John John Jr

John Crawford, Jr. 5/27/1925 11/14/2011

John Crawford Jr. passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family, on November 14, 2011 in Salt Lake City at the age of 86.

John was born May 27, 1925 in Spring Canyon, Carbon County, Utah. He was the first child of John and Alice Ruff Crawford. He was educated in Carbon County schools and graduated from Carbon High School in 1943. He was the proud son of a coal miner who instilled in him the virtues of a great love of country and that you gave an honest days work for an honest days pay, and that integrity mattered. His integrity was legendary among those who knew and worked with him. He worked with his father in the mines of Carbon County to earn enough money to pay for his education and was the first of his family to attend college. He graduated from the University Of Utah Law School in 1949 with a law degree. He became a law clerk to Judge Ray Van Cott, later joining the Legal Department of Mountain Fuel Supply, now Questar Corp, where he advanced to hold the titles of Senior Vice President ; Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President, and President of the Utility Division of Mountain Fuel. He also was nominated to and served on the Board of Directors of the Company for many years. He retired in 1983 and become Of Counsel to Van Cott, Bagley, Cornwall, and McCarthy; working in legislative affairs.

John was active in community affairs serving on numerous boards and advisory panels. He was honored by his peers from the Heart-Lung Research Foundation, where he served as Chairman of the Board. He also served on the Salt Lake City School Board and was elected President of the School Board. He gave of his time, talent and energy to improving the community that he loved. Above all, John was a Utah Man through and through. Because of his humble upbringing and his devotion to education and athletics, the University of Utah was a revered and respected treasure to him. He was asked to help reorganize the Utes athletic booster group and then founded and served as the first Chairman of The Crimson Club in 1984. He served on the University of Utah Alumni Board and was honored as a Distinguished Alumni in 1988. In 2002 John was inducted into The University of Utahs Crimson Club Hall of Fame.

Above all else, his greatest achievement was his marriage to his beloved Marilyn Reiser. They were married on August 24, 1949 in the Salt Lake Temple and grew together and learned from each other for sixty-two years. John would tell you that his Mare was the greatest companion that he could have ever asked for in life and for eternity. He would also say that his greatest joy in life were his children, their spouses, his grandchildren and his great grandchildren. Even though his eyesight diminished over the last ten years of his life, his beautiful blue eyes didnt. They would sparkle every time one of his grand or great grand children would come for a visit. We will sorely miss those magnificent blue eyes that lost sight but never lost spirit.

He leaves behind his beloved wife Marilyn and their four children; Kathryn (Roger) Carter; Thomas J. (Carolyn Nilsen) Crawford; MaryLou Crawford; Robert B. (Ren Oniki) Crawford; 14 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. John is survived by his brother and sister, Darrel L. Crawford and Shirley (Howard) Earnest, as well as devoted brothers and sisters-in-law, and many nieces and nephews who brightened his life. He was preceded in death by his brother William D. Crawford, daughter-in-law Julie Jensen Crawford and great-granddaughter Reese Wilson. John was helped on his final journey by Dr. Patrice Duvernay, Dr. Craig Harmon, Dr. Joshua Bradley, Arlene Alires, and Rachel Tharpe.

Funeral Services will be held Friday, November 18, 2011 at 1:00pm at the Monument Park Seventeenth Ward at 1:00pm, located at 2795 Crestview Drive, Salt Lake City. Family and friends may visit at the Church on Thursday, November 17, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and on Friday prior to services from 11:00am to 12:30pm. Interment Salt Lake City Cemetery. Funeral Services provided by Russon Brothers Mortuary. Online guestbook available at www.russonmortuary.com