Ricky Dean Salmon

May 20, 1951 – April 24, 2026

Ricky Dean “Ric O’Shay” Salmon, 74, passed away on April 24, 2026, at Billings Clinic with his family by his side. 

Rick was born in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, on May 20, 1951, to Floyd Arthur and Catherine Colleen (Scarbrough) Salmon. He was the second of three children, joining older brother Terry, with sister Nancy joining the family three years later. 

When Rick was a baby the family moved to Casper, where he grew up. Rick was a member of the Kelly Walsh High School graduating Class of 1969. 

He had a great work ethic. As a kid he mowed lawns to earn extra money and bought his first lawn mower. He also had a job working as a grocery bagger and did a stent at Nagel Motors in Casper. 

Rick was working in Englewood, Colorado, during the winter of 1971. While home for the holidays and visiting his friends at Two Bar Ranch, Rick met the love of his life, Linda Brown, on Christmas Day. The couple got married on May 22, 1972. Shortly after they moved to Cokeville, Wyoming, for a short time, where Rick had his first road construction position for Rizzler McMurray. When the job ended, they returned to Casper, then moved to Lovell in the fall of 1972.

Rick’s first job in Lovell was working for Herman’s Conoco service station. He also worked for Great Western Sugar, Aldrich Lumber and Dean’s Standard service station on the side. 

Rick and Linda were blessed with their first daughter, Holli, in January of 1974. In February of 1977, their only son Jason came along. Their second daughter, Coty, came along in July of 1980. 

Rick returned to road construction with Nicholls and Lewis Construction in 1977, putting in 20 years with the company. In the late 1990s Rick made the difficult decision to leave Nicholls and Lewis and go to work for S&L Industrial in Cowley, where he stayed until he was no longer able to work. 

Rick made a lot of very close friends at S&L that he considered his family. One friend in particular, Martin Consuelos, became a very special part of Rick’s life. 

Rick was preceded in death by his parents, sister Nancy Salmon Monk, nephew Shane Michael Salmon and great-niece Teneil Colleen Smith. 

Survivors include his wife, Linda; children Holli Thompson, Jason Salmon and Coty (Juan) Betancourt, all of Lovell; grandchildren Ruger Thompson (Zhewel Christensen), Shanaya Salmon, Karissa (Josiah) Meznarich, Chaylee Betancourt and TaiLyn Walbeck; bonus grandson Jayden Scheeler of Byron; great-grandchildren Emberlyn Salmon and Isaiah Thompson of Lovell; brother Terry (Donna) Salmon of Evansville, Wyoming; sister-in-law Dorothy (Leslie) Allen of Burlington; and numerous nieces and nephews, who he loved very much.

Services for Rick will be held on Saturday, May 2, at 10 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints east chapel in Lovell with Pete Baxendale presiding. Visitation will also be at the church one hour prior to the service in the west chapel. Burial will follow at the Byron Cemetery.