SALT LAKE CITY — Family and friends of the late Tammy Daybell have set up a foundation in her honor, dedicated to her love of books and reading.
"[W]e are pleased to announce a foundation has been established in her name to honor her legacy of service and love of literacy. The mission of the Tammy Douglas Daybell Foundation is to give children the opportunity to love the written word," the foundation's website read.
Tammy had and instilled in her children a passion for reading, her obituary says. She and her husband founded and operated a publishing company in Springville, Utah, and she worked as a librarian at schools in Idaho before her death last year at 49 years old.
"She was treasured and loved by the staff and students alike," the obituary read.
Tammy was married to Chad Daybell, a man who is currently facing charges in connection with the disappearance of two children whose bodies were found buried on his Salem, Idaho property in June.
Tammy died Oct. 19, 2019, ruled initially as natural causes.
Chad married Lori Vallow less than two weeks later. Lori's former husband, Charles Vallow, had also died not long before, on July 11, 2019.
Tammy's remains were exhumed from a cemetery in Springville, Utah in December after police began investigating the disappearance of Lori's two youngest children, J.J. Vallow and Tylee Ryan, who were last seen alive in September 2019 at ages 7 and 16, respectively.
The results of her autopsy, which was not performed until after being exhumed, have not been publicly released. However, the Idaho Attorney General's Office announced several months ago that it was taking over the investigation into her death, with Chad and Lori being named as possible defendants.
Tammy's family announced the foundation Monday, the one-year anniversary of her death. It has been granted nonprofit 501(c)3 status, but the website says is not yet able to accept donations.
The organizers have posted on social media, inviting people to share their favorite photos of them or their children reading, as well as "funny library stories, or how you fell in love with your favorite author."
