SALT LAKE CITY — Businessman, philanthropist and emeritus chairman of the board of the zoo that bears his family’s name, James E. “Jim” Hogle died Monday after a year-long battle with liver cancer.
Hogle, 83, spent 42 years on the board of Hogle Zoo, his influence went beyond that to include extensive philanthropic work on a myriad of boards, committees and volunteer roles. In 2016, he was awarded the Philanthropic Leadership Award.
Zoo officials shared their grief with patrons on the zoo’s Facebook Page.
“Friends, pretty much ALL of what you enjoy at the Zoo happened because of Jim’s leadership and involvement and his presence will be sorely missed,” the post said. “Jim’s involvement at the Zoo will be deeply missed. But, more importantly, we’ll miss his smile, his quick wit, his great stories and his love of the Zoo.”
Hogle’s grandparents donated the 42 acres of property at the mouth of Emigration Canyon that became the zoo’s home in 1931. He followed his father’s example, becoming a board member in 1974 when he returned to Salt Lake City after several successful years in New York City as a stockbroker.
He worked with his father both in the family business and in the family’s many philanthropic endeavors. Hogle is responsible for the zoo’s transformation after it fell into disrepair in the late 1940s. Salt Lake City owned the zoo, but Hogle suggested they form the Utah Zoological Society to run it, as was done in other zoos around the country. The zoo thrived, becoming one of the most visited sites in Utah, but Hogle “never took credit for the Zoo’s success, rather, thanked the staff for their efforts,” the statement said.
Hogle’s affection for the zoo was deeper than sharing a name. At just 12 years old he spent a summer there picking up trash for $1 a day. Later on in life, when someone asked if he worked at the zoo, he’d sometimes tell them as a joke that he cleaned cages.
Hogle became the zoo’s chairman in 1985. He was chairman emeritus at the time of his death. He oversaw the most significant changes at the zoo, including its expansion and updating animal exhibits.
“On a personal note, Jim was one of those people who not only stopped to ask you how you were doing, he listened to your answer. He treated every member of the Zoo staff as part of the Hogle family,” the Facebook post said.
Hogle is survived by his wife, Theda, six children and 10 grandchildren. His son, Patrick, joined the board of Utah’s Hogle Zoo in 2002. He was preceded in death by his parents and two children.