Sterling Ray Anderson

 Sterling Ray Anderson, 61, passed away on June 24th, 2024, in St. George, Utah. He was born on May 28, 1963, to Marvel (Tig) Anderson and Darlene Thompson in Gunnison, Utah. Sterling grew up in Redmond, Utah, where he enjoyed helping his dad on the farm, hunting, camping, and simply living the small-town country life. He learned at a young age to operate a backhoe, which he mastered very early on.

 Sterling’s early education began at Salina Elementary School, and he went on to graduate from North Sevier High School in 1981. He embarked on a career in the trucking industry, initially working for Nelson Trucking, Cox Trucking, Barney Trucking, and DP Curtis for several years.

Sterling married Myrna Yvonne Swain on July 16, 1983, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Together, they had two incredible children. Westton Sterling and Karissa Lee were the loves of his life. They made their home in Redmond, Utah, until November 1998, when they embarked on a new journey to find their home in Santa Clara, Utah. This is when Sterling became an entrepreneur and began ARS Transport, delivering decorative rock and landscaping material to many places in Southern Utah.

Sterling always made time for his family. He was never afraid to try something different and demonstrated this by taking the family on many adventures, such as ocean fishing in the Pacific Ocean, renting an RV for two weeks to drive the coast of California, taking cruises to various destinations, and making trips across the Mexican border—all for adventure and fun.

In April of 2012, at the age of barely 48, Sterling had a massive heart attack, which no one expected him to survive. After four weeks in the hospital, he came home to recuperate and reflect on his next adventures in life. His trucking days may have been over, but he simply moved on to learn another trade and excel at something else.

After 25 years of marriage, Sterling and Myrna divorced. He met and fell in love with Dee Ann Shaw. They married on June 2, 2018, in Ivins, Utah. He quickly accepted her two children, Alexis and Adam Shaw, into his life, and he loved them like his own. They loved their “bonus” dad dearly. He opened Premier Hard Surface Solutions, cleaning and repairing tile. Through his love of music he found a new hobby in the DJ world, where he played soundtracks for weddings, dances, and other events. He bonded with many during this time and loved making their special occasions as memorable and fun as possible. He also became ordained and was able to facilitate the marriage between Alexis and her husband Haden.

Sterling taught his children and those around him the value of hard work and left behind a legacy of perseverance and kindness. His absence will be deeply felt by all who knew him.

Sterling is survived by his loving wife, Dee Ann; his children, Westton Sterling (Nour), Karissa Lee (Mike), Alexis Michelle Shaw (Haden), Adam Michael Shaw (Emily); siblings, Leslie (Lloyd) Anderson Dickenson; grandchildren, Mike, Jeremy, AJ, Kayla, Dallen, Lydia, Raneem, Liam, Ruger, Zach, Emma, Tony, Remington; and great-grandchildren, Shea, Oakley, and Kove.

In lieu of flowers, we kindly ask that you consider making a donation to help support the family as they cope with the loss of Sterling. Your generosity and compassion during this difficult time would be greatly appreciated.