Orem Mayor Washburn dies after long battle with cancer
Orem Mayor Jerry Washburn spoke about the time he found the body of a child in the canal in Orem and the importance of enclosing the canal for safety. Washburn spoke during the groundbreaking for the Provo Reservoir Canal enclosure project on Wednesday, October 20, 2010 in Cedar Hills. ASHLEY FRANSCELL/Daily Herald
Orem Mayor Jerry Washburn greets Cristi Merino during a visit to her home with Utah County's Meals-on-Wheels program Wednesday, Mar. 23, 2011 in Orem. Mayors throughout Utah County visited homebound seniors to deliver meals as part of Meals-on-Wheels' Mayors For Meals Day. ANDREW VAN WAGENEN/Daily Herald
MARIO RUIZ/Daily Herald Charles Edwards of the Veterans of Foreign Wars presents web cameras to Orem Public Library Director Louise Wallace and Orem Mayor Jerry Washburn at the Orem City Offices Wednesday, March 19, 2008. Operation Keep In Touch has set up web cams in all Utah County libraries giving video streaming access to families of overseas military service personnel.
OREM — Mayor Jerry Washburn died from cancer on Monday evening. He was 67 years old.
Washburn and his wife, Betty, celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary on Aug. 19, and Betty said that although her husband was very sick, he was still fighting for life, giving everything he had to the end.
“He spoke of enduring well, of persevering,” Betty Washburn said. “He really has done everything to overcome this illness, while not being unrealistic, but moving on and not giving up. That’s always the way he has been.”
Jerry Washburn was an Orem resident for more than 50 years; he graduated from Orem High School and BYU. He gained significant business experience in the community as the owner of a car dealership, a regional board member for Zions Bank and the director of Universal Campus Credit Union.
As mayor, Washburn is remembered for his leadership and enthusiastic participation in events ranging from Summerfest parades to Arbor Day commemorations and “biking with the mayor” events. Well-acquainted with the community, he added a congenial touch to his executive and professional skills.
Prior to his election as mayor, Washburn served the city as the committee chairman to research and organize the Neighborhoods in Action program and was founding director and chairman of the Commission for Economic Development in Orem. He also worked on the Utah Lake Commission and other commissions and government associations and councils, including the Utah League of Cities and Towns.
Jerry Washburn was serving in the presidency of the Missionary Training Center in Provo in 1999 when friends and supporters urged him to run for mayor of Orem to complete the term of the former mayor Joe Nelson, who had died in office. Washburn won that race and three subsequent elections to four-year terms. He completed 11 years as mayor and had two years remaining in his current term.
Son Steve Washburn said he thinks he benefitted the most from his father’s political victory, because the newly-elected mayor spotted a student reporter for KBYU who was covering the Orem city beat and told the young woman she should meet his son. Melissa, who is now Steve’s wife, at first declined, because she had a mission call to Portugal.
“We can change that with one phone call,” Mayor Washburn is reported to have said, and apparently, his connections at the MTC paid off. Despite the fact that she spoke at her own farewell, Melissa did become a member of the Washburn family instead of a missionary.
The Washburns said they never felt neglected despite the fact that what was technically a part-time mayor’s job became much more than that for Jerry Washburn, who spent many extra hours in order to meet his own high standard for serving in a quality way.
“Dad said if a job’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right, and whatever you do, you should do it really well,” son Chris said.
Accomplishments mentioned in Jerry Washburn’s campaign literature included the strengthening of neighborhood organizations; the establishment of parks such as Nielsen’s Grove and Mount Timpanogos Park; implementation of city-wide street lighting; transportation improvements; establishing the Veterans Memorial at the Orem cemetery; and holding a conservative fiscal line.
Orem Councilman Mark Seastrand said Jerry Washburn was a mentor to him. “It would be hard to find a better example of a public servant. He knew how to strike that perfect balance of family, religion, work and service to others.”
Seastrand said Washburn had a knack for remembering names, and his respect for others was a key part of how he was able to accomplish so much with so many people.
Councilwoman Margaret Black said the mayor’s selfless service to the city was an extension of his whole life of service to his fellow men, and that he had a gift for helping people work peaceably together to find solutions that would benefit everyone.
“Each person who visited with Jerry Washburn came away feeling they had been listened to and respected,” Black said. “Someone once said to me, ‘He can even say no to you and make you feel good about it.’ “
Also referring to Mayor Washburn as a mentor, Councilwoman Karen McCandless said that he taught her the phrase, “What are our options?”
She said the question has enabled her to firmly focus on issues and solutions, and that she has often asked herself the question in many aspects of her life.
Noting that the mayor was “a peaceful, diplomatic man,” McCandless said that rather than saying he was angry about something, he would say, “This frustrates me.” She said his choice of words calmed volatile situations.
“Mayor Washburn was the only man I knew who read Jane Austen books by choice, without coercion,” McCandless quipped. “He liked Austen’s study of human nature and character.”
The entire family has been active in the campaigning throughout the years, and members have made some fun memories as they have pounded in signs, knocked on doors and handed out brochures. One year, they used a motor home for a campaign headquarters and took it into neighborhoods where the clan then scattered to promote their candidate.
Daughter Laura Barrett said her dad has been a father figure to many people down through the years, including the young missionaries her parents served with when Jerry was mission president for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in San Diego from 1993 to 1996.
Son-in-law Jason Hess said he has always called Jerry Washburn “Dad” from the first time they met, when he was dating Washburn’s daughter Marianne and was recruited to drive a truck to San Diego.
Hess said Jerry Washburn always treated him like one of his sons, which meant a lot to him, and he shared that his father-in-law, busy as he was, took the time to help him edit difficult papers for some intense political science courses he was taking at Brigham Young University.
Sometimes the two would go through the papers until 3 a.m., but Hess said he feels he is a better, more confident writer now because of his experiences with his father-in-law, who was willing to stay up with him until the work was done.
Marianne Hess said her dad has been “the best grandpa a grandchild could ask for” to his and Betty’s 19 grandchildren — never missing a recital, ball game, birthday, or other event and frequently taking the children to the 25-acre farm in Lindon that was the mayor’s retreat and his recreational outlet. There, he taught the youngsters how to ride horses and how to work. The children remember their grandpa not so much as the mayor of Orem, but as a “cowboy” they revere.
Son Jeremy has been the manager of the farm for his dad and said his father loved the quiet atmosphere, the animals and the early morning hours. A frequent Christmas gift from family members was work gloves, which Jerry Washburn used and wore out.
“My dad’s name is a good name,” said his son Michael. “His obituary could have been written at any time in his life, and it would have been a good reputation. Even after I left Utah Valley, I had people ask me if I was related to Jerry Washburn. I’ve never had to be embarrassed. When my dad’s name came up, I knew I was going to have a good moment.”
“He represented everybody very well,” Jeremy Washburn said. “We’ve always been proud to have him as our dad, and I think the people of Orem can be proud to have had him as mayor, too. He has been genuine and honest.”
Funeral Services for Washburn will be held on Monday, Oct. 3, at 11 a.m. at the Orem Canyon View Stake Center, 575 E. 800 North, Orem.
A viewing will be held on Sunday, Oct. 2, from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Sundberg-Olpin Mortuary, 495 S. State St., Orem.
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