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SALT LAKE CITY — Tears and laughs flowed as friends and family of former Salt Lake City Mayor Ted Wilson shared epic hiking tales, tossed a few playful political jabs and expressed their admiration for him in one last public memorial for the longtime public servant.
"I didn't know anybody who did not like Ted," said former Utah Gov. Gary Herbert, speaking from a fourth-floor Rice-Eccles Stadium suite overlooking the city that Wilson helped transform as mayor from 1976 to 1985, and the mountains and foothills he cherished.
"Ted was just a very nice man. ... (He was) a man that people looked up to and respected for his wisdom (and) for his demeanor and how he treated other people," added Herbert, who had selected Wilson to serve as his environmental adviser despite their different political affiliations.
Wilson died of congestive heart failure and Parkinson's disease on April 11, but his memorial service was delayed a month largely so friends and family from across the globe could arrange ways to come to Utah and pay their respects. It was moved to the day before what would have been his 85th birthday.
His widow, Holly Mullen, and five children, as well as closest friends and colleagues shared stories about his life and love of the outdoors, politics, faith, family and people. Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson, one of Ted Wilson's children, explained that her father wanted to meet with as many people as he could in his final days, but his health deteriorated quickly.
The bells atop the Salt Lake City and County Building rang out 30 times in honor of Ted Wilson, the city's 30th mayor. A video of the moment was broadcast live at the service.
The bells at City Hall rang 30 times today to honor the remarkable life of our dear friend and city's 30th mayor, Ted Wilson, on the eve of what would have been his 85th birthday. Salt Lake City will keep climbing uphill for you, Ted. pic.twitter.com/re8V6SWiX0
— Mayor Erin Mendenhall (@slcmayor) May 17, 2024
Jenny Wilson also read from a condolence letter President Joe Biden sent the family in time for Friday's service.
"From the classroom and City Hall to the peaks of our country's soaring mountain ranges, Ted was always guided by his spirit of adventure and commitment to service, making a lasting impact on his community and on all those whose lives he touched," Biden wrote, in part.
The letter was framed and placed on a table along with family photos, relics from Wilson's time in office and hiking gear.
Ted Wilson was born in Salt Lake City on May 18, 1939. His mother was a great-granddaughter of Orson Pratt, who famously helped Brigham Young create the city's plat and city blocks. Wilson grew up in Sugar House and graduated from South High in 1957.
He also co-founded the Alpenbock Climbing Club, which established many of the existing climbing routes in Little Cottonwood Canyon. Jenny Wilson said her father would also go on to help negotiate with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to make Gate Buttress available for climbers.
He served in the Utah Army National Guard and taught civics and economics at Skyline High School before serving as chief of staff for U.S. Congressman Wayne Owens, sparking a long political career. But Ted Wilson is perhaps best known as Salt Lake City's mayor for nearly a decade in the late '70s and early '80s.
While in office, he oversaw the shakeup of the city's government structure as the City Council was formed. He helped facilitate the New Orleans Jazz relocation to Utah and lobbied to get Western Airlines to build a hub at Salt Lake City International Airport — before it merged with Delta Air Lines in 1987.
Ted Wilson also led the city through record flooding in 1983, organizing volunteer efforts to place sandbags in vulnerable areas. Those are just a few of his major accomplishments, said John Hiskey, who served as Ted Wilson's chief of staff.
"He wanted people involved; he wanted people engaged," said Hiskey, as he reminisced how the mayor got different neighborhoods involved in politics at the time. "From the moment he entered office, the energy (and) the ability to show a vision — vision for a city that took it to new heights."
Once his time in office ended, Ted Wilson served as director at the University of Utah Hinckley Institute of Politics. It was a role he clung to from 1985 to 2003. Afterward, he went on to serve in leadership roles for the Tour of Utah, Tanner Humanities Center and Utah Rivers Council. He also created the Utah Clean Air Partnership while in Herbert's administration.
Even in his final days, he was helping the Salt Lake Climbers Alliance preserve climbing access in the Wasatch Mountains.
"When you gaze up at the mountains you'll see Ted's spirit," said Tim Chambless, a long-time friend and colleague of Ted Wilson's, who also conducted Friday's service. "Remember Ted in your memories and enjoy this day."
