Terrell Craig Brooksby

Beloved husband, father, stepfather, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, uncle and friend to so many, Terrell Craig Brooksby, age 79, of St. George, Utah, passed away from congestive heart failure on March 16, 2026, at his home surrounded by loved ones.

Terrell was born on April 20, 1946, to Joseph Arland Brooksby and Kezia Ann Stark. He grew up in the small town of Fredonia, Arizona, where there was room to roam the desert landscape, learn the value of hard work, develop close friendships, and understand the importance of family.

Terrell attended Fredonia High School, where he excelled at six-man football and basketball. Many newspaper articles were written about his athletic ability and what an asset he was to his teams. He was also a dedicated student who received many academic honors and graduated as salutatorian. He represented the State of Arizona at All Boys State four years in a row. He attended college at BYU, Southern Utah University, and Arizona State.

Growing up, Terrell learned to work hard. He helped his dad at the family Conoco Service Station, taking care of customers and delivering gas and oil to many of the neighboring towns. He loved the surrounding area and spent time at the Brooksby Ranch on Highway 89, in the Kaibab and on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. He relished learning to fly with his dad and was always up for a flight somewhere with his family. He loved working alongside his mother in the yard and helping with meal preparations.

Terrell served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the Alaskan Canadian Mission. His mission home was in the beautiful city of Vancouver, British Columbia. His mission covered hundreds of miles of Alaskan and Canadian wilderness. He treasured his time spent in this area and always loved to return as he grew older. He loved telling stories of his experiences with the weather and the wild animals he encountered while serving as a missionary.

Terrell had many different careers and enjoyed the variety and breadth of knowledge they brought to his life. He worked for TWA, Galbraith & Green, Boulevard Home Furnishings, ERA Brokers, Red Rock Real Estate, and co-owned and operated TJ’s U-Haul. In 1997, he began working for Primestar (now DirecTV) where for many years he sold and installed satellites throughout southern Utah, Nevada, and Arizona. In his spare time, he loved playing city league softball and refereeing high school games. When he retired, his plan was to spend the rest of his life fishing at Panguitch Lake and Lake Powell. He quickly learned that being retired wasn’t for him and began working part-time for the St. George Senior Center driving and delivering Meals on Wheels.

Terrell and his dear wife Kathy met while they both worked at the St. George Senior Center. They were like two peas in a pod, and their relationship was filled with laughter, family, adventures, and amazing memories. They both agreed and were saddened by the fact that “they just didn’t have enough time together here on Earth.” They loved traveling the world together and spending time on Cedar Mountain surrounded by nature.

Terrell loved to play as hard as he worked. He enjoyed the theater, museums, national parks, and good movies. He had a passion for fishing, no matter the weather, at Panguitch Lake, Navajo Lake and Lake Powell, along with the Sevier and Asay rivers. He was outgoing and loved being around people. His door was always open, and he never turned down bringing someone along with you when you came to visit. He would strike up conversations with strangers and give suggestions of all the best sites to see and things to do. His nieces, nephews and their children, his cousins and their families, and anyone he ever associated with adored his great smile, his sense of humor, his delightful teasing, his continual kindness, and his willingness to drop everything and come to your aid if you needed him. His service was selfless and he was always asking, “What can I do for you?”

The most important role in his life was that of a father and grandfather. He loved his children with all his heart and always wanted what was best for them. He cared deeply for them and was proud of every single one of their accomplishments. He taught them to love sports, and to cheer for BYU, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Los Angeles Dodgers. He instilled in them a love of the mountains, along with the joy and frustration of fishing. Weekends were often spent going to the movies, water skiing, snow skiing, or riding dirt bikes as a family. As he got older, he spent many weeknights and weekends supporting his cherished grandchildren at their extracurricular activities.

Terrell loved to cook for his family and friends. One thing you could consistently count on was an invitation to Sunday dinner at 5:00 p.m. Two of his recipes had rave reviews and were staples in his household enchiladas and beef stroganoff. Christmas breakfast with his family at Jeremy’s was always a tradition he looked forward to. 

Terrell is survived by his devoted wife, Kathleen (Kathy); his beloved children, Barry (Kristen), Jeremy (Hydie), Nate (Kathryn), Solinda (Matt), Casey, and special bonus children Luke (Jeannette), Reta, Kirt (Kim), Kristy (Travis), Kevin (Tamsen). His siblings, Rene’ Bowen (Bruce), Lane (Barbara) and Neil (Charlene, deceased). His grandchildren Seven (Kamerin), London, Dallin, Brighten, Holland, Gigi, Pierce (Tia), Caden (Katira), Nate (Adora), Brycen, Paycen, Brooklyn, Mesa, Camden, Ashton, Rylee, Boston, Lilly, Brielle, Kanyon, Aaliyah, Nevaeh, Nova and great-grandchildren Blakelee, Ledge and Marlee, eight step-grandchildren and countless family members and friends.

Due to the outpouring of love and support, there will be two opportunities to visit with the family an open house and visitation on Saturday, March 21, 2026 from 6:00-8:00 p.m at the LDS Chapel, 124 N Valley View Drive, St. George, Utah, and a celebration of life on April 18, 2026 from 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. at the St. George Senior Center, 245 N 200 W, St. George, Utah. Please come as you are, no special dress is required.

To honor Terrell’s life and legacy, we encourage you to have family dinner Sunday at 5:00 p.m.