Deanna Tolley Fowkes

Deanna Tolley Fowkes of Mesa, Arizona passed away September 29, 2026 at age 86. Deanna was a loving daughter, wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, serving others all her life. She was born the third of four children to Drextell and Goldie Pearl (McKinney) Tolley on January 4, 1940, in Grass Valley, California. Shortly after her birth, her family moved back to their hometown of Gridley in northern California where she grew up. Deanna loved to dance and took lessons with her younger sister Jeanne at the Foy School of Dance. She was a self-described tomboy; she loved to play sports, especially softball and volleyball. After skipping two grades, she graduated from Gridley High School at the age of 16.

She attended Brigham Young University and majored in physical education. In her third year of college, she met Ivar Gene Fowkes. Her favorite date was going dancing with him. They married in the Salt Lake Temple in 1959 and had 6 boys over the course of 17 years. Gene’s career as a mechanical engineer took the family first to San Diego, then Connecticut, then to Arizona in 1976. Deanna set a life-long example of faithful Christ-like service. She cared for a disabled son until his death at the age of 6 while also raising five boys to adulthood and seeing each of them serve church missions and marry in the temple. She was a loving caregiver to both her mother for 15 years before she passed and her husband Gene for 10 years before his passing due to Alzheimer’s.

As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Deanna served most of her life in various volunteer positions, including in her congregation’s women’s and youth organizations. One of her most memorable volunteer experiences was going to Camp Lomia in northern Arizona every year to run the kitchen for her church’s Girls’ Camp. She was passionate about genealogy research and added to her and her husband’s family lines with at least 10,000 names ranging back for more than 12 generations. As a family history specialist, she helped many others discover their own genealogy. She was an avid collector of destination-themed plates, Santa statues from all over the world, nativity sets, and clocks, big and small. She was a talented seamstress and quilter and found joy in making a quilt for each grandchild.

She was a survivor of many health issues over her lifetime, including cancer. In 2015 after a heart attack, she was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. Even slowed physically, she faithfully completed a service mission related to genealogy from March 2018 to March 2021 at the Arizona Mesa Remote Operations Center, fulfilling a life-long dream to serve a mission. Her faith in God and Jesus Christ never wavered no matter what challenges she faced. She offered her love and friendship to everyone around her throughout her life and was deeply grateful when that same love and service was returned.

She was devoted to her family and cherished spending time with her sons, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and never missed an opportunity to brag about them. Deanna is preceded in death by her husband Gene Fowkes, sons Erik Fowkes and David Fowkes, parents Drextell and Pearl Tolley, brother Verle Tolley, and great-granddaughter Moira Kathleen Knight. Deanna is survived by her sons Gary (Ann) Fowkes of Gilbert, AZ, Roger (Kathy) Fowkes of Mesa, AZ, Brian (Kristy) Fowkes of Gilbert, AZ, and Kevin (Laura) Fowkes of Mead, CO as well as David’s wife Leilani Fowkes of Elk Grove, CA; 23 grandchildren and 41 great-grandchildren.

Deanna’s family extend their deep gratitude to Hospice of the Valley for their excellent and loving care during Deanna’s final days.

Flowers may be sent to Bunker Family Funerals & Cremation - Garden Chapel, 33 North Centennial Way, Mesa, Arizona 85201.

Arrangements by Bunker’s Garden Chapel, www.bunkerfuneral.com. Should this obituary appear anywhere but bunkerfuneral.com, please check our website for accurate details and service information.