Lorraine “Kitsie” McLoy Willis, 84, passed away on Monday, February 19, 2018 in Gilbert, Arizona. Kitsie was born in Nogales, Arizona to Ira Isaac McLoy and Della Stoddard McLoy on December 7, 1933. She attended high school in Snowflake, Arizona and college at the University of Arizona in Tucson. While in Tucson, she met Ken Willis, her husband and companion of 64 years, who was working in a nearby town. She was a dedicated and loving mother and nurtured seven children while moving frequently across the country in support of her husband’s construction career. As they moved from place to place, she loved to pursue personal interests and develop new skills. She became proficient in Japanese flower arranging and hula dancing (while living in Hawaii); genealogical research (while living in Utah); and emergency medicine—becoming a certified Emergency Medical Technician and working on a volunteer ambulance squad (while living in North Dakota). She was an active and faithful member of the LDS church and served with great devotion in stakes, wards, and branches wherever she lived. Accompanied by her husband, she served a two-year mission in the Chicago, Illinois Spanish Speaking Mission. She served as an ordinance worker in the Washington D.C., Boston, and Mesa temples. Kitsie is preceded in death by her eldest son Scott. She is survived by her husband Ken, Scott’s wife, Gaye, and six children: Larry (Sandy), Lynn Allred (Gary), Kathleen Hughes (John), Cynthia, David (Janet), Michael (Tiffany); 28 grandchildren and 31 great grandchildren. A viewing will be held at Meldrum Mortuary, 52 N. Macdonald, Mesa, Arizona on Friday, March 2, 2018 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. Funeral services will be held at the LDS Western Skies Ward Chapel located at 1155 E. Ray Road, Gilbert, Arizona on Saturday, March 3, 2018 at 11:00 AM with a viewing at 10:00 AM. Interment will be at the Mesa City Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the LDS Humanitarian Aid Fund.

Published online at www.meldrummortuary.com