Sheila Dunkerley Packard
Sheila Dunkerley Packard
1931 – 2023
Sheila Dunkerley Packard passed away peacefully on Saturday, July 15, 2023. Sheila was born on May 16, 1931 in Oldham, Lancashire, England to Mark Dunkerley and Alice Martin. She is the youngest of two daughters. At a tender age, she witnessed the horrors of war as her homeland was bombed incessantly for nearly 6 years. She watched her mother serve her country as an air raid warden and developed a deep love for service and freedom. When she was sixteen years old she was converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She was an exemplary student and received a scholarship to Brigham Young University at the age of seventeen. It was there that she met Heber Avon (Von) Packard who would become her eternal sweetheart. They were married and sealed in the Idaho Falls Temple on July 27, 1950. They are the parents of 12 children: Sheila (Stephen-deceased) Driggs, Von (Ann), Mark (Bonnie), Garth (Annette), Paul (Sherrie), Marlys (Del) Lott, Philip, Elaine (Mark) Moon, Rebecca (Lance) Garrett, JD (Tiffany), Rachel-deceased (Mike) Florence, and Jennifer (Paul) Pickett. They were also blessed with a numerous posterity of 69 grandchildren, 161 great-grandchildren, and 5 great-great-grandchildren.
Sheila was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She held many callings from Stake Young Women’s president, Ward Relief Society president, Ward Primary president, gospel doctrine teacher, and Relief Society chorister. She served alongside her husband as they presided over the Santiago Chile North mission (1979-1982) and as the temple matron of the Los Angeles Temple (1992-1995). She loved doing family history as a data extraction specialist and indexed/arbitrated over a million names. Sheila is a breast cancer survivor, initially being diagnosed in 1998. She served her community as a poll worker and blood donor on a regular basis. She taught her children by example the importance of serving others.
Sheila was a very talented lady. At the age of 4 her grandmother taught her how to knit and she continued until the day she passed away. She knitted a baby blanket for each of her children and grandchildren, as well as for many other people. She also knitted thousands of baby booties for humanitarian aid service. Sheila had a lovely alto singing voice. Early in her marriage, she sang in a barbershop quartet with her sisters-in-law, receiving various awards.
Sheila was preceded in death by her husband Von, parents Mark and Alice, sister Jean Dunkerley Sunderland, daughter Rachel, son-in-law Steve Driggs, grandchildren Andrea Jane Driggs and Michael Jorrell Lott, and great-grandchildren Grayson Lavelle Curtis Finch and James Martin Bowler.
Funeral services for Sheila will be held on Saturday, July 22, 2023 at 11:00 am in the Highland Stake Center Chapel, located at 5335 West 11200 North Highland, Utah. Family and friends are invited to attend a viewing on Friday evening from 6:00-8:00 pm at the Warenski Funeral Home, 1776 North 900 East, American Fork, Utah. Also, at an additional viewing on Saturday morning from 9:30-10:30 am prior to services at the Stake Center Chapel. Interment will follow services in the Highland City Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to either The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Temple Patron Fund or Missionary Fund.
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