A Utah legend in both the boxing ring and political arena died Wednesday.
Marv Jenson died Wednesday night after complications from the stomach flu put him in a local hospital. He was 89.
Mr. Jenson, a long-time local politician and boxing manager, is perhaps best known as the man who managed Gene Fullmer, who upset Sugar Ray Robinson on Jan. 2, 1957, to win the title of Middleweight Boxing Champion of the World.
"He was not only always behind me, but he was always pushing me in the right direction," Fullmer said Thursday. "He did a lot of things for a lot of people. He was a great teacher and a great companion."
Mr. Jenson managed several other successful boxers in his career, but he most enjoyed training youth at the gym he had built next to his home.
He was inducted into The Utah Sports Hall of Fame 1987 for his efforts in the local boxing community.
Mr. Jenson's love of sports also extended into his political career.
Without him, there would be no Salt Palace. As a Salt Lake County commissioner from 1962 to 1969, Mr. Jenson was convinced that the county needed a large arena, a community gathering place and a convention center. Salt Lake County put in place a new form of government in 2001, changing from a commission to a council.
In an interview with the then Deseret News in 1995, he said he had trouble getting other people to catch on to his vision.
"Every time I'd go speak somewhere in support of a community center, they'd say, 'We know you want one only so Fullmer can box in it."'
People started to take him seriously after he handed back all the contracts to his boxers and retired from boxing. From there, the idea of a community center took off.
Mr. Jenson used his position on the county commission to transform the local recreational landscape.
During his two terms as commissioner, he and his colleagues either built or developed plans for the South Jordan Equestrian Park, the Mountain View and Mick Riley golf courses, and the Cottonwood Softball Complex. They also bought the land where the Riverbend Golf Course and the South County Pool later were built.
Current County Councilman Randy Horiuchi said Mr. Jenson was "one of the two or three best county commissioners that ever lived."
"He was a legendary guy, and a visionary," said Horiuchi, who also served on the County Commission." He had the vision and foresight to look 30 years in the future. He is the reason we have most of the major recreational stuff we have today.It was because of Marv Jenson."
Mr. Jenson's funeral will be held Monday at 2 p.m., at the Bingham Creek Stake Center, 8539 S. 2200 West, in West Jordan.
Contributing: Lee Benson.
E-mail: ldethman@desnews.com