Alice Thornley Evans 1910-2008

Alice Thornley Evans 1910 ~ 2008 Alice Ruth Thornley Evans passed away December 16, 2008, from causes incident to age.She was born August 14, 1910, in Salt Lake City, Utah, the daughter of John Watt Thornley and Nora Nelson (Bonnemort) Thornley. Her father was a respected sheep and cattle rancher, who served as Kaysville City Mayor and also as a Utah State Legislator. Alice grew up in Kaysville in a loving and supportive home, and she credited especially her remarkable mother for nurturing in her a deep and abiding faith in God and love and respect for every human being as a child of God. Indeed, Alice lived as she believed and taught, that every person she met, regardless of station in life, needed, and was entitled to, love, kindness and respect. She graduated in 1928 from Davis High School, where, as student body secretary, she coined the school name, Davis "Darts." She attended the McCune School of Music where she studied violin, voice, piano and music theory. When Alice was about 10 years old, her mother, a talented pianist, organized what became known as the Thornley Trio, with Alice playing the violin and her two older sisters playing the violin and cello. For the next 20 years they played frequently throughout Davis, Weber and Salt Lake Counties at concerts, school, civic and church functions. She also attended the University of Utah, and in 1932 she received her B.A. degree with a High School Teaching Certificate. She was a member of Chi Omega, Beta Delta Mu Music sorority, French Club, and Utonian Staff. While at the University, Alice, with her friend and roommate, Hazel Blood, had a weekly radio program on KSL where they sang and played musical solos and duets. After teaching in school one year in Layton, she married Richard Louis Evans on August 9, 1933, in the Salt Lake Temple. This began her most significant life's work of helping to provide a home of love, refinement and spirituality for him and their four sons, and of supporting Richard in his numerous and complex roles as a General Authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, announcer for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, civic and education leader, and Rotarian. In 1966-1967 Richard served as president of Rotary International, and during that year, and in the years immediately preceding and following that assignment, he and Alice traveled world wide, visiting most of the states in the U.S. and nearly 100 countries of the 134 countries in which there was a Rotary Club. She is survived by her four sons, Richard L., Jr. (Tamara), John T., Stephen T. (Deanne) and William T. (Jan), 24 grandchildren and 67 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Richard L. Evans, her siblings: Will Thornley, Mattie Shepherd, Norma Swan, Doris Sill, Donald Thornley, Melba Thornley and a great-grandson James Montgomery Larkins. Funeral services will be held at 12 noon, Tuesday, December 23, 2008, at the Garden Park Ward, 1150 East Yale Avenue. Family and friends may call at Larkin Mortuary, 260 E. South Temple, Monday evening from 6-8 p.m., and at the ward on Tuesday from 10:30-11:30 a.m. prior to services. Interment will be in the Salt Lake City Cemetery. Online condolences www.larkincares.com

The last words I heard her say were priceless, we asked her at her 98th birthday, this last August, what advice she had for all her posterity, she made sure everyone in the room was quiet, and said simply "Love everyone, because everyone needs love." She is truly a person that practiced what she preached... I didn't know her very well, but I do know that for sure. -Tiff

I miss her so much. I'm almost speechless right now. I don't quite know what to say. She has taught me tons over the years and I truly am a better person for knowing her. As you can tell by looking at her obituary above she was the perfect candidate to have able to talk to thousands of people throughout the world. I can't think of a better person to represent our family and our religion than Alice. I am so happy she is with her Richard now who she hasn't seen for almost 37 years. He died in 1971. I love you, Grandma. Til we meet again, sweetheart. - James