William (Bill) Ferrel Richey

William Ferrel Richey passed away on April 19, 2016 at the age of 80 due to a series of complications related to aging. He was known by many names during his life: Richey, Ferrel, Bill, and Biligoat, which is befitting for a man who had multiple nicknames for those he loved. Born in St. Johns, Arizona on December 23, 1935 to Gladys Webb and Guy Richey, he was the third of six children. Bill spent his entire childhood in St. Johns and learned to work hard on the family farm. Bill was a small, shy, sensitive boy who did well in school and spent any spare time playing basketball. It was very important for him to follow the rules, do the right thing, and respect his elders. Bill followed in his older brother and sister�s footsteps and entered BYU as a freshman after graduating high school. He later transferred to California State University, Northridge, where he graduated with his Bachelor of Science in Physical Education and a Minor in Spanish. Bill�s friend, Hal Platts, set Bill up on a blind date to take Hal�s younger sister, Evalyn, to Junior Prom. They dated, fell in love, and all the girls were jealous that Bill picked Evalyn. They were married November 26, 1955 and were later sealed in the Los Angeles Temple. He relied heavily on his wife, loved her deeply, worked tirelessly by her side for the benefit of their children, and remained loyal and committed no matter what life brought. Bill and Evalyn had 7 children. They spent the first half of their years raising their family in the San Fernando Valley and the second half in Fresno. The move to Fresno was an answer to a call to return to Bill�s ranching roots and raise his children in a similar environment to his childhood experience. He named their home �Atlasta Rancho� where he built and managed a gentleman�s farm. He loved to train and ride horses and shared this love of horses with his kids. He was also an avid gardener and landscaper; wherever he lived, he beautified the yard. Many considered him one of the hardest working men they had ever known. He always had more than one job. Some of these jobs were to make extra money, and some �jobs�were to stretch that money, such as chopping down wood in the forest for the wood burning stove to save money on heat, which was never turned on during the entire 15 years his family lived in Fresno. He also supplied most of the family�s food from the farm: milk, meat, eggs, fruits, and vegetables. Bill accomplished all this work with the help of the original low-tech I-phone, which consisted of several 3x5 cards always in his shirt pocket to capture his perennial �to do� list. Bill actively served in the church throughout his life. He always brought energy, enthusiasm and efficiency to whatever he was asked to do. He was heavily involved in scouting and was able to take his three boys on many high adventures; the highlights were climbing Mount Whitney in a lightning storm, biking 180 miles from Salinas to San Luis Obispo on Highway 1, and backpacking 70 miles across the Sierras from North Lake to Huntington Lake. This then segued into taking the whole family on many backpacking trips with the youngest child being 2 years old. Bill was a gifted athlete and worked hard to hone his skills in whatever activity he was engaged. His passion for athletics remained well into his seventies. Upon retiring from a 30 year banking career and moving to St. George, Bill finally found his dream job at the National Institute of Fitness as head of the hiking department in Snow Canyon. He came to love the beauty of the red rocks and reveled in the fact that he could outperform the iron men who came there to train, as they were new to the terrain he had mastered. His passion for biking, running, and hiking grew. Every event was done with the intent to improve his personal best and seek new challenges. Some of the highlights include: 12 St. George Marathons, 1 full and 2 half Pike�s Peak Marathons, 2 Rim to Rim Grand Canyon Hikes, and 3 Subway Hikes. The only thing Bill loved more than a great physical challenge, was to share this physical adventure with people he loved. He took his wife, children, and grandchildren on countless hikes, bike rides, and runs. Bill loved the beauty and wonder of nature. You couldn�t go anywhere with him and not have him point out a beautiful scene or sight. He loved beautiful flowers and especially roses. He would take flowers from Zion�s Canyon and transplant them to his home. He was known for trimming everyone�s rose bushes wherever he went. He loved to identify interesting shapes and images in rocks, or the sky, or anywhere in nature. Every window sill and shelf of his home was covered with rocks he collected, and he could tell you exactly where every one came from. Bill loved music and learned to play the guitar at the age of 38 which inspired a short, prolific creative period of poem and song writing. The main topics were his children, his love for his wife, and deep contemplations about life. Bill was also an avid reader and had a passion for learning. He always carried reading material with him in case he found himself with forced downtime. Later in life, while working at the National Institute of Fitness, his passion for learning was focused on health and fitness. He became an extreme health nut, but he maintained his wicked sweet tooth until the very end. He always had �power pills�, also known as Tootsie Rolls, on any athletic adventure to help himself and those around him finish the run or ride. Bill was a meticulous record keeper of many things, but what we most appreciate are his journals and the many photos and videos he took which have preserved many wonderful family memories. He will be fondly remembered by his wife Evalyn; his children Marcia, Ferrel (Dee Pollock), Troy (Kathryn Harline), Tracey (Cindy Read), Cydni (Paul Patterson), Chari (Bradley Carter), and Chyleen; his 26 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren; and his remaining siblings Alice, Ben (Janet Tolman), and Anne (Jim Waite). A viewing will be held on Friday, May 6 from 6-8 p.m. at the LDS Chapel on 2301 E. Bengal Blvd (7600 S) in Cottonwood Heights, with funeral services on Saturday, May 7 at 11:00 a.m. at the same location. A second viewing will be held one hour prior to the service.