Richard Buist

Richard Alexander Buist passed away surrounded with love on November 28, 2021, at his new home, shared with his daughter and her family, in American Fork, Utah. He was born surrounded with love on July 4, 1937, in Logan, Utah, and grew up thinking everyone was celebrating his birthday. His Birth Date was fitting because Richard was a Patriot. His family has surely enjoyed celebrating this country and his birthday with him each year.

Richard grew up in a loving family, who enjoyed many traditions, including a beautiful vegetable garden, hunting, fishing, camping, family reunions and a strong work ethic. Richard helped his father make sure the widows who lived close by had wood for the winter and their driveways shoveled after each storm. While he was young, he often rode on the train around Cache Valley to visit and help his Grandma Buist in Mendon. He loved scouting and earned his Eagle Scout Rank. He felt the importance of this achievement during his life and found many ways to help other young men earn their Eagle.

After graduating from Logan High School, Richard attended a year at Utah State University before he served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the Northwestern States Mission. This was a wonderful experience for him. He loved sharing the gospel he loved and watching how it blessed the lives of others. He kept that missionary spirit for the rest of his life. After his mission, he continued his education and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting. At that time, he also graduated from the Army ROTC program, so after graduation served two years in West Germany protecting its border with East Germany and Czechoslovakia. This experience deepened his patriotism and his family’s as he shared the stories of people he met who did not enjoy our same freedoms. During his devoted service he received many awards and was selected as Officer of the Year of his 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment. When he concluded his service, he returned to Utah State University to earn a Master of Business Administration degree.

Following graduation, he went to work with the accounting firm Arthur Andersen & Co. in Los Angeles, California. This took him near to his cousins, who introduced him to his soon-to-be wife, Lura. After their marriage in the Logan Temple, they joyfully welcomed three children into their family: Tina, Rae Lynn and David. They had spent nine years in Southern California when Richard was offered an opportunity to help open the new Salt Lake City Office of AA & Co. This move took them to their home of 47 years in their beloved Little Cottonwood 5th and 16th wards in Murray, Utah. He was then closer to his hometown of Logan, which made it easier for him to care for his dear Mother and brother Keith.

Richard was devoted to his family, which grew to include his eighteen grandchildren who each love him dearly. Richard wanted to create great family memories. Traveling was a hobby he enjoyed, so he shared it frequently with his family, visiting Church historical and American historical sites, Europe, the Holy Land, Australia, the Pacific Isles and beautiful Alaska. Over the years he visited all 50 states. Boating, hunting, backpacking, camping and yearly trips to Lake Powell were also important family traditions filled with great experiences that will be treasured. His love and devotion to his family heritage has been passed on because of the stories he shared and documented, especially on Memorial Day and at Family Reunions. Celebrating birthdays with Grandpa and Grandma meant being honored with dinner and more family time together. They prioritized their time around the events of each of their grandchildren. Rain or shine they supported their sports and talents and were there often enough to become friends with the friends of their grandchildren. As each year ended, Grandpa gathered his family together to share the Christmas Story and his testimony that our Savior is most important of all. It is hard to imagine these traditions without him.

Richard was a devoted member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was blessed to serve within the church in many ways. He loved our Savior Jesus Christ and His Gospel and sharing his witness of the truth of it with unconditional love. We will be forever grateful and blessed because of his profound testimony and years of service to the Lord and will try to follow his unending example of faith and service.

Richard is preceded in death by his father, Charles Alexander Buist, his mother, Lois Mae Thorpe Buist, and his brothers, John and Keith. He is survived by his wife Lura, children Tina Curzon (Sean), Rae Lynn Weaver (Keith), David Buist (Tanya), eighteen grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

A funeral service will be held on Friday, December 3, 2021, at 11:00 am, at the Little Cottonwood 5th Ward building at 6350 South Rodeo Lane (1530 East), Murray, Utah. At the same location, a viewing will be held prior to the service at 10:00 am. An additional viewing will be held Thursday evening, December 2nd from 6:00 until 8:00 pm at the South Jordan location of Jenkins-Soffe Mortuary at 1007 W. South Jordan Parkway, South Jordan, Utah 84095. Following the service on Friday, Richard will be laid to rest near other family members in the Logan City Cemetery at 2:30 pm.