Wilford "J" Coombs Obituary (1937

Wilford “J” Coombs, beloved husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather, surrounded by many of his loved ones, passed away on January 10, 2023, at the age of 85, due to complications of pneumonia. Jay, as he was known, was born on March 10, 1937, in Wales, Utah, to Ellwood Joshua and Ruth Lamb Coombs. He was the oldest of 5 children born to Ellwood and Ruth. He was raised in Fountain Green, Salt Lake, Magna and Provo, Utah. In Provo, he attended Dixon Junior High, Provo High School and also attended Trade Tech. He joined the army in March 1958. After basic training, Jay was on a bus destined for Korea, when the bus was stopped and 3 or 4 military personnel were called off the bus by name, including Jay’s. He was then sent to France where he met Michele Marie Louise Veyrat d’Urbet in January 1961. They dated for about 6-7 weeks and then in February 1961, Jay returned to the United States. In May of 1961, he returned to France, surprising Michele for her birthday and asked for her hand in marriage. They were married on June 02, 1961, and their marriage was solemnized in the Manti Temple on July 18, 1961. In October 1961, Jay was called back into the army for the Berlin Wall Crisis and was stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington, where their son, Del was born in March 1962. In about September 1962, they moved to Provo, Utah, where their daughter Lynda was born in July 1964. Jay was a hard worker, he had his first job at age 4, where he gathered coal and wood for a store. Jay usually worked 2-3 jobs to provide for his family including: Johnny’s Conoco, Riverside Country Club, Payson Golf Course and Provo City Parks and Recreation, until his retirement in about 1988. Jay served in many callings for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and for many years as a temple worker; he and his wife also served a mission in West Virginia in 1989/90. Jay is known and has spent most of his time, always in the service of others. He is known for being hard headed and has always been referred to as a “stubborn Coombs”. Jay is survived by his wife, his 2 children, their spouses, 12 grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren and his younger brother, LaRay. A closed-casket visitation will take place on Saturday, January 14, 2023 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Relief Society Room at the Bonneville 12th Ward Chapel, 715 South Utah Avenue, Provo, Utah 84606. A brief graveside service will then take place on Saturday, January 14, 2023, 2:00 p.m. at the Fountain Green Cemetery, 486 N. State Street, Fountain Green, Utah 84632. Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.bergmortuary.com. “J” you are forever in our hearts.