Roy Murray "Lank" Thacker

Roy Murray “Lank” Thacker passed away peacefully on December 5, 2020. He was born on November 22, 1936 in Daniel, Utah, the second child of Murray D. and Larna Anderson Thacker. Roy attended Wasatch High School where he was on the football and basketball teams, graduating in the class of 1955. He then attended Brigham Young University and was the center for the Cougar basketball team from 1956-1959. He married his high school sweetheart, Beverly Bowden, on September 28, 1956. Their marriage was later solemnized in the Salt Lake Temple.
Roy was the boys’ basketball coach at Monticello High School from 1959 to 1965. He then moved to Bountiful, Utah and coached at Millcreek Junior High until his retirement. After his retirement, Roy worked for Moss Industrial for a few years. He spent his summers on the Diamond Bar X Ranch in Woodland, Utah. Roy loved ranch life which included riding horses, irrigating, fixing fences, herding cattle, and teaching his children the value of hard work. He instilled in them a love for the western lifestyle which led him to use his coaching skills to teach his children, grandchildren, and friends how to rope and ride; many of them winning rodeo championships. Roy always had a love for the Heber Valley, he bought his wife’s childhood home in Midway and spent a lot of time there with his children and grandchildren. Roy was supportive of his children’s and grandchildren’s activities, attending many sporting events, but he really loved to see them excel in rodeos. Roy was an avid hunter and loved taking his children and grandchildren deer hunting in his suburban. Thacker Deer Camp is a favorite memory of anyone who attended, and they were even featured on the Doug Miller Outdoor Show.
Roy is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and was a very dedicated home teacher.
He is the father of five children: Lynn (Donna) Thacker, Kevin (Merilee) Thacker, Brad (Jan) Thacker, Shane (Kaylyn) Thacker and SueAnn (Brian) Urry. He has 21 grandchildren and 28 great grandchildren.
Roy is survived by his children, sister Joyce Murphy and brothers Jay (Valerie) Thacker, Neil (Tanya) Thacker, Phil (LaRae) Thacker, and Andy (Nicole) Thacker. He was preceded in death by his wife, parents, granddaughter, Cherish Thacker, great grandson, Bronson Thacker, and great granddaughter, Grace Thacker.
Funeral Services will be held Thursday, December 10, 2020 at 11:00 am at Russon Mortuary, 295 North Main Street, Bountiful, Utah, where a viewing will be held December 9th from 6 to 8 pm and Thursday morning prior to the funeral from 9:45 to 10:45 am. Burial will be at the Heber City Cemetery at 1:45 pm. Online guest book at www.russonmortuary.com.
Services will be streamed on Facebook Live at https://www.facebook.com/russonmortuary.
The family would like to thank Carli Tingey from Hospice, Dalton Johnson from Visiting Angels, and Kevin Thacker and family for the loving care given to their father.