DeeAnn Nelson Richins

She was our Sunshine

DeeAnn Nelson Richins

1940 ~ 2025

DeeAnn Nelson Richins of Syracuse Utah, softly, peacefully left us on Nov. 4, 2025. She had her 85th birthday on May 2, 2025! In 1940 she was born to Earl Ray Nelson and Thelma Yaussi Nelson in Lewiston, Idaho. She had one sister, Bette Lynn Green, who she cherished so much. She said she had a very happy childhood.

She was married to “the love of my life” (as she called him) Jerry W. Richins for 57 years. He kept her life full. Full of laughs, fun and adventures. As newlyweds they lived in Ogden and later moved to California. They lived in California for 25 years and raised their family there. She had a daughter, Cindee Richins Bennett of Kaysville and a son, Ty Ray Richins of Syracuse, who preceded her in death in 2008.

She lived in Syracuse for many years. She attended and loved her Syracuse 4th ward and neighbors.

She had a deep love for both her Yaussi and Nelson family. She comes from a long line of strong, faithful women. On her Yaussi side, she loved her Swiss heritage and oh how she loved her Yaussi grandparents and her mother’s sisters. Her Aunts, Verla, Nathel and Orlene were more like bonus sisters to her! She had so many great memories with them throughout her life.

She loved her Nelson family too. She was especially close to her grandma Nelson. She spent summers on her ranch and loved every day spent there. She loved her many Nelson cousins and had a lot of happy memories of all their adventures together. She was true to her Nelson roots, keeping a love for farm animals. She loved the cows, loved the sheep, but the passion of her heart was, and always has been, the HORSES! She talked about asking for a horse for every birthday and Christmas since she was five years old. She was grateful and bursting with excitement when her dad finally bought her a horse as a teenager! Some of her favorite times in her life were when she was riding a horse! Bareback or saddle, it didn’t matter, she experienced pure JOY! Hoping she is bare back riding a horse right now. Especially if it’s a shiny black Arabian with white markings on its face. If so, she would have the deepest, most cherished desire of her heart.

Some of the things in her life she loved where:

Her many friends, activities and clubs at dear old Davis High school

Her jobs as a dental assistant and a school cook

Dogs

Camping

Collecting cows, tea cups, antique dishes, horse items, tiny figurines and so, so many more collections

Music

Jewelry

New clothes

Serving others

QVC channel and all other shopping

Chocolate anything

Traveling

Reading books

Diet Coke

Playing cards

Sassy red hair

WW Wrestling

Going for a canyon ride

Watching a movie and having popcorn

Laughing

Her family

Decorating for all the holidays

And so many more things, hard to name them all!

She has several grandchildren and a gang of great grandchildren, plus so many others NOT related to her at all, that called her grandma! She loved her family more than anything in life. They all meant the world to her. She was a best friend as a mother. A much loved and cherished grandmother. She has so many friends and relatives that loved her. She will be missed by many. She leaves a legacy of love and generosity. Her deep testimony of the church of Jesus Christ of latter-day saints gave her the hope and courage to endure to the end, keeping a bright faith in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

She truly was and will always be our sunshine.

Funeral services will be held Monday November 17, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. at Lindquist’s Layton Mortuary, 1867 N/ Fairfield Rd., Layton, Utah. Family and friends may visit Sunday November 16 from 6 to 8 p.m. and Monday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the mortuary.

Interment will be held at Lindquist’s Memorial Park at Layton.