Robert Quinn Powell, long time resident of Wellington, Utah, returned to his heavenly home on June 15, 2023, at the age of 74. One might say that he fought a good fight, he finished his course, and he kept the faith.
He was born on February 17, 1949 to Orson M. Powell and Maud Edna Quinn of Wellington, Utah. He was the youngest of nine kids and the apple of his mother’s eye. He was a good marble player as a kid and many kids in town lost all their marbles to him. In high school he set several records in track and was a good basketball and baseball player. He served as student body president and was a member of the Carbon High Marching Band. He was nominated to Boy’s State and served as secretary of the Letterman Club. He graduated from Carbon High School in 1967.
He married his high school sweetheart and the girl of his dreams, Gayla Carol Timothy, in the Manti Temple on August 9, 1969. Robert graduated from CEU with an associate of science degree while he worked for Intermountain Farmers Association. As he and Gayla started their young family, he got a job as a coal miner for Cyprus Plateau Mine where he mined for 28 years. He was so smart and such a hard worker that it did not take long for him to become an underground construction and belt foreman. He was quickly promoted from there to section and shift foreman where he worked for 22 of the 28 years. The mine unexpectedly shut down in 2000. Since he was 50 years old and could not get a job in any other mine, he went back to school and later got a job with Nelco Construction Company. He worked for Nelco for 14 years driving truck and heavy equipment and helped develop many of the drilling wells around the area. He worked for Nelco until he had a major stroke which disabled him at the age of 64, just eight months before he could retire.
Robert and Gayla had five children, four boys and one girl. Robert enjoyed spending time with his family hunting, camping, fishing, and boating at Lake Powell. He also spent a lot of time coaching his boys in baseball and basketball. The teams he coached often had winning seasons and the kids he coached enjoyed their first-place finishes. He was the greatest dad and even a greater grandpa. He loved to take his grandkids hunting and fishing and would have annual grandkid only sleepovers where he would set up a tent in the yard and have all the grandkids come to stay the night. He was always happy to see the parents come get all the kids the next day. Robert even tried his hand at homebuilding and amateur electrician when he helped his eldest son build a home in Wellington.
Robert was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. In 1971, he was called to be second counselor in the stake mission presidency and was ordained to the office of a Seventy and called as one of the seven presidents of the Price Stake Seventies Quorum by Hartman Rector, Jr. He also served in seven different bishoprics and served on the high council in the Wellington Stake. Robert and Gayla were honored to be the grand marshals in the Wellington Pioneer Days Celebration in 2015. Robert was a hard worker, a man of integrity, a man of service, and a hero to his kids and grandkids.
Robert is survived by his sweetheart Gayla Powell; children, Brian (Julie) Powell, Jeff (Amanda) Powell, Aaron (Taryn) Powell, Jonathan (Christa) Powell, and Melanie (Roy) Day; 16 grandchildren, Jayden, Sariah, Hannah, Draper, Emily, Haylie, Brayden, Braxton, Ashley, Carter, Chris, Camden, Hunter, Madison, Enzley and McKayla; two great-grandkids, Lincoln and Hallie; two sisters, Ella Dean (Newton) Carleton, Linda (Robert) Jewkes; and a brother, Eugene Powell.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Orson M. Powell and Maud Edna Quinn; siblings, Edna Rich, Richard Powell, Maxine Peterson, Mary Oliver, LaRae Clark, and their spouses; and Cleo Powell, wife of Eugene.
The family would like to thank his caregivers, Rick, Brock, and Kara and rest of the Symbii Home Health and Hospice team, Wellington 3rd ward, and friends and family who helped Dad through his final years and days.
Funeral service, Saturday, June 24, 2023, 11:00 a.m., Wellington Stake Center. The family will receive friends at the church Friday evening from 6:00-8:00 p.m. and one hour prior to the service on Saturday. Interment, Wellington City Cemetery. Arrangements entrusted to Mitchell Funeral Home of Price and Huntington where friends are always welcome daily and may share memories of Robert online at www.mitchellfuneralhome.net.