Nicholas Matthew Bringhurst

Nick: Go Big or Go Home

Nick loved his belt buckle that says COWBOY UP. On a casual day, he might wear his hat that says PARTY TIME. To Nick, there was no excuse to not be good and have fun. Let us remember this remarkable man, and embody his example of dedication and love. The world is lesser without Nick in it, and we love him very much. Nick is someone that everyone looked up to, both in physical stature and moral strength. Being around Nick meant doing the right thing because Nick only knew one way to be: passionate, pure, and good. To know Nick was to be included in his enthusiasm for adventure, and to be charmed by his contagious smile. In every endeavor that Nick pursued, he did so with quality and passion. Nick was his best when he was in motion, planning the next excursion, or working with his hands. When there was an adventure to be had, it was impossible for him to sit idle. It’s hard not to love someone who was so clearly alit with life, and he made friends everywhere he went.

Nicholas Matthew Bringhurst was born on September 28, 1994 in American Fork, Utah to parents Matt and Cindy Bringhurst. He graduated from Springville High School in 2013 and graduated Utah Valley University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2022. He grew up in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served a mission in Boston, Massachusetts. He spent his summers river guiding on the Colorado River, where he met his sweetheart Lauren. He was married to his wife, Lauren McBride Bringhurst, on August 28, 2021.

Nick passed away in the way he always said he would go, in a very big way. Nick was caught in an avalanche while snowmobiling with one of his best friends and died at age 31 on January 11, 2026. He is survived by his wife Lauren McBride Bringhurst, his parents Matt and Cindy Bringhurst, his in-laws Jerod and Sarah McBride, his grandparents Doug and Sharon Bringhurst & Richard and Norma Graham, as well as many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and many friends. We are so blessed to have known him. He will be greatly missed.

From the moment Nick’s parents knew that he was joining the family, he was loved. Matt and Cindy feel so blessed to have had such an exemplary son. He was a dedicated and loving husband to Lauren, and he showed his love to her every day. As true partners, Lauren and Nick built a home of comfort and love that displayed their passion for each other and the outdoors. Nick proposed to Lauren with a ring box he carved himself, made of wood that Lauren brought him from a river trip—acacia wood, known for its strength. He welded, sanded, and finished their dining table by hand. This was how Nick loved, by dedicating his time and talents with an abundance of care.

Nick was a great friend and family member to all those that were lucky enough to know him. He exuded a fierceness of love that was only matched by his ardent loyalty. In the same way that he was known for putting his whole self into anything he tried, he could be counted on to do anything at any time for any one of his people. To be able to trust Nick was a gift, an unshakable belief that he was there for whatever may come. Nick was steadying and sure, smart enough to solve your problems and funny enough to make you laugh while you were going through them.

Nick had a deep connection to the outdoors, and found worship when he was connected to the land. He loved many places, but he felt most at home in the rivers and mountains of Utah and Wyoming. To Nick, there is purity in outdoor sport, a holiness in a perfect powder turn or in the whole-hearted commitment of kayaking a class V rapid. He had a talent for everything he tried, and excelled in countless outdoor pursuits. He loved being outside with Lauren as well as snowmobiling, golfing, skiing, rafting, kayaking, wake surfing, mountain biking, spear fishing, and hunting.

Nick embodied the constancy and strength of the rivers he loved. Like the Colorado River, he was an oasis in the desert, leaving places better, more full of life. Like the confluence of the Green and Colorado rivers to form Cataract Canyon, the combination of Nick’s fierce care with Lauren’s kindness formed a powerful and beautiful love that blessed the lives of many. Behind him Nick has left a canyon of loss, and we will miss him forevermore.

Viewings will be held for Nicholas on Friday, January 16, 2026 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. in the evening with an additional viewing on Saturday, January 17 from 9:00-10:30 a.m. in the morning at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints church at 1785 E 400 S in Springville, Utah. A funeral service will be held on Saturday, January 17th at 11 AM at the same location. Interment will occur immediately following at the Springville Evergreen Cemetery. 

Please wear your bolo ties, boots, or cowboy hats if you have them. For those who feel compelled, Nick’s family is requesting donations to the Utah Avalanche Center and the Star Valley Search and Rescue. They give their gratitude to the Star Valley Search and Rescue team for bringing him home.

Condolences may be expressed to the family on this page.

Livestream can be viewed below, or at the following link: Nick's Cowboy Up