11 Sep 1952 – 2 Sep 2008
3rd-Great-Grandson of Philip Cardon and Martha Marie Tourn
2nd-Great-Grandson of Thomas Barthelemy Cardon and Lucy Smith
Great-Grandson of Bartlie Temple Cardon and Jennie Murdock
Grandson of Thomas Bartlie Cardon and Florence Sutton
Son of Thomas Bartlie Cardon and Mildred Sargent
Thomas Bartlie Cardon, our beloved husband, father and grandfather, returned to his Heavenly Father on September 2, 2008 at the age of 55. He died peacefully at his home in Cedar City, Utah, surrounded by his loving family.
He was born September 11, 1952 in Cedar City to Thomas Bartlie and Mildred Sargent Cardon and was the oldest of six boys. He married his high school sweetheart, Suzette Clark on September 2, 1972 in the St. George LDS Temple. Together they raised four children.
Tom was an active child and enjoyed collecting bugs, shooting marbles, having dirt-clod fights, batting rocks and purchasing baseball cards. He enjoyed sports and excelled in football and basketball while in high school. After graduating from Cedar High School in 1970, he enlisted in the Utah National Guard and completed basic training at Fort Ord, California.
In 1975, he began his 33-year career in the insurance industry and was designated as a certified insurance counselor. In 1987, he and Suzette opened Cardon Insurance Agency and worked side-by-side for 21 years.
Tom was an active member of his church and enjoyed serving others in numerous capacities. He particularly loved working with the youth and enjoyed his service as a bishop in a university ward. Most recently he served as stake young men’s president where he developed “Zion’s Camp” that helped prepare 16-18 year old young men to serve missions. He was named Cedar High’s softball coach in 2002, and took seriously the role he had as coach, mentor and friend. Not only did the program strengthen and grow, but the school’s first softball field was constructed under his watch. Tom was named 3A Coach of the Year in 2007, and his team finished second in the state tournament this past spring – the highest finish ever by a Cedar High softball team.
He loved people and developed many strong friendships. He had boundless energy and an intensity that allowed him to succeed in life. He loved to golf, hunt and was an avid collector of stamps and coins. He infused energy into every room he entered and was always the life of the party.
Tom is survived by his wife Suzette; children Natalie (McKay) Barnes, Matthew (Chantel), Ryan (Christina) and Steven; grandchildren Donovan Barnes, Nyah Barnes and Brooklyn Cardon; his mother Mildred; and parents-in-law John and Erma Dalton.
He is preceded in death by his father Tom.
Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, September 6, 2008 at 11 a.m. at the Cedar City West Stake Center (725 South 1100 West). Friends may call on Friday evening from 6 to 8 p.m. and on Saturday morning from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at Southern Utah Mortuary.
Interment will be in the Cedar City Cemetery.
-Published in the Deseret News on 9/4/2008.
