Jean Hulme Tippetts Smith
Our mother is our heroine. She was totally dedicated to our individual sense of fulfillment and happiness. We did not discover this in hindsight, we knew it all along. Friends who came into our home couldn't help but be envious of our good fortune. They were welcome to stay a night or a month. The food would be great and the activities, fun. Whether it was the rowdy play of her twin boys or the messy "projects" of her creatively-minded girls, she was not one to put a damper on any of the things we enjoyed. Our dreams had her full support "she was both our mother and our fairy god-mother." How many times did she save the day by catering our weddings, making our prom dresses, financing our missions and being a faithful correspondent to each of us, writing weekly after we left home? Her magic letters helped us through our hard times.
Jean Hulme Tippetts Smith was born in Bloomington, Idaho, the only daughter of Ben and Louise Krogue Hulme. She was sandwiched between two older brothers, Harold and David and three younger brothers, Russell, John and Paul. She lived in the following cities, all located on Highway 89: Bloomington, Logan, Panguitch, Paris, Manti, Ephraim, Orem, Salt Lake, and Provo. She lived for 33 years in California.
Jean graduated from Manti High and Snow College. At Snow, she was the first female student body president and valedictorian, earning her tuition by playing piano accompaniment for the college orchestra. While teaching at Manti High, she met her husband Joyce Tippetts, a recently discharged naval officer from Ephraim who was the son of one of her favorite professors at Snow College. They both played in Lenny Myer's dance orchestra, he on bass fiddle and she as pianist. They were married on September 3, 1946.
Joyce's career in campus planning took them from Berkeley to UCLA to BYU and then to UCSD. While in San Diego, she graduated as one of the top three students at San Diego State in 1963, earning her the privilege of shaking President John F. Kennedy's hand, who spoke at her graduation. Jean started teaching elementary school that year, later earning a master's degree as a reading specialist. Jean's first marriage lasted for nearly thirty years. After their divorce, she found enjoyment in her children, church assignments and teaching, but she was thrilled to open a new chapter in her life after being introduced to Don Smith, whose wife Evelyn had died in 1980. They were married in 1981 and had nearly thirty happy years together, embracing each other's families, traveling, and enjoying BYU cultural and athletic events. Jean loved her involvement in Literary League, BYU Women, DUP, and Kiwanis. She always asked us "What would I ever do without Don?" She never had to find out, dying unexpectedly just 10 days after his funeral.
She is survived by her children: Leah Smith (A.J.), Laura Harmon (David), Tom (Lisa) Tippetts, and Tracy (Elizabeth) Tippetts; and step-daughters Karen Griggs and Susan (Byron) Purves. Don and Jean together have 28 grandchildren and 55 great-grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her parents and three brothers.
Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m., Thursday, July 1, 2010 at the Pleasant View Chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 650 Stadium Ave., Provo, Utah. Friends are invited to visit with Jean's family at the Berg Mortuary of Provo, 185 E. Center, Wednesday evening from 6 until 8 and at the church Thursday from 11-12:45 p.m. prior to services. Burial will be at the Provo City Cemetery.
Our heartfelt thanks go to Don and Jean's wonderful ward neighbors. In lieu of flowers, any donations could be made to the Humanitarian Fund of the LDS Church.
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