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Lora

Lora May Mortensen Willis

Lora May Mortensen Willis,

Arizona native and longtime resident of Chandler, AZ, died peacefully on February 2, 2017 surrounded by friends and family. It was nine years to the day since her husband, Roy Willis, died. Lora was born in Safford, AZ in 1928. Her father, Martin Mortensen, was the superintendent of Graham County schools. In 1933, her family moved to Tempe where her father was a professor of education at Arizona State College, now Arizona State University. The family’s first home was on the current site of Manzanita residence hall. She graduated from Tempe HS in 1945 and attended Arizona State. There she met Roy Willis, a young WW II veteran, and they were married in 1948 in the Mesa LDS Temple. After Roy’s graduation, they lived in Gilbert and Queen Creek and moved to Chandler in 1960, where she and her family lived in the same house for 55 years. Lora’s life revolved around loving and caring for her five children and later her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was an unofficial aunt and grandma to many in her church and community. She and Roy especially loved spending time with family at their cabin in Pine, AZ.  She was a descendant of Mormon pioneers and was a lifelong active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She served in many callings in the Primary, Young Women, and Relief Society. She and Roy also served as temple workers in the Mesa Arizona Temple. Her last and most unexpected calling was the unofficial but very important calling as a Bishop’s wife, when Roy was called as the Bishop of the Galveston Second Ward at the age of 75. She is survived by her five children, John, Carol, Wayne (Amy), David (Juli) and Nan (Brad). She is also survived by 13 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren. Funeral services include visitation, Tues., Feb. 7, from 6-8 pm at Bueler Mortuary, 14 W. Hulet Dr., Chandler. Services for Lora will be Wed., Feb. 8, at 10 am at the Chandler West Stake Center of the LDS Church, 1950 W. Galveston, Chandler, with visitation one hour prior to service. Interment will follow at Valley of the Sun Cemetery

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