2/16/1936 – 10/20/2020
Our beloved mother, sister, Oma, aunt, and friend peacefully left us Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020. Hildi was born Feb. 16, 1936, in Berlin, Germany, to Robert and Margareta Becker. Her family escaped under difficult circumstances from Russian occupied East Germany, to West Berlin after World War II in 1952. Her parents and three sisters immigrated to Salt Lake City, Utah, in Jan. 1954. They wanted to be near the Saints and to be sealed in the Salt Lake Temple. She married Paul H. Gottschalk in 1954 and had two children, Clifford and Diana, and later divorced. She married Don Halladay in 1977 in the Salt Lake Temple, thereby gaining a step-son, Kevin.
Her love of music helped her to serve as ward chorister and choir director for many years. Hildi had numerous hobbies and talents that included singing, oil painting, flower arranging, and decorating. She was also an avid reader, loved to travel, and spend time with her family. Hildi’s lifelong dream was to open a gift and clothing store. Hildi’s Gifts opened in Tooele in 1981 and spanned nearly four decades, with at least three generations of customers. She considered her customers as her second family. She came to work until the week before she passed.
Hildi was preceded in death by her parents, brother Jürgen Becker, and husband Donald Halladay. Hildi is survived by her children Clifford Gottschalk, Diana (Bruce) Shields; stepson Kevin (Gaile) Halladay; sisters Ingrid Kaufman, Brigitte (Tarrie) McBride, Ruth (Dave) Grangroth; five grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020, at 11 a.m., with a viewing beginning at 10 a.m. at the Bennion 19th Ward, 6250 S. 2200 West, Taylorsville, Utah. Interment will take place following the services at Memorial Redwood Mortuary and Cemetery, 6500 S. Redwood Road, West Jordan, Utah. Streaming information can be found online at memorialutah.com.