Richard Lorenzo Burrola

Though this is no original obituary, our father was not your normal average guy. A normal obituary would not do him justice. The old school obituary style would never capture the spirit of our father. This is our version of Superman!

Our father’s eyes were dark brown, slightly yellow around his cornea’s, but when you would look into them, you see strength, determination, stubbornness, yet a person who is as gentle as a butterfly, full of love and a bit tired. Richard’s eyes quietly fell asleep on Sept. 28, 2024 in his home in SLC, Utah surrounded by his family. He is now on a new journey in heaven jumping from cloud to cloud like in his dreams. By now, dancing the jitterbug with his beautiful Georgia Lee, eating tacos and drinking beer with his parents George and Jennie Burrola. More than likely having a beer and chatting with his brother Jerri B. listening to the song Mustang Sally.

The memories we're taking with us now are so precious they have more value than the streets of gold he is walking on. He was a coin collector, he loved collecting old coins, and every coin he touched was inspected and kept as if he was going to win the lottery one day. He also loved old classic cars and took extreme pride in refurbishing them when he could.

In 1967, he met the love of his life Georgia Lee Stockton, and they were married shortly thereafter. Richard and Georgia formed a family of 4 children. Alana, Kandy, Richard Allen, and Malinda, whom all of us gave them a run for their money many times as kids. Richard was previously married in a relationship to Lauretta Furn Bienz, they had a son, Ronni, who he loved to spend time with. We have never witnessed a smile so big when Ronni was near. Our father’s heart was full in those moments.

All us children will carry both our parents in our hearts and live on with their legacy until our last breath. Remembering the amazing food we ate together, Christmases with tinsel covered trees with large light bulbs that would burned your skin if they were touched. We have had many incredible birthdays while watching our parents jitterbug to amazing 50-60’s style music or dancing to country as the record player would skip if anyone stomped a little too hard. How they both loved to dance…

Barrels, (aka Daddo) as many people knew him by, had a keen sense of humor, it gave him his spirit; it drew people to him like a magnet as he touched so many lives in ways we will never understand.

Daddo was nicknamed by his grandson, little Larry, when he was a boy and it stuck with all of us. He loved his (30) grandchildren and (2) great grandchildren. Though his memory would give out at times, his heart lit up like a candle when they were around.

Daddo, in his later years was known for his lack of patience, calling your phone 80 times a day, not holding back an opinion and had a knack for telling it like it is. He always told you the truth even if it was not what you wanted to hear.

We are so going to miss those phone calls and the bluntness of his personality and frankly just sitting next to him watching Judge Judy, while he texted emojis to some random person on his phone.

Our father’s smile was contagious and it always made us long for more. We laughed together, we cried together, and we wouldn’t change a thing.

Richards words of encouragement, hope, wisdom, and many times comfort, kept us in line, taught us the “school of hard knocks” and gave us something to pass down to our children. For that, we are truly grateful! This gift we were given, his love, his touch, how lucky we all were to be loved by a man who to us was Superman.

Our dad never mentioned his own memory struggles but we all knew they were there. The father we knew was disappearing before our very eyes and there was nothing we could do about it. We could touch him, we could feel him, but it wasn’t him. Replaced was a new father filled with every emotion you could imagine every few minutes. It was difficult to see what was happening to our father because we knew there was nothing we could do but LOVE HIM. Our hearts would ache more times than not. However, we let his eyes be our comfort, they showed us no source of pain and only love and good humor lived in his facial expressions as if they were oxygen for our soul, they were sustaining and were always enough.

For those of you who knew our father well, know that he was never wrong regardless the circumstance. If you didn’t work at Chevron he would try and recruit you. And if you don’t drive a Ford vehicle, well he would talk you into that too.

If any of us ever went to our father with a problem that we had no control over, his famous words were, “Don’t worry about what you can’t control.” This is our motto we all try and remember.

Our father, also had a lifelong love affair with Betty Boop, Pepsi, Budweiser, Mogan David, hamburgers, wearing cowboy boots and penny loafers with pennies in them, watching TV and chili Verde platters.

As a child he grew up a little town called, Carbon County, Utah in a little white house. He was the oldest brother of 10 siblings: Survived by Eddie, George (Gil), Johnny, Billy, Joanne, Robert, Tommy, Darlene and Jerry B. preceded in death. When he was 13-15 years old he would make paper kites and would sell them to make money. He graduated high school in Dragerton, 1956 and grew up in Sunny Side and worked in the Coke ovens as a Coal Miner.

So many beautiful and loving events happened in our father’s life, but his story has come to an end. The last chapter is told here, by the people who loved him dearly. His story captured our hearts and filled it with unconditional love and laughter. His spirit will always live in us and those individuals he touched. Thank you, dad, for your life, for sharing it with us, and allowing us to love you through YOUR eyes.

Sincerely,

His loving and grateful family!

Following his wishes, after the service, well-wishers are encouraged to write a note of farewell on a Budweiser beer can and drink it in his honor.

SERVICES:

Service Date: Oct. 5, 2024, Valley View Memorial Park 4335 West 4100 South, WVC, 84120.

Viewing Time: 11:00 – 11:45am

Valley View Chapel: 12pm – 2pm

Open Memory & Thoughts if time allows

Graveside: 2:30pm

In lieu of flowers if you would like please donate to the Alzheimer’s Association

https://www.alzfdn.org