Larry C. Bringhurst
September 23, 1945 — December 17, 2018
Larry C. Bringhurst
Obituary
Larry passed away on December 17, 2018 at Intermountain Medical Center from complications due to septic shock. It was a very sudden illness and he put up the very best fight he could. We are so grateful to the doctors and nurses who cared for him during this time.
If you went out to eat with Larry you would have to sit with your back to the door, but you wouldn’t worry because Larry always had your six. He made everyone around him feel safe - unless you drank his last Coke, in which case you better watch out. Larry worked in law enforcement for almost 50 years, his early years with San Mateo County Sheriff, while the majority of his career was with the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office. Since retiring in 2001, he has been a Salt Lake County Constable.
He worked almost every imaginable job from court bailiff, to vice (he was Roger Martaugh to his partner, Jerry Rigby’s Martin Riggs), to detective, to Sargeant, where he started the sheriff’s biking program, to head of the SWAT team (Special Operations). He trained at the FBI Academy in Quantico to become even more proficient at his job. He eventually attained the rank of Lieutenant (his least favorite job). If you worked with him or for him you either loved him or you hated him. But all the “good people” loved him and pay him the highest compliment, “He was a cop’s cop.”
Larry was born on September 23, 1945 and grew up in tiny one bedroom house in Union (now Midvale) with 3 brothers, Ellis, Dennis, Garry and a sister, Lynda. His parents, Oceal and Vern, made sure the boys knew how to work. Larry loved to tell stories about his dad making them pick up rocks as a chore. That strong work ethic never left him. Larry loved working In his yard and always had the best lawn in the neighborhood. The family later moved to Creek Road, where Larry made lifelong friends with the “Creek Road Gang” and graduated from Hillcrest High School.
Larry married Suzan Sobieski in 1968 and had two daughters, Tiffany and Dana. Larry and Suzan later divorced. Larry then met and married the love of his life, Kathy Sullivan Bringhurst, in San Carlos, CA in 1975. They moved to Utah and had two boys, Jared and Jason. Larry loved all his kids and while he had a soft spot for his girls, when it came to hard work, he wanted to pass his work ethic on to the boys. He taught them the “right way” to mow a lawn, how to drive a stick shift and that while they should never start a fight, they should always finish it. He taught by example and his work ethic was on full display when he received a business degree from Westminster while working full time and raising a family.
When Larry retired from catching bad guys he turned to catching fish. He loved fishing with his brothers and Jared and Jason in Alaska and Canada. He was an excellent chef at anything that could be cooked on a grill. He loved golfing with his friends and his sons, and traveling with family and friends. One of his great regrets was trading in his 1965 Tahitian Turquoise Chevelle for a VW Bug. He made it right by restoring a 1965 Chevelle with his son Jason. They spent countless hours (and more countless dollars) restoring that car and he would always offer to let you listen to the engine when you came for a visit.
Larry had ten grandchildren and spent special time with each of them. He took them to birthday lunches, helped them build bikes and go karts, took them shooting and taught them how to fix a car. He attended countless programs, brushed their hair, read them books and spent hours and hours in the pool with them. Lexi (Wharton), Caden and Emily Midgley, Harrison, Carter, Gabby and Nick Conway, Aurora and Mia Bringhurst and Abel Bringhurst will miss their grandpa and papa more than we can say.
The thing Larry enjoyed most in retirement was travelling and spending time with his wife of 43 years. They traveled as much as they could, loved road trips, cruises, and had many great adventures. Kathy was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016 and from that moment on Larry made it his mission to take care of her. He did a great job, from doctor’s appointments to cooking and cleaning – he did it all. On the last day of his life he was still worried about taking care of Kathy, repeatedly telling his daughters from his hospital bed to make sure Kathy was getting some sleep.
Larry will be missed. In lieu of flowers please donate to your favorite charity.
A memorial celebration will be held at Noah’s Event Center, 322 West 11000 South, South Jordan on Saturday, December 29, 2018 at 2:00 PM.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Larry C. Bringhurst, please visit our floral store.
Larry passed away on December 17, 2018 at Intermountain Medical Center from complications due to septic shock. It was a very sudden illness and he put up the very best fight he could. We are so grateful to the doctors and nurses who cared for him during this time.
If you went out to eat with Larry you would have to sit with your back to the door, but you wouldn’t worry because Larry always had your six. He made everyone around him feel safe - unless you drank his last Coke, in which case you better watch out. Larry worked in law enforcement for almost 50 years, his early years with San Mateo County Sheriff, while the majority of his career was with the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office. Since retiring in 2001, he has been a Salt Lake County Constable.
He worked almost every imaginable job from court bailiff, to vice (he was Roger Martaugh to his partner, Jerry Rigby’s Martin Riggs), to detective, to Sargeant, where he started the sheriff’s biking program, to head of the SWAT team (Special Operations). He trained at the FBI Academy in Quantico to become even more proficient at his job. He eventually attained the rank of Lieutenant (his least favorite job). If you worked with him or for him you either loved him or you hated him. But all the “good people” loved him and pay him the highest compliment, “He was a cop’s cop.”
Larry was born on September 23, 1945 and grew up in tiny one bedroom house in Union (now Midvale) with 3 brothers, Ellis, Dennis, Garry and a sister, Lynda. His parents, Oceal and Vern, made sure the boys knew how to work. Larry loved to tell stories about his dad making them pick up rocks as a chore. That strong work ethic never left him. Larry loved working In his yard and always had the best lawn in the neighborhood. The family later moved to Creek Road, where Larry made lifelong friends with the “Creek Road Gang” and graduated from Hillcrest High School.
Larry married Suzan Sobieski in 1968 and had two daughters, Tiffany and Dana. Larry and Suzan later divorced. Larry then met and married the love of his life, Kathy Sullivan Bringhurst, in San Carlos, CA in 1975. They moved to Utah and had two boys, Jared and Jason. Larry loved all his kids and while he had a soft spot for his girls, when it came to hard work, he wanted to pass his work ethic on to the boys. He taught them the “right way” to mow a lawn, how to drive a stick shift and that while they should never start a fight, they should always finish it. He taught by example and his work ethic was on full display when he received a business degree from Westminster while working full time and raising a family.
When Larry retired from catching bad guys he turned to catching fish. He loved fishing with his brothers and Jared and Jason in Alaska and Canada. He was an excellent chef at anything that could be cooked on a grill. He loved golfing with his friends and his sons, and traveling with family and friends. One of his great regrets was trading in his 1965 Tahitian Turquoise Chevelle for a VW Bug. He made it right by restoring a 1965 Chevelle with his son Jason. They spent countless hours (and more countless dollars) restoring that car and he would always offer to let you listen to the engine when you came for a visit.
Larry had ten grandchildren and spent special time with each of them. He took them to birthday lunches, helped them build bikes and go karts, took them shooting and taught them how to fix a car. He attended countless programs, brushed their hair, read them books and spent hours and hours in the pool with them. Lexi (Wharton), Caden and Emily Midgley, Harrison, Carter, Gabby and Nick Conway, Aurora and Mia Bringhurst and Abel Bringhurst will miss their grandpa and papa more than we can say.
The thing Larry enjoyed most in retirement was travelling and spending time with his wife of 43 years. They traveled as much as they could, loved road trips, cruises, and had many great adventures. Kathy was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016 and from that moment on Larry made it his mission to take care of her. He did a great job, from doctor’s appointments to cooking and cleaning – he did it all. On the last day of his life he was still worried about taking care of Kathy, repeatedly telling his daughters from his hospital bed to make sure Kathy was getting some sleep.
Larry will be missed. In lieu of flowers please donate to your favorite charity.
A memorial celebration will be held at Noah’s Event Center, 322 West 11000 South, South Jordan on Saturday, December 29, 2018 at 2:00 PM.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Larry C. Bringhurst, please visit our floral store.
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