Josephine L. Borla

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HELPER-Josephine Louise Borla, 80, affectionately known as “Jo” or “Josie”, passed away at her home in Helper in the presence of family members on Oct. 15, 2010.
The fourth of seven children born to J. Rocco and Mary Lazar Simillion, she was born in Glenwood Springs, Colo. on June 2, 1930. A resident of Helper for 61 years, she married Walter Borla at St. Joseph’s Church in Elko, Nev. on July 2, 1950. The couple recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.
She graduated from Glenwood Springs High School where she was a varsity cheerleader. She was a stay at home mom. She saw her kids off to school in the morning and was there when they returned home in the afternoon. She never missed any of their activities or missed a birthday. A wonderful cook, she had the best of two culinary worlds, her own Slovenian heritage and her husband’s Italian. Through the years she accumulated hundreds of recipes.
She was a member of St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Parish in Helper. Also a member of Helper’s Italian-American Lodge, Stella D’America and belonged to the Helper Variety Club for 58 years, a group of neighbor ladies who met monthly. She loved to travel extensively with her husband, having visited Europe twice and points throughout the United States. She was an excellent bowler until knee surgeries side-lined her. True to her native state, she loved the Rockies and Broncos and was an avid fan of the Utah Jazz. She also took great pride in her flower gardens.
She is survived by her husband, Walter; two daughters, Marilyn (Ron) Magann of Salt Lake City and Carolyn (Dale) Woodbury, Montrose, Colo.; two sons, Jim (Summer) of Sandy; and John (Millie) of Abingdon, Va. Also by six grandchildren, Jasmine Borla, Adam Dunn, Zachary and Jake Borla, Tyler and Nicole Woodbury, and one great-granddaughter, Autumn Jo Borla; brother, Robert Simillion and his wife Carol of St. George and a dear friend and neighbor, Merlene Kirkwood.
She was preceded in death by her parents, four brothers, Paul, Kenneth, Norman and Ronald as well as a sister, Pamela Cotton.
Funeral Mass, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010, 11 a.m., St. Anthony Catholic Church in Helper. Vigil service, Wednesday evening 7 p.m., Mitchell Funeral Home. Family will be at Mitchell’s Wednesday and Thursday one hour prior to services. Burial will take place at the Mountain View Cemetery in Helper.
Family suggests donations to Huntsman Cancer Institute, 2000 Circle of Hope, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112 or Rocky Mountain Hospice, 60 East 100 North, Price, Utah 84501. Friends and family are welcome to share memories of “Jo”online at www.mitchellfuneralhome.net.