Gloria Jewell Balls Whipple

With sadness the family of Gloria Jewell Balls Whipple announces she passed peacefully on December 22, 2022, at the age of eighty-eight. Gloria was born on September 22, 1934, in Logan, Utah to Orlando Balls and Elsa Atkinson Balls, who both preceded her in death. Also preceding her is her brother Cecil Balls, her beloved son, John C. Whipple, infants, Scott and Carl, and grandson, Jeff Whipple.

Gloria married Charles R. Whipple on July 17, 1953, in the Logan LDS temple and was a lifetime active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She served in many callings including Primary, Relief Society, and Young Women’s President. Together with her husband, Charlie, she served a service-leadership mission in England, Australia, and several other church farm locations.

Gloria was the mother of three sons who she raised to be kind and loyal, generous, and loving men. Her oldest, John, died in 1993, from an accidental drowning while valiantly trying to save a young boy’s life.

Gloria was a life-long independent learner who took religious Institute classes and was a voracious listener of audio books provided by the Utah Federation For the Blind. After raising her three boys, she learned to play the violin. She also raised orchids and canaries and was an accomplished seamstress. Her grandchildren remember summer sleepovers and boys and girls nights. She taught them to dip chocolate candy, though there was always more chocolate on their hands and arms than on the nougat fillings. Her melt-in-your-mouth dinner rolls will live on in family legend. 

Gloria is survived by her loving husband, Charlie, who cared for her through her last years with gentle kindness and heroic patience even on days she didn’t know who he was. She is also survived by sisters, Ruth Malmberg and Carol Eames, sons, Bryan Whipple (Kathy) and Craig Whipple (Rob), daughter-in-law Lori Whipple, grandchildren: Jennifer Creasey (Scott), Ian Whipple (Taunya), Chris Whipple (Meggyn), Dane Whipple, Kelsey Whipple, and Caitlin Thompson (Jared), Colton Lyon, and thirteen great grandchildren.

Funeral Services will be held at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, December 29, 2022, at 1460 N. Main, Centerville, Utah with Bishop Kevin Runolfson officiating. The viewing will be from 9:30-11:00 a.m. Interment at the Centerville City Cemetery.

Services will be streamed live on the Russon Mortuary & Crematory Facebook page and on this obituary page.  The live stream will begin about 10-15 minutes prior to the service and will be posted below.

The family would like to thank all the nurses, hospice workers and doctors who cared for Gloria, the excellent staff at Legacy House of Park Lane, and especially those members of the Rick’s Creek Ward whose Christ-like service to Gloria is truly inspiring.