Delbert Ririe Obituary (1938 - 2018)

On December 29, 2018, Delbert Glen Ririe, MD passed away surrounded by his family after a long struggle with Parkinson’s disease. Delbert was born in Ogden to Olin and Josephine Rhees Ririe on July 25, 1938 and had a happy, productive childhood and graduated from East High School in Salt Lake City. He joined the Army Reserve and learned auto mechanics in Fort Ord, CA, before attending the University of Utah. He served a mission in Finland for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and later attended Cornell University Medical College in New York City, where he met his lifelong love and companion, the lively and adventurous Rebecca Rasmussen from Brigham City, Utah, who was working for the American Field Service. They were married in the Salt Lake Temple August 24, 1965 and were rarely far apart during their 53-year marriage. Del practiced ophthalmology at the Eye Clinic of Provo for his 26-year career and served as the president of the Utah Ophthalmology Society. Del greatly enjoyed the collegiality of his physician partners. He loved the variety of patients he saw in his practice and accumulated vast knowledge from them regarding favorite fishing spots and natural curiosities. Del was active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served in a variety of callings ranging from Scout leader to bishopric counselor to BYU stake high councilor, and he is remembered by many as a significant influence in their lives. As a member of the Provo City Arts Council he enjoyed helping start the Covey Center for the Arts. Del’s insatiable curiosity led to numerous hobbies: classical music, master gardening, woodworking, raising orchids in his greenhouse, and astronomy, to name a few. He loved the craft of sailing and built many scale-model sailing ships with historically accurate riggings tied with precision using his surgical loupes. In addition to these interests, his love of music and voracious reading appetite made him a delightful conversationalist. Del was reserved and unassuming by nature but in conversation was genuinely curious to learn from others regardless of their age, status, or background. Delbert is preceded in death by his parents Olin and Josephine Rhees Ririe, and his elder brother Rhees. He is survived by his wife Rebecca, sister Carolyn (LaVar) Marsh, sister-in-law Shirley Ririe, and his children Anneli (Glen) Bowen, Dan (Marnie), Ted (Allison), and Peter (Kathleen), as well as 14 grandchildren. The family wishes to thank the staff at Coventry Village as well as Rebecca Brown and the staff of Symbii Hospice. A viewing for family and friends will be held at Nelson Family Mortuary, 4780 N University Avenue, Provo, Utah, from 6-8 PM January 11, 2019. Additional viewing will be held 9:30-10:30 AM January 12, 2019, prior to funeral services at 11 AM at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 1960 N 1500 E, Provo, UT. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be made to Classical 89 KBYU-FM, classical89.org.