D. A. "Doc" Osguthorpe

D. A. "Doc" Osguthorpe 1920 ~ 2009 Veterinarian, steward of the land, philanthropist, businessman, and husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather, D. A. "Doc" Osguthorpe, D.V.M., died June 8, 2009, surrounded by family, at his home. He will be remembered for his positive attitude, his great sense of humor, friendly demeanor and passion. He lived his life in ways that provided extraordinary and practical examples of how agriculture and recreation can be combined to create a healthier environment. At the time of his death, D.A was active in the family business enterprises, which included farming, livestock, veterinary medicine and recreation. He was born in Blackfoot, Idaho, October 12, 1920, to Delbert and Pearl Hawkins Osguthorpe. His family moved to Utah, and D.A. grew up in the east Millcreek area and attended Granite High School. He attended Utah State University for one year before enrolling at the Colorado A&M (now Colorado State University) Professional Veterinary Medical Program to pursue a degree in veterinary medicine. While at Colorado State, he worked odd jobs to help pay his tuition, including sweeping the music building, raising and lowering the flag on campus, and working in the chemistry laboratories. He married Afton Silver on August 25, 1941, in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. Upon graduation from vet school in 1943, D.A. returned to Utah to open a veterinary practice in Holladay. His practice included treating horses, dairy cows, cattle and sheep. He soon found a demand for treating horses and mules used in mining in the Park City area. During this time, he recognized the potential for Park City to become like Estes Park, Colorado. With that in mind, he purchased five ranches around Park City from 1945 to 1951. One of these purchases, was a dairy farm owned by the Daniel McPolin estate - the property with the recognizable white barn on the way into Park City. D.A. increased the dairy herd to 100 and built a milking parlor. D.A. operated the dairy until 1992 when UDOT purchased the dairy farm to widen the highway. The old white barn is listed on the National Historic Registry. D.A. expanded his livestock operations to Juab and Millard counties. He was a private pilot and used his twin engine in his practice to travel in the western states. In 1967, D.A. was instrumental in diagnosing the death of thousands of sheep in Skull Valley and represented the ranchers against the U.S. Army in the poisoning of sheep with nerve gas. He testified before Congress and was instrumental in the recovery of damages. His wife, Afton Silver died October 6, 1989. Shortly after, he established the Afton Silver Osguthorpe Memorial Scholarship at Colorado State University in her memory and to lend a hand to today's students. D.A married June Okland Cockrell on January 7, 1992. Together they traveled and enjoyed many happy times. D.A. served on the Weber River Water Rights Committee for 27 years, currently as chairman. He was a member of Sugar House Rotary Club. He was a High Priest in the Cottonwood 14th Ward in the Cottonwood Stake. He received the Colorado State University Alumni Association's Distinguished Alumni Award in 1999, as an acknowledgment for his 55 years in private practice. The college recognized him as champion of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and an outstanding alumni who had contributed to or brought honor to Colorado State through personal and professional achievement and service to the university and community. Despite the changing of the times from agricultural land use to recreation, D.A. found ways to make the multiple-land uses work. In summer months, livestock graze near Park City on The Canyons Ski Resort that is operated on Osguthorpe land. He researched the benefits and problems associated with cutting the timber and maintained strict control to prevent erosion. He was an ultimate steward of the land and he received recognition. In 2004, he received the Forest Landowner of the Year award from the Utah Association of Conservation Districts. In 2005, he received the Utah Farm Bureau Federation Farm Stewardship Award. He was a finalist for the Leopold Conservation Award in 2007, from the Sand County Foundation, in collaboration with Utah Farm Bureau Federation and the Utah Cattlemen's Assoc. American Cowboy magazine launched the National Day of the American Cowboy to recognize individuals who have contributed to the Western culture in America. D.A. was acknowledged as one of these cowboys as Ogden Pioneer Days Honorary Cowboys for 2008. He is survived by his wife June; children, Sue Ann (Marion H. deceased) Larsen, Salt Lake City; Stephen Avaron (Vickie) Osguthorpe, Park City; Dr. Jerry Silver Osguthorpe, Salt Lake City; Karen (Marc) Brown, Castle Rock, Colorado; Tamra (Fred) Wunderli, John (Shauneen) Cockrell, Colette (Wayne) Olsen, all of Salt Lake City; 25 grandchildren; 20 great grandchildren; sisters Darlene (Maurice) Lyon, Escondido, California; and Carol Marie (Boyd) Harper, Pleasant Grove, Utah. Preceded in death by parents, Delbert and Pearl Hawkins Osguthorpe; first wife, Afton Silver; sister Helen Viall; brother Clarence Osguthorpe; and son-in-law Marion H. Larsen. Thank you for the loving care he received from Dr. Chakravarthy Reddy and Dr. Malcolm Berenson and nurse, Christi Christensen. Funeral services will be held Friday, June 12th at noon at the Cottonwood 14th Ward Chapel, 2080 East 5165 South, Salt Lake City, Utah. Friends and relatives may call Thursday evening from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Wasatch Lawn Mortuary, 3401 S. Highland Drive, Salt Lake City, Utah, and Friday from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. prior to services at the church. Interment immediately following the service at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park, 3401 South Highland Drive, Salt Lake City, Utah. Online condolences can be left at www.mem.com