Rebecca Bennett Gadd passed away on April 9, after a long illness.
The daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Jack B. Bennett, Rebecca was delivered by her father on Aug. 9, 1952, in Evanston.
After graduating from Evanston High School, Rebecca attended the University of Utah from 1970 to 1973. While at the university, she wanted to become a paleontologist, but that dream was squelched when her father informed her that she would have to sit for hours in hot climates doing tedious work. She hated heat and was always a person of action, so that nixed that dream.
Instead, she moved on to Westminster College and changed her major to get a bachelor’s degree in nursing, graduating Magna Cum Laude.
Rebecca worked as an RN at Holy Cross Hospital in Salt Lake City for a year before moving to Oregon, where she worked in Salem, Oregon, for another year before moving to Portland. In Portland, she worked at the University of Oregon Health Sciences Center in the Intensive Care Unit.
Later, Rebecca moved back to Salt Lake, where she worked in the ER at LDS Hospital for 15 years and where she met and married Dr. Jim Copeland. After leaving LDS Hospital, she worked at an instacare for another 15 years before retiring due to illness.
Rebecca married the love of her life, Lawrence Gadd, in 2013. They shared a love of western history and traveled extensively throughout the west. They also loved to travel abroad and enjoyed many trips together through the years.
Rebecca was preceded in death by her parents, Dr. J.B. Bennett and Darlene Bennett; and husband, James Copeland.
She is survived by her husband, Lawrence Gadd; sisters, Cynthia Vaughn (Bruce), Christina Marshall (Martin, deceased), Peggy Decaria (Ken); nieces, Jessica Uran, Alexis and Lydia Decaria; and nephew, James Marshall.
A short service will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, July 20, at Evanston City Cemetery.
