Roger M Barnson

1937 – 2013

Scheduled to ‘teach a class’ in heaven.

Teacher, Firefighter/Paramedic

Husband, Father, Grandfather, Great Grandfather and Friend.

“Immortality lies not in the things you leave behind, but in the people your life has touched”

“BARNEY”

Roger M. Barnson was born on March 20, 1937 at LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah. He died at his home on November 11, 2013 with his wife, DeAnn holding his hand. His children, grandchildren, brother and sisters and friends, spent many hours around his bed sharing memories, stories and their love of this very special man.

Growing up in Junction, Utah, his brother Bruce, sisters Sherilin and Becky shared many happy, dangerous experiences. His Father, Sheril Barnson and Mother, Edna Sprague Barnson spent many hours shaking their heads when they received reports of practical jokes, involvement in crazy projects, and especially when he showed up with a brand new motorcycle that had been ‘forbidden’ by his Mother. I think the funniest story was told by his sister, Sherilin Rowley when he filled the gas tank of his favorite ‘gasoline’ car with ‘diesel’ and watched in horror as it exploded and burned before his eyes. Maybe that was his ‘first’ experience with the magic of fire and gave him a desire to become a firefighter like his Uncle - Bud Barnson.

Serving as Student Body President of Piute High School his senior year, member of the basketball and track teams and dancing in programs and competitions kept him very busy.

He worked construction with his Father, joined the Army Reserves and attended school at BYU. He was very involved in a ‘Service Club – they could not call them fraternities at BYU – called Val Hyrick. He met his wife to be, Beverly Good, they married in Las Vegas, Nevada at an LDS Bishop’s home and joined the Salt Lake City Fire Department. His reserve group was deployed during the Berlin Crisis and he and his new bride moved to Temple, Texas. They were married for 18 years and later divorced. They had 5 incredible children, Brook, Laurie, Julie, Coy and Wendy.

During those years, Roger, through competitions, was noted to be the 2nd Handball Champion and Uncle Bud was first in Utah. He also excelled in racquet ball and any other sports he participated in. A special talent was doing incredible back flips and twists on a slalom ski while water skiing and boat racing on the Green and Colorado Rivers. He and his cousin, Blair won 1st in the Pleasure I, single engine category June 1967. His other boating triumph was taking his motor boat over a small sand and rock knoll at Lake Powell while pulling his daughter Julie on waterskis. Luckily Julie saw it coming and dove off.

Jan Buttrey, a friend of both Roger and DeAnn’s suggested they get together as they were both unattached. Something clicked and he married DeAnn in December bringing 5 more children to the family, Carilee Card, Craig Card, Cathryn Card, Christopher Card and Cami Lyn Card. A year later they were blessed with the birth of Brandon Barnson bringing the total of the Yours, Mine and Ours Family to 11.

Although he loved the firefighting skills needed for his job, he truly became enamored with providing emergency services to people in need. He, along with his ‘adopted brother, Larry Johnson were in the first Paramedic Course taught in Utah at Weber State University. He graduated in 1978. Thad Moore, his friend and EMS partner became involved with Dr. Terry Clemmer and assisted in the development of the Life Flight Helicopter Service for which he served as a paramedic over 10 years. The opportunity to be involved as an EMS Instructor came along and his ‘niche’ was found. He began teaching EMS courses which he continued to do for 35 years. At a minimum he taught over 12,000 students in EMT classes, firefighters in specialty rescue operations and became a Special Deputy for Salt Lake County Search and Rescue. He has been honored as “Paramedic of the Year”, “EMT Instructor of the Year” and “Course Coordinator of the Year”. The first Prehospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS)Course was brought to Utah by Roger and his wife, DeAnn. They then travelled to Washington, D.C., representing Utah at the Pediatric Emergency Care for Prehospital Care Providers (PEPP) and brought the curriculum to Utah and began teaching those courses. Roger and DeAnn coordinated the first EMT Course taught for Jordan School District and then helped develop and teach the Granite School EMT Program. Teaching took him to the Panama Canal, Arizona, Wyoming and all around the State of Utah. He took a special interest in all of his students.

Roger loved to camp, hunt and travel to Lake Powell with his family. Thanksgiving and Christmas were favorite holidays Life has been filled with incredible memories brought by 11 children, 27 grandchildren,3 great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. He will be missed by all. We love you and are so proud that you lived by not worrying about the things you have left behind but the people your life has touched.