Jerry Hamilton Borup, Ph.D. Obituary (1934 - 2005)

Jerry Hamilton Borup, Ph.D., 70, passed away peacefully Saturday morning, October 8, 2005, at his home in Ogden following a long struggle with prostate and metastatic bone cancer. A nationally-recognized professor of gerontology, research, and statistics at Weber State University, Dr. Borup served as chair of the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work from 1970 to 1985. In 1972 he developed the gerontology program and in 1985 organized the WSU Center on Aging. He gained national attention for his work on transfer trauma. Through Dr. Borup's efforts and leadership, WSU was awarded many federal and state grants to provide training and other services to gerontology professionals in Utah. He was invited to write or review numerous articles for professional publications and to serve as a peer reviewer for federal grant programs. He held leadership positions in several professional organizations. Dr. Borup also did extensive work in the area of blended (step-) families. His own family is a blended family. On November 28, 1987, Dr. Borup married Dodie Truman Borup in the LDS Los Angeles Temple. The following January he took sabbatical leave to work on elder abuse issues with AARP in Washington, D.C. while his wife concluded her service as U.S. Commissioner for Children, Youth and Families in the Reagan Administration. He returned to Utah in January 1989 and taught full-time for the remainder of his career, retiring from WSU on June 30, 2005. Dr. Borup had a great love for students and teaching and was especially well-known on campus for his user-friendly statistics and research courses and textbooks. Students frequently sought him out for academic counseling , and many who were faltering in their classes or career plans went on to seek or complete their degrees due to his encouragement. Dr. Borup also had a great love for WSU's athletic programs. He served on the Wildcat Club Board of Directors and generously supported athletic scholarships. He was greatly disappointed that health issues curtailed his participation in this fall's "Back Mac" campaign. Dr. Borup was born on October 15, 1934 in Burley, Idaho and attended elementary and secondary schools in Idaho. He studied agricultural science at Utah State University before going on to BYU to earn bachelor's and master's degrees. Prior to accepting a teaching position at WSU in 1969, Dr. Borup taught at Mississippi State University, where he earned his doctorate degree; Southeastern Louisiana University; and Texas A&I (now A&M), each for three years. Nothing meant more to Dr. Borup than his family. He performed his roles as patriarch, husband, dad, and grandpa with great sensitivity and devotion, wearing out more than one vehicle traveling to the children's activities and military duty stations. Dr. Borup also cared deeply about his church and country, serving as a branch president in Mississippi, a bishop in Kingsville, Texas and Ogden, and as a missionary in western Canada. He was a member of the Army National Guard as a young man. Dr. Borup is survived by his wife, Dodie, and 11 children: Mark (Myrna), Jerry Lynn, Kellie, Phillip (Shaun), Carl (NaDeen), and Lance (Carmen), from his marriage to Marjorie Chandler Davis; David (Stephanie) and John (Christina), from Dodie's marriage to Donald Glenn Livingston; and Angela, Jason (Kara), and Jered, from his marriage to Julia Stephenson Parkinson. Dr. Borup also is survived by twenty-five grandchildren and two sisters, Carla (Burton) Johnson and Myrtle Gallego. He was preceded in death by his parents, Carl Stewart Borup and Elizabeth Moss Borup; brother, Phillip Edward Borup; and brother-in-law, Daniel T. Gallego. The Borup family suggests that in lieu of flowers donations be made to the Weber State Wildcat Club for athletic scholarships. The family wishes to express deep appreciation to Dr. Borup's long-time colleague, Louise Lintz; his caregivers, Vicki and Sandy; the IHC Hospice team; his doctors, Glen Biddulph, Vincent Hansen, and Kenneth Wadsworth and their staffs; and the nurses on the fifth floor at McKay-Dee Hospital for their kindness and support during his illness. Send condolences to family at www.myers-mortuary.com. VisitationMyers Mortuary - Ogden 100 Monroe Blvd. Ogden, UT 84404 October 11, 2005 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM ServiceKingston Ward Chapel 1425 Kingston Drive Ogden, UT 84403 October 12, 2005 11:00 AM CemeteryTremonton Riverview Cemetery 200 East 1200 South Tremonton, UT October 12, 2005