Cecil Keith Ricks, 75, of Rexburg passed away peacefully on August 9, 2021 following complications from a stroke. Cecil was a beloved husband, father, grandpa, brother, uncle, cousin and friend. Cecil loved people and he was always looking for ways to serve those around him. He went out of his way to let people know that they were important and that he cared about them.

Cecil was born on December 18, 1945, in Rexburg, Idaho to Orson Franklin Ricks and Nina Irene Clements. Cecil grew up in a home where he knew he was loved and where he was taught to be responsible and work hard. Those lessons served him well throughout his life. Cecil graduated from Madison High School where he was student body president and went on to graduate from Ricks College and later from Brigham Young University with a degree in accounting. He made friends easily and kept in contact with many of them throughout his life. It seemed that he approached life with the philosophy that strangers were only friends he had not met.

He married Marla Ann Holyoak on June 3, 1970, in the Logan LDS Temple. This began a happy marriage and they had two sons, Jared and Nathan, who joined their little family. Cecil and Marla lived in Provo, Utah; Las Vegas, Nevada; Blackfoot, Idaho; Hailey, Idaho; and finally in Rexburg for the last 38 years of their lives together. Cecil loved his family with all of his heart and he was a dedicated husband and father. Marla passed away in 2017 after battling MS for almost 50 years. Cecil served Marla and cared for her devotedly throughout their marriage. He never complained and considered it his privilege to serve his wife. His family is forever grateful for his example of love and self-less service.

Cecil married Judy Belnap Wilcox on February 3, 2018. He loved Judy and her family and he was grateful for the relationships he formed with them and for the love and friendship they extended to him. He loved supporting his grandchildren and step-grandchildren in all of their performances and games.

Cecil loved to sing. He participated in two barbershop quartets as well as the Carousel Chorus in Rexburg. He loved to travel and took his family on many road trips across the country and taught his children that there was joy to be found in the journey as well as the destination. He was an avid collector and loved to collect matchbooks and puzzles among other things. He also loved to tell jokes and make people smile and laugh.

Cecil was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served a mission in New Zealand for the church from 1965-1967 and he often talked fondly of his love and gratitude for the people of New Zealand and the experiences he had while serving there. Cecil served faithfully in many callings throughout his life and he served without reservation whenever he was asked. He especially loved the opportunity he had received to serve in the Rexburg Idaho Temple with Judy.

Cecil is survived by his wife, Judy, of Rexburg; sons, Jared (Michelle) Ricks of Shelley and Nathan (Carrie) Ricks of Pocatello; and thirteen grandchildren, Mariya (Jason), Hailey, Benson, Thomas, Andrew, Lola, Seth, Franklin, Danielle, Charlotte, James, Emma and Anderson. Additionally, he is survived by Judy's six children and twenty-seven grandchildren who he loved dearly. He is also survived by four sisters, Maureen Seegmiller; Karen Pincock; Patsy (Garth) Harker; Lynette (Marv) Miller and one brother, Craig (Kathy) Ricks. He is preceded in death by his first wife, Marla, his parents, two sisters, Ethelyn Ricks and Joanne Ward and two brothers, Bruce Ricks and Kimber Ricks.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, August 16, at the Henry's Fork Stake Center, 1508 Ball Road in Rexburg. The family will receive friends from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Sunday, August 15, at Flamm Funeral Home in Rexburg and Monday, August 16, from 10:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. at the church prior to services. Interment will be in the Rexburg Cemetery.

The family is requesting that those attending the viewing and funeral please wear a mask.

Services may be viewed at:

https://zoom.us/j/94830697376?pwd=N1dTdEgyczU1ZGZnNitMMlBGeC80QT09

Meeting ID: 948 3069 7376
Passcode: 010264