BREAKING NEWS: Orrin Hatch, Utah’s longest serving senator, dies at 88 – St George News

In this stock photo, Sen. Orrin Hatch speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida, Feb. 11, 2011 | Photo by Gage Skidmore/Flickr, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — Retired Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, the longest serving Republican senator in Utah history, has died at age 88.

In a tweet from the Orrin Hatch foundation, the foundation said, “The Hatch Foundation sadly announces the passing of Senator Orrin G. Hatch—the former President Pro Tempore of the United States Senate and the longest-serving Senator in Utah history (1977-2019).

Hatch lived the American dream, said Matt Sandgren, executive director of the Hatch Foundation,

“Born the son of a carpenter and plaster lather, he overcame the poverty of his youth to become a United States senator. With the hardships of his upbringing always fresh in his mind, he made it his life’s mission to expand freedom and opportunity for others — and the results speak for themselves.”

Utah Senate president J. Stuart Adams eulogized Hatch in a press release.

“Sen. Orrin Hatch was a titan for Utah and our country. I am deeply saddened to learn of his passing. He valued building consensus over political combat, devoting time and energy to work together to provide answers that would better our state. Sen. Hatch played an indispensable role in passing some of the most significant bipartisan achievements in recent history and was a passionate defender of religious liberty. He has done immeasurable good for our state and lived an amazing life. Today Utah lost an exemplary leader. My prayers are with his family during this time of grieving.”

Hatch was first elected in 1976 and served 42 years in the Senate until retiring after his seventh term in 2019.

Hatch had a full honors scholarship to the University of Pittsburgh Law School, where as a student he worked as a janitor, a metal lather and at night, as gas station attendant and even as an all-night desk attendant in a girls dormitory. He received his Juris Doctorate in 1962, graduating with honors.

Senator Hatch was a practicing attorney until his election to the United States Senate in 1976.

Hatch served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1954 to the Great Lakes . He also served as bishop for the East Mill Creek 10th Ward and also on his stake high council. Hatch also served as a guide at the Salt Lake Temple Square for a brief time.

He married the former Elaine Hansen of Newton, Cache County on Aug. 28, 1957. The two had met in a BYU astronomy class.

He is survived by his wife, Elaine, and six children.

No funeral services have been announced at present.

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“I wrote my first word when I was very young. I enjoyed this so much I decided to write many more words.” A native of Pacific Palisades, Calif., Ric was bitten by the news bug as a staff writer and associate editor of the Palisades High School Tideline. After school he entered the media as a radio personality, both playing music and reporting news. Ric moved to St. George in the 1980s and was the morning personality on all three major AM stations in town. An avid amateur radio operator, Ric is looking for a good band to play in, as he plays keyboards, bass and guitar. Ric, who currently is working on developing a lifestyle that doesn’t require his presence, lives in the center of St. George with his partner Terri, two snoring dogs and too many neurotic cats.

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