March 1, 1940 – Feb. 9, 2018

Marie Davis Tippets graduated to the next life on Feb. 9, 2018. She battled downwinders cancer for more than two years.

She was born March 1, 1940, in Circleville, Utah, to Marlo and Chloris Dalton Davis, as their second child. She enjoyed the small town childhood of southern Utah with friends and three younger sisters. She developed a love of music very early and would walk about half a mile to grandmother Dalton’s home to practice the piano. She also learned service early, serving as secretary to the LDS Primary from age 12 to 18. Two milestones in her early life were 1) a piano in her family home and 2) having her family sealed for time and eternity in the Manti Temple in March 1949. Her proficiency in music led to accompanying high school programs and playing drums in a dance band. She was a majorette for the high school marching band.

After graduating from Piute High School in 1958, she worked to earn her way through LDS Business College. After graduation, she was working as secretary and assistant to an accountant in Salt Lake City, Utah, when she met Karl G. Tippets in 1959. They were married in the Salt Lake Temple on Sept. 13, 1960. Their first home was in Laramie, Wyoming, where Marie began earning her PHT (Putting Hubby Through) degree. Karl was an engineering student at the University of Wyoming. Marie worked as a secretary in the university purchasing office to support them. After a year they moved to Tacoma, Washington, where Karl filled a tour of duty at Fort Lewis and Marie worked for the Weyerhaeuser Lumber Company. Fall of 1962 found them back in Laramie for a final year. Marie worked in the university counseling office.

After graduation in May 1963 they moved to Ilion, New York, where Karl worked for DuPont-Remington Arms and Marie became a full-time stay-at-home mom to their first son, Mike, born on Oct. 4, 1963. Church service in the Utica, New York LDS Branch included leadership, teaching, piano and organ accompaniments and labor on the construction of a new chapel while housing a church building missionary.

Shortly after the death of their mother, Marie’s youngest sister, Betty, came to live with them. 1966 brought a transfer for Karl and a home move to Martinsville, Virginia. Their second son, Scott, was born there on Feb. 3, 1967. The Martinsville Branch benefited from Marie’s musical ability and years of church experience. Betty returned to Utah for her senior year of high school.

Another transfer brought a home move to Wilmington, Delaware. Marie was drafted to accompany the LDS congregation on her first Sunday in Delaware. A daughter, Stephanie, was born there on June 29, 1969. In between parenting, home management and church service, Marie worked at part-time bookkeeping jobs. As the kids progressed through school, Marie moved back into the world of corporate accounting. She introduced computer-based accounting into a temporary help agency. Parenting included attending high school football games to see her kids perform in halftime band shows for over 10 years. Her church service always included accompanying congregations, and choirs, providing music for weddings, funerals and solos. Church leadership included being a counselor in the Stake Relief Society that instituted a celebration of sisterhood so sisters could experience spiritual renewal without traveling far away. She became the CFO of Family Foods, a food-storage distributor that grossed six figures.

In 1977, the family home was moved to Hockessin, Delaware, a mere five miles away. Marie had prepared the old home by packing up everything possible into labeled boxes. Two trucks were employed and the old ward loaded the trucks and the new ward unloaded them. Each truck made several trips so that the three bedroom house was moved in half a day. Here family life for Marie moved to the empty nest era as the boys completed missions and all three kids graduated from Brigham Young University.

In 1992, the family home was moved to Ashburn, Virginia. Marie’s musical skills again smoothed the transition from visitor to full member in the LDS Ward. She served again in a Stake Relief Society Presidency. This empty nest era was highlighted with marriages and the addition of grandchildren.

In 1996 the home was moved to Santa Clara, Utah. Continued service included piano and organ accompaniments, Ward Relief Society President, and Temple Ordinance Worker. Karl and Marie expanded their horizons by serving as missionaries in the Australia Regional Office of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for 18 months. Shortly after returning they served for a year as full time workers in the Washington, D.C. Temple. After their release they continued to enjoy travel, summers in Star Valley, Wyoming, winters in Santa Clara and entertaining grandchildren. Included in her travels were Red Square in Russia, the Great Wall in China, a bullfight in Spain, the canals of Holland, the vistas of Alaska, fjords of Norway, the Panama Canal, art museums in Italy and France, the Normandy cemetery, rocky Greenland and THE summer day in Iceland.

She was preceded in death by her older sister, Vona Davis and both parents. She is survived by her spouse of 57 years, Karl; son, Mike (Angie) Tippets; son, Scott (Angela) Tippets; daughter, Stephanie (Mark) Bridges; and nine grandchildren.

Funeral services

• Funeral services will be held Thursday, Feb. 15 at 11 a.m. at the Southgate LDS 3rd Ward Chapel, 1068 West Chandler Drive, St. George, Utah.
• A visitation will be held Wednesday evening from 6-8 p.m. at Metcalf Mortuary, 288 West St. George Blvd.
• Interment will be in Tonaquint Cemetery.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Metcalf Mortuary, 435-673-4221.

For condolences, full obituary and funeral listings please visit Metcalf Mortuary online.