Rex Benton Mayo, 54

Rex Benton Mayo, 54, passed away on Tuesday, March 22, 2016, in Kootenai, Idaho.

A celebration of his life will be held at 4 p.m. on Friday, April 8, 2016, at the Lakeview Funeral Home with a potluck reception to follow.

Rex was born on Aug 25, 1961, at Stanford Hospital, and lived in Cupertino, “the Prune Capital of the World.” The place that became the Silicon Valley was a paradise of orchards; prunes, apricots, and cherries. It suited him, a life among growing plants, for he loved to garden, and loved the country.

When he left the Silicon Valley in 2000, and came to the Sand-point area, he found his home. He loved the mountains, the lakes and rivers, the forest. But mostly, he loved the people, and they loved him. One friend wrote, “I have always loved Rex. He was the most hardworking, honest, funny, gentle man.”

Children and animals knew instinctively he was someone they could trust and love. When his brother-in law died, he became the man who taught his sister's children DaNae and Nik to fish, took them boating, surprised them on Halloween with decorations festooned on their house, was always there to protect and love them.

Oh, Rex, we miss you.

He was preceded in death by his father, Fred Mayo; his nephew, Nik Aguirre; and his cousin, Roger Jiminez.

He is survived by his mother and stepfather, Rhoda and Del Sanford of Laclede, Idaho; his sisters, Jenny Lopresto and Desire Aguirre, both of Sagle; his stepmother, Fran Mayo of Willow Glen, Calif.; his stepsister, Sylvia Taylor; his nieces and nephews, DaNae Aguirre, Amin Kees, Colin Kees, Kaia Kees, Eric Taylor; the children of his heart, Patrick and Haleigh Ranes; his aunts and uncles, Terri Cravens, Dawn Sarto, and Roy and Marilyn Mayo; and his cousins, Robert Nevis, Ross Jiminez, Mark Sarto, Baron Sarto, and Sheri Nourse.

Friends and relatives are invited to visit his online memorial at www.lakeviewfuneral.com and sign his guest book.