Preston Parkinson Nibley
Our dearly beloved father, grandfather and great-grandfather, Preston Parkinson Nibley, passed away peacefully at home from natural causes on Tuesday, March 12, 2013. He was born March 4, 1918, to Preston and Ann Parkinson Nibley in Salt Lake City, Utah. He grew up in Salt Lake City and Santa Monica, California.
He attended the University of Utah for two years, majoring in electrical engineering, and then transferred to the University of Oklahoma. In 1940, he graduated first in his class in petroleum engineering. He then attended Stanford, where he studied engineering and business, graduating with a Masters degree in Engineering in 1942.
He married the love of his life, Elizabeth (Betty) Hinckley on Sept. 18, 1943. On August 23, 1963, they were sealed in the Logan Temple. They enjoyed 66 wonderful years of marriage.
Preston enjoyed a successful career in the oil business, which took him to many parts of the world. He participated in the Canol Project, a pipeline through the Northwest Territory, Canada, to Whitehorse in Yukon Territory, built for the U.S. Army during WWII. He then worked for Standard Oil of California. Transferring to the Arabian American Oil Company (ARAMCO) in 1950, brought him to New York. With ARAMCO, he worked both in the Middle East and in the New York office. In 1961, he transferred to the Mobil Oil Company (now Exxon Mobil). Highlights of his work experience with Mobil included opening an engineering office in London, England, and working on the Alyeska pipeline, which carries oil from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez, Alaska. He retired from Mobil in 1982. As a co-worker stated, "He expected perfection from those he worked with, because he expected perfection from himself." He led with integrity. Growing up in the Depression, he was frugal throughout his life, allowing him to bless the lives of others later with his generosity.
He has served his community wherever he has lived. Recent examples are his service on the Hinckley Scholarship Investment Committee, Ogden Valley Planning Committee and the Ogden Valley Land Trust. Preston and Betty enjoyed making strong friendships wherever they have lived.
After retirement, he and Betty moved to Ogden, Utah. In 1990, they completed construction of a family gathering place, a home in Eden, Utah, where they enjoyed the surrounding natural beauty, especially their view of Snowbasin.
Preston was a sensitive, spiritual man, who had a strong belief in prayer and a knowledge of life after death. A member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he was devoted to the Church, serving others in varied assignments. He was in the Branch Presidency of the Westchester Branch in New York and served on high councils while living in London and Pennsylvania.
He was dedicated to his family. He was faithful to his heritage, loving genealogy and stories about his pioneer ancestors. He strove to live a life worthy of the blessings he had received from those who had come before. He made people around him feel special and important and was lavish with his praise. Preston was a strong influence for good in the lives of his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. His strongest desire was for each family member to feel his love and admiration and to reach their full potential. Life taught him that love is the most important thing on earth.
He had a wonderful sense of humor, enjoying laughing at himself and telling jokes and puns. He loved gardening, classical music, the stock market, art, history, woodworking and nature. He was an avid reader. Everything he did was with an eye toward beauty and excellence. He loved BYU football and basketball and the Nightly Business Report on TV.
Preston is survived by his daughters, Bonnie (Hugh) Cannon, Detroit, Michigan; Susan (Tim) Manser, Bountiful, Utah; and Carolyn Sukhan, Centerville, Utah; sixteen grandchildren; and thirty-five great-grandchildren, with three on the way. He was preceded in death by his parents, his sisters Eleanor, Lucy and Annette, and his beloved wife, Betty.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, March 23, at 10 a.m. in the Shadow Ridge Ward, 1401 Country Hills Drive in Ogden. Friends may visit with family Friday, March 22 from 6-8 pm at Myers Mortuary, 845 Washington Blvd, Ogden, and Saturday, March 23 from 8:30-9:30 am at the Shadow Ridge Ward. Interment will be in the Logan City Cemetery, 1000 East 1200 North, Logan, following the funeral.
Please send contributions to the Preston Nibley Endowment Fund, a scholarship honoring his father, at Utah State University. If interested, contact Chris Conte, Dept. Chair, History Dept., Utah State University, (435) 797-1290.