Allan K. Risenmay, 74, passed away peacefully on October 1, 2026, in Provo, Utah, surrounded by the love of his family.

Allan was born May 23, 1952, in Shelley, Idaho, to Eldon and Velma (Gray) Risenmay. He was the third of their children and grew up on the family farm in Shelley, where he learned from his parents the values of faith, family, hard work, and service that would remain central throughout his life. He graduated from Shelley High School and, at 18, began his studies at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.

From an early age, Allan possessed a keen and curious mind. He was fascinated by science and, growing up during the Space Race and the Apollo missions, developed a lifelong interest in astronomy, space exploration, and the mysteries of the cosmos. He studied microbiology at BYU and served an LDS mission in the Colorado-Wyoming Mission at age 19. While at BYU, he met Valerie Kristen Jones. They lived near one another and attended the same student ward, and their friendship grew into a lifelong partnership. Allan and Valerie were married in the Salt Lake Temple on July 13, 1978.

After completing his bachelor’s degree in 1978, Allan pursued graduate training in nurse anesthesia at the Medical College of Virginia, graduating in 1990 as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. He began his career in Huntington, West Virginia, where he practiced from 1990 to 1992 before moving with his family to Maysville, Kentucky.

Allan found in Maysville the small-town charm of an old river community that he loved. There he co-founded Maysville Anesthesia Services, providing anesthesia services to Meadowview Regional Hospital. Allan practiced in Maysville for a decade, earning the respect and trust of his patients and colleagues. His approach to anesthesia was meticulous, patient, and calm. He was especially valued by women giving birth and was often personally requested to provide anesthesia during childbirth. For patients facing some of the most difficult and vulnerable moments of their lives, Allan’s quiet confidence and attentive care provided reassurance and comfort.

His professional life was only one expression of his desire to care for others. Allan was deeply committed to his faith and to the people around him. He served for several years as the Young Men’s President in his LDS congregation, where he organized activities and camping trips and became a mentor to the young men in his care. Many of those boys looked up to him, and some remained his friends for the rest of their lives.

He later served for seven years as Branch President of the LDS congregation in Maysville. Allan took that calling very seriously. He drove hundreds of miles each month to visit widows, families, and others in need, seeking to lead by example and to live the Christ-like life he taught his family and congregation. His faith was not simply something he spoke about. It was something he tried to practice through service.

Allan was, above all, a devoted husband and father. He and Valerie raised six children: Amy Burton, Matt, Paul, Aaron, Todd, and Marc. Their home in Maysville was also home to three foster children, at one point making a household of nine children. Allan was deeply involved in the lives of his children, encouraging their education, participating in science fair and Boy Scout projects, leading family scripture study, and taking an active interest in their spiritual development. As his children grew into adulthood, he remained a trusted counselor and advisor, supporting each of them in pursuing higher education and taking great pride in their accomplishments.

Family was at the center of Allan’s life. He and Valerie made a point of bringing their children into the lives of their extended family, often packing the family Suburban for long trips west to Idaho and Utah or south to Florida to visit Valerie’s family. There were also memorable trips to California, Niagara Falls, and Disney World. For Allan, these were more than vacations from work. They were opportunities to be together and make family memories.

He brought a particular sense of humor to family life. Allan was quick-witted and loved good-natured teasing and sarcasm. He turned playful ribbing into something of a family language of love, perhaps teaching his children along the way not to take themselves too seriously and to develop the thick skin they would need in the world. He was also known to lead family pranks, including the occasional toilet-papering of a friend’s house. But Allan was just as likely to lead the subsequent cleanup effort, transforming the crime scene into a family service project complete with refreshments and plenty of laughter.

One of his favorite traditions was the “underdog,” a game he played with his children at the park. After pushing a child higher and higher on the swing, Allan would run underneath it and give one final, enormous push. “Are you ready for an underdog?” became a familiar question, invariably answered by a mixture of anticipation, fear, and delight. The tradition has continued through the generations, and his children still play the underdog with their children, nieces, and nephews.

Allan was an avid runner and began many mornings with several miles around a nearby lake. He was also an extraordinary reader, often finishing several books in a week. His work as a CRNA gave him quiet periods during which he monitored his patients’ vital signs, and he used much of that time to read. He developed particular interests in Egyptian history and Egyptology, as well as astronomy and the cosmos. In his later years, he could often be found in the quiet of his office studying his books, reading scripture, or listening to his favorite 1960s music on his extensive record collection and hi-fi.

In 2002, a traumatic brain injury ended Allan’s career in anesthesia and brought a profound and unexpected change to his life. The resulting epilepsy meant that he could no longer practice the profession he loved. He and Valerie faced the years that followed with patience, perseverance, and faith. Allan’s illness placed significant demands upon Valerie as his primary caregiver, and the two of them navigated circumstances neither could have anticipated when they began their life together. Through that hardship, Allan continued to meet life with dignity and remained committed to his family and his faith. His ability to endure adversity without surrendering his sense of purpose became another important part of the example he gave his children.

After leaving Kentucky, Allan moved west to be closer to family, first settling in Ontario, Oregon, and ultimately in Cedar Hills, Utah. In his final years, he found his greatest happiness in the company of his family. He delighted in holidays and family gatherings, remained deeply involved in the lives of his children and grandchildren, and supported his grandchildren at violin and cello recitals and other milestones. His thirteen living grandchildren knew him affectionately as “Gramps.” He also spent meaningful time working on family history with his brothers and sisters, helping preserve the stories of those who had come before him.

Allan was preceded in death by his son, Marc, who passed away in 2019. Marc was Allan’s “little buddy,” a nickname earned because as a boy he was rarely far from his father’s side. The name became a family joke as Marc grew to 6’4”, making him, as the family would say, Allan’s “big little buddy.” The bond between father and son remained deep throughout their lives, and Marc’s absence was felt keenly by Allan and the entire family.

Allan is survived by his wife of 48 years, Valerie Kristen (Jones) Risenmay; his children, Amy Burton, Matt Risenmay, Paul Risenmay, Aaron Risenmay, and Todd Risenmay; thirteen grandchildren; his siblings, Dave Risenmay, Ron Risenmay, Ralph Risenmay, Karen Pugmire, and Connie Orton; and numerous extended family members and friends whose lives he touched.

Allan leaves behind more than a record of accomplishments. He leaves behind an example. He taught his children to work hard, to learn, to serve, to laugh, to care for others, and to remain faithful through difficult things. He supported them, counseled them, challenged them, and took genuine joy in watching them become who they were meant to be.

His family will miss his presence deeply. Yet the love he gave them, the counsel he offered, the humor he shared, and the example he set have become part of who they are. In that sense, Allan’s life continues in the lives of the people he loved. He helped make his children who they are, and they carry so much of him with them.

For those who knew Allan, he will be remembered as a loving husband, devoted father and grandfather, beloved brother, disciple of Christ, trusted medical professional, voracious reader, curious student of the world, and a man who met both the joys and hardships of life with patience, humor, faith, and perseverance.

He will be deeply missed, and his family is grateful for the joyful memories and enduring example he leaves behind.