Patricia LaBelle Riggs

Patricia "Pat" LaBelle Riggs died Thursday night, September 27, 2018, at her home in Tempe, Maricopa County, Arizona following a brief illness.  She was 79 years old.  Pat was born on a Friday, May 12, 1939, in Brighton, Adams County, Colorado to her parents, the late W. LaVerne and Cleobel (Hornsby) Bechtold. 

At the age of 16, during her high school years, Pat moved with her family to Phoenix, Arizona.  She was a graduated member of North High School's Class of 1957 in Phoenix.  While attending North High, Pat met her high school sweetheart, Michael Fordyce Riggs.  The couple quickly became each other's best friend.  A year-and-a-half after her graduation, the happy couple were wed on November 29, 1958, at China Lake, California.  Pat adored her husband and was the perfect help-mate in numerous business ventures with him throughout their life together.  In 1971, Pat joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  In 1985, her and Michael's marriage was solemnized in the Mesa Arizona Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where they were sealed together for eternity, making their's a forever family unit.  She loved the Lord and strived daily to do His will.  She served in many Church callings through the years and enjoyed her visiting teaching assignments and made many lifelong friends along the way.  She was a quiet and unassuming woman yet, she truly was a lady, in every sense of the word.  Being a loving homemaker to her family brought her an immense amount of joy.  She was key in helping mold her boys into men.  Each one of her sons brought special blessings, unique to them, into her life.  Her family has said of her that, "she was so kind and trusting and that her service to others was exemplary.  She always made others feel welcome while in her presence."    

Living a farmer's life, the Riggs family moved out of state for a few years and called Nebraska and Minnesota home for a few years. Once, while living in Nebraska, there was the incident with the electric cow fence.  Michael needed Pat to hold the two broken ends of the electric wired fence while he "worked" on getting it fixed.  She received 3 pretty good jolts during that repair.  For nearly 45 years, the family got a good chuckle on how Pat made such a good conduit for that electric fence as they repaired it.  Sadly, in 2006, Pat's husband, Michael passed away.  Never more grateful for her testimony of the Lord's gospel, Pat moved forward and continued to serve others with even a greater amount of love.

For some years, Michael and Pat were house parents for the Juvenile Detention Center in Flagstaff.  They loved the boys and girls that were in their care.  Also, for many years, Pat was a babysitter to many.  She appreciated the special bond she developed with each child however, there is one boy, Freddy Messner, who found his way onto Pat's tender heart strings.  "She even considered him as one of her own."  During Pat's free time, she could be found doing genealogy, connecting her family tree.  She enjoyed reading good books and loved to go for long car rides and, if blooming lilacs were found along the way, they made for an even better ride.  Pat loved dogs of every kind but her favorites were her scotties.  She owned many dogs over the years and every one of them was just as spoiled as could be.  They were good dogs!         

This sweet lady will be missed by her family and friends as her smile is forever engraved in their minds' eye.  Patricia LaBelle Riggs is survived by 2 sons:  Jeffrey Riggs of Mesa, Arizona; Steve "T-Bone" (Dina) Riggs of Flagstaff, Arizona and by her 6 grandchildren:  Andy Riggs, Alex Riggs, Mitchell Riggs, Chris Riggs, Morgan Riggs, Ryan Riggs and 3 step-grandchildren that she loved as her own: Tyler Gibson, Kim Kuhn and Britany Gibson.  Along with her parents and husband, Pat was preceded in death by a son, Michael Douglas Riggs in March of 2018 as well as her brother, Robert Bechtold.  Her family finds a great deal of peace and comfort in knowing that this separation will be but for a short season and are grateful for their knowledge in Heavenly Father's Great Plan of Happiness and that Families Are Forever. 

The funeral service will begin 10:00 A.M., Tuesday, October 16, 2018, at the Beck Chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1221 W. Howe Street in Tempe, Arizona where the viewing and friends calling will begin 1 hour prior.  The family warmly invites all to gather for her funeral service and viewing at the church.  The concluding service and interment will be a private family affair at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona where her mortal clay will be laid to rest alongside her forever sweetheart, Michael F. Riggs.  Pat's family continues to be thankful for the kind expressions of sympathy they have received during this difficult season and are especially grateful for all of the prayers offered up on their behalf.