Stephen Randall Hirst

Stephen Randall Hirst, longtime resident of Farmington Utah, age 80, passed away peacefully at home on Friday May 24, 2024.  He was born on September 13, 1943 to Edward Elliott and Una Sarah (Hathaway) Hirst in Salt Lake City, Utah.  He was the oldest son of 8 children.  

He graduated from Jordan High School in 1961 and later joined the US Navy in March of 1964.   He attended technical school in Chicago, IL. where he finished in 1965.  He was then sent to San Diego CA and assigned to the USS Chicago CG-11, a guided missile cruiser, as an electronics technician specializing in radar.   The ship was sent to Vietnam in 1966 serving in the Gulf of Tonkin for about 7 months off the coast of Vietnam.   The ship had stops at port in The Philippines to refuel and resupply.  The ship was stationed back in San Diego after the 7 month deployment then sent back to the Gulf of Tonkin in Vietnam in Sept of 1967 until May of 1968.   He was honorably discharged from the Navy on May 20, 1968.

He met his wife Linda shortly after returning to Utah from the Navy and they were married on March 14, 1969; their marriage was later solemnized in the Salt Lake Temple.   They have four children, Randall Jay (Claire Dunlop-Hirst), Sarah Jane, James Wylie and Jeffrey Elliot, six grandchildren, Katelynn Hirst, Kiley Hirst, Alyssa (Shawn) Smoot, Graclyn Hirst, Lyla Vogel, and Samantha Rodriguez.  They have seven great-grandchildren Bentlee, Emmett, Anylah, Isla, Izeyah, Lindee Stevie and Lilli.

He enjoyed camping, hunting, fishing, riding dirt bikes and old cars as a hobby.  He retired at age 57 after nearly 30 years working at Hill Air Force Base.  He made the most of his retirement years, traveling the country buying old cars to fix and sell, hauling cars for friends, and finding hidden treasures for himself (sometimes his wife Linda had some questions for him when he got home).   He took any opportunity he could to get out on the road and meet and talk to people.  He cruised Route 66 in his 55 Buick more than once.  He was a regular at local car shows and swap meets.   His favorite being Burger Stop Cruises in Layton.

He was a self-taught expert mechanic, he performed a full frame-up restoration on two of his old cars.  He was able to fix just about anything, he went out of his way to help people, and he was a father figure to more than just his family.

He was preceded in death by his Mother and Father, his wife Linda and son Jeff.  The family would like to express their appreciation to his neighbors and Farmington City Fire for all the times they helped in his later years and their appreciation for the various hospitals and care workers that assisted him these last few years.  He especially enjoyed going to the Hospital to be “waited on” by “the staff”.

Funeral services will be held at the Farmington South Stake Center, 695 South 200 East, Farmington UT 84025 on Saturday June 1st at 11am.  A visitation for friends and family will be held on Friday evening May 31st from 6:00pm to 8:00pm at Russon Farmington Mortuary, 1941 North Main Street, Farmington, Utah and at the Church on Saturday morning from 9:30am to 10:30am prior to the services.  Interment will follow at the Farmington City Cemetery.  

The family would like to send Old Car Nut Steve off with as many old cars in attendance as possible, any and all are welcome.

Services will be streamed live on the Russon Mortuary & Crematory Facebook page and this obituary page.  The live stream will begin 10-15 minutes prior to the service and will be posted below.