Eric Richins

Eric Eugene Richins made his last extravagant and largely unexpected gesture on March 4, 2022, signing off on a life, in his own words, “lived to the fullest and with few regrets.”

God certainly perfected the mold when Eric was born to Gene and Linda (Carter) Richins on May 13, 1982 in Bountiful, UT.  Eric’s world revolved around his family, his love for hunting, the family cattle ranch, and his insane drive as a successful entrepreneur.

Being born into the Richins Legacy shaped Eric’s formative years and resulted in a lifetime of hard work, dedication, and fierce loyalty. Being the eldest was a dubious task, but he was up for the challenge and led and loved his sisters fiercely. At an early age, Eric learned the joys of keeping horses and cows around. He spent countless hours helping his dad work the ranch, hauling hay, feeding the animals, and mending fences. He loved his family unconditionally, and was a devoted son, brother, and uncle.

Eric was a family man, who always strove to be the absolute best father and husband. He was an attentive and loving father to his three sons Carter (9), Ashton (7), and Weston (5), and a devoted husband to the love of his life, and wife of nine years, Kouri (Darden) Richins. Eric did absolutely everything in his power to provide his family with every possible opportunity to learn, grow, and have fun.

Growing up Eric was a serious athlete and loved all sports, whether it was watching them or playing them. He was involved in cross country, basketball, baseball, and soccer. He was also the coach or assistant coach on all his boys’ teams. He spent countless hours coaching and teaching the boys to “play aggressive” and “give it their all!” Eric truly cared about every single child he coached and wanted the absolute best for all of them.

Eric was an avid outdoorsman and dedicated hunter.  He was an excellent archer and marksman, and had multiple trophy animals from all around the world including Africa, Mexico, Canada, and the United States.

There was never a dull moment when you were around Eric. Whether it be him showing up to a family dinner with no socks or sleeves on his shirt because he had to make an emergency bathroom stop along the way or his calling to tell you he rolled the four-wheeler for the umpteenth time, is stuck, and needs you to come get him.

Eric loved to have fun and was always the life of the party. He owned almost every motorized toy possible, from four-wheelers and side-by-sides, to trucks and snow mobiles. Because of this, he of course holds the Richins family record for most rolls and collisions of motorized vehicles, as well as most stitches received from a single incident 200 on his face to be exact.

Eric was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served a two-year mission in Mexico City where he learned to speak Spanish fluently. He received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Utah in International Studies with a minor in Spanish. Together, Eric’s mission and his education truly shaped his business acumen. He had the perfect combination of business sense and foresight. He built a very successful masonry business from the ground up and helped many friends do the same. He had a special ability to build close relationships with everyone he worked with which really allowed his business to thrive. Eric loved every aspect of his job but most of all he loved the people he worked for and those he worked with.

Eric faithfully supported organizations that he truly believed in. He never was one that wanted recognition or accolades; he did most things anonymously and without recognition. Eric was a true champion of all people. It did not matter if you were an employee, family, friend, or the next random person walking down the street. If you needed anything, you could count on him. He truly cared about each person he met. He was always trying to help people find better situations in work and in life. Eric made sure to set time aside to do what he loved most and made sure that everyone around him did the same.

Eric loved fully, laughed loudly, and lived life with reckless abandon. He enjoyed great adventures to far off places, but also cherished the small and finer things in life like his Under Armour sweat suits and spending time with his family and friends. No obstacle was too great for Rico, he simply viewed each one as a challenge. No peaks were too high and the next adventure was always just around the next bend.

Words can’t describe the loneliness and loss that is felt in every heart that was lucky enough to know him. We all need to learn from Eric’s example and be sure to make the time to have fun and do what we love. Thank you Rico, for being such an inspiration and role model for us all. We love you Eric, with all our hearts and more.

Eric is preceded in death by his amazing mother, Linda (Carter) Richins. His paternal grandparents, H. Lamont and Althea (Ferguson) Richins; his maternal grandfather, Charles Carter.

He is survived by his three incredible sons, Carter, Ashton, and Weston; his wife, Kouri (Darden); His father Eugene F.; and his sisters, Katie (Clint) Benson and Amy (William) Richins, his nieces Madalin and Lillian Benson, and his maternal grandmother, Joan Carter. His is also survived by a multitude of aunts, uncles, cousins and friends who all loved and adored him.

Services will be held at the Henefer LDS Chapel. Viewings will be held on Thursday, March 10, 2022 from 6 – 8 PM as well as Friday, March 11, 2022 from 9:30 – 10:30 AM. The funeral will be at 11:00 AM in the chapel and will also be streamed live athttps://www.walker-mortuary.com. Everybody has an Eric story and we would love to hear them all.