Marquitta Grayce Leavitt

Marquitta Grayce Leavitt passed away peacefully at her home in Calgary on December 16th at the age of 85 years. Marquitta was born in Calgary, Alberta on July 26th, 1938, the eldest daughter of parents Kitch and Grayce Elton. She was raised in Calgary where she met her sweetheart, Vance Leavitt, on the steps of the Crescent Road LDS chapel. They were married in July of 1957 in the Cardston, Alberta Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints. Marquitta and Vance were married for 66 wonderful and happy years, and her love for her husband Vance was evident to all who knew her.

While she spent most of her life living far from her birthplace, Marquitta was a true Calgarian at heart. She graduated from Crescent Heights high school in 1957, and became the twelfth queen of the Calgary Stampede later that same year. 
Marquitta and Vance moved to London, England, in October of 1964, to pursue career opportunities for Vance. Marquitta worked alongside Vance helping to establish the family business and taught herself many of the technical skills needed to run the office in their company.  In June of 2019, having spent 54 busy years in London and after retiring, Marquitta and Vance moved back to Calgary, the place she always thought of as home. 

Marquitta had no formal education beyond high school, but she never hesitated to learn new skills. She was a self-taught and accomplished seamstress, gardener, cook, and home decorator, skills she used to benefit the lives of not only her family but countless others.  Marquitta also loved serving in the LDS church and had a variety of leadership and teaching roles, including president of the Relief Society, Primary and Young Women’s organizations. She had a beautifully simple but profound understanding of the gospel and was dedicated to living a life consistent with her unwavering spiritual beliefs. It was not uncommon for her family to see her kneeling by her bedside in prayer every night.

Marquitta was a devoted mother and spent much of her time creating a home for their 8 children, one that was filled with laughter, tears, and always an abundance of love. Marquitta willingly sacrificed her own needs, always putting the needs of her husband and children before her own. She was proud of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, loved spending time with them and often expressed her gratitude for having them in her life.

Marquitta will be remembered for her service, her gratitude for the blessings in her life, her ability to see the good and the positive in others and love them unconditionally, her deep love and dedication to her family and her love of her savior.  
Marquitta was a loving, wife, mother, sister, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend. She will be dearly missed by her husband Vance Leavitt, her eight children, Melanie Sandgren of Provo, UT, Lisa Leavitt of Provo, UT, Timothy Leavitt (Dana) of Highland, UT, Shannon Hawkins (Matthew) of Modesto, CA, Suzanne Pericle (Anthony) of Glen Allen, VA, Natalie Cobb (Nathan) of Calgary, AB, Vanessa Sutton (Thomas) of Highland, UT, Jessica Cook (Michael) of Saratoga Springs, UT and her 34 grandchildren and 57 great-grandchildren.  Marquitta is also survived by her siblings Gary McPhee (Eva) of Vancouver, BC, David Elton (Valda) of Calgary, AB, Pamela Lehto (Gene) of Calgary, AB, Winston Elton (Lora) of Alta, UT and Brent Elton (Lorraine) of Edmonton, AB. Marquitta was predeceased by her twin sons, Derek and Darren, her grandson, Thomas, and her parents Earl Kitchener and Grayce Viola Elton.

A funeral service will be held for Marquitta at the Church of Jesus Chris of Latter-day Saints, Foothills stake Center (30 Everstone Boulevard SW, Calgary) on Saturday, January 6, 2024 at 11:00 am with a visitation from 10:00 to 10:45 am.  Interment will follow at Eden Brook Memorial Gardens Cemetery.  The service will be broadcast live at: