Ronald J. Thorkildsen

Ronald J Thorkildsen was born on July 27, 1940 in Saint Mark’s Hospital in Salt Lake City to Walter Scott and Doris Ann (Holman) Christensen. His parents separated when he was small. His primary father figure was his mother’s second husband, Carl Martin Thorkildsen, from whom he took his last name.

In 1957, Doris and Carl bought Al’s Motel in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Ron stayed behind in Salt Lake City to finish his senior year at Granite High School. He graduated in 1958 and promptly moved to Jackson Hole.

Ron got his first job at 14, setting pins at a bowling alley. He worked all the way through high school doing various jobs. After moving to Jackson Hole, he helped his parents run the motel (he got very good at making beds with hospital corners). He worked at the Aspen Ranch and Red Rock Ranch as well as working construction for several different companies. He was also a bartender at the Wort Hotel & the RJ Bar in Jackson and the Elk’s Lodge here in Cache Valley.

He started college at Highlands University while caretaking for a ranch in Fort Union, New Mexico and finished up his degree in Computer Science in 1967 from Utah State University (USU). He worked as a programmer at the Idaho National Nuclear Reactor for three years before returning to USU to pursue an MBA. After his MBA, he joined USU’s newly created Exceptional Child Center as an administrator. He introduced the team to a type of computer software that was new in 1972 – a spreadsheet.

He spent the rest of his career in educational research, with a special focus on methods for teaching children with special needs. He left USU temporarily in the early 80s to obtain a PhD from Oregon State. He returned to USU and became a tenured professor in 1985. Over the next fifteen years, Ron held a succession of leadership roles, culminating in his service as interim Dean of the College of Education and Associate Dean for Research in the College of Education.

He retired in 2000, leaving behind a legacy of professional excellence. He developed new educational technologies and was exceptionally talented at writing successful grants, but he was best known for his personal kindness. When he was honored as the alumnus of the year for USU’s Center for Persons with Disabilities, the most frequent comment from those who knew him was, “Isn’t he the nicest guy?”

Ron married Sal Wigglesworth in 1961. They had three children: John, Jane, and Elizabeth Lee (Lyza). John and Jane were twins, born in 1962, and Lyza was born just fourteen months later in 1963. That same year Ron and Sal were divorced.

Ron married Joni Bingham in 1967, becoming a stepfather to her young son, Kurt. Their marriage ended in 1980. He met his third wife, Michaelle Ann Robinson, while they were both working on their doctorates at Oregon State. They were married from 1985 until her death in 2014 from Alzheimer’s. Ron was an exceptionally patient and attentive caregiver during the last years of Michaelle Ann’s life, as her health got progressively worse.

He spent the last few years of his life with a wonderful woman named Teri Pitkin. They went on many trips and adventures together until her death earlier this year. He enjoyed her children and step-children very much.

Ron was a gentle, invested parent and grandparent, and the same kindness that drew attention in his career was very much in evidence in his relationships with them. He was generous with his time, generous with his money, and always eager to share adventures together. Towards the end of his life, he took delight in seeing the birth and childhood of his beautiful great-grandchildren. He encouraged his family members to be curious and humble: “Don’t be surprised at other people’s brilliance,” he would say. “There’s always something for you to learn from others.”

Ron was an avid outdoorsman – he enjoyed backpacking in the Wind Rivers, climbing mountains (including the Grand Teton, the Dolomites and Kilimanjaro), and running marathons - his favorite one being “the Avenue of the Giants”. He fell in love with skiing after moving to Jackson Hole, and skied up until he was 81. He was a member of the Ski Patrol at Beaver Mountain for 30+ years. He also enjoyed sailing his boat, the Maddie Bean, to far off places like Alaska and the San Juan Islands as well as closer to home on Jackson Lake and Bear Lake. He traveled all over the world and kept track of every trip on a map in his garage, using straight pins to denote each place he visited – the map looked more like a pin cushion than a map.

Ron had a deep love for animals and fostered many dogs at his home in Smithfield. He was instrumental in building northern Utah's first charitable, no-kill animal shelter.  Under his leadership as the President of the Board of Directors, Cache Humane Society opened a pet rescue and adoption center that continues to save over 2,000 lives every year.  During more than a decade of service, Ron oversaw expansion of Cache Humane Society to include an affordable Community Spay/Neuter Clinic and extensive youth education programs, including a shelter-based summer camp series.  His contribution to animal welfare in northern Utah and beyond is indelible and inimitable.

He had a warm sense of humor, and he absolutely loved The Far Side by Gary Larson.

He was a good, good man.

He is survived by one brother, Carl Ray Thorkildsen (Barbara) of Evanston, Wyoming and four children, Kurt Bingham (Audri); John Eric Thorkildsen (Stacy); Jane Ingrid Ward (Lyle); Elizabeth Lee Austin (St. Clair), six beautiful grandchildren and seven even more beautiful great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his beloved dog, Sunny.

His family would like to extend a special note of gratitude to the staff at Legacy House as well as the hospice/transitional care nursing staff at Logan Regional Hospital.

In lieu of flowers or gifts please make a donation to the Cache Humane Society.