Louis Nicholas Strike

Louis Nicholas Strike, age 80, of Cincinnati, Ohio, passed away peacefully on June 9, 2026, surrounded by family and loved ones after living with Alzheimer's disease.

Born on April 20, 1946, in Salt Lake City, UT, Louie was the son of Nicholas Louis Strike and Lucy Praggastis Strike. He graduated from East High School in 1964 and earned varsity letters in basketball and track at the University of Utah, where he was a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity and graduated in 1969 with degrees in mathematics and philosophy. He went on to receive an MBA in finance from the University of Chicago in 1971. Louie's education helped shape a successful career in manufacturing and distribution, where he spent more than 25 years leading and turning around businesses ranging from armored cars to children's toys. In 2019, he received the University of Utah College of Humanities Distinguished Alumni Award.

His sons will remember Louie for teaching them the value of hard work, showing them how to sing, play baseball and racquetball and for coaching their YMCA basketball teams to multiple championships. His nightly piano playing filled the house with music, and although he tried to teach his sons how to play, they could never equal his skill or charisma at the keys. His love of sports was unmatched, creating cherished family memories at racquetball tournaments across the country. Louie also inspired (and amused) others with his creative, unconventional ideas-from larger golf holes and three-inning limits for pitchers to "Lou-ber driving 101," where three right turns safely make a left.

Louie the Dad, friend, businessman, comic, music man, biker, dancer, mentor, writer and poet, is survived by his partner Margaret Hull; his son Nicholas Strike, his son Peter Strike and daughter-in-law Holly Strike and their children JP (age 17) and Lucy (age 8), his son Paulos Strike and daughter-in-law Elizabeth Vadas and their children Georgia (age 10) and Llewyn (age 6), all from his marriage to Pam Paulos, since divorced; and his sisters Aileen Preonas (George), Cynthia Petrow (George) and Pam Fullerton (David).

A visitation will take place at Larkin Mortuary (260 E S Temple) in Salt Lake City on Thursday July 2nd, from 4pm to 6pm. On Friday, July 3rd, a burial service for the family will be held at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Salt Lake City at 10:30am. Friends and family are invited to celebrate Louie at a luncheon from 12pm to 2pm at the Grand America Grand Salon (555 S Main), with a eulogy at 1pm. In lieu of flowers, please join us in making a donation to the Alzheimer's Association at https://events.alz.org/fundraisers/LNS or by mail: 6975 Union Park Ave, Suite 100, Cottonwood Heights, UT 84047.