Brent Backus

Brent Backus
1947-2024
Brent was born on March 13, 1947 and passed away on December 19th, 2024 at the age of 77.
Leonard Brent Backus, age 77, passed away unexpectedly in the comfort of his home.
He was born on March 13th, 1947 in Salt Lake City, Utah to Leonard and Thelma (Lete) Backus. He graduated from Jordan High School in 1965 and then served his Country in the United States Army Reserves as part of the Fort Douglas 419 (Brats) unit, where he was honored for his skills as a sharpshooter with an M-14 rifle.
He met his soul mate and love of his life, Della McKee in 1967 at Dee's Old-Fashioned Drive-in. They were married on August 3rd, 1968 and welcomed their first child Brenda in 1971, followed by Brandon, April and Blake over the next decade.
Brent completed an apprenticeship at Kennecott Copper where he worked as a certified welder and mechanic, followed by a long-term career at South Valley Sewer District as an inspector where he advanced his education by earning a certification in AutoCAD developing the complex maps for the South Valley region.
He loved making the occasional weekend trips to Wendover with his sweetheart and was a faithful lifelong fan of the Dallas Cowboys. However, his biggest passion was the outdoors. He was a part of the 4-wheel drive club, where they were known as "Brush Creek" and "Little Britches". Family was the most important part of Brent's life. He spent most of his time fishing, hunting, shooting and enjoying spending time with his family at our " Happy Place ", the beautiful Backus family cabin they had built for their kids and grandkids for generations to come.
All who knew him loved him. He had a natural ability to make everyone he encountered feel welcome and as if they were family.
Brent is survived by his soul mate of 56 years, Della McKee Backus, daughter Brenda (Sean) Osborne, son Brandon (Stacy) Backus, daughter April (Trinton) Thomas, son Blake Backus (Jerald Thompson), Grandkids Alyssa, Hagen, Braxton, Makaylee, 4 great grand-children, sister Caralee (Barry) Skinner and many other family members and close friends.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Leonard and Thelma (Lete) Backus, sisters Connie Hofeling and Gloria Simons.
A viewing will be held on Sunday, December 29th 5:00-7:00pm at Jenkins-Soffe, 1007 W South Jordan Parkway, South Jordan, Utah. A family prayer will be held at Jenkins-Soffe on Monday, December 30th from 11:00-11:45am, followed by a graveside dedication at 12:00pm at South Jordan Cemetery 10630 S 1055 W, South Jordan, Utah.
A celebration of life at the Backus Family Cabin will also be held at a later date to come together and celebrate the beautiful life and legacy of Brent Backus.