Aaron Zundel

Aaron William Zundel

November 8, 1981 – January 16, 2018

Aaron passed away suddenly Tuesday, January 16th in North Salt Lake, Utah, after a lifelong battle with a mental illness that finally overwhelmed him and took his life.

He was born November 8, 1981 to Michael Nish and LuAnn Lodder Zundel in Salt Lake City, Utah. He had a childhood filled with friends and family, growing up first in Taylorsville, Utah and then moving to North Salt Lake, Utah for his middle and high school years. He graduated from Woods Cross High School in 2000, and then served an honorable mission to Florida for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

After returning home, Aaron attended Salt Lake Community College and then the University of Utah to pursue a degree in English, graduating in 2008. He later went on to attend the S. J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah, finishing his Juris Doctor degree in 2012.

Aaron was a gifted writer, and won the 2008 Mark of Excellence Award for Editorial Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists for his work in the campus newspaper The Daily Utah Chronicle, marking him as one of the top college-level journalists in the United States. Some of his editorials were published on the MacNeil Lehrer news website.

Throughout his life, Aaron demonstrated a strong sense of honor, loyalty, and fairness. Aaron started his own law practice, “A.W. Zundel Legal Professionals,” and prided himself on his work. For Aaron, the question was usually whether his client needed his help, rather than whether they could afford to pay, and he frequently took pro-bono work for those who could not.

Aaron was especially mindful of those who were struggling, weak, or suffering. He had a great love for the Muscular Dystrophy Association summer camps, and spent many summers as a volunteer working with children and young adults. He was gentle and kind with children, and owned and loved dogs. He had a special bond with Casper, a favorite spaniel.  

Aaron had a love of movies, and understood storytelling at a very deep level. He loved to talk about the movies that he had recently seen, and could describe accurately and in great detail why they had succeeded or failed at the box office or with audiences versus critics, and what made one movie majestic and another simply entertaining. He was an avid Star Wars and Batman fan, but loved the internal journey of the characters more than the lightsabers or batmobiles of the big screen.

Aaron was an extremely interesting person to talk to, with a seemingly endless supply of captivating thoughts and ideas. He was a master thinker, and a student of the human condition. He was very easy to love, and was loved by many.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Nish and Dorene Zundel and William and Merlene Lodder. He is survived by his parents, Michael and LuAnn Zundel, his siblings Tracy (Lindsay) Zundel, Rebecca (Aaron) Seiter, and Christian Zundel, his three nieces, and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Funeral services will be held at 12:00 p.m., Friday, January 26th at the LDS chapel located at 4275 South Bountiful Blvd, Bountiful Utah 84010. Friends and family may visit from 10-11:30 a.m. prior to the service. Interment at Lakeview Cemetery.