Rick Kevan Duckworth

Rick Kevan Duckworth, 74, passed away on August 18, 2026, in Magna, Utah. He was born March 26, 1952, in Oakland, California, to Robert and Venae Duckworth.

Rick married the love of his life, Sherri Pope, on October 11, 1974, in the Salt Lake Temple. Together they built a family that grew to include eight children and 34 grandchildren. Family was one of the great joys of Rick's life. He loved spending time with his grandchildren, and they could always count on Grandpa for a treat and a story.

Rick had a lifelong love of learning. He graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor's degree in psychology and later earned an Executive Master of Public Administration. He was also an avid reader and collector of books and could always find room for one more.

Throughout his career, Rick worked at the Kennecott Copper Mine and later served as a correctional officer at the Utah State Prison. But Rick's contributions extended far beyond his career. He loved his community of Magna and found many ways to be involved in it. He served as president of the Magna Museum, served as president of his HOA, and wrote for the Magna Times. In recognition of his involvement and service in the community, Rick was honored as Grand Marshal of the Magna Parade in 2025.

Rick loved people. He enjoyed meeting someone new almost as much as he enjoyed telling them a good story. Friendly and outgoing, he could strike up a conversation just about anywhere, and he wasn't afraid of a little attention along the way. At church, one of his favorite things to do was stand near the entrance and greet people as they arrived.

They had better arrive early, though. Rick was famous for saying, "If you aren't 20 minutes early, you're late."

Rick was a cowboy at heart and was rarely without a hat—preferably a cowboy hat. He loved going to the movies, cheering for his beloved BYU Cougars, reading, collecting books, and telling stories.

For approximately 20 years, Rick also took on another identity that brought joy to countless children: Santa Claus. He played Santa regularly for both his family and the community. His love for BYU even found its way into his Santa duties. For one BYU football game, Rick traded Santa's traditional red for a blue suit and proudly became "Cougar Claus."

Rick was a devoted member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As a young man, he served a mission in Switzerland, and years later he and Sherri served a senior mission together in Montana. He also served in the branch presidency of the Magna Young Single Adult branch, along with other opportunities to serve throughout his life.

His love for family extended to the generations who came before him. Family history was deeply important to Rick, and he devoted countless hours to researching his ancestors and filling in as much of his family's history as he could. For Rick, family wasn't limited to the people immediately around him; it stretched across generations.

Rick is survived by his loving wife, Sherri; their eight children, Jacob (Sarah), Isaac (Brandy), Abbi (James Hughes), Josef (Karen), Emily (Douglas Nielsen), Cassandra (Eric Bosch), Elias (Amber), and Alicia “Sofi” (Jeffrey Burton); and his 34 grandchildren. He is also survived by his siblings Cory (Elva), Cherry (Jeff Collins), and Shelby (Shayne Terry), as well as his sister-in-law Diane.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Venae Duckworth, and his brothers Ryan and Sand.

Rick leaves behind a remarkable legacy of family, faith, stories, service, and community. He will be remembered in cowboy hats and Santa suits, in the family history he so carefully preserved, in the Magna community he loved and served, and in the stories his children and grandchildren will continue to tell.

And wherever the next gathering may be, we can be certain of one thing: Rick will be there at least 20 minutes early.

Funeral services will begin with a viewing at Peel Funeral Home on Sunday, August 23, 2026, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

The funeral service will be held Monday, August 24, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. at the Latter-day Saint meetinghouse located at 3610 S. 8400 W., Magna, Utah. A viewing will be held prior to the funeral from 11:00 to 11:45 a.m., followed by a family prayer at 11:45 a.m.

Interment will follow at Pleasant Green Cemetery, located at 9200 W. 3500 S., Magna, Utah.