Douglas Wayne Riding

"I eat my peas with honey, I've done it all my life.

It makes them taste quite funny, but it keeps them on the knife."

Douglas Wayne Riding, known to most as Doug and to some as Dougie, passed away at home in Washington, Utah on Friday, December 26, 2025, after a long struggle with his health. He was 74.

Doug was the youngest of seven children born to Frederick Henry and Martha Leona Riding and was raised on a farm in Roosevelt, Utah. Farm life shaped him early, teaching him independence, curiosity, and just enough mischief to get into trouble. On his 18th birthday, he watched the moon landing and never stopped believing that exploration, of any kind, was time well spent. That belief followed him throughout his life, whether it meant taking the long way home, going down an internet rabbit hole at 2 a.m., or stepping past a "Do Not Enter" sign that he viewed as more of a suggestion than a rule.

He proudly served in Vietnam and was awarded the Bronze Star with Valor and the Purple Heart. These were honors he rarely spoke of, but they quietly explained his grit, his complicated relationship with authority, and his refusal to back down from anything that hurt, annoyed, or tried to stop him.

Doug lived in many Utah towns over the years, including Wellsville, Farmington, Layton, Ogden, South Jordan, and eventually the St. George area. No matter where he landed, he built a community instantly. He had a gift for turning strangers into friends. Every errand became an adventure, every explanation ran long, and Doug didn't just tell time, he built the watch.

Known for his teasing nature, Doug was equally generous with his time and resources. If you admired something he owned, there was a good chance he would just give it to you. He collected jokes with long setups and complicated punchlines, tracked their rankings on "the list," and coined phrases from funny moments that lived on for years (twelve-year old scotch, anyone?). His stories ranged from educational to questionable to wildly inappropriate.

Doug was married three times, but the great love of his later life was his wife, LuAnn ("Annie") Terry-Riding. Together they built a life centered on family, friendship, and a home where stories were shared, grandchildren were adored, and everyone felt welcome. Annie stood by Doug through years of health challenges with steady love and devotion, and her presence meant more to him than words could capture.

Doug was a businessman, entrepreneur, and lifelong tinkerer. He owned The Technical Support Group (also known as "The Sign Guy") and partnered with his wife and son on Watchdog Security. He loved guns, flying his drone, collecting gadgets, and doing things he probably shouldn't have been doing. If you told Doug "no," he mostly heard, "Well now I have to." He also loved the open road, drove well above the speed limit, and taught his children and grandchildren to drive early and always in a manual transmission. Visits to Grandpa's house often meant desert drives, shooting, and "bumming around" just to see what was over the hill. He also thought email was the next best thing to sliced bread. He loved to read about all the things people were up to and pictures and videos were like gold to him, especially in the last few years when he could not travel as much. His grandchildren loved to get his emails with all the funny formatting and pictures attached.

Doug adored his nieces and nephews and lit up as "Duncle Ugg" and "Gruncle." He was famous for monkey kisses (which everyone remembers with a loving cringe), spoiling kids with attention and gifts, and somehow making every one of them feel like they were his favorite.

Doug is survived by his wife, Annie; his four children and eight grandchildren; two brothers and one sister; and countless nieces, nephews, friends, and adopted family members lucky enough to be pulled into his orbit and shenanigans.

In keeping with his wishes, no services will be held. This spring, his family will go on one last road trip with him to spread his ashes in a place that held special meaning to him. Those wishing to honor Doug are encouraged to share a story, take an adventure, ignore "no" once in a while, and make someone feel special, just like he always did.

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