Kim Thad Anderson

Kim Thad Anderson was born in Provo, Utah on July 2, 1962, and raised in Orem as the oldest child of Thad and Shirley Anderson. He was a steady young man, with a quiet determination that would become one of his most defining qualities. As a teen, Kim was a self-taught guitar player and would play along with popular rock bands, like Led Zeppelin, Lynyard Skynyrd, and many more; he loved music. He soon began making his own electric guitars, building an impressive collection that he displayed on the walls of his basement bedroom.

He was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, served a mission in Concepción, Chile, and developed a deep faith in Jesus Christ. Kim was humble, and considered it a privilege to serve the members of his stake in Price as a member of the High Council, and later as a member of the bishopric in his ward in North Dakota. Kim was also fun to sit next to in church; not only did he have a nice, deep singing voice, sometimes he would make up his own silly lyrics to sing during the hymns. He was also known to move his shoulders up and down during prayers, giving those sitting next to him the impression that he was laughing–which would cause a chain-reaction. He could be serious when he needed to be, yet humor was one of his preferred ways to communicate; he could easily get laughs—especially when you got him in a room with his younger brother, Karl.

As a young man and into adulthood, Kim loved hunting with his dad, brother, cousins, uncles, and eventually his kids. As much as he liked to “get a deer,” the part he valued most was hiking through the mountains, sitting around the campfire, and spending time building relationships with these people that were so important to him. In a similar fashion, he dedicated many hours to caring for and riding horses with Aunt Loraine. She appreciated that she could rely on Kim for help with her horses, and he valued all that she taught and the time she invested in him.

In fact, loyalty to the people that he loved is another of Kim’s hallmark qualities. For many years, Natalie, his oldest daughter, was the center of his universe. They spent weekends and holidays making popcorn and noo-noos (young Natalie’s version of noodles), creating winding roads in the dirt where they would drive Matchbox cars, and scooping hundreds of marbles into a big bucket that Kim would pour over Natalie’s back. His love for her was truly his North Star during this time of his life.

Education was so important to Kim, which was good since he spent many years in school. He completed his bachelor’s degree at Weber State University, then was accepted to grad school at Brigham Young University where he would eventually earn a PhD in Botany. His love of the outdoors led him to work for the U.S. Forest Service as an Ecologist, District Ranger, and most recently Administrative Officer. He also spent many summer months fighting wildfires in Utah and surrounding states, work that was grueling, but he loved it. Kim also served as a volunteer firefighter in the small communities he called home. And, Kim was proud of his Nordic heritage; he invested time in learning about and practicing Viking traditions, cooking, and art.

His love of learning would manifest in another way: his passion for creating. In addition to woodworking, over the years he grew a variety of unique plants in his garden and preserved them in various ways. He sharpened blades to attach to knife handles he had made from bone or antler, many of them carved with his own scrimshaw artwork. He made bars of soap, dye from plants he gathered, sourdough pancakes (with his own sourdough starter), and his own custom fragrance he jokingly called, “Essence of Elk” (which he actually used to disguise his smell when he went hunting). He loved leatherwork and made bags he used to store various kits, and then taught others how to make their own bags. He carved beautiful bookstands, made hinged wooden ties, and designed toys for his kids and grandkids. For Kim, building and creating was second nature. It wasn’t necessarily about saving money, but instead that he liked being able to do it himself. He was good at so many things and never stopped learning.

Of all of the things Kim built, the thing that he was most proud of was his family. Kim announced he was getting married, and the family scrambled to be there—the next day!—to meet Darlene, the woman who would become his other-half in every way. Darlene was the perfect complement to Kim; she understood his humor, encouraged his creativity, and was the perfect person for him to channel his love. In that union, he gained Sierra, Aspen, and Hart as his own, and together, Kim and Darlene welcomed Kynan and Seth to complete their family. And, as Natalie grew and had children of her own, Kim had great appreciation for his son-in-law, Tyson, and loved being a grandad to Lexi, Kaydence, and Talon. He loved his family fiercely; they meant everything to him.

When Kim was diagnosed with cancer in 2014, he was given three years to live. What doctors didn’t know about was Kim’s faith and tenacity. His determination to spend more time with his family would give us more than 12 years to learn from, tease, and love him. When he experienced a massive stroke in April of this year, Kim’s medical providers praised his willful engagement in speech and physical therapy; he worked so hard, and Darlene was by his side through it all. When Kim peacefully passed from this earth on May 22, 2026 at his home in Watford City, North Dakota, surrounded by loved ones, this determined fighter could finally rest.

To Kim, our beloved husband, father, grandfather, son, brother, and uncle: we will miss you more than words can express. Thank you for teasing us, teaching us, challenging us, fighting for us, making us laugh, and loving us. We are counting on you to provide support from the other side because we still need you in our lives.

Kim is survived by his loving wife, Darlene, his daughter Natalie and son-in-law Tyson Trevort, daughters Sierra and Aspen, and sons Hart, Kynan, and Seth; granddaughters Lexi and Kaydence, and grandson Talon, parents Thad and Shirley, siblings Kajsia (Mark) Boyer, Karl (Hsiu-Chin) Anderson, Kathy Anderson, Karin Anderson, and Kolene Anderson (Robert Phillips); parents in-law Richard and Donna Ostrom, and many sisters and brothers-in-law, and cousins. He is preceded in death by his grandparents, Seth Rex and Myrtle Dell Anderson, Ralph Harry and Hilda Cora Adams, and his aunt, Jesse Loraine Adams, as well as aunts, uncles, and cousins from both sides of his family. We like to think that Aunt Loraine was among the first to greet him in heaven, and that they took off for a spirited horseback ride.

Friends and family are invited to attend a viewing on June 5, 2026 from 10:00-10:45 AM at the LDS Chapel in Mapleton located at 970 North 400 East. Funeral services will follow, beginning at 11:00 AM. For friends and family unable to attend the services in person, the funeral will be streamed online and can be viewed here.

Immediately following the funeral, interment will be at Evergreen Cemetery in Springville (1997 South 400 East).

Condolences may be expressed to the family on this page.