McKay Craig Meier

It is with profound sadness that we announce that our McKay passed away on May 1, 2026, in a canyoneering accident while doing what he loved surrounded by friends in Moab, Utah.

“I do what I want.” McKay lived by this motto from an early age, often keeping his parents on their toes. Born September 1, 1995, in West Jordan, Utah, to Rob and Laura Meier, he was independent from the start, approaching life with determination and a strong sense of self. His mom would jokingly say, “If I can get this boy through high school without him going to jail, our parenting will have been a success.”

Rob and Laura met their goal, and McKay graduated from Riverton High School in 2014, forming many lifelong friendships along the way. He then served a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Birmingham, England from 2014-2016.

A proud American, McKay joined the Utah National Guard serving as a 13J fire support specialist and completed basic and advanced training at Fort Sill. He spent 6 years assigned to the Higher Headquarters Battery 1-145th Field Artillery Battalion. McKay was a valued member of the forward observer team assisting in calling in accurate fire for the Battalion. His expertise was on full display in support of Operation African Lion in Tantan, Morocco where he was one of two forward observers to call in fire for one of the largest combined arms events to take place on the African continent.

If you know McKay, you will know that he had an amazing singing voice and could hit any notes ranging from bass to soprano. It was easy to know when he was coming into the room because you could hear the perfect pitch of both duet parts in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera being bellowed throughout the house. We will miss his beautiful smile, infectious laugh, and the music he brought into our lives. Our songs of life will never be the same without him.

McKay was an adventurer who loved the outdoors and sought out experiences that pushed his limits. He found joy in bodybuilding, skiing, canyoneering, shooting, wake surfing, swimming, skydiving, and golfing. He also enjoyed fly fishing, building with Legos, and browsing Costco. Above all, he loved sharing these passions with friends and family.

He is survived by his partner, Dannielle Christensen; his parents, Rob and Laura; his siblings, Tanner (Beth), Addie (Taylor), Dallin (Micah), and Emilie (Jake); his nieces and nephews, Hudson, Navy, Thomas, and Hallie; his grandma, Rena, his aunts and uncles Ken (Cecilia), Colleen (David), Joan (Chris), Jenn and Robin; and dogs, Stella, Sloan, Howie, and Mya.

He is preceded in death by his grandparents John and Idora Meier and Ed Gearheart.

We are extremely grateful to the Grand County Sheriff’s Office, Grand County Search and Rescue, Spanish Valley Mortuary, and Larkin Mortuary for their quick and compassionate response. We also appreciate the outpouring of love and support we have felt from friends and family.

A Celebration of McKay's life will be held at 2:00PM on Friday, May 8, 2026 at Larkin Mortuary - Riverton, 3688 West 12600 South in Riverton, Utah. A visitation and gathering will be held prior to services from 12:30 - 1:30PM. Military Funeral Honors will be rendered at the conclusion of the services.

For those wishing to attend virtually, services will be streamed and recorded via Zoom. To watch the services, please click "Watch Services" or the URL above. Recorded services will be made available for future viewing.