Teri Taylor Powell

Teri Taylor Powell, 50, of Rigby, passed away on Friday, January 13, 2006 after a long and courageous battle with cancer. She passed away in her home surrounded by her family members while peacefully holding her husband’s hand. She was born January 23, 1955 in Provo, Utah to Clinton R. and Nadine Taylor. The daughter of an Air Force pilot, Teri spent much of her childhood on bases in New Mexico, Mississippi, and Japan, before finally settling in Midvale, Utah, where she graduated as co-valedictorian from Hillcrest High School in 1973. Following high school, Teri attended one year of college at Brigham Young University before marrying Rich Grant Powell on August 1, 1974 in the Salt Lake City LDS Temple. She was an active member of the LDS church and served in many positions, including the presidency of the Primary and Relief Society organizations. With her loving and supportive husband, Teri raised six children. As a testament to her determination, she returned to college while all six of her children were young and eventually graduated summa cum laude from Brigham Young University in 1986. She later accepted a teaching position at Harwood Elementary School in Rigby and taught in the Jefferson School district for 12 years. After returning to college a second time, Teri earned a master’s degree in education administration from Idaho State University and in 1998 became the principal of Kinghorn Elementary School. When the Kinghorn building closed in 2002, Teri and her staff moved to the new Jefferson Elementary School, which has received numerous state recognitions during her tenure. Teri had an outstanding relationship with her teachers and her love of the children of Rigby kept her working as diligently as her strength would allow until she finally succumbed to her illness. She is survived by her husband, Rich Powell of Rigby; her children, Jason (Judy) Powell of Tucson, Arizona; Erika (James) Moss of Santa Rita, Guam; Taylor Powell of Logan, Utah; Toni (Justin) Price of Rigby; Shelli (Hugh) Staiger of Milo; and Curtis Powell of Rigby; her parents, Clint and Nadine Taylor of Midvale, Utah; Sister Lisa (Tom) Freeman, Kyra (Neil) Morris, Stacy (Jacob) Buhler; Brothers, Stewart (Anne) Taylor, Brent (Laura) Taylor; and eight grandchildren. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 at 11:00 a.m. at the Rigby Stake Center, 258 West 1st North. Family and friends are invited to attend a viewing at the Stake Center on January 16, 2006 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and on Tuesday from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. prior to the funeral services at the Rigby Stake Center. Interment will take place at the Parker Cemetery under the direction of Eckersell Memorial Chapel in Rigby. The family would like to thank neighbors, friends and Teri’s school associates for the many acts of kindness, compassion and generosity shown to them. Because of Teri’s love and dedication to the education of children the family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Jefferson Joint School District 251 Education Foundation at 3400 Merlin Drive, Idaho Falls, Idaho 83404.