"I'm sorry to say I didn't know Dustin, but I feel the pain of all of you who have for the moment lost contact with him. I found myself in a similar situation 13 years ago when my son ended his life.....out of the blue. Rest assured you will see Dustin again, and I hope to make his acquaintance someday. Peace to all of you"
In loving memory of
Dustin Charles Pye
May 7, 1978 - January 9, 2021
Dustin Charles Pye was born May 7, 1978 in Moscow, Idaho to Eric Pye and Linda Pye. We are devastated to acknowledge that he took his own life on January 9, 2021, after losing his battle with alcoholism.
Let us tell you about Dustin, our beloved son, husband, brother, father, nephew, cousin, and friend.
Dustin loved the outdoors. Not in a general way, but in an inherently connected and endlessly devoted way that would ground him and bring him back to earth in the moments he felt separate from it. There is evidence of that love all throughout the basin, in the many mountain-biking trails he helped to create, most belovedly, McCoy Flats; in the impossibly creative geocaches that will remain, for you to find, off the edges of cliffs; and in some of the most magical places the human eye has ever had the privilege to gaze at. We challenge you to get outdoors and search for some of these gems. We promise you won't be disappointed! Dustin will be there, laughing and cheering you on, as you search.
Dustin was a father, a role he embraced with every fiber of his being, not just to his children by blood, but also to his adopted children, who he loved fiercely and worked hard to nourish. He was a protector to each of them, a role he took very seriously, and put his blood, sweat, tears, and joy into every moment of every day of his life. Nothing meant more to him than family, a truth he made sure to tell everyone he knew. To Dustin, that was his role in life: to be a good father to his children and to be a light for his wife, lighting all the dark corners, chasing away all the shadows, bright, brilliant, and all-encompassing.
Dustin was a quiet man, but not a silent one. He thought deeply about the power of his words and was the kind of man you leaned a little closer toward, when he spoke, to make sure you didn't miss something important. His loudest voice was one of love and service. It needed no words. It was there in the way he gathered his daughter, Cadence Marley, onto his lap to read her a book, share a mint M&M, or show her how a thing worked. It was there in the way he looked at his wife, Jessie, in the morning, when the two moved throughout the kitchen together, making coffee, in this silent, magical dance that only soul mates know intimately. No words were needed. Just shared kisses, handholding, and that unspoken bond that so few people ever have the good fortune to know.
It was there in the way he worked with his father, Eric Pye, the two of them building houses, entry points for other families to start a new life, and in the way they worked together on the mountain, cutting wood to keep their families warm, one of them not quite whole without the other, a perfect team. And it was there in the way he teased his little sister, Bree Pye, to remind her that she was part of the family, that she was loved and needed, that he was proud of her. The two of them were so very different, but with a bond that also needed no words and was as solid and timeless as the trunk of an old oak.
Beyond these powerful relationships he developed with his family, including those not mentioned here, Dustin carried himself with a lightness, his sense of humor showing in the way he attached Christmas lights to his VW Bus and drove around town to add a bit of pop to the endless rows of white Christmas light adorned houses throughout Vernal, as if to remind the people inside of them to branch out, to see color, to open themselves to change and diversity. It was there in the way he hated pants and stubbornly refused to wear them, even in the harshest Vernal winters, when he shivered his way through the snow in shorts and sandals, grinning at anyone who dared to look aghast.
Though he is no longer here on Earth, his spirit permeates the Uintah Basin. Look for him in the cottonwoods of Hog's Canyon, darting through the rooms of Josie's Cabin, as he and his sister did many times throughout their lives. Look for him on the Flume, in Dry Fork Canyon, where he walked dogs with his mom, Linda Pye, and rode his bike so frequently that surely his tracks must be permanently etched in the mud of Ashley Creek. Look for him on Red Cloud Loop, where he took many a morning coffee drive with his wife, and where he and his family spent many summers camping, fishing, and enjoying all that the forest has to offer. Look for him in Little Brush Creek Cave, where he and his dad, Eric Pye, spent countless hours exploring and mapping for future rescue efforts.
And look for him in your hearts. He is there in the many ways he touched each of you, through countless subtle and blatant acts of love and service for which he will be so fondly remembered. He is the ace in your five-card-poker hand. He is the gust of wind on your hike or mountain bike ride that comes out of nowhere to cool you when the summer heat beats down. He is the sudden flicker of imagination that guides your hand to paint, to sing, to play--to write.
Dustin was preceded in death by his mother, Linda Pye, his cousin, Brian Carroll, his father-in-law, Russ Perry, his aunt, Sandy Johnson, and his grandmothers and grandfathers.
Dustin is survived by his father, Eric F. Pye; his wife, Jessie Pye; his sister, Breanne Pye and her husband, Wade Bolson; and his adopted brother, Korbyn Cash. He is survived by his children: Audryana Lowe, Rowan Pittsenbargar, Logan Pye, Skye Pye, Cadence Marley Pye; by his aunts: Lana LaCore and Pam Davis; by his uncle: Robin LaCore; by his cousins: Malory Carroll, and Mackenzie McDowell; by his mother-in-law: Sara Pittman, and by his sister-in-law Katie Perry, and his nieces.
He is survived by each of you reading this. Please remember that; remember the gift of it. When you are struggling, look for one bit of joy in the day and hold on to that through the night; let it carry you into the morning, where all of those who love you can remind you how loved and cherished you are.
Lastly, because Dustin would want to leave you all with a grin, we are thrilled to welcome into the world, this coming summer, Dustin and Jessie's son, Dustin Charles Pye II!
With that, we ask you to love one another. To reach out if you are hurting. We remind you that each of you ARE loved, that tomorrow will be brighter than today, and to remember that we are all connected through a common humanity. Carry that knowledge with grace and share it with everyone you know.
A Celebration of life for Dustin will be held in September. Services are under the direction of the Phillips Ashley Valley Funeral Home. Online condolences may be shared at www.AshleyValleyFuneralHome.com. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to help support Jessie and the kids. Donations may be directly sent to: VENMO: @Jessie-Pye or PAY PAL: @JessieP68
Tributes
"I used to watch him get on the bus as a teen. He sat near the front usually with a younger kid. He was quiet but had a presence and held his space. I looked up to him, and his sister. He?s holding his space still "
"*correction VW bus in the sky."
"Dustin was a kind hearted free spirit who loved his wife, children and family fully. They now have another angel, who is watching over them from his illuminated VW buds in the sky. He will be missed,. His presence in heaven will make the stars shine a little brighter and a little more groovy. You?ll be missed bud."