Richard Bruce Anderson, 72, passed away on December 13, 2024, at home, after a long battle with Multiple Sclerosis. Richard was born on November 2, 1952, in Payson, Utah to Edward and Gloria Anderson. He married Debra Lamb in September of 1972. Their family was later sealed in the Idaho Falls Temple in August of 1990.

Richard was raised in Spanish Fork Utah and was proud of his Icelandic Heritage. He was the 4th of 5 children. Richard had many adventures in his early life, and he loved horses. Friends and neighbors would often see him riding his old horse ''Dutch" along the streets of Spanish Fork. He was educated in Spanish Fork. In his grade school years, he talked way too much and caused a lot of trouble in the classroom. He felt bad in his later years for being a bully at school.

In 9th grade, he had a "strict" English teacher (Blanche Jensen) who helped turn his scholastic life around. She took an interest in him and showed him how to put some of his energy to his studies. Richard always felt that she started him on his lifelong journey of learning. He graduated in 1971 from Spanish Fork High School, with High Honors. With scholarships from many colleges in Utah, he decided to go to Utah State where he graduated in 1977. He received his master's degree from the University of Idaho in 1993. Richard worked many jobs over the years with a career in Industrial Health and Safety Engineering at the Nuclear Energy Site on the high plains desert west of Idaho Falls. He was given disability from the Site due to his debilitating MS in 1995.

He had many hobbies including tinkering around with old cars to get them running again. He loved to take his boys hunting and fishing. He always planted a very large garden when he was healthy enough to do so. Richard's gardens were huge and required hard work, despite his wife and children's protests. He was happiest in the fall when he had hunted and brought home a deer or elk and his garden had miraculously been canned and preserved by his wife and family.

In Iona, Idaho, the family home was on 5 acres. Richard was able to have the horses he loved, and even raise a few cows, lambs, chickens, and pigs. Around the year 2000, it was becoming clear that the property was too much to care for with his declining health. The Idaho home was sold in 2005 and a big move to St. George took place where he could live on a smaller property in a warmer climate in the same city where his sons (and eventually the rest of the family) lived.

Richard loved spending time at a local cafe talking and telling funny stories with the other old guys until he could no longer leave the house comfortably. Richard loved telling stories to anyone he met. He made friends easily and spent a lot of time talking with his lifelong friends, Earl Taylor and John Bingham.

Richard is survived by his wife Debbie, his sons: Austin Anderson (Lalonni), Ethan Anderson (Molly) of St. George, Utah and Ty (Nina) of Billings, MT; and his daughters: Amber Nyberg (Brian) of Houston, TX and Megan Anderson Young of St. George, Utah. Richard also had 17 grandchildren, who he loved so much. He has two brothers in Spanish Fork, Utah: Ted Anderson (Dianne) and Chris Anderson(Cindy). Richard would help many of his nieces and nephews with car problems and other issues, he loved each and every one of them! He was preceded in death by his parents Edward and Gloria Anderson and in-laws Farrell and Opal Lamb, brother Eddie Anderson, sister-in-law Karen Anderson, and sister Cathy Harrison.

Funeral Services will be on Saturday, December 21, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. at the Mulberry LDS Chapel (3381 Mulberry Dr, St. George, Utah). A viewing will be held before the funeral starting at 11:00 a.m. for friends and family. Interment will take place at the Tonaquint, Cemetery (1777 S. Dixie Dr., St. George, Utah) immediately following the funeral.

The family would like to thank Richard's many caregivers in the past two years, including Cindy, Cierra, Vanessa, and Georgia from Dixie Health and Hospice and Cheyenne and Chelsey from Advantage Health.

Arrangements are made under the direction of Spilsbury Mortuary. 110 South Bluff Street, St. George, Utah. 435-673-2454. Family and friends are invited to sign Richard's digital memorial page at www.SpilsburyMortuary.com