Dana Mary Wilhite, 70, of Idaho Falls, passed away unexpectedly after a brief illness, surrounded by family on July 31, 2026.

Dana was born at Sacred Heart Hospital in Idaho Falls on September 7, 1955. She attended Holy Rosary Catholic School through 8th grade and then Skyline High School, where she graduated.

As a kid, Dana would walk a few blocks from home to the neighborhood sledding hill behind the local fire station. She would spend all day with family and friends, only returning when it finally got too cold. Many weekends were spent climbing into grandma and grandpa’s big green Travelall and heading up to Island Park or West Yellowstone, and one long trip to Calgary to visit family. Weekends in Island Park were spent camping, floating Big Springs, and watching wildlife. The summer highlight was the Island Park Rodeo; this may be where she got a love of horses and cowboys! Dana cherished the memories she made while hanging out with her cousins at their family farm, running around making up games, daring each other to do silly things, and making questionable decisions; what happened at the farm…stayed at the farm! She said there was much laughter filled nights with little sleep. They were a close-knit group of cousins who also participated in the 4th of July parades dressed to the nines as 1920’s flappers performing the Charleston dance.orse Stampede Ho

After graduating from high school, Dana’s journey took her east, where she worked as a racehorse groomer in Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. She took pride in caring for horses from head to hoof, making sure they were safe, fed, and ready to run. Dana would tell you that mucking stalls was not her favorite task. Dana then headed back west to Las Vegas, where she trained to be a blackjack dealer and worked at the downtown Fremont Hotel before moving to the heart of the Strip to deal at the iconic Stardust Casino. Dana had the unique experience of working in Las Vegas during a time when the city still had old-school charm; the Stardust is long gone, but a little piece of Old Las Vegas will always be a part of Dana’s story.

Dana took an extended trip to explore Australia and New Zealand on her own with a backpack, a bicycle, and an old-school paper map. She proved you don’t need a smartphone to see the world. Dana said, “Sometimes you find the best places when you get lost and have to find your way back.” She stayed in hostels along the way, shared meals, and swapped stories of the day with fellow travelers from all walks of life.

Another fun trip was sightseeing and hiking in the Grand Canyon with her sisters. They hiked so much they literally reached the point of barely being able to walk due to their incredibly sore legs. This trip also highlighted a slightly terrifying kindness by Dana: a traveler who didn’t have a place to stay for the night was welcomed right into the hotel room for the night. Looking back now, we are glad it resulted in a funny memory rather than an episode of Dateline!

One of Dana’s greatest superpowers was remembering the birthdays of people she loved. Siblings, nieces, nephews and the greats could count on a birthday card from her. In a world of texts, emails, and Facebook reminders, she still believed birthdays required postage. She took the time to choose a card, address it, put a stamp on it, and sent it by snail mail! For some family members, it was the only birthday card that arrived each year. It was a simple gesture, but she made the effort, and it was one of the ways she made people feel loved and important.

Dana was an extremely talented seamstress and a passionate knitter with a remarkable eye for fabric and design. She shared these gifts generously with her family, making dresses for her nieces as well as slippers, hats, and scarves for the rest of the family. Dana also used her knitting skills to give back to the community; knitting hats and slippers for preemie babies. In addition to her many creative talents, Dana was a fantastic cook and loved to bake. She never believed in doing anything the easy way. Why make a one-layer cake when you can make three? Her pies started with homemade crust and often finished with a lattice top. She loved creating sweet memories in the kitchen,

She went to horticultural school and achieved a certificate as a Master Gardener. Her green thumb was backed by incredible knowledge, and her garden was beautiful, where she hosted an annual ice cream garden party. She taught her young nieces and nephews how to plant gardens and sow seeds, and the beauty of those early days is still visible as the tulip bulbs popped up again this spring. Dana found such joy in spending time with her nieces and nephews and could turn an ordinary afternoon into an arts and crafts fun fair; she always had projects for the kids and was very patient and encouraging…Dana lived to create beautiful memories, and now her work here is done; she has gone home to be with Jesus, forever free from pain.

Dana was preceded in death by her father, Dean Wilhite; her mother, Joan Keller; and brother, Matthew Wilhite. She is survived by her brother, Jeffrey Wilhite; and sisters: Rita Dempsey, Paula Adkins, Anna Lugar, and Lisa Copeland.

A Celebration of Life will be held from 4:00-7:00 p.m. on August 29, 2026, at 457 E 113N, Idaho Falls. Take Lewisville Hwy North to 113th, turn left, and the house is the 3rd on the right.

Cremation was under the care of Coltrin Mortuary, 2100 First Street, Idaho Falls.