Roy H Daniels

Roy H Daniels, 93, passed away on Wednesday, February 28, 2024, in Heber City, Utah. He was born on September 5, 1930, the second son and fifth child of Roger Hyrum and Delora Erma Paulson Daniels, in Ephraim, Sanpete County, Utah. He was resident of Heber City for over fifty years.

He retired in 1991 from the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) after 35 years of service which included the Heber (1971 to 1991), Pinedale, Escalante, Logan and Soda Springs Ranger Districts, and Dixie National Forest headquarters. Roy was the 1986 Outstanding Ranger of the Year for the Intermountain Region, which consisted of 18 National Forests and 84 Ranger Districts. During this time, he was a member of the USFS Intermountain Fire Boss team and fought forest fires in the western states including the largest fires in the history of Utah, Montana, and California. Following retirement, Roy continued volunteer service for the Heber Ranger District until 2006, age 76.

He was more recently an extremely active member of the Wasatch County Senior Citizens and served on the Corporate Board in various capacities including president. Roy was a Korean War veteran, having served in the US Army from August 1951 until August 1959. He served in Korea from October 1952 to July 1953. He was part of the Heavy Weapons Infantry unit in which he confirmed his lifelong excellent marksmanship with rifle and bazooka. Roy was among the first troops arriving from Korea into the port of Seattle, WA after the war ended. Roy was a graduate of Snow College and in the second graduating class of Utah State University with a degree in Forest and Range Management. He worked as sheep herder, movie stuntman, cowboy, logger, stock clerk, smelter Foreman, Trail Foreman, laundryman, and firefighter. He loved the outdoors and was an avid angler and hunter.

Roy was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and married Bonnie Stone of Ogden, Utah for time and eternity on May 10, 1957, in the Salt Lake Temple. He was a devoted father to his three children, Ron, Ilene, and Steven. Roy is survived by his sons, Ron (Janice) of Spokane, WA and Steven (Deborah) of Parker, CO; Roy and Bonnie’s six grandchildren (Channel, Shae, Jordan, Kaitlyn, Nathan, and Sarah) and seven great-grandchildren (Calysta, Kaden, Lily, Blake, Jaxn, Rocky and Sunny) and his brother, Alfred Daniels of Taylorsville, Utah;. Preceding Roy in death are his beloved wife and daughter, his brothers, Paul, Rawlin, John, Richard, Merrill, Ferrill, and sisters, Ethel, LuDeen and Dorothy.

Ron, Steve, and our families wish to extend our eternal thanks to the Wasatch County Senior Citizens as well as Brent North, Martin Bollschweiller, Brian Finnegan and KaryAnn Thacker families and many others in Heber that have enabled Roy to remain in his home and live independently in the valley that he loved so much.

There will be a viewing at the Heber Third Ward Building, 240 East 400 South
Heber City, Utah 84032-2324 on Thursday, March 7th from 6-8 PM. There will also be a viewing on Friday, March 8th from 9-10:30 AM with services following at 11 AM. After the services, a graveside service will be at the Heber Valley Cemetery. Please share your memories with Roy’s family at probstfamilyfunerals.com. To stream the services, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ypp03rcw4cY