Richard Lonas

RICHARD JOHN LONAS

Richard John Lonas was born to Alfred Hugh and Beatrice Killian Lonas on October 9, 1943, at Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital in Los Angeles, California. A little sister, Nancy Louis, would soon follow in 1945, born in Payson, UT. The family resided in Provo, UT. Richard was born with a congenital deformity we know as a clubfoot. In his own words, “This would shape my compassion and empathy for others throughout my life, as the struggles and pains I experienced both, physical and emotional, have been a great blessing given me by a loving Father in Heaven…it brought about the closeness with my dear mother that I cherish still.”
Despite the challenges associated with recoveries from surgeries in his youth (he had to repeat the third grade due to excessive absences), Richard found relief and freedom on his maternal grandfather’s farm in Salem, Utah. Despite his physical challenges, Richard would meet his best friend Dean McDonald from Dean’s invitation to play baseball. Richard and Dean enjoyed playing baseball and tennis throughout their high school and college years.
Richard served a mission (1963-1965) in the Spanish American Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints learning Spanish, a language he used throughout his life. The mission home was in San Antonio, Texas, and covered the states of Texas and New Mexico. His mission experience had a profound effect on his father who was a nonmember at the time. Richard had struggled with his relationship with his father who he described as “...not loving, kind or forgiving.” After returning home from his mission, his father joined the Church. Richard’s father was sealed to his wife and family in the Salt Lake Temple a year later. Soon his parents would serve a mission to Virginia where his father served as the branch president.
Richard joined the Army Reserves during the height of the Viet Nam War. He reported to Ft. Ord in May of 1967 for four months of basic training. It was quite an experience for a young man from Provo. Unfortunately, his foot continued to hamper his ability to perform his duties and he was honorably discharged in March of 1969.
In 1968, Richard met and then married Gretchen Brack, also a student at BYU. This union, however, was dissolved in 1980. They had two sons, Jason and Scott, whom he loves very much.
Richard graduated from BYU in 1970, with a double major in Public Health and Zoology, and ultimately earned his Master’s degree in 1980 in Hospital and Health Administration (MHA) from California State University Northridge. He was offered a position at CSUN as an adjunct professor which he accepted for 9 years on a part-time basis. He taught Hospital Administration, Healthcare Management, Health Planning and US Healthcare Organization.
He fulfilled a distinguished career of over 40 years in healthcare administration that included the Licensing and Certification Division of the Los Angeles Department of Health Services, and 10 years with USC and Norris Cancer hospitals, among other important institutions. He finished his career at Kaiser Permanente. He was an American College of Healthcare Executives Fellow.
Richard met Terri (Jones) Warr at a Church social. They dated for four years! He asked her to marry him on two other occasions, but it wasn’t to be, until one day when they had completed a temple endowment session. Outside the L. A. Temple, overlooking Santa Monica Blvd., Richard popped the question again. She said, “Well, sure!” The third time was the charm. They were married on January 23, 1999, civilly and sealed in the temple one year later. Richard helped Terri raise her children, Sara and Michael, and supported her as a full-time mother.
Richard and Terri purchased a lot in Cedar City nearly four years before they began building their home. They moved in at the end of 2011 after Richard retired. During the next ten years Richard and Terri traveled the world, enjoyed cruises, and visited out-of-state family and friends.
Richard was a voracious reader and loved to share his thoughts with an attentive audience. He had a prodigious vocabulary that was lost on many of his friends. In one of his priesthood quorums they requested that he share a new word with them on a regular basis so they could catch up and understand him better.
He was a member of the Cedar City Trap Club and enjoyed his associations there. He loved to hunt and shoot. The South African mounts that hang in his home are a testament to his love of hunting.
Richard was a faithful servant of the Lord. One could always depend on his best effort to fulfill any assignment. He loved Jesus Christ and His prophet, Russell M. Nelson; the great work of the gathering; and, was a faithful temple-goer. One of his favorite family history stories was to explain how his grandfather (b. 1836) fought in the Civil War.
Richard is survived by Terri, his beloved wife of 25 years; his two sons, Jason and Scott; Terri’s children Sara, her husband Aaron, their children: Grant, Violet and Charlotte; and Michael and his wife, Katilynn. Richard loved visiting friends and family, and taking his grandchildren on rides through the neighborhood in his red Ranger.
Richard passed away peacefully while surrounded by loved ones on Sunday, January 14, 2024, at the Cedar City Hospital due to severe pulmonary hypertension and congestive heart failure perhaps aggravated by a recent surgery. His wife is thankful to the many wonderful nurses and staff, especially nurses Nan and Mary, who cared for Richard during his multiple recent hospital admissions.
Funeral services including a viewing were held on Saturday, January 27, 2024 at the LDS Church on Laurie Lane in Cedar City under the direction of Southern Utah Mortuary. Graveside services were held at the Salem City, Utah, Cemetery on Monday, January 29, 2024.

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