Gloria Swallow Tomkinson

4/18/1932 ~ 3/16/2022

Gloria Swallow Tomkinson (89) passed away in Fillmore, Utah on March 16, 2022 after a short illness.

She was born on April 18, 1932 in Fillmore, Utah during the Great Depression and learned early to work hard at helping her family in whatever ways she could. At age 12, At age 12, she got her first job outside the home, working as a Soda Jerk at Swallow Confectionary in Fillmore.

She married Melville LeRoy Tomkinson on November 30, 1948 in the Manti Utah Temple.

She and Roy were blessed with six children—Larry S (Janice) Tomkinson, Doyle Roy Tomkinson (deceased at 18 months), Wanda (Del) Despain, Dan Charles (Carole) Tomkinson, Maria (Robert) Reidhead, and Michael Don (Linda) Tomkinson.

Gloria loved being a wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She was an excellent homemaker and organizer and loved working in her garden and yards as well.

She served faithfully in the church throughout her life.

When the Young Women Camp Program was introduced, she was serving in the Millard Stake YW Presidency, immediately embraced the program, and was the first leader to be certified. She then served as the Stake YW Camp Director for many years.

She was the first Relief Society President of the Fillmore 4th Ward and spent many hours making sure that every sister received a monthly visit and had her needs met.

She loved teaching Primary, and especially enjoyed helping those in the Valiant 8 class memorize the Articles of Faith. Decades later, her “Primary kids” were still seeking her out and thanking her for loving and teaching them.

She and Roy loved serving an 18-month mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Cape Town, South Africa. They also served together in the Manti Temple for over 20 years until her declining health and loss of eyesight no longer allowed it.

Gloria is survived by her brother, Stan Swallow (Sharon), five of her six children, 25 grandchildren, and 70 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband Roy Tomkinson, her son Doyle Roy Tomkinson, her parents James Franklin Swallow and LaPreal Bennett Swallow, her sisters GayLa Swallow Tomkinson (Howard) and Janet Swallow Staples (David), and a daughter-in-law Terry Rusch Tomkinson (Dan).

Funeral services will be held in the Fillmore 4th Ward church building (290 E 500 S) on Monday, March 21, 2022, at 11 a.m. Viewings will be held at the church on Sunday, March 20, 2022, 6:00–8:00 p.m., and on Monday, March 21, 9:30–10:30 a.m., prior to the funeral.

Click Here to Watch Recorded Funeral Service

Click Here to Watch Recorded Graveside Service