler, Arizona.  He was a great and honorable man.  He fought cancer for 3 1/2 years.

He was born in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1946.  At a young age he moved with his family to a farm in Whitewater, Colorado.  David led a very happy life filled with work, service and dedication to the Lord.

He is survived by his wife, Christina, of 50 years. His children Sharon Marie Vance, Michael Richard, Jay Thomas, Benjamin Carl and 16 grandchildren and 3 great granddaughters.

He graduated from Colorado State in Veterinarian Medicine in 1971.  He was a large animal Vet for 42 years and served the southeast valley.  He loved his work and the people he met.

He served 3 missions for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ghana, West Africa, Podgorica, Montenegro and San Diego, California Mission serving the Congolese Refugees.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday January 6, 2024 at the church building of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 1150 W. Elliot, Gilbert, Arizona.

For those unable to attend in person, you will be able to view the service through this link: https://zoom.us/j/96177045192?pwd=anVTbW8vL2g5UFhtV0kyczRqYTdKZz09

In lieu of flowers donations to Feed My Starving Children | Volunteer to pack meals (fmsc.org)

Arrangements by Bunker’s University Chapel, www.bunkerfuneral.com. Should this obituary appear anywhere but bunkerfuneral.com, please check our website for accurate details and service information.