Ryanne Marie Empey

Ryanne Marie Empey was born on August 30,1984 in Athens, Ohio, and she passed away on March 26, 2024 in Farmington, Utah.  She was 39 years old.  She was the oldest of three children born to Dallas and Sue Empey.  Many of her acquaintances thought her younger sister, Morgan, was the oldest child.  She was young at heart, and she never really wanted to grow up.

After living in Athens, Ohio, and one year in Houston, Texas, the Empeys moved to Layton, Utah, but most of Ryanne’s childhood was spent in Kaysville, Utah, where she attended Kaysville Elementary, Kaysville Junior High, and Davis High School (Class of 2002).  During her young years, she enjoyed playing the piano, serving in leadership positions in her church’s young woman’s program, and playing AYSO soccer.  In high school, she was a staff writer for the Davis Dart newspaper and a member of the varsity soccer team.  She was a good student and a natural athlete.

She blazed ahead of everyone on week-long, family, backpacking trips without a care that she sometimes found herself heading down the wrong path.  She once scrambled up an ice cornice on Pfeifferhorn Peak without technical gear.  She was fearless.  She would try anything—even if it was dangerous.

She attended Brigham Young University for one year; however, it was not the right place for her.  Despite her parents’ urging to finish college, Ryanne was determined to become a flight attendant.  She was hired by SkyWest Airlines right before her 22nd birthday.  She had almost completed 18 years as a Flight Attendant for SkyWest at the time of her passing.  Many of her colleagues enjoyed working flights with Ryanne.

Ryanne went back to college at the University of Utah, and she effortlessly earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology (2011) while she was employed full-time as a flight attendant traveling weekly across North America.  She was as smart as a whip.

She was interested in discovering new places and different cultures.  She traveled the world with her family.  She visited much of the United States, Hawaii, Korea, China, Thailand, Europe, and the Cayman Islands—where she learned to scuba dive. 

Ryanne was a natural beauty, and we were all jealous because she never looked her age.  Ryanne owned her own townhome in Farmington, Utah.  She had a creative eye, and she decorated her bedroom walls with beautiful, inspiring collages.  She was artistic.  She loved every genre of music.  She was a social butterfly.  She was light-hearted, friendly, playful, and a free spirit.  She never met a stranger; everyone was her friend.

Due to life-long struggles with emotional, mental health, and addiction issues that Ryanne was never able to fully resolve, she chose not to marry and not to have children.  She died this past week of an accidental, drug overdose.

Thank you to all those who loved and supported our precious Ryanne.  We will miss you dearly Sweetheart, and we will never forget you.

Ryanne is survived by her parents, Dallas and Sue Empey, her brother, Taylor Empey, her sister, Morgan McCluskey, her brother-in-law, Patrick McCluskey, and two beautiful nieces, Mae and Vera McCluskey.