Thelma Tippets Rich

Thelma (Tippets) Rich, our beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, passed away peacefully on Monday, January 23, 2023, surrounded by her family. Thelma was born on December 12, 1941, to Thelma Porter and Vaughan E. Tippets in Gunnison, Utah, to whom she is now reunited, along with her brother Jerry Tippets and her stepmother, Luella Guymon. She is survived by her husband, Daniel C Rich, her son, Shane Rich (Cherie), her daughter, Shelley Rich (Steve Dunn), her son, Lance Rich (Lydia), her brother, Karl Tippets, her sister-in-law, Joan Tippets, her sister, Carolyn Hymas (Terrell), her brother, David Tippets, and ten grandchildren.

Thelma’s father worked for the U.S. Forest Service and she grew up with a great love of the outdoors that continued throughout her life. Her family lived in Gunnison, Utah, Swan Valley, Idaho, and Afton, Wyoming, in her younger years. The family relocated to Paris, Idaho, where she attended Fielding High School. She was valedictorian of her high school class and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree from BYU. Thereafter, she taught at the Intermountain Indian School in Brigham City for several years. She married her high school sweetheart, Dan Rich, on June 3, 1964, in the Logan Temple. The family lived in the Logan, Utah, area and in State College, Pennsylvania, while Dan attended graduate school before settling down in Bountiful, Utah, in 1971.

Thelma was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. She loved unconditionally, was an attentive listener, and went to great lengths to support her children’s talents and interests. She had an infectious laugh and a knack for finding humor in any situation. She was unpredictably witty and put others at ease with her remarkable ability to laugh at her own mishaps.

Thelma loved to hike and camp. She hiked across the Grand Canyon while she worked at the North Rim Visitor Center during a summer in college and spent a later summer living at a campground in Yellowstone. She loved visiting the national parks and the desert. The San Rafael Swell was one of her favorite places to explore with Dan. She and Dan loved to find isolated places where they could enjoy nature on their own and she continued to go tent camping until she was nearly 80 years old.

Thelma loved music and was an accomplished pianist and organist. She accompanied Dan’s trumpet performances in high school and continued with her three children as they performed on the trumpet, violin, and trombone. She shuttled her children to music lessons and recitals and was a lifelong season ticket holder of the Utah Symphony and Utah Opera.

She was an avid reader and loved to learn. Thelma often could be found with a book in hand and took numerous continuing education courses throughout her life. She had a genuine fascination with different world cultures as well as native people and earlier settlers of the Southwest. Travel highlights with her family in her senior years included trips to Alaska, Hawaii, and the countries of Western Europe.

A brief graveside service will be held at the Paris Idaho Cemetery at noon on Friday, January 27th, 2023, followed by a family gathering at the Paris Ward Church.