Eddy Jusino Irizarry

Eddy Jusino Irizarry

1952 ~ 2023

Eddy Jusino Irizarry passed away peacefully of natural causes at his home on November 24, 2023, at the age of 71 leaving behind a legacy of love, generosity, and indelible memories. 

Eddy was truly loved by all who had the pleasure of knowing him. 

Eddy was born at home on February 9, 1952, in the small town of Copperfield, Utah to Alba and Ramon Irizarry, hardworking former immigrant citizens of our great country who personified “The American Dream." Eddy was the second of their four children together and he is survived by his three siblings Rosario, Eneida, and Edgar.  

Eddy was a fun-loving person from the day he was born.  Music and baseball were two of his lifelong passions. Eddy was playing in a band at high school dances when he was just in the seventh grade. On the ball field, shortstop is where you would find him. His early years were definitely filled with love, laughter, and valuable life lessons. 

At the young age of 17, Eddy bravely enlisted in the United States Army and served with honor in the Vietnam War. (Thank you for your service, Dad.)

After being honorably discharged at the end of his service with The United States Army, Eddy returned home and began his 34-year tenure with Rio Tinto, formerly Kennecott Copper.  While at Rio Tinto, Eddy worked 12, and when available, 18-hour shifts. He worked four days on and four days off rotating days to graveyards each work week. Eddy did this for almost the first 20 of his 34 years with the company. 

Eddy was married in 1978 to Christina Trujillo (until 2012) and they had a son, Raymond Eddy, in the summer of 1979.  Eddy was an incredible father to Ray and his step-son, Ben. He loved being a father was the kind of father every son dreams of having.  He never passed up a chance to play catch in the yard or to allow Ray to be his little shadow getting things done around the house. While he was working his ever-changing shifts at Rio Tinto, he still managed to volunteer at Ray's school with anything and everything they needed help with. He also coached Ray's teams in every sport, every year he played. When Ray stopped playing and started coaching, he coached with him.  

At age 50, he got his first Harley, he loved to ride, and he had a great passion for travel and seeing the world.  He was a member of the Salt Lake Harley Owners Group and for a time was the Head Road Captain.  He had an incredible sense of adventure and rode everywhere. Some of the places he visited on his bike were to the Atlantic Ocean, Sturgis, Canada, Washington DC, and Yankee Stadium.  He took every opportunity to travel, and he went on over 20 cruises to great destinations such as the Panama Canal, Alaska, Mexico, Hawaii, Central America and many more.

After retiring from Rio Tinto, he went to work at the Tooele Army Depot.  He always stayed busy and was an incredibly hard worker always taking pride in caring and providing for his family. 

In 2013, Eddy moved to Alaska and worked with and lived near his family in Anchorage. 

In 2016, Eddy returned to Utah and started working for Lowe's where he was a favorite among the employees as well as customers.  His Spanish speaking skills served him and his workplace well and he stayed busy helping all those he could while keeping a positive attitude. 

Eddy and his son were the best of friends and had a very special connection.  They always made it a point to stay in touch and they were always thrilled to spend time together.  

Eddy had one of the brightest, most contagious smiles and he would light up any room he was in. He made friends everywhere he went and always looked for opportunities to help anyone that needed a helping hand. He was the happiest sharing time with his family and friends and loved going to family events and celebrations.  Eddy was an incredible musician and loved to share his music. He played the guitar, ukulele, bass, piano, organ, banjo, saxophone, and more.

He was also a talented vocalist and song writer along with being a karaoke king, he was a natural performer and was a joy to watch.  Eddy exuded love and light and anyone that knows him will always remember his kindness, laughter, and unending love. 

He taught me that we as people should only be in competition with our personal potential. November 24th, Eddy J Irizarry reached his and the Lord took him home.  My dad was and always will be my best friend.   

The following is from Andrea Williams.  (Thank you prima)  

Uncle Eddy lived every day to the fullest, and he is gone too soon. He made a promise to be there, to never miss another family event, he wanted to spend his life surrounded by his family and friends. He wanted to take the time to build new stronger relationships with every member of his family. If you know him, you know that he always does what he says he is going to do. He had amazing conversations with each one of us, we got the opportunity to build our own individual core memories with him. The last ten years have been spent traveling all over the world with family and chosen family. We got to dance, share favorite songs, laugh, and make memories as a family. Uncle Eddy always had great stories to tell, from growing up surrounded by love, playing in a band, recording songs, to which instrument he wanted to learn next. We got to hear him play music and sing songs, we watched as his nieces and nephews stole his heart. Uncle Eddy, like our Nana Alba, was always the life of the party, and he could out-party all of us. Aside from always seeing the example of how we should all live our lives, he always made sure that we knew how proud of us he was. He was not just generous with his praise, he was generous with his time, and if he was there, he was always present. He was a philanthropist, always working to help those who may not have the resources they need, and never looking for anything in return. On a family trip to the Caribbean, I remember him always being perfectly pressed and dressed to the nines. He was usually the last one on the dance floor, and never once did a smile fall from his face. I remember strangers approaching us asking where Eddy with a “Y” was, and I remember his chuckle when we told him; he made friends everywhere he went. On another trip, we shot a funny music video for a song he wrote and recorded, and we have never laughed so hard. Always with a joke in hand, but my favorite will always be, “Hold on, let me look at it with my good eye!” With a heart of gold, he was an instrument of love as he was always bringing people together, making sure to greet everyone with a smile and a hug. I am so grateful that in my life I had the opportunity to get to know my uncle better than I could have ever imagined. There are a million memories, but out on the patio drinking wine while reminiscing and laughing about the “old days”, while he smokes a cigar is where I will always remember him. 

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, December 9, 2023 at Holbrook Mortuary, located at 3251 South 2300 East in Millcreek, Utah.

Friends and family are invited to attend a viewing from 10:00 AM to 10:45 AM prior to services.

Interment will immediately follow at Memorial Redwood Cemetery, located at 6500 South Redwood Road, in West Jordan, Utah where military honors will be performed in his honor.