Gisela Lythgoe

Gisela was born in Oberfrohna, Saxony, Germany to Erich and Alice Guenther. In 1949 their family escaped from East Germany and resided in West Germany until 1956. They immigrated by ship to America, finally settling in Salt Lake City, Utah. Mom attended West High School, was a gifted ballerina and danced for the University of Utah. She married John Allen Lythgoe and they made their home in Bountiful, where they lived for 40 years and raised 3 daughters. After John passed away, Gisela moved to Morgan, Utah in 2011 to be closer to her daughter and grandchildren. She was welcomed and loved by the community and quickly became known as “Grandma Gisela” to many people. She made everyone feel so special and brought light, love and joy to everyone she came in contact with.

Gisela loved dancing and taught ballet for many years in Bountiful. She was an amazingly gifted pianist and could play anything she heard, without following any sheet music at all! She also composed her own songs and music and if you were lucky she would teach them to you too.

She worked so hard throughout her life and held many various jobs, always putting her heart and soul into everything she did.

Gisela will always be remembered for her huge heart, her generous ways, and her amazing knowledge of literature, poetry and history, just to name a few. We will remember her incredible talents and grace of her dancing, her music and writings. We won’t forget her creativity and love she poured into her homemade cards, her imagination and curiosity in anything whimsical, magical, shiny or sparkly, her love of people, animals, nature, all the “little” things in life and of course her love for sunflowers. We will remember her always finding the good and beauty in everyone and everything, and we will smile when we think of her kind, loving, compassionate childlike spirit.

Gisela was preceded in death by her husband John, her parents Erich and Alice and her brother-in-law, James.

She is survived by her children: Ingrid Middleton, Tara (Steven) Low, Joanne Lythgoe and Jeffery Lythgoe, her sister Maria (James) Smith, several nieces and nephews and her grandchildren, who she adored and lived for - Amanda, Jacob, Catherine, Sierra, Alison and Rebecca, and many dear friends.

Mom’s last beautiful gift was the donation of her body to the University of Utah. Once again, giving all she had in hopes of helping others. She dedicated her life to her family and friends and even strangers. Always bringing happiness and joy to everyone who met her. She will forever be an inspiration to all of us.

Thank you to everyone who blessed Mom’s life. Thank you to the Morgan community for all their love, support and service and to the special caregivers from Intermountain Hospice- Heather, Russell, Lissa and Camille who loved and cared for mom in her last few difficult months. We truly have angels on earth, and Mom was surrounded by them.

A celebration of her life will be held on Saturday, April 13, 2019 at 11:00am, at the Field Street Church located at 240 S. Field Street in Morgan, Utah.  Following her service we will meet together in the Cultural Hall to talk, smile and laugh as we remember our beautiful Mom, grandma, sister, aunt and friend.. Who we love and will miss everyday, until we are together again.

Ich Liebe Dich