Tamara Smith Bowles

Our mother, Tamara Smith Bowles, peacefully left behind the cares of this world on March 11, 2026, in the comfort of her own home, surrounded by those of us who loved her most.

Raised in Hyrum, Utah, Tamara entered this life hot on the heels of her older brother and Irish twin, Thom. Three sisters would soon follow, completing the family and cementing a lifetime of friendship and sibling support. After a childhood of carefree adventure in Hyrum, her parents, Gary and Dawna Smith, changed the trajectory of Tammy’s future when they moved the family to a rambling farmhouse in the open fields of Fairview, Idaho. After a brief (claimed, but never proven) stint as a barrel racer, Tamara graduated from Preston High School.

Life for Mom truly began when she married the other half of herself, Zan Bowles, on August 9, 1978. Plunging roots into Fairview soil, Zan and Tamara built a life they loved. For our parents, those years centered on service and a deep sense of community and faith, but most of all, family. Born with an innate gift for motherhood, Tamara gave birth to six lucky children and had the joy of raising five of them. Though devastated by our loss, we send her off with love to the brother who has waited patiently for more than four decades for his time with Mom.

Eventually yielding to Zan’s dream to live in the mountains, Tamara found herself a Fairview transplant in Cub River waters, among new neighbors and new friends. The mountain soon became her sanctuary, her mountain home her refuge, and her new friends beloved.

If Mom loved us, and we never doubted that she did, she loved the five sons-in-law we brought into her life even more. Quick to take their side in any argument, real or in jest, Tammy saw and nurtured relationships with them individually, forever appreciating the love they had for her children. She loved them, and they loved her.

As much as she cherished the title of mother and found joy in her role as a mother-in-law, there is little doubt she loved being Grandma best of all. She was Grandma Cordee to most, Grandma Roxy to some, and to the youngest, simply “the grandma who lives in the mountains.” Mom was the magic maker for her 22 grandchildren. Selling chocolate milk for kisses and withholding Oreos for hugs, Grandma’s world was steeped in tradition and endless fun. Bear Lake family reunions, Tattles’ birthday breakfasts, Christmas cabin sleepovers, and rodeo nights with bottomless bags of licorice are just a few of the intangible keepsakes of Grandma’s unconditional love.

We would be remiss in paying tribute to our mother without again acknowledging the beauty of our parents’ love story. Dad said it best: “We may not have done everything right, but we did do marriage right. I loved her every single day.” It is a marriage that leaves a mark not only on their children and grandchildren but on all those privileged to witness their friendship and devotion to one another. From biannual Jackson Hole trips to countless hours of Monday Night Football, Zan and Tamara did most things the way they liked best—together.

Although the victor in multiple battles, Mom always told us that cancer would eventually win the war, and like always, Mom was right. But she never fought alone, and today we say thank you to all those who walked this road with us (dear friends like Connie Hansen, who quite literally walked beside her)—our mother loved you all. We’d like to express gratitude to Dr. Beckstead, Megan, and the rest of the hospice team for holding our hands in our darkest hour. Yours is a noble calling.

Mother, you are the kingpin, the heart of us all. Envisioning a future as a family without you hovers on the unfathomable. Dad is going to botch a few birthdays, and we highly doubt he will let us all into the bed at Bear Lake. We will likely never put straps on our fitted sheets, and we are definitely not going to iron our jeans, but this we promise you, we will love each other with the fierceness you expect of us—the way you loved us.

Tamara was preceded in death by her father, Gary Smith; her son, Zan Brock; and her granddaughter, Grayce Smith. She is survived by her husband, Zan Bowles; her mother, Dawna Smith; and all four of her siblings; as well as her five children: Trisha (Matt) Smith of Franklin; Dani (Brett) Bloom of Fairview; Andrea (Trevor) Hatch of Fairview; Brittin (Ben) Turnbow of Weston; and Dixon (Malik) Van Hoozer-Bowles of Orlando. She is also survived by three extra children not by blood but certainly by love, Matt (Louise) Haslam of Preston; Karina (Julio) Salazar of Texas; Steffi (Marek) Slysz of Germany, along with twenty-one beautiful grandchildren and two grandsons-in-law.

A brief service celebrating our mother’s life will be held on Monday, March 16, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at Webb Funeral Home, 1005 S. 800 E. Preston, Idaho. Visitations will be held on Sunday from 6-8 pm and again Monday prior to the service from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the funeral home. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at webbmortuary.com

Services will be streamed live and can be viewed on Monday, March 16, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. (MDST) by clicking on the following link:

https://youtube.com/live/QyRXoK3UTVU?feature=share