Hayden Craig Smith, 26, of St. George, Utah, passed away on December 8, 2020. He was born in Delta, Utah, on May 15, 1994. Hayden was raised in Diamond Valley, Utah where he spent time finding and creating adventures in the surrounding hills with his siblings and friends. Hayden loved, and was fascinated by, all kinds of critters — bugs, snakes, lizards and whatever he came across. Hayden enjoyed scouting and created some lifelong friendships with fellow scouts and leaders. He earned his Arrow of Light and Eagle Scout awards.
Hayden graduated from Dixie High School in 2012. He spent a lot of time in the welding and auto shops as well as the graphic arts department, which sparked his natural gift of creativity and fed his beginning interest in cars. His classmates voted his the “best smile.” This recognition was fitting because he was always bright and happy. He was a light to all he encountered. Hayden’s smile was the best because it was contagious.
A member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Hayden faithfully served as a missionary in the Iowa Des Moines Mission. More recently, he served as a temple worker at the St. George Temple.
After his mission, Hayden kept many interests and added others. He continued to enjoy paintballing and became scuba certified. He was an accomplished body-builder who took great pride in fitness. It is an understatement to say he loved cars. Hayden had a passion for working on, fixing up, showcasing and flipping cars. He spent considerable time off-roading throughout Southern Utah. If there was any kind of activity involving cars, Hayden was immersed in it. He took his passion for cars and innate creativity online, where he created a YouTube channel alongside his wife— HUMMUH’s HorsePower — which garnered thousands of subscribers and hosted viral videos with hundreds of thousands of views. With beautiful Southern Utah as a backdrop, Hayden took his audience on fun, novel and silly car adventures— like when he purchased a used Corvette and took it out to shred in the sand dunes .
That passion for cars, however, was dwarfed by his commitment to family. Hayden married Clara Camp on November 3, 2017. Their marriage was later solemnized in the St. George Temple. He adored Clara. Of their time together he said, “Love is the most powerful emotion I have ever felt. It has filled my existence with more than I thought I was capable of experiencing, and it only keeps growing. How? It's the only thing in life that doesn't fade if you keep putting work into it... Cars, motorcycles, muscles and all those kinda things have such a small impact in my life compared to love. [Clara], you are everything to me.” Together, they explored the topography of life. Hayden and Clara became parents to Radley Smith on November 26, 2018. Hayden relentlessly gushed over Radley, “Seriously I am obsessed with this little dude!” “I love my little Radguy!” “Holy crap I love being a Dad!” Hayden reflected that “my life went from aimless single guy to family focused man. My whole world revolves around [Clara] and [Radley] and I couldn't be more excited for our future.” “I love them both with every fiber of my being.”
Hayden worked for Wilding Wallbeds for many years with his lifelong, and best friend, C.J. Wilding. He was also a Senior Funding Director at Torro Holdings in Salt Lake City. At the time of his passing, he was employed by Pride Rock Materials. Wherever he worked, he established a special camaraderie with his colleagues and co-workers. Hayden had a strong work ethic. He was loyal to his employers, dedicated to excellence and took pride in his work, as well as the things he created. Above all else, he was motivated to provide for his family.
Hayden is survived by his eternal companion, Clara, and their son, Radley. He is also survived by his parents, Kevin and Natalie Riley; father, Reed Smith; grandmother, Linda Ekins; siblings; Devin Smith, McKenna Riley, Marshall Riley, Sebrina (Damian) Shelton, Madison (Dein) Brush and Trey Smith. He is preceded in death by his maternal grandfather, David Cropper Ekins; and his paternal grandparents, Craig Nielson and Thressa Lindsay Smith.
A viewing for all friends and family will be held Tuesday, December 15, at 6:00 PM at Metcalf Mortuary, 288 West Saint George Blvd. Due to concerns related to COVID-19, Masks and Social Distancing are required. Funeral services attended by immediate family, will be held on Wednesday at 1:00 PM at the Diamond Valley LDS Chapel, 1784 Diamond Valley Dr, St. George. Everyone is invited and encouraged to participate in the funeral services by Zoom (ID: 939 4752 1399, Passcode: 307113, Telephone (audio-only): (253) 215-8782). Burial will follow at the Washington City Cemetery. Online condolences may be left at www.nicklemortuary.com . The recording of the funeral service is available at: https://youtu.be/XFNfQ5ecLeE