Marcia Evelyn Mendenhall Wilde April 10, 1921 - February 28, 2022

Marcia Evelyn Mendenhall Wilde, 100, died  peacefully in her sleep February 28, 2022, of causes incident to age.

Marcia was born April 10, 1921, in Payson, Utah, to Malin Mendenhall and Marcia Evelyn Cooper. She graduated from Payson High School and and married Larsen B. Wilde November 17, 1943, in Alameda, California; their marriage was solemnized soon thereafter in the Salt Lake Temple.

Marcia and Larsen (dec’d 1980) are the parents of two sons, Jay Larsen Wilde (dec’d 2021) and Steven Lon Wilde of Sandy, Utah. They are grandparents of eight and great-grandparents of nine.

Marcia spent her happy childhood in Payson surrounded by her loving parents, brothers Spencer and Gordon, and sisters Ida and Melba. Her twin brothers, Keith and Kenneth, died in 1915 and 1922, respectively, as children.  Marcia was the baby of the family and had many memories of playing with her siblings in and around Payson.  She often told of how her brother Spencer, eight years older than she, would show love for his little sister by being her tea party friend.  Her closeness to her brothers and sisters extended throughout their lives, relationships that continue through nephews, nieces, and their children, who all loved and got a kick out of Aunt Marcia.

Marcia’s working career began in Gladys Wilson‘s Beauty Shop in Payson where the two of them formed a lifelong friendship.  Three months after Marcia’s father passed away when she was 22, she and Larsen married while he was home on leave from WWII.  When the war ended they settled in Payson and started their family a few years later.  In the mid-1950s they and their sons moved to Spanish Fork where Larsen started his own bakery.  Marcia worked alongside “Lars“ in the original and succeeding bakeries then, after they moved to Provo in the early 1970s as he pursued new careers, she eventually began working for Robert Gledhill in his Italian Place restaurant in Provo, a job she loved and stayed with for 18 years until her retirement. Marcia developed many friendships there with Bob, Kathy Brown, and dozens of students and other coworkers, relationships that continued until her death. Bob and Kathy provided for Marcia after her retirement by their own choice, support that was truly appreciated and valued.  Ray Jackson and Tracy Willburn also watched out for Marcia for many years in Provo through their love, attention, and generosity.

Although Marcia could be found in summers at the Spanish Fork, and other Utah County, baseball fields supporting Jay and Steve as they played, she often wasn’t actually sitting in the stands watching, but instead was hiding under the bleachers, afraid to watch what was happening on the diamonds.

Marcia loved having visitors to her home in Provo except on her Thursday “hair days” and anytime horse races were being broadcast on TV.  Don’t even think of trying to visit her when the Breeders Cup was on because her attention would be focused only on the ponies and jockeys.  She also passionately followed many other sports, loved the New York Yankees and University of Utah teams, and during football season had her newspaper out each Sunday morning picking NFL winners — she often had friendly wagers going with friends and former coworkers across the country as to who would win the day‘s games; she could count on those friends calling her Sunday night to razz her when her teams lost.

Marcia was blessed with remarkable physical health, taking no medications except for a few minor infections the last few years of her life.  This despite decades of  eating cookies by the dozen, candy by the pound, ice cream by the gallon, and anything chocolate; how she never gained an ounce remains a mystery.

Marcia was a wonderful mother and grandmother and wept with family when grandsons Ryan and Ritchie passed at ages 11 and 22.  Their lives are now greatly enhanced and energized with grandma to run, play, and laugh with.

Marcia was preceded in death by her parents, husband Larsen, son Jay, sisters Ida (Leslie) Reece, Melba (Clyde) Cowan, brothers Spencer (Cora), Gordon (Priscilla and Joy), Keith, and Kenneth, grandsons Ryan and Ritchie Wilde, and daughter-in-law Patricia McIntyre Wilde.  She is survived by son Steven (Laura), former daughter-in-law Deborah Carlson, grandchildren Nathan, Nicholas, Mason, Jennifer, Misti, and Travis, and great-grandchildren Josh, Ben, Kaitlynn, Madison, Emmaleigh, Jacob, Sarriah, Parker, and Emerson.

The family expresses its thanks to Sunrise of Sandy, Silverado Hospice, Moniker/Tender Care Hospice, and Dr. Steve Fehlauer for their excellent and compassionate care of Marcia during the final years of her life.  Also special thanks to Eva McCoy who, at her Provo salon, took care of Marcia’s hair weekly for over twenty years, including picking her up and taking her back home when the time came that Marcia couldn’t get around on her own.

Family and friends may attend a visitation on Thursday, March 3, 2022 from 11:00-11:45 a.m. located at Walker Funeral Home, 187 south Main Street, Spanish Fork, Utah with the funeral service following at 12:00 p.m.  Interment at the Spanish Fork cemetery.

For those who would like to watch the services through livestreaming, please check back here 1 hour prior to services for link.