Canyon McKay Copa

Canyon McKay Copa of Provo, Utah, passed away February 7, 2015 from injuries sustained that day in a skiing accident at Park City, Utah. Canyon packed a lot of adventure into his 25 years, and he has now embarked on the greatest adventure of all.

Canyon was born in Walnut Creek, California, on December 2, 1989. He was the eighth and youngest child of Walter Kent Copa and Heidi Elizabeth Pixton Copa. Canyon grew up in Pleasant Hill, California, graduating from College Park High School. His love for the outdoors started at an early age, as he began to waterski at Lake Powell and Lake Berryessa, as well as to snow ski in Utah and California, at age three.

In high school Canyon participated in track and cross country. He excelled academically and graduated from LDS seminary. He earned the Eagle Scout award in the Boy Scouts of America. He made many good friends throughout his life.

Canyon served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the West Indies (Caribbean) French-speaking mission. He served in various callings in the Church and was recently a member of the Provo YSA 100th Ward. Canyon graduated from Brigham Young University in December 2014 and planned to attend physical therapy school.

Canyon worked as a PT Tech at Peak Physical Therapy in Spanish Fork. His coworkers and patients loved him. He had a caring and respectful manner. He loved winning office party dress-up contests.

Canyon’s brothers, nephews and good friends joined him on innumerable adventures to explore the canyons, lakes, rivers and mountains of the western United States. He enjoyed sharing videos and photographs of the places he discovered and experienced while climbing, hiking, scuba diving, skiing, paragliding, rappelling, canyoneering, wakeboarding, fly boarding, cliff jumping and biking. He made up a few of his own outdoor sports, like shopping cart waterskiing, wheelchair sand dune skiing, salt flats vehicle-towed skiing and summertime rock mountain skiing. Canyon participated in and won several Tough Mudder competitions, and he placed second in his age category in the 2014 World’s Toughest Mudder in Las Vegas, completing 70 miles over hundreds of obstacles in 24 hours.

Canyon is survived by his grandfather, Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Allan G. Pixton (96 years old); his parents, Ken and Heidi, currently serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Gramado, in the Brazil Porto Alegre North Mission; his sister, Kimberly Carter (Ed); his brother, Cameron Copa (Sloane); his brother, Kirk Copa (Jodi); his sister, Cameo Van Duker (James); his sister, Courtney Copa; his brother, Carleton Copa (Robyn); and his brother, Cordell Copa (Laura). Canyon has 20 nephews and nieces, and they all love and admire him very much. He treated them with love and kindness.

Canyon’s funeral will be held on Thursday, February 12, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. in the Pioneer 4th Ward Chapel, 376 North 700 West, Provo, Utah. Friends may call at Berg Mortuary, 185 East Center Street, Provo, on Wednesday evening from 6 until 8 and on Thursday morning at the church from 9:30 until 10:45 prior to services. Interment, Provo City Cemetery. Condolences may be sent online at www.bergmortuary.com.