Sandra C. Morley March 30, 1937 - January 1, 2021

Thirteen children call her mom, (though she has nurtured dozens more), 129 call her grandma (or grandma-great), and one man calls her his eternal sweetheart. Sandra Rosella Craig Morley joined her daughter, Geri Lyn, (who passed away just three days prior), when a massive stroke took her beyond the veil to a glorious reunion on the first day of 2021. On New Year’s Eve, just hours before her unexpected death, she and her true love knelt at the side of their bed for prayer, and then he gently tucked her in, as he traditionally did, and they concluded the day, and 2020, with a kiss.

Sandy Morley lived life fully and vibrantly. She seemed ageless and youthful to her children and grandchildren, even at 83. The family will celebrate the life of their angel mother and grandmother, doubled by a celebration for their special sister and aunt, Geri Lyn, on Monday, January 4, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. Friends and family unable to attend, due to Covid and distance restrictions, are welcome to join the proceedings via Zoom. (https://zoom.us/j/97197098472?pwd=ZkROSERjVGU1NkxZY2dqc0R4dVIxZz09 Meeting ID 971 9709 8472 Passcode: q1BXtA)

Sandy was born as the youngest of four children, to Verda and Willard Craig, on March 30, 1937, in Spanish Fork, Utah, and grew up in Castle Gate, Utah. Sandy is the adored wife of Ray (Jeddy) Morley, married just two days shy of 65 happy years together. Sandy and Jeddy met in chemistry class at Carbon High. Sandy confessed, with a wink, “there was definitely a lot of chemistry going on!” Jeddy was smitten with Sandy’s flirtatious and charming personality. The two were married, after graduation, on January 3, 1956. Theirs is an exemplary story of pure love, sacrifice and faithfulness. Dad knew one of the best things he could do for his children was make sure they knew their father loved their mother. This couple’s affection, harmony and kindness was always evident. Before marrying, the couple decided they wanted a dozen children. They ended up with a baker’s dozen. Their 12 remaining children and spouses include: Craig Morley (Debbie Bushnell), Mike Morley (Krystin Poulter), Gina Griffiths (Steve), David Morley (Shannon Merrell), Chrisy Cope (Steve), Cathy Bennett (Mike), Jed Morley (Michele Treanor), Richard Morley (Audra Orton), Sandi Hughes (Brian), Mark Morley (Tasha Wasden), Mary Ethington (Brett), Mandi Ellsworth (Mark). The 43 in-laws that married into the family were always referred to by mom as “in-loves”. Every addition to the family became one of her children.

She was a mother to myriads. The Morley home hosted “extra” kids for decades, whether from the Arizona reservation, a foreign country, a troubled home or just down the street. Like Billy, an unkempt neighbor boy, playing at the house one day — before he left, mom had fed him, washed his dirty coat and given him a hug. Mom took impeccable care of her little ones, rolling the girls’ freshly-washed hair with pink sponge rollers just before bed on a Saturday night and briskly applying dippity-do to the boy’s heads, holding their chins to comb their hair, before church. She kept a tidy house, too, always giving priority to laundry, cooking, and dishes. She jokingly said that the washer started before she did in the morning. In those busy, younger years of a house-full of growing children, the chores never ended for her, like washing dirty cloth diapers in the toilet for over 17 years, before her favorite invention of disposable diapers. She helped kids with paper routes, managed farms and gardens and chased loose cows. Mom’s big splurge for herself was talking on the old, corded phone to Aunt Sue, receiver on her shoulder, while she vigorously wiped down walls and floors, stretching and straightening the curly-cord as far as it could reach; or, indulging in an historical novel late into the night. The hundreds of loaves of bread she baked, peaches she canned and loads of laundry she folded pale in comparison to the thousands of kisses she gave, compliments she shared and lives she touched. It was obvious she was happiest as she spent her time in service to her God, her husband and her children.

Sandy faithfully served in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints her entire married life, magnifying each calling. She lived the gospel joyfully and served in the church willingly. She loved serving with the youth. As a leader, she could be found up in the rafters, with the young women at Camp Koholowo, writing “Sandy loves Jed”, or guilty of drenching the Girl’s Camp Leader with a bucket of water, just as she announced, “Absolutely no water fights at camp this year!” Sister Morley served two missions with her favorite companion, Elder Morley, to the Guam, Micronesia Mission and the Athens Greece/Egypt Mission. Among her favorite mission assignments was organizing the “Baby Wash” program in Egypt, where she tutored new mothers on infant care. She often said the best job in heaven would be rocking new babies in the nursery.     

Now that our mom is in her heavenly home, we relish in the memories of her accepting and forgiving nature, we laugh at remembrances of her quirky dance moves and we melt at the thought of her engaging smile. We reminisce on the wise counsel she gave; though by her teenagers, it was considered lectures repeated so often they were memorized. Jokingly, her teenagers suggested she could assign each lecture a number and simply mention the lecture number whenever corrective action was needed. Her innately cheerful disposition will be missed, along with her reminders that “this too shall pass” as she patiently and joyfully endured life’s challenges. She had a gift for making everyone feel like the most important person alive, convincing all her children, grandchildren and friends they were her favorite. She was diagnosed with an “enlarged heart” after some health issues several years ago. That was no surprise to anyone that knows Sandy Morley . . . her heart was among the biggest, and the softest and most inclusive — enveloping everyone. Indeed, she has been the very heart of her family, ward and community!