10/25/2026
UTAH LIVES REMEMBERED
Kilee King (1976–1989)
The Little Girl Who Made Everyone Feel They Belonged
Some lives are measured in years. Others are measured by the love, kindness, and happiness they leave behind. Kilee King had only thirteen years on this earth, but in that short time, she touched hearts in ways that would never be forgotten.
Born February 27, 1976, in Bountiful, Utah, Kilee King was a bright, energetic young girl with a beautiful smile, a love for adventure, and a special gift for making people feel important.
She was the daughter of J. Wayne King and Susan King and the younger sister of Kasey and Keri King.
Like so many young girls growing up in Utah, Kilee had dreams for her future. She loved her family, enjoyed spending time with friends, and looked forward to the adventures that lay ahead.
But what made Kilee especially remarkable was not simply her happiness or her many talents. It was the kindness she showed others.
A Young Girl With a Remarkable Heart
Kilee attended South Davis Junior High School, where she had already become a natural leader.
She served as vice president of the seventh grade, helping organize school activities and encouraging other students to participate.
Her student leadership adviser, Sandy Wariner, remembered Kilee as someone who took initiative, brought people together, and helped turn ideas into action.
But perhaps her greatest gift was her ability to recognize those who needed a friend.
Bishop Sherman Fuller, one of her church leaders, remembered that Kilee made a special effort to include children who were less outgoing or popular.
She didn’t judge people by their popularity or what they had. She wanted everyone to feel welcome and accepted.
At an age when fitting in can mean everything, Kilee had already learned something many people spend a lifetime trying to understand:
The greatest kindness we can offer another person is making them feel that they belong.
A Girl With Big Dreams
Kilee had a passion for gymnastics.
She was athletic, competitive, determined, and dreamed of someday becoming an Olympic gymnast.
Her longtime friend Katie Gardiner recalled that Kilee had participated in the highest-level class at a local USA Gymnastics Club.
She loved the challenge of learning new skills and pushing herself to do better.
Kilee also enjoyed the simple pleasures of childhood.
She loved laughing with friends, going to Lagoon, participating in school activities, and finding ways to have fun.
Her friends remembered her playful personality and the happiness she brought wherever she went.
She had dreams to follow, goals to accomplish, and an entire future waiting before her.
Courage Beyond Her Years
Kilee also knew what it meant to face hardship.
While attending Boulton Elementary School, she suffered a serious leg injury after an accident involving a glass door.
The injury required hospitalization and left her on crutches for several months.
For an active young girl who loved gymnastics, the recovery could not have been easy.
But those who knew Kilee remembered her remarkable determination.
Rather than allowing the injury to defeat her spirit, she worked toward recovery and returned to the activities she loved.
She even took babysitting jobs to help pay for surgery to repair the scar left by her injury.
Her church leader remembered that she rarely complained.
Kilee was only a child, but she was already showing the courage, responsibility, and determination of someone much older.
June 9, 1989 — A Community Heartbroken
On Friday, June 9, 1989, Kilee was enjoying a day with friends at Lagoon Amusement Park in Farmington, Utah.
What should have been another happy summer adventure ended in tragedy.
While riding the park’s historic wooden roller coaster, Kilee fell from the ride and suffered fatal injuries.
She was just thirteen years old.
Her sudden passing devastated her family, friends, classmates, and the Bountiful community.
The accident received widespread newspaper coverage and led to a police investigation.
Early reports suggested that Kilee had stood up during the ride. However, the investigating detective later clarified that she had not stood up.
Investigators concluded that a combination of her small physical build, her movements, and the forces of the roller coaster had allowed her to slip beneath the restraint.
Her death was ruled accidental.
Following the tragedy, changes were made to the roller coaster’s seating arrangement.
Her mother, Susan King, later filed a lawsuit raising concerns about the ride’s safety restraints.
But behind the newspaper headlines and investigations was something far more important.
A family had lost a beloved daughter and sister.
Friends had lost someone who brought laughter into their lives.
And a community had lost a young girl whose kindness had already made a difference.
The Love She Left Behind
In the days following Kilee’s passing, friends and neighbors gathered around her grieving family.
Classmates struggled to understand how someone so young, happy, and full of life could suddenly be gone.
Her church community came together in prayer, remembrance, and comfort.
Approximately forty to fifty young people gathered with church leaders to talk about their grief and the hope of seeing their friend again.
Her friend and fellow student leader Jeremy Christoffersen remembered spending time with Kilee at school, going to Lagoon, and sharing happy experiences.
He remembered how often she laughed and smiled.
Others recalled her courage, her athletic abilities, her willingness to help, and her ability to make everyone feel welcome.
Those memories tell us something important about Kilee King.
She was not remembered only because of how her life ended.
She was remembered because of how beautifully she lived.
A Legacy That Still Matters
More than three decades have passed since Kilee’s death.
The young girl who dreamed of becoming an Olympic gymnast never had the opportunity to pursue all the dreams she carried in her heart.
She never experienced the many milestones that should have been waiting for her.
But her short life still teaches lessons worth remembering.
Be kind to someone who feels left out.
Include the person who needs a friend.
Face difficulties with courage.
Laugh often.
Follow your dreams.
And never underestimate the difference one person can make in another person’s life.
Kilee did not need decades to demonstrate those qualities.
She showed them in just thirteen years.
Today, we remember Kilee King not simply as a young girl whose life ended in a heartbreaking accident, but as a beloved daughter, sister, friend, student leader, and talented gymnast.
We remember her beautiful smile, her courage, her compassion, and the happiness she brought into the lives of others.
Kilee King, your life was far too short, but the kindness you shared deserves to be remembered forever.
May your family and those who loved you find comfort in the memories you left behind.
And may your story remind us that even the shortest life can leave a lasting legacy of love.
Everyone deserves to be remembered, and everyone has a story to tell.
May we gain strength from their example.
Sources and Historical References
Deseret News — June 12, 1989. Joel Campbell, “Kilee Was Happy and Caring Girl, Friends Recall.” Contemporary accounts of her personality, gymnastics, friendships, courage, church community, and student leadership.
https://www.deseret.com/1989/6/12/18811705/kilee-was-happy-and-caring-girl-friends-recall/
Deseret News — June 11, 1989. “Officials Probing Death of Girl, 13, Who Fell From Roller Coaster.” Initial reporting about Kilee’s death.
https://www.deseret.com/1989/6/11/18810911/officials-probing-death-of-girl-13-who-fell-from-roller-coaster/
Deseret News — June 14, 1989. “Teen’s Death on Roller Coaster at Lagoon Is Ruled Accidental.” Findings of the official investigation.
https://www.deseret.com/1989/6/14/18811308/teen-s-death-on-roller-coaster-at-lagoon-is-ruled-accidental/
Deseret News — June 29, 1989. Don Rosebrock, “Roller Coaster Death Called a Fluke.” Detailed explanation from Detective Sgt. Jeff Jacobson, including clarification of inaccurate early reports.
https://www.deseret.com/1989/6/29/18813416/roller-coaster-death-called-a-fluke-br-a-quirk-of-physics-teen-s-physique-and-her-actions-detective/
Deseret News — July 29, 1989. “Bountiful Mother Files Lawsuit in Death of Daughter at Lagoon.” Reporting on the civil lawsuit brought by Susan King.
https://www.deseret.com/1989/7/29/18817275/bountiful-mother-files-lawsuit-in-death-of-daughter-at-lagoon/
Utah Communication History Encyclopedia — April 23, 2014. Johanna M. Melik, “Lagoon, the Roller Coaster, and the Kilee King Investigation, 1989.” Historical review of the accident and contemporary newspaper reporting.
https://utahcommhistory.com/2014/04/23/lagoon-the-roller-coaster-and-the-kilee-king-investigation-1989/
FamilySearch Family Tree — Kilee King, ID KWHN-XJZ. Family-history profile supplied for this tribute, identifying her birth as February 27, 1976, death as June 9, 1989, and burial in Bountiful, Utah. Specific gravesite and original vital records have not been independently verified.
https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/KWHN-XJZ
Utah Lives Remembered — Research and AI Disclosure
Utah Lives Remembered is dedicated to preserving the lives, memories, and histories of people connected to Utah.
This tribute was prepared using historical newspaper reporting and available family-history information. Artificial intelligence was used to assist with research organization, writing, editing, and presentation. AI-generated wording is not presented as an original historical quotation.
Original photographs, newspaper articles, and historical materials remain the property of their respective owners, families, publishers, archives, and rights holders. Credit is provided when known.
We make every effort to share respectful and accurate information. If family members, friends, or others have documented corrections, additional photographs, or personal memories of Kilee, we welcome their contributions.
Our purpose is not simply to remember how someone died, but to celebrate how they lived.
The strongest source for Kilee’s personal story is the June 12, 1989, Deseret News article, which preserves the actual memories of people who knew her.
