Glenda Lacavalla

Glenda Rae Galer Lacavalla passed away peacefully on March 3, 2020 in St. George Utah at the age of 76 after a 8-month battle with liver cancer, having previously won a battle with breast cancer 8 years earlier.

Glenda is survived by her husband Mario P. Lacavalla of Washington, Utah; her sister Marilyn Joyce Galer Whaley and husband Dave Whaley of San Jose, California; her children, daughter Lori Ann Lacavalla Mellander and husband Kevin Mellander of La Verkin, Utah, son Mario P. Lacavalla Jr. of San Jose, California, and daughter Patty Lacavalla McGarry and husband Mark McGarry of Elk Ridge, Utah. She is also survived by 4 grandchildren, Glen Mellander, Elise Sambrano, Dawnielle Andersen and Kara Hopkins and their spouses, as well as 10 great grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her mother Constance Louise Sciortino Galer and her father Glen Sumner Galer.

Glenda was born on May 28th, 1943 in San Jose, California to Constance and Glen Galer. She graduated from Del Mar High School in 1961. She married Mario Lacavalla in the same year, who she met by chance at John’s Drive-In in San Jose. After they married, Mario began working for American Trust Company as a bookkeeper-teller while Glenda prepared for the birth of their 1st child Lori. The couple welcomed 3 children into their home and Glenda set about raising two daughters and a son. Her children remember her as a kind, hard-working mother whose main motivation in life was the care of her family. Glenda also worked on “moving into the computer age” by taking coursework at Sawyer Business College and eventually went to work for Zomax (a disk duplication firm) as a Project Manager.

Glenda was accomplished at making others feel welcome, loved, and cared for wherever she went. She was a generous, happy and fun-loving person who adored her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She also loved animals and she was passionate about caring for those around her. She worked throughout the years volunteering with the March of Dimes and she was an active and dedicated member of the Kare Bears group in Brentwood, California where she constantly volunteered her time in caring for other members of the Sumerset senior community. She volunteered at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in the gift shop and she also participated annually in the Relay for Life sponsored by the American Cancer Society. She loved to laugh, dance with her grandchildren, and sing her favorite songs. She faithfully attended her grandchildren’s recitals, concerts and sporting events. All who knew her remember her as a loving friend.

A funeral mass is scheduled for Saturday, March 14, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. at the St. George Catholic Church in St. George Utah. Reverend David Bittmenn will preside at the mass. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Glenda’s life.

The family would like to thank Applegate Home Care and Hospice and Red Cliffs Health and Rehab for their loving care and dedication to Glenda’s end-of-life care.

A burial service will also be held for Glenda at Santa Clara Mission Cemetery in Santa Clara, California on Thursday, March 19, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. Reverend Enzie Lagattuta, Glenda’s nephew, will preside at the graveside service.