Vivian Brindley

Vivian Brindley passed away on 26 November 2014 from complications of a major stroke.

She was born to Ethel and Bruce McCollom of Grand Junction, Iowa on 12 October 1939. Her parents divorced when she was quite young, and as the 9th of 10 children, Vivian began doing various jobs at an early age to help her mother with the family income. The challenges of those early years and the wonderful example set by her mother instilled within her a profound sense of caring as well as resourcefulness and a strong work ethic.

In high school, Vivian played basketball, sang in choruses, and was a cheerleader and homecoming queen. After high school, she moved with her mother to Ames, Iowa where she became secretary to the Department of Horticulture at Iowa State University (ISU). During that time, she attended a dance for ISU students in which participants were matched by “computer” with three “dates”. Her second “date” was William A. Brindley, a graduate student in Entomology at ISU. The new friendship thrived and they were married in the Collegiate Methodist Church of Ames.

In 1966, the family moved to Logan as Bill joined the biology department where he served as a professor until 2010. When their children were all school age, Vivian began working as a secretary in USU’s Agricultural Technology Department and during that time she obtained a certificate in Gerontology.

She began volunteering at Sunshine Terrace and that evolved into Vivian becoming Director of the business office and coordinator for volunteers. She served in that position for over 25 years until 2012 and assisted Kenneth Godfrey in the 50-year history of Sunshine Terrace. Vivian loved her work at Sunshine Terrace where part of her responsibility was to help families negotiate the complex and deadline-laden process of Medicaid applications. With her expertise and her remarkable compassion, she helped countless families through the challenges and heartache of accepting long-term care for their loved ones.

She was an early and ongoing supporter of the Cache Valley Civic Ballet from sewing costumes to serving as the Board President for several years. She was an incredibly talented seamstress, baker, and cake decorator making hundreds of birthday and wedding cakes over the years as well as panoramic sugar eggs for Easter. Her love for all holidays was apparent to anyone who visited her home. Her collection of decorations made each holiday memorable, in particular Easter, Halloween, and Christmas. Vivian and Bill were enjoying their term as Presidents of the USU Emeriti Alumni Association at the time of her death. Vivian was an extraordinarily kind and thoughtful person and a steadfast friend.

She is survived by her husband Bill, her children, Mark and Shauna Brindley (Smithfield, UT), Mary and Darren Coffman (Beaverton, OR), Marla and Ross Trowbridge (Trenton, UT), and Maia and Magnus Nilsson (Malmö, Sweden), her adored grandchildren, Corey Brindley and Mataya and Jordan Bennion, Abby and Nathan Coffman, Vivian and Katherine Trowbridge, and Elsa and Scarlett Nilsson, her sisters Irene, WeEtta and Lois, and her brothers Larry and Kenny.

The family is deeply appreciative of Vivian’s many friends who provided support to her, as well as the physicians, nurses, nurses’ aides and hospital staff who helped in her final illness, particularly the University of Utah Hospital’s palliative care team.

Friends are invited to assemble at 2:00 PM on Friday, 5 December 2014 at the First Presbyterian Church, 200 West Center, Logan, Utah for a memorial service and successive reception in the church’s Bruner Hall. Memorial contributions may be made to the Cache Valley Civic Ballet or the First Presbyterian Church of Logan. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.allenmortuaries.net