Riley Austin Perkins
Riley Austin Perkins was granted his angel wings on November 25, 2020. Riley came into this world with a smile that could melt the hearts of those around him. His eyes were bright and full of love and light. As a toddler, he was one step behind his sister McKenna and they did everything together. Two peas in a pod with their sippy cups in one hand and Riley usually had a car of his choice in the other. He loved cars. He loved to drive them around making car noises and crashing them into each other. His favorite movie was Lightning McQueen which the family watched with him-what seemed like 100 times. He loved race tracks of all kinds, especially the one that said, “Hot wheel racers take your lane!” He spent tons of time with his cousins arranging cars on the track and then trying to figure out which car was the fastest, usually the purple one. His other favorite toy was Buzz Lightyear. He carried him with him everywhere. He slept with him, he dragged him in the car and he was his best buddy. One time Grandma Dot took Riley to get his haircut and he accidentally left Buzz Lightyear behind. He was devastated. He was frantic, worried and was immediately comforted when Buzz Lightyear was rescued and brought back home.
Riley also learned a love of rapping from his Dad. Zach is an amazing rapper and Riley picked up his talent by rapping about anything he would see out the window. As they would be driving, he would make up a rap about the cars on the road or the buildings. If he was in the bathroom, he’d rap about the toothpaste, toothbrush, and toilet. It was the cutest. Riley had a contagious love of music that he shared with those around him. He loved all kinds of music from Rap to Disney Soundtracks. He recently even started playing the guitar and was amazing at our family talent show. He almost always had a pair of earphones around his neck that he may have left in many places, but were always found after some searching.
Riley also loved vacations. One of his first vacations was to Carlsbad, California. He fell in love with the beach. We told him he couldn’t get in the water, but he wasn’t having that so we took off his pants and he ran around in the waves in his jacket and underwear. Oregon became another place he talked about and loved. He wanted to move there. He went on a family vacation with his Mom and family. The highlight of that trip was being able to buy candy at the candy store with his Mom, Mandi. She also took him to a souvenir shop where he bought a shirt that read, “Stay Salty!” He also loved going to Oregon to visit his Grandma Elisa and playing in the waves with his sisters Kaclee and Penelope. Tristan and Zach took Riley to the same souvenir shop and he bought the same shirt with the saying, “Stay Salty!” In a bigger size. He also couldn’t wait to go to East Canyon with his Grandma and cousins where they would eat banana boats, ride around on scooters, run up the sledding hill over and over again, watch movies and just enjoy being together. Riley looked forward to camping most. He loved camping with his family this summer up Ogden Canyon. He also asked to head back to Valley of Fire so he could climb the rocks. He was an amazing hiker, adventurous, and wanted to try new things.
Riley was an awesome athlete. He could run swiftly and for long distances. He was proud of being on the cross country team and loved to go on runs with his music and family. He grew up with a pool at his apartment where he and his sister, McKenna, spent hours. They both became strong swimmers. Riley chose to swim on some competitive teams and recently made the varsity swimming team at Granger High School. He was so proud of himself for being so fast. He played left field and center field for Hunter-Cyprus Baseball. He even made the allstars the first year he played, but most importantly he made a best friend named Max.
Lastly, Riley loved playing on the Xbox and would convince anybody that the Xbox was the best gaming system. He enjoyed playing Call of Duty. He could explain in perfect detail what each part of the game was about and enjoyed helping other people figure out how to play. He also loved spending time with Kellan and playing Minecraft together. Taking walks with his Dad and dog, Roxie, were also times that he cherished.
With Riley’s passing we want to remind others to love those around you fiercely and forgive their mistakes. Let them know they aren’t alone. Most importantly tell them that you love them. Riley may have passed, but he will always remain in our hearts as an important part of our story. He loved big! He danced and laughed. He dared to do new things and liked to entertain others. He was brave and strong. He was adored and loved so greatly.
A viewing will be held on Thursday, December 3, 2020 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Starks Funeral Parlor, 3651 South 900 East, Salt Lake City. To ensure compliance with current social distancing guidelines, we kindly ask that you call the funeral parlor Monday to Saturday between the hours of 10 AM and 4 PM at (801) 474-9119 to make a reservation. A funeral service will be held by invitation only on Friday, December 4 at 11:00 AM but available to the public via livestreaming. A "Watch Service" button will appear on this page. For those wishing to participate in the funeral we will be accepting video messages at reach_us@starksfuneral.com. Videos will be compiled into a virtual open mic and added to the livestream.
CODE: 60274513 S.T. STAY SALTY!!!!! ♥️ ♥️ ♥️ ♥️