Roy William Simmons/Elizabeth Ellison “Tibby” Simmons

Roy and Tibby were both born in 1916; Roy in Portland, Oregon, and Tibby in Layton, Utah. Thy met as students in an acting class at the University of Utah, where Tibby played the part of Roy’s grandmother. They married in 1938, becoming the parents of six children: Julia (Watkins), Matthew, Laurence, Elizabeth (Hoke), Harris, and David.

Tibby excelled in drama and speech and maintained a life-long love of the arts. Always active in church and civic groups, she developed a special passion for her pioneer heritage and invested herself in the restoration and preservation of historic homes and buildings. She also served for many years as a member of the general board of the Young Women organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, traveling throughout the world teaching and training youth and their leaders.

After his mother’s death, Roy moved at a young age to Salt Lake City, where he was reared by Blanche Reese White. By the time he was ten, he was helping to support himself by working at a variety of jobs, including peddling vegetables, fireworks, magazines, newspapers, and refrigerators and working shifts at gasoline stations, grocery stores, movie theaters, and hamburger stands.

Following their marriage, Roy and Tibby moved to Layton, Utah, where Roy soon began working for his father-in-law, L. E. Ellison, at the First National Bank of Layton. In banking, Roy found his career and future success. With a small investment and through the creation, purchase, and merger of a number of financial institutions, Roy eventually built one of the West’s largest banking enterprises, Zions Bankcoporation. He served as the chairman of this institution until 2002.

Roy and Tibby Simmons have had an impact on the quality of life in Davis County and the state of Utah through their selfless involvement in the arts and in numerous community and charitable organizations.