Sophee Marvetta Baker Ashby

September 21, 2006 - June 13, 2020

On Saturday, June 13, 2020, Sophee Marvetta Baker Ashby, our little “Birdie,” died in a devastating accident in Preston, Idaho. Our perfect Sophee was only 13 years old. She came into the world on September 21, 2006 in Sandy, Utah to her adoring parents, Tamra and Mark Ashby. She will forever be known as Birdie to our family. When she was little she stood her cute, little self at her daddy’s feet, tugged on his leg, looked up at him with her big, blue eyes, opened her mouth and waited for daddy to share his food with her. Mark would always say “you are just a little birdie,” and the name stuck. We love our Sophee Birdie’s beauty inside and out. Her beautiful, thick, long, blond hair was Sophee and mommy’s favorite. Mommy followed hair style blogs and watched hours of YouTube videos to get ideas for Sophee’s hair. Doing her hair was one of her mom’s favorite things to do. Sophee loved to have her hair pretty even when she was tiny. As a little girl and a tween, she named all her favorite hair styles. We had rainbow braids, flippers, telephone hair, piggies and warrior braids . . . Our passionate, loving Sophee chose to be baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on September 27, 2014. Her baptism was her special day and she wanted to make it all her own. When we took her to pick out a white dress to wear on her baptism day, Sophee had her own ideas to make her day unique. She picked out a beautiful peach with black polka-dots baptism dress instead of the traditional white. She loved her church activities. She was thrilled to turn 12 and join Young Women’s and go to the weekly activities. During the Covid-19 quarantine, she missed her weekly young women’s activities the most. She loved going to the temple to perform work for those who had died before her. She felt her greatest accomplishment in the church was memorizing the Young Women’s theme. One of our greatest joys is that we got to be together with her in the temple. As our family grew, and we adopted children, what a sweet tender mercy from our Father that we were able to sit in His sacred house with our beautiful girl each time we were sealed as a family. Sophee’s joy to be in the temple with her family was a treasured gift for us to witness. She knew her Heavenly Father loved her and her growing testimony was trusting and pure. She knew her Heavenly Father loved her because in her words “we are trying our best to become like him.” She wanted to live her life to “try to follow his commandments” and treat others “kind and nice.” Sophee had spunk, sass and an abundance of energy from the moment she was born. She began tumbling with her childhood best friend. Sophee knew she was destined for greatness in the world of tumbling. She was thrilled when she got her back walkover and forever had her feet off the ground. As Sophee got older, she added dance to her passions. She was a loved member of Tiffany’s Dance Studio competitive dance team. Her talent was only growing. She was so sad this year’s competitions were canceled, but was looking forward to being on stage, wearing her costumes and most importantly wearing her dance make up at her upcoming recital. Sadly, our Heavenly Father called her home too soon and she didn’t get to perform. He dance competition team members filled our hearts with love and eased our grief for a moment as they performed both her dances for us and showed their love for Sophee by releasing purple balloons in her honor this week. In this world there are individuals that light up a room, that shine so bright and make the world a better place. Sophee was one for sure. Her loving, sweet, fun, sparkly self brought so much joy and happiness everywhere. Once, she and her childhood partner in crime decided to make a video, but wanted the background to shimmer. What better way to achieve that than to throw an entire bottle of glitter into the air while filming? Sophee’s sparkling, on the go personality was manifested not only in the pleasure she took from dance, adventure, and a glittery video backdrop, but in her sense of style. Not only did she love having her hair done, she loved glamour—press-on nails, face masks with her sisters, smelly body wash and perfume. She always made the world more beautiful. We will always remember her deep love of family and her desire for family time. She shared a room with her two little sisters, Laynee and Oaklee. Almost every night ended with us as parents telling her to stop talking, giggling and keeping her sisters awake. There was just too much life to be had for her to go to sleep. She loved playing games with the younger kids and cherished spending time with her siblings. Monopoly pieces were forever on our floor after she and Hudsen organized a game with the younger kids. Little Marlee was constantly being scooped up by her big sister Sophee to be given a hug and taken off to hang with her big sis. She loved deeply and wanted to be there for all of us. If you knew Sophee, you knew she just loved to go places with her family. Her favorite place was the Holiday gas station. She asked almost daily if someone would take her to the gas station to buy a treat. We can’t count how many times Mom, Dad, Andree, Daylen and Camden ran her to the gas station. Our Sophee Birdie knew what was important in life. She cherished and loved her family, spent time with us daily, forgave us easily, served us unconditionally, smiled for us often, and made the world a more beautiful place. We love you Birdie and long for heaven to be with you. Sophee is survived by her loving parents Mark and Tamra, 10 amazing siblings Daylen, Andree, Camden, Kyson, Hudsen, Laynee, Oaklee, Bastien, Nayvee and Marlee. She is also survived by her maternal grandparents, Brenda and John Carrell, and Garry and Ellen Baker, as well as her paternal grandparents, Larry and Patricia Ashby. She’s survived by her beloved best friend and cousin, Annabelle Baker, as well as countless other friends. She was loved by many aunts, uncles, cousins, and extended family members. She was welcomed home to heaven by great grandparents, including her namesake Marvetta Baker, and many other loved ones who had gone before her. We’d love to see everyone who ever knew our Sophee Birdie at any and all of these events celebrating her beautiful life, please join us and come prepared to write a memory of our sweet girl for us to cherish forever. Sophee loved collecting change, bring your loose change and help us finish filling her coin jar. Sophee’s viewings will take place on Friday, June 19, from 6 – 8 p.m. and Saturday June 20, from 9-10:45 a.m. at 13768 South 6400 West, Herriman, UT with no limits to the number of attendees, but social distancing guidelines are required. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, June 20 at 11 a.m. Due to public-health concerns, we will be forced to limit the number of attendees. Please contact Michele Reich at [email protected] to request to attend the funeral. A link to attend the funeral virtually we be posted on social media. Sophee will be interned at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park, 13001 South 3600 West, Riverton, UT 84065 all are welcome, there are no restrictions on number of attendees. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the family via their Go Fund Me page at https://gf.me/u/x86knz or Venmo @Michele-Reich. Condolences can be sent to [email protected] The family would like to thank the many friends and family members who have provided comfort and support during this difficult time.