Ray Galbraith Tibbitts

Ray Galbraith Tibbitts was born on August 18, 1927 in LaBelle, Idaho and passed away in his home in Midvale, Utah on Sunday, November 27, 2022 of natural causes incidental to old age. He served in the Navy during World War ll and has a great love for our country. He also loved his Savior Jesus Christ with all of his heart and served him in many ways throughout his life including 18 consecutive years as a temple worker in the Salt Lake and Jordan River Temples.

He married his high school sweetheart in the Idaho Falls Temple and would have celebrated his 76th wedding anniversary with her this coming March. A man of many talents and boundless energy, Ray and his wife, Freida, raised purebred Herefords, kids, and potatoes on their ranch in the Lost River Valley in Idaho. He also worked full-time as a heliarch welder at the AEC, now known as INL.

His love of skiing led him and two friends, Eldon Reynolds and Curtis Willis, to develop, build, and run Blizzard Mtn Ski Area near Craters of the Moon, Idaho in 1963. He is thrilled that this effort brought enough joy to the people of the Valley that after all of the original developers left the area, the local people have kept it up and running. In 1971 he sold his ranch and moved his family to Midvale, Utah where he entrepreneured in several ventures. He was a partner in businesses that built custom homes and higher end custom stairs. Later he was a project manager for multimillion-dollar homes in California. His family looks up to him and admires the example that he and Freida have shown all of their lives in tenacity, hard work, service, forgiveness, love, and the pure joy of living.

He is survived by his wife, Freida, children Vickie Lee (Clark Waddoups), Diane (Randy Kofoed), Merilyn (Fred Smith), Jan (Glen Taylor), LaRae (Kim Sayer), Jeffrey (Suzan O’Neil), and Meya (Elliott Fitzgerald). With 40 grandchildren and numerous great grandchildren, and great great grandchildren, the number is currently at 250 souls and is growing.

He will be laid to rest in Memorial Mountain View Cemetery in Cottonwood Heights, Utah following funeral services at the Union Fort Stake Center at 7155 So. 540 E. in Midvale, Utah at 11:00 AM on Saturday 12/10/22. Viewing before the service is 9:30-10:45 AM Saturday and there will also be a viewing Friday evening 12/9/22 from 6-8 at Goff Mortuary at 8090 So. State Street, Midvale, Utah.

The service will be livestreamed on the Goff Mortuary Facebook Page at the following link:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Funeral-Service---Cemetery/Goff-Mortuary-116988261695382/
(The livestream video will appear when the service starts.)