I'm not sure that I am going to be able to recount all that happened or really like to remember it even. It's hard for me to even fathom that I am having to do a post about this. I still don't believe it. I'm posting this exactly 1 month after the greatest aunt a girl could ask for passed away. She was diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer in February 2013. She went through a lot of treatments, chemo, surgery and doctor visit after doctor visit. She was a trooper through it all and always had a positive attitude. Whenever I asked how she was going she would always brush off all of the horrible things she was enduring, tell me she was feeling blessed or doing well. She never was looking inward, always outward.
Obituary-
Kathy Ford Wilson
9/10/1966 – 5/6/2014
Kathy Ford Wilson, 47, passed away Tuesday, May 6, 2014.
She was born September 10, 1966 in Salt Lake City, Utah to Richard Smedley and Sharon Taylor Ford. Kathy spent her elementary years living in Bountiful, Utah. Her family moved to Centerville in 1977 where she spent her adolescent years, graduating from Viewmont High School.
She was employed by First Security Financial as a teller. Kathy met her husband, Kevin P. Wilson in the Centerville Singles Ward. They were sealed as husband and wife, for time and all eternity, on March 2, 1988 in the Salt Lake Temple. They lived in Bountiful and Kaysville the first 10 years of marriage before settling in their present home in Syracuse, Utah.
Upon the birth of her first child, Kathy became a stay at home mother, instilling her values upon her children. A year prior to her oldest son’s LDS mission, she went back to work as a bus driver for the Davis School District. She selected a handicapped route where she had a soft spot for the children she served. She loved to create memories by organizing parties and games for special occasions. Then she would scrapbook those memories for her family. She loved the outdoors and planned the family vacations.
She was active in her faith, valiant in covenants. She served in many church callings as ward and stake Young Women’s President. She was often volunteering to teach classes with the Primary children. She lived life by serving her family and friends. Those that she met soon became a friend.
Surviving are her husband, sons, Tyler (Megan), Joshua, daughters, Brianna, Brooke, siblings, Robert (Ellen) Ford, Sheri (Reed) Tidwell, Brad (Anni) Ford and many nieces and nephews.
Preceded in death by her grandparents.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, May 10, 2014 at 11 a.m. at the Syracuse Stake Center, 1350 S. 1800 W., Syracuse. Friends may visit family Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. at Lindquist’s Layton Mortuary, 1867 No. Fairfield Road and Saturday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the church. Interment, Syracuse City Cemetery.
We would like to thank those friends and family that served Kathy to the end. A special thanks to Dr. Harold Johnson and his nursing staff at Utah Hematology Oncology for their loving care and treatment during Kathy’s battle with colon cancer.
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She was in the hospital and not doing well. Because I wasn't able to be there in person, I wrote her this letter below that my mom read to her.
Kathy,
I want you to know that I really wish that I could be there
to say this to you in person. It’s been so hard living in California and not
being able to help make meals for your family or to be able serve you in
anyway. I do want you to know that I think about you all the time and you are
in all my prayers. I really hope that the roses brought a smile to your face
and heart.
I’m having a hard time putting what I feel into words. So
I’ll start by quoting something that I wrote on my blog March 10, 2013 shortly
after you were diagnosed.
“Kathy is my second mother. I lived next to her for the
first 4 years of life and basically we were at her house or she was at our
house all growing up. We have always done many things with the Wilson's. We
have gone camping together on a yearly basis. We spent Thanksgiving, Christmas,
New Years, Birthdays, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day always celebrating
together. She was ALWAYS doing scrapbooking with my mom. My mom and her do
almost everything together, thus growing up I was around her all the time. She
loves me like I was her own daughter and I love her like I love my mother. She
has the most bubbly and funny personality. She always makes everyone laugh. I
look up to her. I admire her.
I think for some people an aunt is someone they see at a few
family gatherings, maybe weddings, or family reunions, but Kathy to me is much
more than that. She is a big part of my life.”
You have always always always let me know that you care and
that you are there for me. You have never once forgotten my birthday and I love
the little special gifts you give me for Christmas. It might be a box of fruit
roll ups or swiss miss hot chocolate, but you gave it just to let me know you
care and that you are thinking of me. When we were visiting Utah for Christmas
this year, my mom pulled out the wrapped gift from you to Nixon. It was the
foam Sesame Street puzzle pieces. Once again I thought, “Kathy never forgets to
show me she is thinking of me and my family.” Nixon is so lucky to have you as
his great aunt.
I absolutely LOVE how hilarious and funny you are. You
always liven up the party. I remember many times when I’d come home from school
and you’d be scrapbooking with my mom. I would sit down at the table and we’d
all chat. You would crack jokes throughout the conversation and we would just
laugh and laugh. I can also remember when you would joke about your crazy hair.
Especially up camping. You would always wear a hat to try to tame the curls.
There were only two ways the conversation would go, either you were talking
about how out of control your hair was, or how it was flat. Do you remember
that? Ha ha Who could forget the morning of Labor Day when we were all greeted
by the “Kathy rolling pin”. Even though we had been flattened out and woken up,
we all ended up laughing together. I seriously think you have contributed to
many of my face wrinkles and I’m ok with that because of all the smiles you put
on my face.
Do you remember the wrapping paper time of year? When Tyler,
me, Brianna, Amanda, and my friend Tara would hop in your potato bug van, (that
is what I always thought of when I saw it parked outside our house) and deliver
flyers to all of Centerville. We would get those flyers out in no time. I think
you might have paid us some money, or bought us some lunch, but ultimately it
was not work at all, it was a total blast!
Kathy, I really do love you like I love my own mother. You
are the best aunt I could ask for. I’m not sure how I got so lucky to get you
as my aunt. I truly look up to you and
admire the kind of women and mother that you are. You are so strong, faithful,
positive, genuine, selfless, joyful, and charismatic. You brighten up
everyone’s day. You are an influence for good in my life and a perfect role
model for the kind of woman I only hope to one day become. I want you to know
that if I was there right now, I would give you the biggest, tightest hug. You
are constantly in my thoughts and prayers. Even though I can’t be there with
you, I know that the Sprit can be there to give you comfort and peace. You mean so much to me. I cherish the special
relationship we share and I’m so grateful that Heavenly Father placed you in my
life.
Love ya to pieces
Michelle
I was having a really hard time not being able to say goodbye. I was able to tell her goodbye over speaker phone. By that point, she wasn't able to talk, so I could hear her voice, but she had told me several time over the past year that she loved me and I knew she did.
After she passed away, Travis and I were trying to figure out how we were going to make it to Utah in time. We ended up leaving late Thursday night and driving to South Point in Las Vegas and then we drove the rest of the way the next day and made it to the viewing. It was really nice to be able to give my mom a hug, I knew she needed it just as much as I did.
The next day was the funeral service. As part of the program, my mom gave a life sketch; Tyler spoke; Brooke and Josh both read poems that Brianna had written. It was nice to hear all about her life. We definitely had some good laughs, but I also realized how many lives she had touched and how much she loved to serve. A beautiful example she was to me.
It is really hard to write this, tears are in my eyes. I look at these pictures at the burial, and we are smiling for the picture, but inside my heart was aching and there were many many tears. It's so hard to understand why she was taken this early in life; why she had to have cancer; why it couldn't have been caught sooner, but God obviously had a bigger calling for her in heaven. I'm excited to see her again one day and I'm so grateful for our knowledge of the plan of salvation, but in all honestly I still have a hole in my heart. I miss her.
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