Cass Bettinger

Cass Bettinger – a life lived brightly - was born in Kodiak, Alaska on November 6, 1942 to Harold Cass Bettinger and Thelma Ferguson Bettinger. On January 23, 2026 he passed at home leaving the legacy of a man known for his high intellect, quick wit, kindness, generosity, unwavering honesty, and integrity. He was loved dearly by his family, admired by colleagues, and treasured by his friends. Too many generous words? Not nearly enough!

Husband of Connie Robinson Bettinger, Father of Michele Bettinger (deceased), Christopher Bettinger (Deona), Jonathon Bettinger (deceased), Nicole Bettinger Walters (Chad), Step-dad to Steven Robinson, Grandfather to Seth Robinson (Carisha), Samuel Robinson, Jack Robinson, Jaden Bettinger and Jordan Bettinger, and great grandfather to Oakley and Roman Robinson, he leaves an unfillable place at the dining table. He gleefully gave wise advice laced with good humor and a mountain of experience to those in attendance, sharing in the accomplishments of his family and helping them to keep their bumps in the road in perspective. He was loved dearly and respected by the “boys” for his exemplary integrity, character and decency. By example he taught them to understand the value of your word, wisdom in relationships, and best of all, he taught them what a husband should be by his stellar example.

His journey began In Kodiak, Alaska then moved to San Francisco where his father passed leaving Cass at the age of 8. Cass and his mother moved to Salt Lake City when he was 16 and he enrolled at East High School. It did not take long for his mother to determine his young life would benefit from a more structured education and he transferred to Judge Memorial High School where he graduated in 1960. A few years later he experienced an LDS mission to the TX MX border around Brownsville where he began his love of the Spanish language and curiosity about the beautiful culture of the Mexican people.

He returned from his mission and enrolled at BUY where he graduated in 1966 with a BA in Spanish, then took a semester at the University of Mexico prior to completing his Masters degree in 1968. He was a member of Phi Kappa Phi.

In 1965 he married Carolyn Ford, and soon after began his first big adventure as an employee of Citicorp in the International Department. He moved his family to New York City where they lived a year prior to his first placement to Lima Peru where he, Carolyn and Michelle lived for two years. Their next assignment was to Cebu, Philippines where his sons Christopher and Jonathon were born. His love of travel, cultural diversity, food and art blossomed during those first years of his professional career and never wavered. The family returned to Utah in 1975, and in 1976 Cass joined Commercial Security Bank. Soon his daughter Nicole joined the family.

In 1978 Cass received an MBA from the University of Utah where he was a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, and a Deans Scholar. That year Cass received the honor of being named by the Salt Lake Chapter of the Jaycees the Outstanding Young Man of the Year for his work as Director and Vice Chair of Capitol MEDCU, Director of the World Trade Association of Utah, Director of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Robert Morris Association, and member of the District Export Council. The award was an immensely proud achievement.

In 1979 he graduated from the Pacific Coast Banking School, Commercial Division, at the University of Washington.

To say Cass was a high achiever is a serious understatement, but that was only part of his story. His thirst for knowledge and the application of that knowledge to everything he experienced brought him joy, he never stopped adding to his book of knowledge. Those lucky enough to know Cass were dazzled at his ability to take a mundane subject and make it sparkle.

He left banking to join Sheshunoff & Co., a consulting firm out of Austin, TX that provided strategic advice and educational services to commercial banks. In that capacity he cultivated his expertise in strategic planning and consulting to community banks and his mind expanded with future possibilities for his own company.

In September, 1983 Cass married Connie Allen Robinson, and they held hands for the next 43 years while building their memories in a beautiful, richly rewarding, love-filled life together. In 1985 Cass told Connie he thought they had the knowledge, experience and stamina to build their own consulting practice. She did not hesitate to agree to jump into the unknown with him and just kept jumping from one adventure to the next for 43 years. The business proved to be successful, and Cass was enormously gratified by the relationships he formed with the Presidents and their Boards, the clients who became friends throughout his career. Participating in the planning and growth of small community banks to become successful regional banks, and young bankers to become strong future community leaders justified the long hours in airports traveling across the country for 30 years. To the bankers who meant so much to him personally and professionally, thank you for your contribution to his richly rewarding career, and for the friendships.

Cass was a prolific writer and was published in financial journals consistently throughout his career as well as publishing a book on banking in the 90s. In addition, he was heard often at banking conventions as keynote speaker and was highly respected by his peers in the banking industry.

In 1992 Cass became a partner with his colleague Bob Walters in a new company called The Bank CEO Network an organization committed to providing relevant educational experiences to community bank presidents across the US. Many of his private clients were members of the association, and it served to keep him on his toes and relevant.

Late in 2001 Cass accepted a position with a client in Naples, Florida, and he and Connie packed up their home in Salt Lake and headed south. They loved their experiences living on a golf course shared with alligators, watching sunsets on the beautiful beaches of Naples, and exploring the variety of wildlife in both the Everglades and the shops and restaurants of this exceptional town. When the bank sold and his commitment was satisfied, he asked Connie if she wanted to stay in Naples, return to Salt Lake City, or go exploring. Easy answer. They went exploring a place Cass dreamed of for 60 years, Mexico. One of their stops was to Lake Chapala, and the small village called Ajijic. Sitting on the terrace of a B & B on the hillside overlooking the beautiful lake Cass proposed, again, only this time it was for a future in paradise. Before they left, they purchased a piece of land on that hillside and proceeded to find an architect and a builder. There they built an art gallery in which they could surround themselves with the art collected on their travels and named their new home El Santuario. Soon two little fur balls rescued them and Coco and Stoli became part of the Mexican family.

Cass developed his cooking skills while in Mexico, and he and Connie hosted many dinner parties with their diverse and treasured new friends collected in their nearly 15 years along lakeside. They continued their passion for travel over their shared 45 years and added 49 countries to their total before Cass had to retire his passport. They based their travel experiences around cultural diversity, affording the opportunity to explore art, food, music, religion, and most importantly amazing new people. They took cooking classes in 15 countries and filled their homes with treasures collected in every country visited.

Cass was a volunteer and executive committee member of Ninos Incapacitados, a charitable organization assisting families needing medical services for their children along lakeside. His Spanish skills were invaluable as well as his compassionate understanding of their needs. He gave his time and energy willingly to his adopted home.

There isn’t enough space in the telling of this man to adequately describe the impact he made on his family and friends. He was a decent man of principals who inspired those around him to reach new heights and help each other generously along the way.

I will see your smile, hear your voice, and feel your love for as long as I remain earthbound. Travel well, don Castro de la Vega, I will not be far behind. Find us a good spot with a nice sunset when once again I’ll hold your hand.

Family and friends will celebrate his life lived joyfully in the Spring when flowers blossom and we are reminded of the beauty of new beginnings. Perhaps the bruise on my heart will begin to heal when the birds sing again.

Cass will be inurned at the crematory gardens at Wasatch Lawn. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to St. Jude or Shriners.

My sincere appreciation for the compassionate care provided by the Canyon Hospice team, it was invaluable in a stressful time, and the Hybrid Senior Care team for providing backup when needed. The term angels is overused, but very appropriate.