Willard BlueEyes

Willard BlueEyes

On Wednesday, January 6, 2021, Willard BlueEyes graduated this earthly realm and has started becoming reacquainted with family and friends on the other side of the veil.

Willard is the most beloved husband of Teresa and stepdad extraordinaire to her three beautiful children. He was not their biological dad, but he loved them as if he had been.

Willard was born on January 3, 1966, to Billie and Eloise BlueEyes in Shiprock, NM, the second to the youngest of the family. Willard is a proud son of the Diné (Navajo) Nation and is of the clan Táchii'nii (Red Running Into the Water Clan) through his mother and Born for Hash tł'ishnii (Mud Clan) through his father. His parents both passed away early and Willard and his siblings were then raised by his older sister RuthAnn and her husband Mr. Alfred along with many aunts and uncles.

As a young teen and as part of the LDS Church Indian Placement Program, Willard split his life between Utah and New Mexico. He lived with various Church foster families until, at the age of fourteen, he was placed with Karl Clayton "KC" and Sandra Jones and their family in Hooper, UT. He loved them and they loved him, and they are a family to this day and always will be. It was through KC that he has his priesthood lineage for which he was always so grateful and proud of. The Joneses provided the safety, stability, family, and love that he so deeply wanted.

After serving a mission to London, England, Willard married Sandy Forbes and then later, years after her death, married Teresa Ellsworth Shackleford and her three kids. We are so grateful for our temple marriage and the covenants and commitments we made with each other and with God that will allow us to be together throughout eternity. Willard was the absolute joy of my life and brought so much love, laughter, and happiness to our home. He was a faithful holder of the Lord's priesthood and had a strong love of service and helping others whenever he could. Willard had a calm, peaceful spirit and was able to share that strength and tranquility with all around him. He had a heart the size of a football field and spread love and joy wherever he went. But Willard's greatest gift is his absolute knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He was very spiritually intuitive and often received visits, impressions, and information from beyond the veil.

The last several years, Willard has worked hard to renew and maintain relationships with his BlueEyes family in both New Mexico and Utah, his Jones family, his Forbes family, and his Ellsworth family. He loved each person without reserve and without judgement, if we could all be as unconditional in our love, the world would be so much a better place.

Willard was a lifelong fan of the Dallas Cowboys. He was a complete "social butterfly" and would make friends with everyone he crossed paths with. Friends are lifelong and widespread. He loved to laugh and joke and he was universally recognized as "the naughty one" for his propensity to play practical jokes and teasing.

Willard will be missed by so many, he had such a zest for life and it was impossible not to love him once you met him because he pulled you into his happiness and gladly shared it. I know that if he had the chance today, he would tell everyone to bring him cake. The man loved cake and had no inhibitions about asking for it from family, friends, and total strangers at restaurants alike.

Willard loved all things family and with several large families consisting of parents and siblings of full, half, foster, and in-law status, it will be impossible to name them all but special mention to his mom Sandy Jones, MIL Melanie Forbes, and in-laws Robert and Annette Ellsworth, "his" kids Zackery, Jessica, and Joshua Shackleford, Zack's fiancé Jordan Burleigh Jensen and Josh's girlfriend Lindsey Clemson. Willard's brothers and sisters from the BlueEyes side: RuthAnn (Erving) Yazzie, Johnny (Lydia), Darlene (Alex) Deshnod (both deceased), Eva Ann (Henry) Begay, William (Dolores, deceased), Marion "Marlene" (Lamar) Morgan, and Wallace (Trudy). His Jones siblings: Derek (Cheryl), Gina (Dee) Harris, Sherry (Doug) Miller, Kerry (Steve) Hansen, Kelly (Brian) Bingham, and Randy (Andrea). His Ellsworth family: Vicki (John) Wilkins, Laura, Sande (John) Lott, Valerie (Robert) Rumsey, Debi (Mike) Brennan, and Melanie (and her boyfriend Lee Galbraith). His Forbes family: Penny (Kevin) Teuscher. Dozens and dozens of nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles, loved ones all.

Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, January 13, 2021, at 1:00 p.m. Viewing will be prior to the service, from 10:30 to 12:30. Services will be held at Myers Mortuary, 5865 S 1900 W, Roy, UT. Internment at Hooper cemetery. Services will be live-streamed on the mortuary's website (www.myers-mortuary.com) for those who are unable to attend in person.

My sweet boy, you know this already because I told you every day, many times a day, I love you and you will be missed more than words can express. Thank you for loving me so thoroughly and completely. Stay near me until I can join you for eternity. Now, let's go eat some cake!

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