Leanae Bills

LeaNae Michelle (Hoblit Patience) Bills, 73, passed away on July 30, 2016, at Parkwood Meadows Assisted Living Center in Idaho Falls, Idaho.

LeaNae was born November 16, 1942, in Salt Lake City, Utah to Gordon Stannard and Lois Miller Bills, the eldest of five children. LeaNae spent her childhood helping to raise her younger siblings and working in her parents store in Bluffdale, Utah. During junior high and high school she competed in many beauty pagents and won Miss Bluffdale and Miss Honeybee. She graduated from Bingham High School in 1960.

On Nov.16, 1961, she married Alva Lee Hoblit and together they had three sons: Patrick, Stacey and Tracy. They were later divorced. In June 1966, she married George Edward Patience and had two daughters: Debra and Georgia. During this marriage Ed and LeaNae moved their young family to Idaho Falls. They later divorced. In 1976, LeaNae had another son, James and another daughter, Krista in 1978.

LeaNae remained in Idaho Falls until 1985 when she took her two youngest children and moved to Tennessee to further her interior decorating career. While there, she married James Earnest Phillpott. They later divorced. She continued to try out new places, Missouri, Arizona and California, never staying anywhere for too long, and eventually ended up back in Idaho Falls in 1990. Along the way she tried out many different careers including receptionist, office manager, insurance sales, and waitressing. She enjoyed meeting new people and loved to write letters and talk on the phone. One of her many talents included writing poetry, some of her poems were published in a national poetry book.

In 2007, she moved to Rexburg, Idaho to manage a female apartment complex for BYU-Idaho. She really loved getting to know the girls there and helping them adjust to college life and giving them advice. She thought of some of them as her surrogate daughters and she was sad to leave there.

LeaNae was an incredibly talented artist and painter, she could free hand draw anything. She took a few classes to improve her already remarkable talent and painted many scenery paintings that we will cherish. During the time her children were growing up she also loved to sew and was very good at it. She made clothes, prom dresses and even her own wedding dresses. She always had a funny story to tell and a memory like no other. She loved taking pictures and especially loved being in them.

After retiring she moved into Parkwood Meadows and was very happy when they elected her to be President of the Resident Counsel. You could always find her door easily because she loved to decorate it with pictures or holiday decor. She could also be found wearing some crazy outfit or hat during the parties there. Whenever the grandkids visited she always had a bag of "goodies" to send home with them. She loved anything to do with Native American culture and collected many dolls and other things including a massive cow collection in her kitchen. Christmas was her favorite holiday and she always over decorated with Santas and snowmen everywhere. LeaNae was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and was currently serving as chorister.

She is survived by three daughters Debra (Russ) Bolkcom of Idaho Falls, Georgia (Aaron) Seljaas of Draper, Utah and Krista (Richie) Patience of Idaho Falls and one son James (Heidi) Patience of Idaho Falls. Grandsons Tyson (Lauren), Grady, Kaden (Brooke), Tanner, Chase, Jaide, Alec, Jaxon and Dexton and Granddaughters Teigha, Ava, Katie, Faith, Jessika, and Mackayla and Maylee, and one great granddaughter Emilia Bolkcom. Sisters Julie Wells of Las Vegas, Shelly (Jim) Haslam of West Valley City and Melanie Sweet of Salt Lake, also a brother Ivan (Debbie) Bills of Bluffdale, Utah and many nieces and nephews.

She was proceded in death by her parents, a brother Jay, and three sons Stacey, Tracy and Patrick and a nephew, Tommy. Plus many aunts and uncles. She was under the care of Parkwood Meadows Assisted Living and Hands of Hope Hospice.

Funeral services will be at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 3, 2016, at Fielding Memorial Park Cemetery . The family will meet with friends on Tuesday, August 2, 2016, from 6 - 8 p.m. and on Wednesday from 10 - 10:50 a.m. prior, both at Wood Funeral Home (273 N. Ridge).

Graveside Services will be held

11 a.m. ,Wednesday, August 3, 2016 Fielding Memorial Park 4750 South Yellowstone Highway Idaho Falls, ID 83402 Notes: The family will visit with friends Tuesday 6-8 p.m. and Wednesday 10-10:45 a.m. prior, both visitations at Wood Funeral Home (273 N. Ridge)