Kevin Larsen Creer
1952 – 2022
Kevin Larsen Creer, 70, passed away unexpectedly on March 21, 2022 at his home in Leland, Utah.
Kevin was born on February 13, 1952 and welcomed to the world by his parents, Lorin Wilde and Janice Lillian (Larsen) Creer as well as his older sister, Lana Jean. A few years later, Bradley and then Brandon joined the family. He grew up working alongside his Dad and brothers on the family farm that included a dairy. Kevin was a 1970 graduate of Spanish Fork High School where he was active in FFA, and served as an officer for two years as Historian and Reporter. He attended the FFA National Convention in Kansas City, Missouri in 1969, traveling from Utah by train, which he spoke of often. Kevin attended Utah State University and graduated with an Agricultural Finance Degree in 1977. He was a member of the Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity.
Following college, he worked at First Security Bank for 10 years. When his father passed-away in 1985, Kevin also shouldered responsibility for operation of the family farm and caring for his mother. He later worked as Water Master and Secretary-Treasurer for Southfield Irrigation Company, for the Utah Association of Conservation Districts, and finally as an Engineering Technician at the Utah State Engineer Water Rights Division, where he retired in June 2019 after 12 years of service. He was a member of the Strawberry Electric Service District Board for several years, served as President of the Spanish Fork Joint River Committee, served on the Soil Conservation Service Board, and was involved with many other committees and organizations related to water and agriculture. Kevin designed a water measurement flume, a device to assist canal companies in knowing how much water they were losing to seepage and evaporation. Taking measurements with the flume was made easier with equipment and computer programs that logged and interpreted the information. Kevin published the Water Measurement Manual distributed by the Association of Conservation Districts and presented several seminars and workshops across the intermountain west demonstrating methods for water measurement.
In December 1987, he married Susan Ludlow (they later divorced) and became a step-dad to her children Kelly and Stephanie. In September 1988, they welcomed daughter Jessica to the family, and the little blue-eyed redhead was instantly the apple of her Daddy’s eye. There wasn’t anything that he wouldn’t do for her. Three months ago, Jessica gave him the best early Christmas gift anyone could receive with the birth of little Avery Lillian, who is the spitting image of her mother. We are heartbroken that he will not be here to spend time with her, but we know that she has her own personal guardian angel.
As a small child, Kevin was fascinated with electricity. This fascination grew to include any type of gadget, electronic or otherwise, and he was one of the first to own his own personal computer. He also enjoyed cameras and photography, and fashioned his own make-shift darkroom in his house. His hobbies grew to include star gazing with his telescope, ham radio, remote control cars/airplanes, GIS mapping, woodworking, and many others. He also enjoyed many trips to Disneyland with his family, as well as ‘Grand Adventures’ to several National Parks, ghost towns and other sites in Utah. Kevin did most of the cooking for the family, but he really enjoyed baking cakes and making candy. Everyone got their favorite cake for each birthday. He made butter mints for his own wedding, but also made the best divinity, caramels, and fudge each year at Christmas and for special occasions. His other confections included suckers and butter cookies in various sizes, shapes, and colors.
Kevin was a quiet, kind, and generous man with a quick wit, and a quirky sense of humor. He was highly intelligent, and won every trivia game. He knew vast amounts of information about a variety of topics, and spent an enormous amount of time studying user manuals and reading non-fiction on many topics. If a problem was presented to him, he spent whatever time was needed to analyze every facet of the issue. He loved just riding his utility vehicle around his property, and puttering with various projects.
Kevin was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his daughter, Jessica (Kyle Andress), his granddaughter, Avery Lillian; his sister, Lana (Richard) Harris, brothers Bradley (Mitzi) and Brandon (Sherrie). He is also survived by his step-children Kelly Smith, and Stephanie (Justin) Turner and their children Hazel and Declan. Kevin was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
A viewing will be held at Walker Mortuary in Spanish Fork, Utah from 6 to 8 pm on Friday, March 25, 2022. Funeral Services will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 26, 2022, at the LDS West Stake Center located at 575 West 400 North in Spanish Fork. A viewing will precede the services from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. Interment will take place at the Spanish Fork City Cemetery.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.walkermemorials.com.