Robert Riggs

Robert E. Riggs died August 23, 2014 at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center after a stroke. He was born June 24, 1927 in Mesa, Arizona, to Lyle Alton and Goldie Ester Motzkus Riggs. He attended schools in Mesa and graduated from Mesa Union High School in 1945, as valedictorian. After a brief period of military service, he was called to the LDS British Mission where, during his second year, he edited the Millenial Star. Upon returning from his mission he married Hazel Dawn Macdonald in the Arizona Temple. He earned B.A. and M.A. degrees from the University of Arizona, spent a year at the Oxford University on a Rotary Foundation Fellowship, and received a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Illinois. He later obtained an Ll.B. degree from the University of Arizona. He taught political science at Brigham Young University from 1955 to 1960, and for eleven years at the University of Minnesota, 1964-75. He completed his teaching career with 17 years at the J. Reuben Clark Law School, retiring 1992. With his wife he served a mission at the Arizona Temple Visitors Center and was for many years an ordinance worker in the Arizona and Mount Timpanogos Temples. He is survived by his wife Hazel Dawn, six of their seven children -- Robert (Tina), Richard (Debbie), Russel (Sharon), Rodney (Susan), Reisa, and Preston (Jennifer), 27 grandchildren, and 26 great grandchildren. A son, Raymond, died in 1999. Funeral services will be held Wednesday, August 27, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. at the Suncrest Stake Center 90 North 600 West, Orem. A visitation will be held Tuesday evening from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Sundberg-Olpin Funeral Home, 495 South State Street, Orem and also Wednesday 10:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. prior to the services at the stake center. Interment will be in the Orem City Cemetery.

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