Ethel Larsen Quinn

Ethel L. Quinn

Ethel Larsen Quinn died early Wednesday morning, September 1, 2010. Born Ethel Mae Larsen on January 3, 1915 to Torval and Bessie Larsen in Logan. She was the second of eight children in a close and loving family. She is survived by her daughter Ethel Ann of Las Vegas, NV; son James Reed and daughter-in-law Hope of Vancouver, WA; daughter in-law Beverly of Upland, CA, granddaughters Carol Elaine of Baltimore, MD, Christine Elizabeth of Vancouver, WA, and grandson Michael Ross of Acworth, GA.
Ethel was preceded in death by her husband Robert N Quinn, her oldest son Michael Robert, a granddaughter Allison and her second husband Dallas Low of Providence. She also survived her four brothers, three sisters, and all but two of their spouses.
She was the valedictorian of the June 1932 class of Logan High and attended the AC (now USU) before becoming a secretary. Her Salt Lake Temple marriage to Robert was celebrated on June 30, 1939. The couple resided in Ogden where their three children were born. Moves to Logan (1950), then Denver (1951) and Los Angeles (1955) followed. Her maturing children left her with idle time which was used to complete a BA in English and a secondary teaching credential. She taught for 16 years in the Los Angeles school system. During this time, she instructed an eighth grade girl in the art of writing. This young lady would later become her daughter-in-law and mother to three of her grandchildren.
Her children had careers in law, nuclear physics, teaching and court reporting. Following the birth of her first grandchild, her oldest son, Michael, died suddenly of medical malpractice. Two years later her husband, Robert, died of his first heart attack, ending their well planned retirement of four weeks. Taking a year to reset her course of life, she moved back to Logan, a place from which her heart had never left.
Rebuilding her life with friends from her youth and supported by her brothers, sister and their spouses, Ethel became active socially and in volunteer work for a number of organizations. Following a chance meeting with an old acquaintance of some 42 years past, she married Dallas Low. A move to Providence followed.
At age 87, she was diagnosed with a leaking heart valve and underwent open heart surgery. She walked out of the cardiac critical care unit 24 hours later. Returning to Providence, she purchased a new home and began her third life. A life centered on her friends at the Cache County senior center, her children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews , gardening (cutting her back yard grass with a push mower at 94) and bridge club. She regarded bridge as a blood sport.
After installation of a cardiac pace maker at age 90 and a replacement pace maker at 95, she began a slow but inexorable slide due to congestive heart failure. Her last bridge game was on July 30, which she won. In August, she was admitted to Logan Regional and transferred to Legacy House of Logan where she passed quietly in her sleep.
A celebration of her life will be held at 12:00 PM on Tuesday, September 7, 2010 at the Allen-Hall Mortuary (34 East Center in Logan). Visiting with the family will precede the funeral service, starting at 10:00 am. Burial in the Logan City Cemetery to follow immediately after. In-lieu of flowers, donations to the American Heart Association would be appreciated. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.allenmortuaries.net