PRICE– Ileen Rae Potts Gibbons, our beloved mother, grandmother, GG, aunt, sister and friend, passed away March 30, 2022 at the age of 88. Ileen was born on November 2, 1933 to Edward Frank and Iris Mangum Potts in Price, Utah. She joined an older brother, Donald and was followed by two more brothers, Robert and Frank. Being the only girl, she was definitely a tomboy but also the boss!
The day after Ileen graduated from Carbon High School in 1952, she married a Green River boy, Carlyle Gibbons. Their first daughter Lyla Rae was born in 1953 while Carlyle was fighting the war in Korea. Later, three more daughters and a son were added. Mom suffered the loss of two of these children while they were young. The family relocated to southern Arizona in 1962 for Carlyle’s work in the copper industry and mom enjoyed her job as the secretary of Mammoth Elementary School for nine years. She loved the children of Mammoth and had many favorites.
Mom was a voracious reader, reading two to three books a week. She was a knitter creating sweaters, scarves, hats and baby blankets, donating many to the women’s shelter and to newborns at the hospital. When she returned to her beloved hometown of Price in 1980, she worked in banking, was the office manager at the College of Eastern Utah Prehistoric Museum and as an aide and library assistant at Creekview Elementary School where she was known fondly as “Grandma”.
In her later years, she discovered the Carbon County Senior Citizen Center where she volunteered in the library and dining room. She had many friends at the Center and thoroughly enjoyed the time spent there. She will miss you all.
Mom enjoyed game nights with the family, especially cards at which she excelled. She loved beating the pants off the rest of us. She enjoyed feeding the wild birds outside her window at her daughter Lori’s home where she has lived for the last five years. She ferociously loved her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Mom was tiny but tough, hardworking and punctual. She truly endured to the end surviving many hardships and trials. She was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Ileen was preceded in death by her husband Carlyle, son Eddie Cecil, daughter Reona Gay and brothers Donald and A. Frank. She is survived by her daughters Lyla Rae Tuttle (Alan) of La Verkin, Utah, Rachelle Gibbons Peterson (Weston) of Central, Utah and Lori Dean Perez (Elias) of Price, her grandchildren Jaycee, Amber, Logan, Nathan and Jacob and great-grandchildren Mariana, Madison, Jada, McKenna, Christian, Hudson, Ailina, Leah, Maggie Lu, Kimberly, Matai and Ellie, many special nieces, nephews, in-laws and friends and her beautiful cat, Susie.
Upon her wishes, a viewing will be held on Friday, April 1, 2022 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Mitchell Funeral Home in Price, Utah, with graveside services on Saturday, April 2, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. at the Price City Cemetery. Arrangements entrusted to Mitchell Funeral Home where friends are always welcome daily and may share memories online at www.mitchellfuneralhome.net.