Kenneth Ray Buys July 1, 1940 - December 27, 2025

Kenneth Ray Buys, 85, of West Mountain, Utah passed away peacefully on December 27, 2025, of natural causes.

Ken was a proud graduate of Payson High School and graduated with the class of 1958. While there he met his lifelong companion, Marion Wilcock. They were married on March 12, 1959, in Payson, and their marriage was later solemnized in the Manti LDS Temple. Both Ken and Marion later served as LDS temple workers.

Ken lived most of his life in West Mountain and together with Marion raised six children: Lori (Tom) Olsen, Pamela Buchanan, Gordon Buys, Kristi Buys, Annie (Chanse) Valerio, and Amberly (Dave) Gwin. His legacy extended to now include 18 grandchildren, 35 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren. He took many of these grandchildren under his wing and they felt loved and protected by him.

Ken was beloved not only by his immediate family but also by his many friends, neighbors, and coworkers. He had a warm smile and infectious personality that others were immediately drawn to. Ken loved deer hunting and telling stories around the campfire, scouting out pheasants to harvest once the season opened, and living as camp host at Deer Creek where he would make even more friends and tell even more stories.

In his professional life, Ken was employed as an Iron Worker and then as a Union Representative at US Steel where he was a fierce advocate for those he represented. As with his family, Union members knew that he had their backs.

Ken was passionate about sports and rooting for his teams whether those be Payson High School, Brigham Young University (BYU), and especially the Jazz. You would often find he and Marion emersed in a Jazz game in a room decorated with Jazz souvenirs.

Ken was preceded in death by his wife Marion, four siblings, two children, Kristi Buys and Amberly Gwin, and grandson Dustin Buchanan. He is survived by his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, brother Steve (Biz), and sister Linda Rae.

As a family we would like to express our appreciation to Orchard View Assisted Living where Ken lived happily for the past three and a half years. To no one’s surprise, he was a beloved resident who once again made many friends. He will sorely missed by all lucky enough to have known him.

A “Celebration of Life” will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 10, 2026, at the Peteetneet Academy and Museum located at 10 North 600 East in Payson, Utah. Please join us to honor Ken’s life by sharing your favorite stories and memories of him.