Obituary: FENTON, JACK D

Jack D. Fenton1933 ~ 2011Jack D. Fenton put a "30" to his life's story on Saturday, November 26, 2011 at a local hospital. He was 78. He spent 30 years as a reporter for the Salt Lake Tribune, Jack volunteered for the aged and underprivileged in Salt Lake County. Born October 19, 1933 in Hutchinson, KS to Dell and Helen Fenton, he moved to Oregon in 1938. His writing career began in high school. His newspaper stories were noted for their wit and often double meanings. It was in his high school days that he began a life-long enjoyment of modern jazz music.After two years at the University of Oregon, Jack went into the U.S. Army. Assigned to the Army Hometown News Service in Kansas City, MO., he met and married Patricia Workman on Aug 28, 1956. Sent to La Rochelle France, they returned and Jack worked for the Ottawa Herald in Ottawa, KS. They later moved to Milwaukee, OR where he worked at the Oregon City Enterprise Courier.Jack's Tribune career began in 1964 as an assistant business writer. He was promoted to cover Salt Lake County government a short time later. He was a fixture at the old City-County Building, Jack often knew more about the workings of local government than its elected officials. His distinct speaking style, twinkling eyes and bushy mustache charmed respect from those he reported about. When Salt Lake County moved its offices to the new Government Center, officials made sure Jack had a reporting desk. Famous for his concern about the "little guy," Jack wrote stories about community issues. He took special note during the first influx of refugees in the late 1970s. His stories pointed out the critical need for language translators to help the new residents survive the complexities of their new land. Salt Lake County responded with bi-lingual services for many departments.Jack retired from the Tribune in 1994. He became an advocate for the aging and disabled. He worked with the AARP and local senior citizen organizations. He was recognized for his contributions and volunteer work at the Liberty Senior Citizen's Center. One of his accomplishments was pushing the county to properly fund the Salt Lake Valley Health Department's senior citizen services.He was a member of the Catholic Church. Jack is survived by his wife, Patricia, daughter, Kathrine (James) LeClaire, son Mark, two grandchildren and a great-granddaughter, all of Salt Lake City.Jack was cremated shortly after his passing. His ashes will be interred at the Utah Veteran's Cemetery and Memorial Park, Camp Williams, at a future date.The family suggests contributions to Habitat for Humanity, the Humane Society of Utah or KUER Radio.