Richard Dean Alsop

Richard Dean Alsop, a strong giant of a man, married his sweetheart, Janet Adamson, on April 27, 1964, in the Salt Lake Temple. He was a devoted husband and father whose commitment to the family they built together will endure forever. These two loved and nurtured their five children: first a daughter, Laura, then a son, Chris, followed by three more daughters, Heather, Sandra, and Sunny. Sam Bedonie was part of the family for several years, and Richard and Janet affectionately referred to him as a son as well.

All his children shared an understanding of love and care from their father that profoundly impacted their lives, as well as the lives of their own children. This blessing—the vital nature of families—was reinforced in his role as a sealer in the temple and as a patriarch to a stake.

During a busy season of life as Stake President, he was a media pioneer who led an Emmy-winning team at Bonneville Communications, pursued an MBA, served as the Mayor of Draper City, and sat on the board of the UTA. With a schedule like his, irrigating the family farm sometimes happened between meetings, dressed in a suit and tie paired with waterproof boots. Despite this, he somehow maintained that there was no other way to do a job except to do it well.

He never took on a task without aiming to master it, including life itself and his role as a son of God. All his efforts—whether with his family, friends, fellow worshipers, or in civic obligations—were viewed through the lens of what God would want him to know and act upon. If he wasn’t sure, he would study, pray, and ponder until he could move forward with confidence.

His love of music and the performing arts often placed him center stage as an actor and singer in community theater, but he avoided the self-serving spotlight in all his endeavors. He believed that good works are not merely of our own creation but a reflection of the Son of God’s divine light, and that the true glory belonged to that divine source more than to the acts it inspires.

We will all miss him dearly, but know, as a consequence of his gospel teachings, that he now has the chance to communicate and serve in ways that were limited in the final stage of his life, and that we will be reunited with him again.

Richard was preceded in death by his parents, Harold Dean Alsop and Ida Louise Cooper. He is survived by his loving wife, Janet Adamson, their children—Laura Smith, Chris Alsop (Heidi), Heather Hansen (Cory), Sandra Balls (Nolan), and Sunny Fleming (Hyriam)—and twenty grandchildren, as well as four great-grandchildren.

There will be a viewing at Anderson and Goff Mortuary, 11859 South 700 East, Draper on Friday, March 14, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., as well as on Saturday, March 15, from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. at the LDS Meetinghouse, 1617 East 12700 South, Draper. The funeral will follow at 11:00 a.m. Interment will take place at Larkin Sunset Gardens, 1950 East 10600 South, Sandy.