Anne Lexis Heilesen

Anne Donna Lexis Heilesen, lovingly known as “Grandma Red” by all of her grandchildren, passed away peacefully on November 16, 2019 in Logan, Utah. She was born in Garfield, Utah on Christmas Eve, 1923--a precious gift to her parents, Peter Lexis and Zoe Mehelis. She was the ninth of ten children. Her parents came from Greece and she was raised on a farm where she helped her father, growing and selling vegetables to sell by the roadside. She was instrumental in teaching her father everything he needed to know to become a U.S. citizen. She studied Greek as well as English as a child and was able to become fluent in both languages. She married Phil J. Heilesen and although they were later divorced, they remained friends until his death in 1996. They were the proud and loving parents of Wade Phil and Zoe Anne.
Anne had a vibrant, cheerful personality and was a very successful businesswoman. She could sell anything to anyone and was the top salesperson in every company she worked for. She was a very hard worker and always did her best in everything she set her mind to do. She lived in many places including Salt Lake City, Utah; Butte, Montana; Alberta, Canada; and Boise, Idaho. She spent the last year of her life in North Logan, Utah.
In her later years she was the ultimate mother, grandmother, aunt, cousin, and friend, keeping in touch with everyone she knew on a regular basis. She called everyone on their birthdays and almost every holiday to wish them well and express her love. She loved people and would make friends with everyone without judgment and without condition. Her philosophy was, “There are no strangers, only friends I haven’t met yet!”. She loved all kinds of music, especially country, and anything with yodeling in it. She would make us dance to her music no matter what else we were doing at the time and soon we would be laughing and having fun. She taught women to always, “Put some make-up on!”, even if they weren’t going anywhere. Her favorite color was red, and most of her wardrobe reflected that preference; hence the name, “Grandma Red”. Her phone calls, text messages, jokes, and prayers will be dearly missed by all who knew her.
Anne is preceded in death by her parents, all of her siblings, and her former husband and friend, Phil. She is survived by her two children, Wade (Shannon) Heilesen, Boise, Idaho; and Zoe (Mike) Weston, North Logan, Utah. She has 14 grandchildren, 41 great-grandchildren, and 1 great-great grandchild and many more family members whom she loved dearly.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, November 23rd at 11:00 a.m. with a viewing from 9:30 to 10:30 in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints meetinghouse at 1650 East 2600 North in North Logan, Utah. Our darling mother will be laid to rest in the North Logan Memorial Park at 2200 East 2500 North. Se agapó polý Mama!
Condolences and memories may be shared with the family online at www.allenmortuaries.net