William Ray Quist III

William “Bill” Ray Quist III, resident of Croydon, UT and beloved husband, father and “Pop Pop”, died on June 1, 2024. He was doing what he loved, on an adventure in the great outdoors when he passed away in a dirt biking accident near Fort Bridger, WY. He was 66 years of age.

Born on December 27, 1957 in Chula Vista, CA, Bill was the son of loving parents Nona, a southern belle, and William Ray Quist Jr., an Airforce pilot. He was raised in Orange, CA as the fifth of six children. He enjoyed great friendships with his siblings his entire life. As a child he was happy, adventurous and fearless. He loved being outside from a young age and his older sisters were constantly rescuing him from mischief and pulling “Billy”, who they called the cutest little boy ever, in a little red wagon. He loved to climb orange trees with his younger brother, Jim, and take him to drive-in movies. The two of them would have many great adventures throughout their lives. As a teenager he loved body surfing, playing football, and sneaking out to see as many rock and roll concerts as he could get away with. He graduated from Canyon High School in Anaheim before attending Ricks College (now BYU Idaho). It was there, through powerful personal experiences and impactful friendships, that he found his faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ. He served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Philadelphia, PA and afterwards returned to Ricks to finish his associates degree. He then transferred to Brigham Young University in Provo, UT where he received a Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing Engineering. 

While studying at BYU Bill met the love of his life, Cindy Renee Kilgore, a beautiful and intelligent young woman from the Pacific Northwest. They were sealed for time and all eternity in the Seattle temple on April 24,1982. They had four children together, Ray, Steven, Aubree and Elise. Bill worked as an engineer for Boeing for 30 years and raised his family in Federal Way and Woodinville, Washington where they made many lifelong friends. Bill attended night school to earn an MBA and became a highly respected Project Manager at Boeing where he oversaw the development and implementation of various advancements in aircraft design. He traveled the world for his job and most enjoyed the time he spent working in Ireland and Israel. During the busy years of a successful career he never lost sight of what was most important to him, his family. Bill was a loving father and took the family camping and boating often and on many trips to California to visit family there. His children always knew they had a loving, and fiercely protective father. Bill supported his children in countless ways, including attending many concerts and sporting events. He also loved playing practical jokes on his kids and would incessantly tease them, and his wife, to see them laugh.

Bill and Cindy made their home a place where people, especially their children’s friends, always wanted to gather. Many kids saw Bill and Cindy as their “second parents” that they could count on for anything. He took his sons on many high adventures through the Boy Scout program and provided life lessons and   formative experiences for both his own boys and dozens of other young men whom he had the privilege to lead. He and Cindy continued to support their children as they grew into adulthood, providing higher education opportunities and always being willing to offer help with major life milestones including weddings, home ownership, and remodeling projects. Bill welcomed the spouses of his children into the family with warmth and a willingness to serve and help them in any way he could.

Bill and Cindy have 7 beautiful grandchildren. They were the light of Bill’s life. He loved being their Pop Pop. It was truly the favorite role of his entire life. He and Cindy retired and moved to Croydon, a beautiful ranching community in Northern Utah that Bill loved dearly and that was near his daughters and many of his young grandkids.  It was in this phase of life that he found the most peace and joy. “Wild Bill” spent his days hunting, fishing, riding ATV’s and learning about farming and ranching. He also spent his time helping his kids and neighbors, making dear friends, and serving weekly in the temple with his wife. He was a skilled mechanic and general handyman and enjoyed using those skills to help others. He dropped anything he was doing when his grandkids came to visit to take them outside to enjoy the outdoors and see the animals around his home. He served his community alongside Cindy in any way they could. In retirement he enjoyed many trips with his family including a special 40th anniversary trip with Cindy to Italy.

Bill was a devout member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and spent his whole life trying to be Christlike. His faith in God and his steadfastness in doing what’s right will always be an example to his friends and family members. He saw all people as worthy of forgiveness, love and his service.   Bill fulfilled many callings for his church throughout his life and touched the  lives of countless people. He was friendly to all he met, and enjoyed many close friendships throughout the years. To know Bill was to love him, and every person who spent time around him can share a hilarious story or the memory of a shared adventure. Bill was unabashedly himself. He was straightforward, and had a great zeal for life. He was tough, but also had a very sweet side and a unique way of making people feel loved and taken care of. 

Bill was preceded in death by his son, Ray, and his parents.  He is survived by his wife Cindy, his children Steve (Marie), Aubree Heywood (Austin) and Elise Plott (Brady), and his grandchildren River, Eli, JoJo, Zeke, Rowen, Ava and Millie. He will be greatly missed, but we will never forget him as we strive to live our lives more fully to honor Bill’s memory.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, June 15, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. at the Morgan Stake Center (355 N 700 E, Morgan, Utah) with a viewing prior to the funeral services from 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.