Mom was born Joan Alyce Woodbury on 7 June 1952 to Carl Rodney Woodbury and Vivienne Alice Lee Woodbury. She was the last of 4 children, following Rodney, Sharon, and Rita. She was born and grew up here in Las Vegas, Just off of Bruce and Stewart. She attended Las Vegas High School, where she played the piccolo in the marching band. She also studied French, beginning in middle school and continuing through high school. In 1970, she graduated in the top 10 percent of her class, with honors, and began attending Brigham Young University.
During high school, she met my father, Richard Allen Leavitt. She was impressed with his ability to talk in depth and detail about anything. At BYU, they continued their relationship, and Dad proposed before the end of the first semester. As a condition of her acceptance, she told Dad that she needed to finish school. He promised that she would graduate, and they were married the next fall in the St. George Temple. Because Mom and Dad had seen so many BYU couples where the wife would abandon her degree after putting her husband through school, they dtermined that her schooling would take precedence over his. Dad cut back his credit load so that he could work, while Mom took summer classes, and graduated in August 1973 with her Bachelor's in Early childhood development and family relations. Ten days later, she got a full-time job in her field. They called her job "Alycia."
The next fall, Dad graduated with a degree in Business Finance. He joined the Army and received his commission as a Second Lieutenant. After a long journey, they arrived at his first duty station, Ft. Lee Virginia. Two years and 2 boys later, he was offered a transfer to Alaska, and he accepted.
When my parents were preparing to move, they planned to drive just the truck and cab over camper to Alaska. After they were unable to sell their second car, they decided to caravan, at least to Las Vegas. Dad wold drive the camper as mom drove behind. Before setting off the first day, they agreed to stop at a KOA campground in Greensboro, S. Carolina that night. Dad, driving with Mark, stopped to get gas. Mom, thinking he was just ahead, set out for South Carolina with 3 year old Alycia and 6 month old Brigham and $1.67. Mom became concerned when she didn't see him in the camper for some time. She asked truckers to call him on his CB radio to no avail. She eventually called the Highway Patrol. When Dad did the same, they were connected. AS it turned out, Mom had gone ahead while Dad, realizing they were separated, refused to leave Ft. Lee without his wife.
Alaska would be their home for the next 12 years. It wold also be the birthplace of four more children: Melody, Allen, Josh, and Rachel, bring the total up to seven. Durning this time, Mom wanted to learn to compose. IN order to compose, she needed a piano. But pianos were expensive and children were plentiful. Mom bought a piano anyway, and paid for it in full by giving piano lessons. Mom loved music. It was the way in which she expressed herself. She learned to play the organ, the piano and the flute. She loved to sing, and had a beautiful voice. the easiest way to get on her good side was to start playing a song that she liked. Our home was always filled with music. One of the earliest songs I can remember learning was "We have been born, as Nephi of Old, to goodly parents who love the Lord." As a result of her love of music, each of the kids learned to play an instrument or sing. She even taught Dad to play the piano. Only two hymns, and only with the right hand, but it was how she shared her passion of music. She was often called to play the piano or organ in church. Preparing the hymns was a form of worship for her, as she poured her strength into getting the songs exactly right, and received blessings of peace, joy and renewed energy.
Mom loved to teach her children the gospel. She had a whole collection of flannel board cutouts that she used in lessons. She taught us stories from the scriptures, helped us prepare talks, learn to pray, and encouraged us to study the gospel and learn for ourselves. She helped us each grow in our relationship with the Savior, even as she lovingly struggled to corral seven children for family home evening. We learned from her example the definitions of humility, patience, and love. Through her gentle teachings we learned to recognize the quiet whisperings of the Spirit. Little boys and girls truly are what their mothers make them, and if we have attained any measure of gospel knowledge, it is because she was there to teach us.
She tried to live by example. In Alaska, Alycia
Mom's faith was central part of who she was. She loved to read the scriptures. She devoured commentaries on the scriptures, conference talks, and anything else that help her understand gospel principles. She was always praying for her children. She loved to attend the temple. When she and Dad lived in Provo, they attended the temple frequently. Because the Provo temple was still being built, they traveled 80 miles to Manti. They had the opportunity to attend the dedication of both the Provo and Washington, DC temples. Later in life, one of her greatest joys was working as an ordinance worker with Dad in the Las Vegas temple.
Mom held many callings in the church. She taught seminary, Sunday school, and primary. She was in several Relief Society and primary presidencies. She was also a choir director, music committee chairman, pianist, and organist. She wrote programs for the Relief Society. At one time, she was asked to play the organ when the then Elder Hinckly visited the Eagle River ward in Alaska. He commented on the the beautiful music.
Family was important to Mom, and it was sometimes hard to be so far away from her parents. She made efforts not to lose the connections. She called her mom every week. She also assembled yearbooks for her and Dad's parents. In them, she would put our school pictures, stories of what we had done individually and as a family that year, anything she could so that our grandparents could share our lives. This task was made easier by her diligent journal writing.
Mom was a prolific journal writer. Starting as a young girl, she made the goal to write in her journal everyday. She continued the habit through adulthood, resulting in a near day-by-day description of her thoughts, activities, and family events. When it came time to assemble the yearbooks, she would look through her journal and mark significant or interesting event.
IN 1979, Dad was honorably discharged from the Army, and bought an H&R Block franchise in Soldotna, some 3 hours south of Anchorage. Mom took a class in tax preparation, and soon joined him in the business. When Dad expanded the business to a full-service financial service firm, Mom studied for and passed the Series 7 exam to become a registered securities representative.
In 1989, Dad expressed a desire to go to law school. Mom encouraged him, and when he was accepted to Tulane Law School in New Orleans, she packed up her beautiful home and left Alaska.
Dad drove the moving van while Mom drove the Suburban the nearly 5,000 miles from Soldotna to New Orleans. the trip took 10 days, and we camped nearly every night. Whenever I drive long distances with my own young family, it reinforces my belief that Mom was truly a saint. Fortunately, when it came to setting up camp, Mom and Dad were well prepared and well organized. Each kid knew what job he or she was supposed to do. One night, as Mom waited in the car and Dad watched, we went about our normal routine of setting up tents. In the campsite next to ours, another couple struggled to pitch their tent while their sons just watched. After watching our family, their dad looked at his sons and growled, "I hope you're happy!"
During the trip, Mom turned 37. On her birthday, Dad gathered everyone together. After talking about the future, he asked all of us to be present at a family reunion in 20 years. The reunion was to take place at the closest temple to Mom on her birthday. In 2009, each of us kept that promise. The reunion was sweet as we gathered together; knowing that Mom's time on earth was limited.
In New Orleans, she supported Dad as he threw himself into the first year of law school, by far the most difficult. Even though Dad was frequently absent while studying, she did her best to make sure that kids got to school on time, with homework, and that we were safe and happy. Once, when Metairie flooded so severely that the roads were closed and the schools were refusing to release the students, she sent Mark and Alycia to our elementary school in the canoe to pick up me and Joshua. In 1990, while we were traveling to Texas to share Thanksgiving with Uncle Bill's family, most of the family was involved in a devastating car accident. Mark was critically injured and had to be flown to the hospital in Baton Rouge where he would remain for a month until he had stabilized enough to be transferred to children's hospital in New Orleans. During that time, Mom kept vigil at Mark's bedside while Dad would attend classes, travel 80 miles to Baton Rouge, spend the night, and then return to New Orleans the next morning. She trained to care for Mark's tracheotomy so that he could be temporarily discharged. She became his round-the-clock care when he was finally discharged, but never regained the ability to walk, talk, or eat.
After Dad graduated, Mom and Dad made the decision to relocate to Las Vegas to be closer to family. Dad came first, and studied for the bar. Mom remained in New Orleans to get the home ready for sale. Our extended family helped us move. Mom's niece and her husband, Susan and Mo Denis, flew out to Louisiana and drove me, Josh and Rachel in the Suburban to Las Vegas. Grandpa Leavitt flew out and drove one U-haul back, and after the Bar exam, Dad flew out and drove a second U-haul while Mom drove a van modified to carry Mark's wheelchair. We settled in to our new home.
Mom supported us in various school event. When Brigham or I needed a debate judge, she was willing. When Rachel needed a piano accompanimnet for a violin solo, Mom was there. When Mark needed an advocate in the Clark County School system, no one fought harder than Mom. When Alycia graduated Rick and chose her eternal companion, Mom was there, supporting her.
Mom loved to travel. She visited the World's Fair in New York City in 1964. It was also a lifelong hope of hers to visit Paris. In 1994, when Alycia graduated from Rick's, she and Mom went on a literary tour of England and France. On the day they were scheduled to visit Paris, Mom ate some strawberries and had a violent allergic reaction that left her unable to walk. Not to be deterred, she and Alycia caught a bus and saw the Eiffel Tower. During the trip from Alaska to Lousianna, the U-haul's wheel needed to be replaced. While Dad sat in a U-haul office in St. Louis, Mom took the rest of us and visited nearby church history sites at Far West and Liberty Jail.
Even though she loved to travel, Mom dearly loved the United States of America. She spoke frequently of preserving freedoms and the need for good men and women to serve the public. When she could, she went to historical sites.
Mom also loved literature. When she was a young girl, she traveled with her mom to the Utah Shakespearean festival. After returning to Las Vegas, she went every season for the last 18 years, including the 2010 season that just ended.
She was an avid reader. No matter what the topic, it seemed that Mom could find a book for it. In the early years of their marriage, money was very often short. But Mom and Dad never got after each other for buying more books.
As her children grew up, Mom continually tried to improve herself. She began working out in the mornings. Before our family gathered together for family prayer and to send seminary students off, Mom would have already been up and walking. It was hard at first, and she didn't walk very far. Just down to the high school track, maybe once around and come back. Eventually, she moved beyond the track and used the treadmill. She would also use the early morning hours to study her scriptures. She loved the quiet time in the morning.
In 2004, she began taking classes for a Master's in history. Her particular area of interest was the Joint Verification Experiment, or JVE. In a nutshell, the JVE was a program where Russian scientist came to the Test site to observe and measure the results of a nuclear detonation, and American scientists went to Russia to do the same thing. As part of the Nevada Test Site Oral History Project, she recorded interviews with the scientist and workers of the test site, so that their history would be recorded before they passed away. She became an expert on the JVE, and presented her research at an academic conference in Rhode Island. About that same time, Mom and Dad both noticed a little article in the Church News about the BYU China Teacher's program. BYU was looking for couples to travel to China to teach English. Both Mom and Dad felt prompted that this was something worth pursuing, but both thought the other wouldn't want to do it. When they finally talked about it some weeks later, they realized their mistake, and submitted their application. To their surprise, they were accepted and asked to report within a few months. They put their affairs in order, let UNLV know that she would be taking a break before her final class, and traveled to China. There, Mom fell in love with the people and the culture. Each semester, she taught around 450 medical students. She helped them practice their English. To her sorrow, she could not answer their questions about what she believed. She remained in contact with her children and more importantly, with her grandchildren through the miracle of technology. She discovered Skype, and frequently used her computer and a web cam to watch them grow. She and Dad were invited back for a second year, which they accepted. After they returned, they settled down to reconnect with their little grandchildren.
That fall, Mom was diagnosed with stage 4 Cancer and while the doctors couldn't be certain, they felt she had around months to live. Meanwhile, the faculty of UNLV, voted unanimously to grant Mom her Masters in History. Her diploma was presented to her at her home in August 2009
Mom was devoted to her husband. They were perfect for each other, although no when they were first married. Rather, she grew to be perfect for Dad, and he grew to be perfect for her. They weren't perfect, but they loved each other, and worked hard to be perfect for each other.
She loved her children and her grand children. She delighted in the grandbaby's progress. She worried when Ryan or Brinley went in for surgery. She prayed when Emmaline was in the NICE. She enjoyed snuggling up to them. Their smiles lit up her heart. She never wanted them to worry about her. Whenever I called and asked how she was doing, she wold respond, "I am fine." Whenever I told her I loved her, she would respond, "I Love you too, sweetheart."
On August 28, 2010, while in her husband's arms, she quietly passed through the veil . She was preceded in death by her father, mother, and son Mark. She is survived by her beloved husband, 6 children, 4 children-in-law, and 10 grandchildren.
Mom has merely gone ahead and is waiting for us. Although at last, she truly is "fine", we will dearly miss her. But we know that as long as we are on the gospel highway, we will be reunited with her again.
We love you, sweetheart.
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