Dodi Laraway

Dodi was born on March 28, 1963 in Logan, Utah to Dale and Diane Weeks. She was number seven of eight kids. As the youngest daughter, she was treated as the family baby doll by her sisters most of her life. She grew up in Smithfield, Utah and attended Cache County schools, eventually graduating from Sky View High School in 1981.

Shortly after high school she met her future husband, David, at the hospital where she worked as a nurse’s aide. After David got home from his mission in Korea, they were married in the Logan Temple on August 24, 1984.

The couple welcomed four children into their family. As David’s career progressed, their life took them in many directions, from Utah to California, Germany, Dugway Proving Ground, and Michigan before they finally laid down roots in Hamilton, Montana.

Dodi’s family was the most important thing in her life. Even while in high school, she was stockpiling cute clothes for her future children. She never missed a child’s performance, recital, or sporting event (except for track meets because she thought they ran way too long).

While in Montana, she had a hobby farm. This happened (she confessed) because of her lack of self-control and her abundance of compassion for animals of all shapes and sizes. Her favorites were her sheep, which all had names and sometimes diapers when they ended up being bottle-fed in the house. She was well known in her church community for her tradition of bringing lambs to Primary every Easter. She loved her sheep almost as much as she loved her children, literally and figuratively embodying the role of a shepherd.

Over the years she held numerous jobs, many in healthcare; but her favorite, which she held for many years, was working in a gas station where she soon became indispensable. The owner, a dear family friend, coined the phrase, “Everybody needs a Dodi.” An undeniable truth!

Dodi was a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where she held many callings, her favorite being the Nursery Leader, an assignment from which she regularly refused to be released. She also served many summers as Young Women’s Camp Director.

Of all her roles, her absolute favorite was being Mimi to her six grandkids. Even when it became more difficult, she made every effort to attend her grandkids’ activities (even swim meets, which she also thought ran too long).

She is preceded in death by her daddy (Dale), older sister (Barbara), younger brother (Jody), brothers-in-law (Bugs, Rich), and many other loved ones.

She is survived by her mother, Diane Weeks, husband, David, and their four children, Brianne Potter (Jon), Shandi Wiest (Alex), Zachary, and Kelsi (Jordan) as well as her six grandkids, Vince, Charlie, Calvin, Sebastian, Penelope, and Miller.

She is also survived by four sisters, Cheryl Peterson, Denise Warren, Patty Kummer, and Billie Jo Ecker as well as her big brother, Scott Weeks.

A viewing will be held on Friday, August 8 at 10:00 a.m., followed by services at 12:00 p.m. in the River Bottoms Chapel (3477 E. River Bottoms Rd., Spanish Fork, UT).

A final viewing will be held on Saturday, August 9 at 9:00 a.m. at the Smithfield 1st Ward Chapel (175 S. 100 W., Smithfield, UT 84335) followed by the grave dedication at 11:00 a.m. at Smithfield City Cemetery (300 E. Center St., Smithfield, UT).