Richard "Rick" Oliver

RICK OLIVER IDAHO FALLS, ID -- Richard “Rick” Connelly Oliver, beloved husband, father, son, brother, uncle, and friend, died suddenly in Blackfoot, Idaho on April 23, 2005 at the age of 42. He was born September 9, 1962 in Tucson, Arizona, the son of Grace Yvonne and Richard Alfred Oliver. He spent his early years in Tucson and later moved to Salt Lake City, Utah where he attended Salt Lake Community College and received his degree in criminal justice. He served in West Valley City as a reserve officer before becoming a correctional officer for the State of Utah, where he worked for seven years. During that time, he met his sweetheart, Jan, and they were married on October 16, 1992; their marriage was solemnized a year later in the Manti LDS temple, which his ancestors helped to construct. In 1999, Rick became a stay-at-home dad and spent the last six years raising his two children, Caleigh and Ryon. He always said that teaching his children to read, showing them the value of play, and instilling a deep love and desire to protect each other in their hearts was the “best job he ever had”. Rick enjoyed learning the Spanish language and took every opportunity to practice in conversation, sometimes with friends, sometimes with total strangers, who were simply friends he hadn’t met yet. He had a lifelong passion for weight lifting and spent many hours “banging weights” in the gym, training for bodybuilding and power-lifting competitions. He was ranked 13th in the Master’s division for his weight class and was proud of his 500 lb. squat, 500 lb. deadlift, and 390 lb. bench press. Rick was an accomplished artist, first drawing portraits of his wife, children, family, and friends; later he drew for Scarecrow Press, who showcased his beautiful illustrations on the covers of nationally distributed textbooks. At the time of his death, Rick was a student at the Bingham Memorial Hospital College of Massage Therapy and was scheduled to graduate in June 2005. His natural talent and desire to heal was evident to all those he touched. He was extremely kind-hearted and his good nature belied the battle raging within; he lived and loved to the best of his ability and he is, and will always be, terribly missed. Survivors include his wife and best friend, Janina Lyn Park Oliver; children, Caleigh Wyn and Ryon Kyndrick (Idaho Falls); mother, Grace Yvonne Shand Oliver; and sister, Robin Elaine Oliver (Seattle). Interment will be in the Lehi City Cemetery (1100 North 400 East, Lehi, Utah) on May 23, 2005, following a graveside service at 1:00 p.m. A memorial gathering is planned for friends and family to celebrate his life; this will be held at 1582 Casseopeia Street, Idaho Falls, ID on Wednesday, May 25th from 6 to 8 p.m.