Dorothy P. Bills

On Sunday, September 10, 2023, Dorothy P. Bills died unexpectedly at her home in North Logan, Utah.  She was found at home when she did not show up to conduct the music in church that morning.

Dorothy was born on June 29, 1934, in Chicago,  Illinois, to Reginald and Elizabeth Palmer.  She was raised in Lake Forest on an estate because her father was a chauffeur.  When she was 20 she worked at Chicago Wesley Memorial Hospital where she met her future husband, Neil E. Bills, who was attending dental school at Northwestern. Neil introduced Dorothy to the LDS Church and baptized her on August 8, 1954. They were married at her parent's home in Chicago on July 8, 1955, and sealed in the Logan Temple on July 15, 1955.

Dorothy and Neil moved to Japan for three years while Neil was in the Air Force.  Dorothy was fond of saying that she went to Hawaii twice, but she never got to leave the airport! While in Japan,  Neil got the opportunity to attend orthodontic training at the University of Pennsylvania, so they moved from Tokyo to Philadelphia. Neil, Jr. was born in Japan and Brad in Philadelphia. As soon as school was over, they moved to North Logan and Neil opened his orthodontic practice in Logan in 1960.

They built their home in North Logan and welcomed two more children, NinaLynne and Reginald, then Neil, Sr. was killed in 1963. Dorothy chose to stay in Utah and raise her children in the LDS church.

While the children were young, Dorothy chose to stay at home. She supported her kids in any activity they brought home:  music lessons,  boy scouts, girl scouts, sports, band, camping, a crazy menagerie of animals, nothing was too much for her to take on. She filled her home with music and laughter and instilled in her children and solid work ethic. The kids could play as long as they wanted, but only after the chores were done.  Dorothy wanted her kids to have lots of fun, so she bought a caboose and parked it in the backyard as the world's best playhouse. It is now a playhouse to her great grand children. 

Dorothy never finished college,  but as an English major, she made sure that every child who frequented our home spoke English correctly. No one was allowed a free pass if ain't crossed your lips, and "we wasn't" could bring her out in hives!

Dorothy decided to start working when Reggie went into Jr. high. Somehow that never detracted from the attention we children received.  She still managed to attend our activities and support us fully.

As her children grew to adulthood, Dorothy encouraged and suggested but never dictated.  She let us choose our own paths, even something as crazy as her only daughter becoming an FBI Agent. The boys chose more traditional careers, so they faced no difficult discussions until the dreaded, "we're leaving home" talk. Those were never easy because Dorothy wanted all four kids to stay in North Logan.  They didn't.

With everyone grown and gone, Dorothy was finally left to her own devices.  She flourished.  She took painting classes, she was active in local and state politics, she sang,  she gardened,  she learned Spanish, she knitted and crocheted, she was a fiendish genealogist, and in 2003, she became a Temple worker. She had a very active social life with her Temple lunch ladies and friends in the community.  She was always busy, never bored.

Dorothy is  survived by her sister Nina (Frank) Swanson., sons Neil, Brad (Sandie), and Reggie, daughter Nina, and numerous loving grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Dorothy was preceded in death by her younger brother Dennis, her parents, her husband Neil E. Bills, Sr., her grandson Jeffrey Bills, and her daughter in law  Tina Bills.

There will be a viewing Thursday September 14, 2023  from 6-8 PM at the Allen-Hall mortuary in North Logan.  The funeral will be Friday,  September 15, 2023 at 11:00 am, with a viewing from 9-10:30 that morning.  The funeral will be held at the North Logan Stake Center on 800 East, next to North Park Elementary school.    Funeral services will be broadcast live vai ZOOM at www.allenmortuaries.com