CERRITOS – Sally Jane Heath Driggs passed away April 27 in her home in Cerritos, where she had lived for the past 46 years. Sally was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on August 15, 1944, to Jane L. Wilcox Heath and George A. Heath. She graduated from Highland High School in 1962 and the University of Utah in 1966 with a degree in German and Biology.

Sally married Merlin F. Driggs on Aug. 17, 1965 in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. After graduation, Sally and Merlin moved to California to begin their teaching careers.

Sally taught 7th grade science for five years at Dana Junior High before dedicating 15 years to raise children and teach music at Cerritos Elementary School. She spent the next 16 years teaching middle school science and high school biology at Mayfair Middle/High School, while also serving as department chair. She retired in 2003 but continued to help the profession for the next 13 years as a University Student Teaching Supervisor in the Science Education Department at CSULB.

In 1998, Sally was honored as the Mayfair High School Teacher of the Year, Bellflower Unified School District Teacher of the Year and Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year.

Sally was an active member of the LDS Church.

She is survived by her husband Merlin; children, Michael (Stephanie) Driggs, Catherine (Daniel) Fong, Allison (Thaddeus) Marcroft and Carolyn (Mike) Repetti; and 11 grandchildren, Cameron, Natalie and Ashley Repetti, Jared, Elizabeth and Lucas Fong, and Samuel, Nathanael, Daniel, Benjamin and Emma Marcroft. She is also survived by her stepmom, Genevieve Heath; and her siblings, Rodney (Ann) Heath, Craig (Melanie) Heath, Michael (Sharon) Heath and Gayle Mender.

A viewing was held May 2 with the funeral following at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Cerritos. Interment was at Cypress Forest Lawn Cemetery.

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Published: May 14, 2015 - Volume 14 - Issue 05