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It is one thing when a prominent person passes away of so-called "natural causes" after living a long, productive life. It is quite another, when a life is cut tragically short due to a sudden and unforeseen accident.
"Shocked" and "stunned" were the words most often used by colleagues, friends and even political foes when they learned about last weekend's tragic ATV accident that claimed the life of former Utah Congressman Bill Orton. No one saw what happened, but it is presumed, he lost control of his four-wheeler while going over a sand dune at the Little Sahara Recreation Area. He was found dead at the scene.
Orton left an indelible mark on Utah politics.
The fact he won election to Congress as a Democrat in an overwhelmingly republican district underscored his inherent likeability, as well as his maverick tendencies. He served his constituents well for three terms during the early 1990's. Though he fell short in a subsequent race for the governorship, Orton remained a force in Utah politics.
KSL joins the broader Utah community in mourning the passing of Bill Orton. He was a politician who demonstrated by his actions that partisan affiliations don't need to be impenetrable barriers to getting things done.
