Verda Rae Bailey Prescott

Our beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, Verda Rae Bailey Prescott passed away Sunday, June 11, 2023, with her family by her side. Although we are heartbroken to see her go, we find comfort in knowing that she is now free from pain and joyfully reunited with her parents, grandparents, three brothers, three sisters, and her precious granddaughter, Alex. 

Rae, nicknamed Smokey by her brothers and sisters, was born on June 6, 1943, to John Raymond and Verda Bailey, the sixth of 12 children. She spent her childhood in Salt Lake City and moved to Kamas as a teenager. It was in Kamas, while in high school, that she fell in love with, as she told it, "the student body president who was the cutest, most popular boy in school." She married that student body president, Jack W. Prescott, on November 23, 1960, in Memphis, Tennessee while Jack was serving in the United States Marine Corps. In 1961, while stationed in North Carolina, they welcomed their first child Debra Ann. They moved back to Kamas in 1964, when Jack completed his service in the Marines. In 1965, Cathie Rae joined the family, then Troy Jack in 1967, and finally, Aimee Lynn in 1974. In 2010, after 50 years of marriage, she was sealed to Jack in the Salt Lake LDS temple.

VR, as she was called by some of her grandchildren, was a good-natured, social butterfly who loved to talk with anyone, whether she knew them or not. She considered everyone a friend. At one point she invested in a police scanner just to stay up-to-date on the town happenings. She served on the Francis town board and as mayor of Francis city. VR also adored Elvis Presley, the Utah Jazz, and any opportunity she had to be surrounded by her family, particularly at summertime barbecues or the annual Christmas eve party. She loved birthdays and had a way of making everyone feel special on their birthdays. We will miss her phone calls and cherish her Happy Birthday solo performances. VR was generous, almost to a fault, and was willing to give her family anything she had, whether they needed it or not. She loved to travel, especially when it involved her sisters and a chance to shop-the destination was usually irrelevant. In the 80s, VR, along with some of her dearest friends, quilted together regularly and sold their quilts as the Rosie Raes. She really enjoyed Christmas and always decked out the house for the holiday. Her ceramic village grew every year until it eventually overtook her dining room. Even in her final years, when she couldn't do much but supervise, her daughters made sure that the Christmas decorations were brought out and set up for VR to enjoy (though they did scale back the village quite a bit). Like all good grandmas, VR kept her cookie jar full and her pantry stocked, ready for the grandchildren to stop by at any time. She delighted in the simple things of life-clean carpet, soap operas, and trips to town. By the world's standards, VR lived a modest life. But she leaves behind a husband, children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren who acutely feel her loss and will forever have Rae-shaped holes in their hearts. The sorrow we feel at her passing is the greatest evidence of a life well lived and a woman well loved.

Rae is survived by her husband, Jack, her four children, Debra Anderson (Craig), Cathie Bethers (Kent), Troy Prescott (Monica), and Aimee Lewis (Jason), twelve grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, two sisters and three brothers. 

A celebration of life will be held on July 16, 2023, at the Francis Town Hall, 2317 Spring Hollow Rd., Kamas, UT 84036 from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the American Heart Association.