Elizabeth “Libby” Moyle Greer passed away peacefully in her home on September 12, 2021. She was surrounded by her family in a room looking out at her beloved Wasatch Mountains. Libby was born in Salt Lake City on December 20, 1939. Her parents were James D. Moyle and Louise Covey Moyle. At her birth her family was living in the Dinwoodey home at 411 East First South. Libby came from pioneer ancestors on both sides and was proud of her heritage. She learned to swim at the family farm in Cottonwood in what is now the pond at the Cottonwood Country Club. Her father simply tied a rope around her waist and threw her in. Life was an adventure for Libby.
Libby spent her teen years in Federal Heights and attended East High School. She joked that she never graduated from high school as she attended the La Maison school in Switzerland her senior year. There she developed a love of chocolate and cheese fondue. Because she didn’t graduate from East, her father thought it very important that she attend and graduate from college.
Libby attended the University of Utah. She joined the Chi Omega Sorority and made life-long friends. It was at the University where she met the love of her life, Spencer Greer. They were married in 1961 in the Salt Lake Temple and spent 60 wonderful years together. Libby graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education in 1962 and she never had to explain why she “dropped out” of high school.
In life, according to Libby, people are divided between horse people and non-horse people. Libby was a horse person. No history of Libby is complete without mention of her beloved horses. She started riding as a child and it became a life-long passion. She had a horse at the family cottage in Brighton and spent many wonderful summers riding in the Wasatch mountains. She always had an animal or two in the house and it was important that she lived close to her horses. Eventually Libby and Spence moved “out” of the city to Sandy where they built a barn and life revolved around the horses (or so it seemed to the kids). She could stand at the rail and watch her daughter Jenny and the horse kids from the neighborhood ride endless circles in the arena. She passed her love of horses to the next generation and beyond. She will always be a beloved horsewoman to her family and friends. Many days and weeks were spent riding with her “horse ladies” as well. We know that she will enjoy reuniting with her horses and dogs and will ride many happy trails in the eternities.
Libby also had a love of travel. She and Spence traveled the world during their 60 years together. Together they visited 46 countries. Travel was also an adventure that she passed to her children. Libby learned to SCUBA dive. She was, at one time, quite a good skier. She also loved the theater and she was a regular at the Hale Theaters and PMT. She and Spence loved travelling to Broadway to see the latest shows.
A highlight of Libby and Spence’s life was the time they spent as mission president in the Denmark, Copenhagen Mission, which at the time also included Iceland. Mom would sit for hours knitting sweaters while Spence interviewed the missionaries. It was often Libby who knew when a companionship was in trouble as they would often confide in her rather than Spence. Libby’s cooking was legendary, and she brought a fun-loving spirit to the mission. As their mission came to an end, the missionaries knew that Sister Greer would be stalking them with scissors to cut off their ties to make a keepsake mission quilt with a tie or scarf from every missionary. They travelled across Denmark in their gray Volvo. They loved the people of Denmark and loved showing people “their” kingdom. They also served a mission together in their later years in Sugarhouse, near their home.
Libby loved serving others. She was a member of the Junior League and volunteered for the Rape Crisis Center. She volunteered for the Sigma Chi Mother’s Club. She was an active member in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was inundated with love from her ward members as her health declined. Her favorite calling in the church was as a Scout leader for the eleven-year old Scouts. Libby just loved helping “her boys” advance. She also shared her skill at quilting with her Scouts and each one left her group knowing how to tie a quilt and sew. She had a testimony of eternal families and spoke often of reuniting with her parents on the other side of the veil. Her family is comforted in the knowledge that families can be forever families.
Family was the center of Libby’s life and her home was always full of laughter and love. She loved the occasional off-color joke, which drove Spence crazy. Dinner time often erupted in laughter at her end of the table. Her kids knew that if they got Libby laughing, Spence was powerless to say anything. Monty Python movies were a favorite and she was known to have attended a midnight showing of the Holy Grail. All the kids remember Mom laughing so hard at a joke that she literally drove the car off a snowy road in Wyoming on the way to a ski race in Jackson.
Libby is survived by her eternal companion of 60 years, Spencer Beal Greer. She is also survived by her four children, Douglas M. Greer (Michelle), Christopher M. Greer (Becky), Jennifer L. Slade (Robert) and Spencer M. Greer. She had 11 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren. She is also survived by her sister, Suzanne Scott. She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, James Moyle and her sister, Patricia Light.
Private family services to be held at later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you consider a donation to Best Friends Animal Society (Utah.bestfriends.org), an animal rescue non-profit or the Humane Society of Utah (Utahhumane.org).