Thora Hill Van Leuven Pace, 93, of Grace Idaho passed away Sunday evening September 12 at the Caribou Memorial Living Center in Soda Springs, Idaho.

Thora was born in Knightsville, Utah on February 19, 1917. She was the daughter of Zera Dee and Lyda Harrison Van Leuven. Her father was killed in a mining accident when she was five years old. She and her mother then moved in with her grandparents in Provo, Utah where she attended her schooling. Thora graduated from Brigham Young University on the same day with her mother which was always special for her.

She met Clarence Pace while at school and after graduation they were married in the Salt Lake Temple on September 20, 1939. They started their teaching careers together in a one room house in Wanship, Utah. They spent their lives together teaching elementary age children in Park City, Heber City, and ended their careers in the Alpine School District. Midway into her career she started teaching the special needs children who she totally loved.

She was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints and held many callings throughout her life. Her favorite was her call with her husband Clarence as dance directors in their ward and stake. They taught all types of dancing and called square dances for many years traveling from ward to ward. Thora always enjoyed traveling with her husband to visit their children and grandchildren who lived in many parts of the United States. She had the names and birthdates of all her grand children and great grand children memorized and the order in which they were born. She was able to quote this up to the time of her passing.

Thora is survived by Janet (Wayne) Alder of Grace Idaho; Karen Ching of Mililani Town, Hawaii, Jerry (Barbara) Pace of Colorado Springs, Colorado, Lonny (Carolyn) Pace of West Jordan, Utah and Roger (Diane) Pace of Santee, California. She is also survived by twenty three grand children, fifty one great grand children and four great great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, one brother, one sister, one son in law and one grandson.

Funeral services were held on Saturday September 18 at 11:00 A.M at the LDS Prarie 7th Ward Chapel (5154 West 7000 South) in West Jordan Utah. Burial was in the Valley View Memorial Park Cemetery in Salt lake City, Utah.