Elizabeth Conlee

Elizabeth Jane Conlee returned home to her Heavenly Father early on the morning of Sunday, Nov 17, 2024. She passed away at home, surrounded by her parents and loving family, after a courageous four-year long fight with bone cancer.

Elizabeth was born on April 25, 2006, to David and Melissa Conlee after a complicated, high-risk pregnancy. She was tiny, but it was clear that she was a fighter as soon as she was born. She was the second of five children and grew up in a loving family that extended to her many cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents. Family was a central part of her life. In addition to spending much of her time with her parents and siblings, she looked forward to extended family dinners and family reunions. These were some of the happiest times of her life.

Elizabeth was born with determination. Right from the start, she would not be left behind by her older brother. She was talking, potty trained, and reading exceptionally young because that’s what her brother was doing. Little Elizabeth adored her older brother and would ask, “Is my Joshy wakey?” in her tiny, raspy voice as soon as she woke up in the morning.

She decided at age five that she wanted to be a gymnast and learn to play the violin. She excelled in both and watching her in gymnastics meets or performing with her violin was a great joy. She was strong and fast, a natural athlete. In her teen years, she went on to compete in horse vaulting, dance and gymnastics on the back of a moving horse. She loved this. After just a few practices on the horses her coach commented, “She’s fearless.” This was absolutely true, and it extended to all areas of Elizabeth’s life. This was especially evident in her long fight with cancer.

Elizabeth was smart and witty. This showed up in her school and humor. She was always quick to learn and did well in honors classes in Jr. high school. Her gymnastics teammates referred to her as the “class clown” and loved the fun that she brought to the team. This was true of her home and family as well. She brought so much laughter and made every situation lighter with her amazing sense of humor. In many of her darkest moments, she would suddenly have her family in stitches with a perfectly timed joke.

It seemed that Elizabeth had endless creativity and talents. She loved to braid and style hair, decorate cakes, draw, and especially loved to paint. She painted everything from watercolor to acrylic on canvas to pottery. Pottery painting brought her so much joy, especially in recent years when her cancer limited her mobility and energy. She spent hours at pottery studios and her family is so blessed to have the beautiful plates, mugs, bowls and figurines that she meticulously created.

A few notable things that Elizabeth enjoyed were late-night TV with her family, music, and going to Universal Studios Orlando. Her room is filled with vinyl records, especially Taylor Swift. Attending the Eras tour concert twice was a dream come true for her and blessed her with cherished memories. She likewise cherished time and memories spent in Harry Pottery World at Universal Studios Orlando. This helped carry her through her most difficult years fighting cancer. One special experience was when Riot Games generously gifted her with an unexpected trip to their LA campus for “Ellizabeth Day.” This included a phenomenal tour of their campus, a custom “Elizabeth menu” at the cafeteria, and a preview of season two of the Netflix series Arcane, which she and her brother love.

A dominant part of Elizabeth’s teenage years was her battle with cancer, which began at age 14. Elizabeth met each day, each setback and disappointment, without complaint. She never let on just how sick and pained her body was and managed to somehow find joy daily.

During her fight with cancer, Elizabeth developed a strong testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. She grappled with God over the unfairness of her situation. Through that struggle, she came to know God and chose to love Him. Her commitment to the gospel was an inspiration to her family and friends. She is now enjoying the rest of her Lord. Elizabeth is survived by her loving parents David and Melissa Conlee and siblings Joshua, Megan, Natalie, and Michael. The loss of Elizabeth has created a hole in our hearts and home that is impossible to fill. We have been the recipients of many miracles. We look forward to the greatest miracle of all, when, through Jesus Christ, we will embrace her again in a body no longer broken by cancer, but perfected and incorruptible.

Funeral services will be held Monday, November 25, 2024 at 11:00 AM at the Grove Creek Stake Center, 1176 North 730 East Pleasant Grove, Utah 84062.

Interment will follow the funeral and will be in the Orem City Cemetery, 1520 North 800 East, Orem, Utah.

Elizabeth requested a “pink” funeral. Guests are encouraged to wear something pink.

Special thanks to the many who supported and prayed for Elizabeth. In lieu of flowers, the family would like to kindly request considering a donation to a pediatric cancer foundation fighting for better treatment and a cure, Little Warrior Foundation: https://www.littlewarrior.org/donate