Rick D. Loyer

Aug 24, 1941 -

Jan 13, 2021

Rick D. Loyer, 79, of Palmer, Alaska, died on Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021, surrounded by his loving family. Rick was born in Palmer on Aug. 24, 1941, to Joseph and Naomi Loyer – original colonists of the Matanuska Valley Colony of 1935. He was eighth in a long line of 11 children.

Rick started his own business as a teenager – a feed store in Palmer with a branch in Homer, the latter of which he ran until he was 24, when he moved to Oregon and began building feed silos. He then moved to Chehalis, Wash., and ran a Ralston Purina feed store.

Rick married Linda Falk on June 12, 1966. They soon moved back to Palmer, where he started Rick Loyer Roofing and installed first-class roofs. He later worked construction with his brother James and on the North Slope as superintendent of warehouses for sections four, five and six. Rick became interested in gold mining and performed testing on several mines in Alaska and Canada, perfecting a sluice box that is still used today for its accuracy.

Rick opened and ran Valley R/V before beginning his career as a long-haul trucker, driving for Hi-Line Trucking for 25 years. In total, he drove enough miles to go to the moon and back two-and-a-half times according to the Montana Department of Transportation. He was known on the Alcan as "the road boss" and never passed a broken-down truck on the highway. Instead, he'd stop and help repair it – many times with parts he carried with him.

Rick had a great love for life. He always had a smile on his face and usually gave loved ones a friendly hard time. He made everyone laugh and was compelled to reach out to neglected and abused children of any age.

Rick is preceded in death by his parents, Joseph and Naomi Loyer; brothers, James, Victor, Ken and Gary Loyer; and sister, Norma (Loyer) Benson.

He is survived by his wife, Linda; sons, Lonnie (Ann), Gary (Tonya) and Scott; daughter, Juanita (Woody); sisters, Dorothy Hubbard (Ron Meehan), Rita Loyer and Janice (Lee) Svoboda; brothers, Fred and Dennis "Butch" (Emily) Loyer; countless nieces and nephews; eight grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and many more he claimed along the way.

In honor of Rick's memory, the family encourages those who knew and loved him to donate to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or a nonprofit of their choice.