Ernest Arthur Higgins, builder, dreamer, cowboy, teller of tales, died peacefully at his home following complications from heart disease, January 27, 2000.
Art was born June 6, 1923 to Winifred M. Grandshaw Higgins and Ernest Hart Higgins in Rahway, NJ. He, with his parents and younger brother Dennis, moved to Salt Lake City in 1925.Art was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a High Priest. He held many positions and especially loved working with the youth. Much to his bishop's chagrin, he often enjoyed taking the opportunity to raise the level of consciousness of his fellow worshipers. Art loved the Lord and to serve Him was dad's greatest desire. He did this with acts of kindness to widows, children and the homeless. He loved the scriptures and studying Biblical history and set stories in the memories of his grandchildren.
Art married Ruth Boyce in the Salt Lake LDS Temple November of 1946. Together they resided in Centerville, Utah and had four children, Eileen, George, Joan and Clare. They divorced, he later married Doris Hatch Farley. She had three children from a previous marriage, John, Elizabeth (Liz), and Adrienne. Together they had one daughter, Heather. Doris died in 1992. Arthur then married
Dianne Williams. Art was proud of the smart, independent children he raised, he loved his many grandchildren. He was proud of their accomplishments from success at home, school or work, to serving missions for the LDS Church, to the beautiful saddle recently made by one of his grandsons. He always had time for a treat, a hug and a story of his adventures. He was also proud of his English (Irish?) heritage, and supported his family in genealogical research.
Art proudly served his country in World War II as a member of the US Army Signal Corp. He was a Radar Design and Combat Specialist in the South Pacific. He loved telling stories of the war according to Art.
Art was an excellent student and loved learning. He graduated from Granite High School where he was the Quarterback of the football team. He continued his studies receiving an Electrical Engineering Degree in 1943 and later a Civil Engineering Degree in 1950. He was a member and served as President of the Utah chapter of the Chi Epsilon Fraternity, a civil engineering fraternity. He used these degrees to pursue a career in Heavy Contract Construction, in 1963 started Higgins Construction Company. He was licensed in Utah and Nevada. One of his most notable projects was putting the sewer line up Little Cottonwood Canyon. Blasting through the granite added a formidable challenge to the project. From 1974 to 1986 he also owned and operated Higgins Sod Farm in Davis County.
Art was born about 10,000 years ago, all who knew him appreciated his quick wit and the twinkle in his eye as he recounted an elaborate adventure he'd had with Noah or Patton or Porter Rockwell. Art loved rebels with a cause and was passionate in his fight against injustice and acts of tyranny, as Centerville City witnessed.
Art always had a horse and loved spending the summers as a boy on his uncle's farm in Goshen, UT. He loved the wildness of the West. Art was a true cowboy. He will be remembered for his love of cowboy music and movies, for his hat, riding his horses through the foothills of Centerville, to his retelling the stories of his adventures with Butch Cassidy and a "road apple" lunch with Poncho Villa.
Other associations include: Salt Lake County Sheriff's Posse, the Association of General Contractors, the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, patriot of the United States of America and member of the National Rifle Association.
He is survived by his wife, Dianne; his brother, Dennis (Belva) Higgins; first wife Ruth Bowdidge (Bruce); his children, Eileen (Rob) Cahoon, Phoenix, AZ; George (Laura), Centerville; Joan Thompson, W. Bountiful; John (Argie) Farley, Battle Ground, WA; Elizabeth F. Brown, Newberg, OR; Adrienne (Steve) Splinter, Centerville; and Heather, Salt Lake; 21 grandchildren, and four great grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his parents, a wife, daughter (Clare Higgins Dahlquist), and a niece.
Friends, Rivals and Business Associates may call Sunday Jan. 30, 2000 from 1-4 p.m. at the Larkin Mortuary on 260 E. South Temple. Interment will be at Larkin Sunset Gardens.
"Suffering Cats"