Reese John Bastian

Reese John Bastian, aged 83, passed away on August 15, 2025, at his home in Mapleton, UT, surrounded by his loving family. He is survived by his wife and 5 children and will be dearly missed.

He was born on March 28, 1942, to Arlon and Una Davis Bastian of Twin Falls, ID. He spent part of his childhood on a farm in Idaho, then at age 13 moved into town with his family. His first job was working at a grocery store where he saved up enough to buy his first car with a little help from his dad. Reese also trained his first horse, Prince, during this time and his lifelong love of horses was kindled. After graduating high school in 1960, he moved to Utah to attend college at BYU, earning a Bachelor's Degree in statistics. During the summers, he would work on a farm, picking sugar beets, to finance his education. He met Cathie at dance class and they've been together ever since. They were married September 6, 1963.

During the Vietnam War, Reese was stationed in Korea and completed his service with the rank of Sergeant. He was an expert marksman and proud to have served his country. Upon return, Reese eventually was employed by IBM In California as one of the first computer programmers trained by them, where he worked for 15 years. Reese and Cathie decided to move back to Utah with their children to be closer to family and Reese started working at WordPerfect as a Software Engineer until he retired to spend more time with his horses, taking care of his garden, and making blackberry jam to share with his family and friends.

Reese was a cowboy who woke up early every morning without an alarm to take care of his beloved horses, reading Jane Austen and other literature in the afternoons. He was a neighbor who always showed up to help someone move or take care of their horses while they were away. He regularly donated blood to help his community. He was a father, grandfather, and great-grandfather and loved puddle jumping with all of them. He played music on his record player and danced and laughed with them. Reese spent years playing the violin and passed his passion for music on to his family. Over the years, he took his children and grandchildren on trail rides, sharing his love of nature with them.

In his twilight years, Reese was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, which ultimately claimed his life. He leaves behind a legacy of love for reading, music, gardening, animals, and nature that his children continue to love and teach their children. He will be greatly missed.

Reese was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, Arlon Bastian Jr. and Bruce Bastian, and one sister, Connie Embree. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Cathie Ann Carter, their five children, Maren (Brett), Michael (Korrie), Melinda, Christine (John), and Brandon (Emily),12 grandchildren, 6 great grandchildren, and two sisters, Camille Cox and Marieta Peterson.

The family would like to express their sincerest gratitude for all those who cared for Reese in his final months, including neighbors, ward members, Bristol Hospice, and Senior Partners.

A funeral service celebrating Reese's life will be held Friday, August 22nd at The Historic Mapleton White Church at 31 West Maple St, Mapleton, UT 84664. The public viewing will be held 9:45-10:45 am followed by the funeral at 11:00 am. Interment will follow at the Evergreen Cemetery.