H. Bryan Richards

Our beloved husband, father, and grandfather, H. Bryan Richards, passed away peacefully on October 10, 2020.  Bryan was born on March 18, 1934, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Horace B. and Carol B. Richards.  He grew up in Sugar House as a member of Stratford Ward where he gained a solid foundation for his life.  Bryan attended South High School and graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in business.  He worked as a benefits administrator for E-Systems.  Bryan served in The Great Lakes Mission where he made many life-long, eternal friends.  At BYU, Bryan was a member of the Air Force ROTC, and he served in the US Army when he returned from his mission. While attending BYU, Bryan met the love of his life, LynnAnne Taylor.  They married in the SLC temple on August 23, 1957, a marriage that led to eight children, 31 grandchildren, and 26 great-grandchildren. 

Bryan was a devoted disciple of Jesus Christ and a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Answering the call to serve took Bryan and LynnAnne around the world. The global nature of his church assignments led him to cherished and eternal relationships with many special people. Bryan served in various capacities, including as a stake president, regional representative, mission president, General Authority Seventy, temple president, and stake patriarch; but his favorite calling was the years he spent as the coach of The Big Blue Machine of the Holladay 26th Ward. 

Bryan had a deep love of missionary work, and he held a special place in his heart for his England Manchester missionaries.  It was an honor and a highlight of his life to serve in that “green and pleasant land.” Those were “days never to be forgotten.”

Bryan’s zeal for missionary work not only took him around the world but also to the quiet of his study, where he devoted much of his time to family history, researching and finding hundreds of “lost but not forgotten” souls and ensuring that their temple work was completed.  

Bryan’s crowning accomplishment was his family.  His posterity was his greatest joy, and he was their greatest blessing.  Bryan loved to gather his children and grandchildren around him often and admonish them to “remember the teachings” of their fathers and to carry on that great legacy of faith that runs in their blood.  Because he testified to them often, Bryan’s posterity does not doubt his unshakable testimony of Jesus Christ and His restored gospel.  

Bryan was not a man to leave important things unsaid or unwritten.  His children and grandchildren cherish the many letters he wrote to them in his beautiful cursive script.  They will each miss Grandpa singing “Happy Birthday” to them on the phone, and they’ll miss him at their ball games, concerts, recitals, and Sunday family dinners. BYU will also miss its greatest fan.

Bryan is survived by his devoted wife of 63 years, LynnAnne Taylor, and his eight children: CarolLynn (Kim) Gregson, Shari (Benjamin) Turnbow, Taylor (Barbara) Richards, Robyn (Craig) Stulce, Heidi (Michael) Poulter, Becky (Anthony) Tholen, JennyLynn (Jason) Rockwood, and John (Ashley) Richards. Bryan was preceded in death by his sister, Gayle (Ray) Lawrence, his brother, Craig Richards, and his son-in-law, Kim Gregson.

Due to COVID restrictions, a graveside service will be held for immediate family only. The Richards family is deeply grateful for all the phone calls, compassion, and service that has been shown over the past few weeks. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the missionary fund of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.