SOUTH JORDAN, Utah – Former Utah Governor Norm Bangerter was laid to rest Saturday at the South Jordan City Cemetery. He died Tuesday following complications of a stroke. He was 82 years old.
Bangerter's youngest son said the family is touched by the outpouring of support they've received from across the state.
“It's been overwhelming; he seemed to touch everyone's life,” Adam Bangerter said.
Many well-known local leaders and their spouses came to his funeral, including former Utah governors Olene Walker and Mike Leavitt as well as Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah. Many of them talked about Bangerter as both a friend and a leader.
"I think he's hit a high bar for the rest of us to reach to, because he did do things for the right reasons," said Gov. Gary Herbert.
"How much fun I had with him,” Hatch said. “We’d laugh and laugh about a lot of things. He would call me and chew me up, and I'd just laugh and we just had a great time. He was one of the truly great leaders in Utah's history, and I just feel very blessed to know him."
Bangerter was elected governor of Utah in 1984 after serving 10 years in the State House of Representatives. He was the first Republican governor in the state in 20 years.
Family, colleagues and friends spoke about the former governor's generosity, love of family and service.
“He was grateful to serve the people of Utah and just treat everyone the same. In his eyes, everyone was equal,” Adam Bangerter said.
"I think the state will see a lot of things in the future that we'll look back on and say, 'It's because Norm Bangerter was governor,'” Leavitt said.
Bangerter is survived by his second wife, Judy Schiffman, six children, and one foster son as well as numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Adam Bangerter said: “As we greeted people yesterday and today, they would ask, 'how are you doing?' and I would say, 'how do you not do good? Look at our family, the love that we have, our neighbors, our friends, the community and the people of the state of Utah who have had nothing but kind things [to say] about our father.' And we are so grateful for that."
