Richard Morgart, born June 20, 1957, in Evanston,
died July 4, 2026, in Bountiful, Utah, from injuries from a motorcycle accident. Lightning struck twice, first deer 1984; this deer, June 15, got him.
Rich was born in and lived his life in Wyoming. Born to Leah and Wayne Morgart, the fourth of five children; Wayne (Charlotte), Mary, Melvin, Cherri (Keith).
Preceded in death by his parents, Melvin, and Mary, Nikki. Rich was a popular uncle. Patti, Nikki, Stacy, Tina the “Ogs”, and many much-loved nieces/nephews, and many greats.
The family lived a few places. One stands out — The Meigh Place, which he told many stories about and still visited. The family moved to Shoshoni when he was 10 where they had a small Café Leahs. Rich was always proud to have been the waiter, especially when he served Jim Ed Brown and his band.
He attended Shoshoni High until he enlisted in the US Army in 1974. Later he completed his GED. After his stint in the Army, he began working as a roughneck on oil rigs in many western states. Rich was proud of his years working in the oil field. He was always a conscientious employee, always on time and concerned for the safety of his fellow hands.
He was an aquatic invasive species inspector for Wyoming Game and Fish for the last 10 years of his life.
Rich met Karina Kinghorn in 1990. They became partners in “crime” shortly thereafter.
He had a passion for 1957 Chevies, Harley Davidsons, rock and roll music, and noodling around on his acoustic guitar. He went on countless rides all over the western states, one of them being his annual birthday ride to see Dave and all the “kids” (Murrays) in La Pointe.
He was a good listener. If you confided in Rich, your secret was safe. It was in the “vault” and he threw away the key. No amount of coaxing would get your secret. Rich had a tradition of visiting friends and family. There might not be much conversation; visits might not be long; but you definitely had a visit from Rich. He had a dry, unusual sense of humor. He might be gone by the time you got his joke.
If you weren’t home when Rich came by, you would find an unusual item by your door; a rock, a shovel, even a huge tree stump left to let you know you missed him. Rich would bring some of his famous banana nut bread. He mailed it to friends throughout the country.
Rich loved a good home cooked meal, rock and roll, the open road and open throttle. His death leaves a massive hole in our lives. Keep Rich in your thoughts and a song in your hearts as you continue life’s journey.
A wake and celebration will be held at Bear River State Park Bison Shelter, 601 Bear River Dr., Evanston, on Saturday, July 18, at high noon.
