Richard Downey Madsen was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on December 2, 1937, to Eugene Andersen Madsen and Clarabelle Downey Madsen.  He passed away peacefully at home, in Clovis, California,  on  July 22, 2025.

He spent his early years in Bountiful, Utah, and Kansas.  At the age of eight, he took a bus across the country to Kansas, where he lived with his aunt and uncle.  It is during this period of his life that he began his introduction to the life of a cowboy.  Learning to milk cows, care for horses, and live the ranch life.  He rode his horse to school and loved his life in Kansas.  He lived there for four years and was reluctant to return to Utah.  He loved his time in Kansas and was grateful for the experiences that shaped him into the cowboy he became.

He attended junior high and high school in Bountiful,  Utah.  He established lifelong friendships with a group of youth who supported each other throughout their lives.  He attended Davis High School and was a letterman in football, basketball, and track.  He was well-rounded in the arts as well.  He enjoyed singing in school music groups and being a member of the dance club.

Upon graduation from high school, he attended the University of Utah on a basketball scholarship.  A knee injury cut his basketball career short, but led to his decision to serve as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  His mission took him to Australia.  He served faithfully as a missionary for two years and learned about how culture was a bit different in the land down under.  During his missionary service, he was chosen to play for the Mormon Yankees basketball team in Australia.

A short while after his return to the States, he enrolled at Brigham Young University.   It is here where he met Tiffany Snow.   They dated for a time and married  on September 1, 1965, in the Salt Lake City Temple.  Dick and Tiffany resided in Palo Alto, California; Murray, Utah; and Clovis, California during the time that they were married and raising six children.

Dick worked as an insurance salesman, a ranch manager, and a truck driver for produce in the central valley of California.   Most of all, he was proud of his titles of Husband, Father, and Grandfather (Poppi).  If you wanted to find him, look no further than his home, in the barn, with his animals, watching children and grandchildren participate in their events, or transporting kids to and from practices or games. His family was his pride and joy.

Upon his retirement, he and Tiffany served as missionaries in the Nauvoo, Illinois Mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  They experienced much joy while serving in this historic area of the church.   Some of his final words spoken were him bearing testimony to a granddaughter about the truthfulness of the gospel and the work of Joseph Smith in restoring Christ's church here on the earth.

Dick was a faithful friend.  He exemplified the life of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  He assisted countless friends, family members, and neighbors.  He never wanted recognition, but simply went about doing good.

Dad was a cowboy!   He was probably more comfortable on the back of his trusted horse than behind the steering wheel of a car.  He once said that he was born 100 years too late.  He loved participating in and watching rodeos.  When he was unable to ride horses in the last years, he enjoyed watching rodeos and westerns on The Cowboy Channel.  Serendipitously, his final steed, Nugget, heard his whistle from the spirit world and also joined him there this week.  He once again can ride in the eternities while he reminisces with those that have passed on before him and awaits his reunion with his sweet companion, Tiffany, as well as his remaining posterity.

Dick is preceded in death by his father, Eugene Madsen; his stepmother, Evelyn Madsen; his mother, Clarabelle Downing; stepfather Lance Downing; sister Sigrid Eggett; father-in-law Dr. Virgil C Snow; mother-in-law, LoRen W. Snow; brother-in-law in law, Pepper Snow, brother in law Chris Johnson, and son Quincy Madsen.  He is survived by his wife, Tiffany Snow Madsen; sister-in-law Sydnee Russell (Dana),  sister-in-law, Toni Johnson; brother, Scott Madsen (Judie); brother-in-law, Larry Eggett; son, Matthew Madsen (Nicole); daughter, Tishele Madsen; son, Joshua Madsen (Tiffany); son, Rick Madsen (Marci); son, Tyler Madsen (Cynthia), and seventeen grandchildren and two grandchildren-in-law.

In lieu of flowers, please consider supporting a cause near and dear to Dick's heart: either The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints ~  Missionary Fund or the Clovis Rodeo Association in memory of Dick Madsen.

Clovis Rodeo Association

PO Box 445

Clovis, CA 93613