Hal C Edwards

Hal Edwards

Richfield, Utah

Harold "Hal" Clinton Edwards, 86, passed away September 9, 2015, at his home in Richfield, Utah, of natural causes incident to age. Hal was born October 7, 1928, in Gunnison, Utah, to Clinton M. and Leola Edwards. He married Janet Blomquist on September 2, 1952, in the Manti, Utah LDS Temple.

After his graduation from Gunnison High School in 1946, Hal attended Snow College and BYU before commencing his career as a newsman. From his youth, Hal had been enamored with radio and newspapers, and decided early on that he wanted to spend his career in the news business. He met both of those goals, having worked at KSVC Radio in Richfield, Utah and KALL Radio and KWHO Radio in Salt Lake City, before embarking on his 42 year career as editor of the weekly newspaper, the Richfield Reaper, in which position he garnered numerous awards from the Utah Press Association. Even after his retirement from the Reaper in 1998, he continued to contribute a weekly column in the Reaper called "Off the Cuff," in which he addressed issues from politics to nicknames and everything in between. Hal’s life history is contained in the headlines, photographs, news stories and editorials of the Richfield Reaper from the 1950s to the late 1990s. Hal did it all, from finding the stories, taking and developing the photos, writing the headlines and laying out each week’s edition. He often remarked that he was one of the few people he knew who looked forward each day to going to work.

Hal was also active in civic and cultural affairs as a member of the Lions Club, an honorary member of the Richfield Fire Department, the Sons of the Utah Pioneers, and a participant in numerous community theater productions, including The Music Man, Man of La Mancha, Fiddler On The Roof, and others.

Hal was active in the LDS Church, serving as a temple worker in the Manti Temple for 21 years, in addition to numerous callings, including high councilor, Elders Quorum president, Sunday School instructor, High Priest group leader and choir director.

Hal’s most important contribution was that of loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. His ebullient sense of humor, coupled with a deep vein of kindness, made him a great companion in any situation. Quick with a joke, and quicker with a kind word, he embodied love and compassion in his life. Supportive of his family, he spent countless hours attending concerts, plays, ball games and events in which his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren participated.

Hal was a musician as well, playing drums in dance bands throughout Southern Utah for several years. He taught both of his sons to play drums, and supported all of his children in their musical endeavors. He was a big band aficionado, with special love for Benny Goodman, the "king of swing," and had a special talent for drumming on the steering wheel of his car to any song on the radio, singing the bass line at the same time.

Hal is survived by Janet, his wife of 63 years, who was with him to the date of his passing, his children: Randall (Andrea) Edwards, Bountiful, UT; Christine (Blake) Ostler, Sandy, UT; David (Pamela) Edwards, Bountiful, UT; and Allison (Jason) Lee, Richfield, UT. He is also survived by 18 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 12, 2015, at the Richfield LDS 10 ^th Ward Chapel, 700 West 200 South, Richfield, Utah, with a viewing from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. A viewing will be held at Magleby Mortuary, 50 South 100 West, Richfield, Utah, on Friday, September 11, 2015, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Interment will be in the Richfield City Cemetery. Funeral Directors: Magleby Mortuary, Richfield, Salina and Manti.