'Regimented' UTA employee remembered as family man, handyman

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AMERICAN FORK — To friends and co-workers, Kay Ricks can only be described as "regimented."

On the morning of May 12, the American Fork man gathered his vest, radio, cooler and keys together as he prepared to start a regular day as a maintenance worker for the Utah Transit Authority. Dressed in his usual Levi's and dark boots, he headed for the door when he realized he had skipped a step in his routine.

"I forgot to give you a kiss goodbye," Ricks, 63, told his wife.

"That was the last time Lorie saw him," longtime friend Richard Massey said Wednesday, speaking for the Ricks family.

Missing for nearly a week after he and his UTA truck vanished in broad daylight on May 12, Ricks was found dead on a dirt road outside Kemmerer, Wyoming, on Tuesday night. The search for his work truck is ongoing.

Ricks liked to get up at the same time each morning, arrive at work on time and return home when he was expected, Massey said. It was a departure from those habits that gave family members and co-workers a first clue that something may have happened to him.

Police have ruled Ricks' death a murder and are investigating a potential connection between his disappearance and two suspected kidnappers who were apprehended near Pinedale, Wyoming, on Saturday.

Police say Dereck James "DJ" Harrison, 22, of Centerville, and his father, Flint Wayne Harrison, 51, of Pinedale, lured a woman and her four teenage daughters to a Centerville home where the men were waiting to tie them up and assault them. When the women escaped, the Harrisons fled. Multiple police agencies are now trying to retrace the men's actions from the time they left the home to their capture in Wyoming, including how they got there and whether they crossed paths with Ricks.

In the meantime, neighbors and strangers alike have rallied to support Ricks' wife, his three sons and their six grandchildren, who say they hold no ill will in the wake of the killing.

"They're not mad at anyone, they don't want revenge on anybody, they're just trying to stay together as a family and support each other," Massey said. "The fact that something nefarious may have happened to make Kay lose his life is really not the family's focus. The family's focus is that Kay lost his life and he will be missed."

On streets made brighter with yellow ribbons in his honor, Ricks was remembered Wednesday as a generous "neighborhood handyman."

Justin Jones, vice president of communications and policy for the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce, met Ricks more than 20 years ago when he arrived in the American Fork neighborhood and found Ricks waiting to meet the moving truck.

"Our neighborhood has lost a giant. We are all just aching for Kay's family," an emotional Jones told KSL Newsradio's "The Doug Wright Show" on Wednesday. "Not a single roof has been re-shingled without him being there. He's just an amazing man, and we're going to miss him."

Jones was with the Ricks family Tuesday night as they recalled the way he would tease his family, saying he was like "the Grinch who stole Christmas," but that with the birth of each new grandchild, his heart would grow three sizes.

When they received word that Ricks' body had been found, his wife, Lorie, told Jones, "Now I know where my sweetheart is, he's in heaven."

For years, Ricks had an electric company that suffered during the economic downturn, which was when Ricks sought a job with UTA, Jones said.

"He loved his job, he was so dedicated and grateful for it," he said. "He was able to find employment at UTA and just loved working, and just loved the people he worked with on a daily basis."

Ron Benson, deputy general manager of rail systems at UTA, also recalled Ricks' signature punctuality and steadfastness as an employee. The two had recently spent a shift together, Benson said, where the supervisor was reminded firsthand of Ricks' dedication to his job.

"He was a wonderful employee to have around," Benson said. "He had a set way of doing things, like all of us. He was very well-respected and he could always be counted on."

Ricks started with UTA vehicle maintenance in 2010, Benson said. Two years later, he shifted to maintenance and weights of the rail system, where he had worked ever since.

Assigned to TRAX stations from Salt Lake City International Airport to Ballpark Station on 1300 South, Ricks typically worked an evening shift. He was working alone on Thursday, and was just a few hours into his routine when his co-workers tried to reach him and heard nothing back.

"One of the first signs was when he didn't answer a call on the radio. That's when the supervisors started looking," Benson said.

Richard Massey, a spokesperson for Kay Ricks' family, holds a Ricks family portrait during a press conference in American Fork on Wednesday, May 18, 2016. Ricks, his wife, three sons, two of his three daughters-in-law and six grandchildren are in the photo. Ricks, a Utah Transit Authority maintenance worker who was last seen on Thursday, May 12, 2016, was found dead about 16 miles south of Kemmerer, Wyoming on Tuesday, May 17, 2016. (Photo: Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)

Massey shared the Ricks family's appreciation for the several law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation, specifically UTA's operation department and police department. They also wished to thank their community and countless strangers who have reached out to offer condolences and love.

Longtime neighbor and friend Geri Harmon said seeing the incident unfold has been like "watching a movie."

"It just doesn't seem real. I don't think it's really hit me, and I don't think it's hit Lorie yet either," Harmon said.

Neighbor Maryann Jones described Kay and Lorie Ricks as "best friends."

"I think he is an incredibly devoted family man," Jones said. "His family comes first. … He's the rock of that family."

Rob Chamberlain, the family's LDS bishop, called Ricks a good friend known for his love for his family.

"Probably the best way to describe him is a devoted husband and a good father to his kids, faithful member of the church, a good friend as well to those in the community and the ward," Bishop Chamberlain said. "He's loved by all those who knew him. He's going to be missed."

Many emphasized the family's faith as they spoke of Ricks' life Wednesday.

"They know that one day they will again be together as a family," Massey said. "They've been married 42 years and that love will continue throughout the remainder of their lives and beyond. The family has felt (Ricks') love and support from heaven, and the family has a great faith in the hereafter and a knowledge that life does not end on this Earth.

"We know that he is happy and that he is doing well."

In response to community members offering support, the family has set up the Kay Porter Ricks Memorial Scholarship Fund, which will support a college education for his six grandchildren. Donations can be made through Wells Fargo Bank.