Date of Birth
November 21, 1978
Date of Death
August 20, 2003
Location
South Ogden, Utah
Cause of Death
Peripartum Cardiomyopathy
Who She Was
Her Story
It is with deeply mixed emotions that we as a family announce the passing of our beloved daughter, granddaughter, sister, wife, mother and friend Bambi Dawn Chugg Thomas, this the 20th day of August, 2003. Bambi was born to Terrie and Ricky Chugg on November 21, 1978.
She was raised primarily in the Roy, Utah area and enjoyed sports with her friends, including softball and basketball. Her true love, though, was dancing. She was a member of the Ogden Dolls at a young age and followed that love through to being a member of the Roy High Royalaries in high school. She also loved to sing and play the piano. Bambi graduated from Roy High School 1997. Later that summer, she competed in and won the Miss Roy crown. Her platform was getting children excited about reading and many children at Roy’s Municipal Elementary School will remember the fun reading contest that she sponsored at their school that year.
After completing her Miss Roy responsibilities, she decided it was time to settle down, and on July 29, 1998, Bambi married her high school sweetheart, Danny Thomas of Roy. Danny’s college basketball scholarships took them to Western Wyoming in Rock Springs and then to Kansas Wesleyan in Salina, KS. Bambi made the best of these moves away from home and met many new friends along the way. A year later, on July 29, 1999, their marriage was eternally solemnized in the Salt Lake Temple. With college behind them, Bambi and Danny returned home and just last year were able to get into a home of their own. Bambi worked as the manager of the Roy Standard Optical and was also featured in their TV and newspaper ads. She took a special interest in all the people she came in contact with at the store.
Bambi soon was expecting their first child. On December 24, 2002, Bambi and Danny became proud parents of a beautiful little girl, Ellie Jayne. Shortly after delivery, Bambi went into cardiac arrest from a condition called Postpartum Cardiomyopathy. She was transported to LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City and was there fitted with a Bi-Vad heart assist device. Bambi was a pioneer with this system and became the first patient in the intermountain region to leave the hospital with a small portable pump driver. She was extremely mobile, and didn’t let having to push the pump around stop her from doing the things she loved with the people she loved.
At the time of her death, she was living with her husband and baby at the home of her parents. Bambi has touched many lives through this ordeal. Her strength and positive outlook were remarkable. Her love goes out to all of you who touched her, especially her adopted little sister, Mikayla. We as a family would like to offer our profound and heartfelt thanks to the extraordinary medical staff at LDS Hospital for the outstanding and compassionate care given to Bambi during her stays. Without them, Bambi wouldn’t have been able to enjoy the past 8 months with Danny, Ellie and all of her family and friends.
Bambi is survived by her husband and daughter, her parents of Roy, Brother Cody, Sister Ashley (Mat) Wilson, In-laws Dan and Shauna Thomas of Roy, Sisters-in-law Amber and Sierra. She was preceded in death by her grandparents, Earl and Donna Floyd.
Bambi, you are now free to dance and sing with the angels. You are one of them!