Baltazar Rizzo

Baltazar Rizzo, 64, a resident of Hyde Park, Utah, beloved husband and father, passed away surrounded by his family on December 25, 2023 at Autumn Care Assisted Living. He spent the past 2 years at Auberge Memory Care in Salt Lake City during his struggle with Alzheimer’s Disease. He is now free from suffering and living his best life now with his Heavenly Father.

Baltazar was born on December 5, 1959 in Caracas, Venezuela to Italian immigrants. He was gifted in music, and volleyball which he played on his school’s team. After graduating from High School in 1977, Baldo went on to study at the Instituto Universitario de Technologia where he earned a Technical Degree in Metallurgy in 1980. After working as Head Technician at a foundry in Caracas for 3 years, he was awarded a governmental scholarship to further his studies in Metallurgy in the United States.

His first stop in the US was the Intensive English Language Institute at Whitworth College in Spokane, WA. It was there that he met his wife Heather Dowrey. The two were married in 1984 and soon after Baldo began his coursework at the Colorado School of Mines, in Golden, CO. During their time there they welcomed their first child, Rosa. Baldo relished his new role as a father and studied hard to secure a future for his new family. After earning his Bachelor of Science degree in Metallurgical Engineering in 1986, he began his career in the steel Industry, landing his first job as Q.C. Supervisor At Bayou Steel Co in Laplace, LA. There his family grew to add two more daughters, Erica and Rebecca. Life was good as they made friends at work and church, and became acquainted with life in the south - the swamps, crawfish, Mardi gras, their family-favorite beignets at Cafe du Monde in New Orleans - - and trips to the beach on Florida’s gulf coast.

After 8 years of life in Louisiana, Baldo and Heather decided that it was time to move back west to be closer to her family in Washington State. Baldo secured a job at Nucor Steel in Plymouth, Utah and they made their home in nearby Cache Valley. Another little Rizzo appeared on the scene, to Baldo’s delight, a boy they named Thomas. Baldo spent most of his career in the position of Scrap Yard Supervisor at Nucor. He was a loyal, dedicated employee who cared for both the success of the company but equally for the welfare of his employees that worked in his department. It also brought him much pride and joy to invite his friends and coworkers to his home to share his family’s heritage of Italian food and he did so on many occasions.

Baldo was a dedicated father who loved and supported his children in their sports and musical endeavors. He especially found his passion coaching his children’s soccer teams and winning championships each year. It also was very important to pass on his christian faith to his children and children in the community. He served many years leading the children’s ministry AWANAS at Maranatha Baptist Church. Baldo also attended a weekly men’s bible study where he continued to grow in his faith and was supported by lifelong friends.

He had many other interests as well, which included running - frequently running in local races wherever he lived - cycling with his good buddies Dan and Ed, and hunting every year with his friends from Nucor.

He was survived by his wife, Heather Rizzo, and his children: Rosa (Azarias) Dolores, Erica (Collin) Sorenson, Rebecca Rizzo, and Thomas Rizzo (Anna Roser), and his 3 grandchildren, Juliana and Luca Dolores, and Jack Sorenson. He is survived by his mother Rosa Vaccara, his sister Josefina Rizzo, his nephews Ricardo Castro and Baltazar Chavez and his aunts and cousins who reside in Italy. He was preceded in death by his father Tomaso Rizzo.

We would like to give many thanks to all who cared for and loved Baldo and supported us through his illness both at the Auberge and at Autumn Care.

A memorial will be held for Baltazar at 5pm on January 12th at Alpine Church in Logan. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his honor to his favorite charity, Smile Train or St Jude Children’s Research Hospital.