Rick Olsen Conner

Rick Olsen Conner (or Rocky- if you know, you know) (72) died on November 11, 2026, in St. George, Ut, following a valiant battle with Alzheimer disease. He was born in Casper, Wy, on August 23, 1954, to Wayne Conner and Carol Joyce Guber. He married Judi Conner (Van de Merwe) on May 3, 1978, in the Salt Lake City Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Rick grew up in Casper, Wyoming, and Idaho Falls, Idaho, with his sisters, Frances and Brenda, and his mother, Carol. They spent several years also living with his grandpa and grandma, whom he loved very much. He spent a part of his high school years living in Texas with his dad’s side of the family. Although his time there was relatively brief, he treasured those memories and always spoke of Texas with such fondness. The truthfulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ was deeply personal to him; he clung to it, found it etched on his soul, and used it as a life preserver.

He served an LDS mission in the Oregon/Idaho mission from 1973-1975. His mission was a great learning opportunity and a source of tender memories he often shared. Later, he met his wife, his queen and the love of his life, Judi, at BYU.

Rick and Judi were blessed with 5 children. Aaron (Emily), Angela (Raul), Joshua (Ember), Rachel (Carter), and Sarah (Alex). And 19 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Rick always treated being a Dad and a Grandpa as a great privilege and a top priority. Each of his children remembers their dad as someone who was there when they needed him, in times of need and especially in times of play. A phenomenal listening ear, seeking to understand, was always his first step to solving a problem. He was dependable, hardworking, and always ready for an adventure. He played as hard as he worked (and sometimes harder). In February of 1992, Rick and Judi chose to move their family from Salt Lake to St. George. He loved exploring the St. George area as well as any other location where he found himself vacationing. Being a tour guide to visiting family and friends was always enjoyable to Rick. He fit the part with his array of Hawaiian shirts. “Hey, you gotta come see this!” was a common phrase heard as he genuinely found awe in nature and the world around him. For many years, the elementary school bus stop was in front of his house. He loved going out to play basketball in the driveway with the kids on those early morning school days. These types of opportunities are why he wanted to work from home. He understood that the small and simple moments of childhood were fleeting and so valuable.

As an entrepreneur, he always had a new business idea. Anyone who knew Rick has heard “You know what would be a good idea for a business…” He figured out how to work remotely before working remotely was even cool, and before the internet. Through long-distance phone calls and a fax machine, he somehow convinced people that his one-man band was an entire orchestra.

Rick loved to serve. Whether in the community, within the family, or at church, he loved to help those around him. Rick served in various callings in his LDS congregation. Some of these include 7 years as a scout master, many times as a bishopric counselor, and as a bishop. He loved serving as a bishop and treated his ward members as his little flock. He genuinely loved them and did whatever he could to serve them as the Savior would. He very rarely missed a Sunday as Bishop. Next to his faith and his family, Rick treasured his ability to make others laugh. Always ready with a joke, he shared his sense of humor right up until the end. He was a happy person and wanted others to be happy too. This was part of his gift. He shared happiness, he shared love, and he shared faith. His love of the gospel of Jesus Christ, as well as his relationship with Him, were always central in his life. His weekly temple attendance for 30+ years was a testament to this.

His wife and family never questioned his love for them or their priority to him. Rick will always be deeply loved and cherished by those who had the privilege of knowing him. What an honor to be a part of the life of this man.

Rick is survived by his loving wife, Judi; his children Aaron (Emily) Conner, Angela Conner (Raul Mijares), Joshua (Ember) Conner, Rachel (Carter) Dredge, and Sarah (Alex) Spencer; He is also survived by his sisters, Frances (Kay) Tryon and Brenda (Steve) Sanford.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, November 21st, 2026, at 10:00 am at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel on 1095 St. James Ln, St. George, Utah. A visitation will be held from 8:30-9:30 a.m., prior to services at the chapel. Interment will be in the Tonaquint Cemetery, St. George, Utah.