Richard Bunot Laney

1931 ~ 2021

Service:

July 3, 2021
10:00 AM
Salt Lake City Cemetery

Richard Bunot Laney passed away early in the morning of June 29, 2021 at his residence in Bountiful, Utah. Richard was born June 9, 1931, in Salt Lake City, Utah, the son of Leland Culbert Laney and Ilene Clara Bunot. Richard was raised in Salt Lake City, attending East High School and receiving his Bachelor and master’s degrees in journalism from the University of Utah in 1952 and 1955 respectively. Richard earned his Ph.D. in political science in 1966 also from the University of Utah. He was a member of Phi Kappa Phi, national honorary scholastic society, Pi Sigma Alpha, national honorary in political science, Kappa Tau Alpha, national honorary in journalism, and Sigma Delta Chi, professional journalism fraternity, as well as the National Conference of Editorial Writers and the American Political Science Association.

Richard began his career in 1952 as a Legislative Correspondent and Reporter for United Press International. In 1958 he became the Acting Bureau Manager for United Press International in Salt Lake City, Utah. In 1960, he began his career with the Deseret News in Salt Lake City first as an Editorial Writer and then as the Editor of the Editorial Page in 1968. He retired from the Deseret News in 1996. Among his many recognitions and achievements, he received two Freedoms Foundation national awards in 1962 and 1966. He volunteered at the Salt Lake Public library most of his adult life. Richard married his lifelong friend, Elenore Knowles in the Bountiful temple in February 2007. Elenore proceeded him in death in 2010.

No one has tallied the thousands of articles and editorials in his more than four decades of journalism at United Press International and the Deseret News. But taken as a whole, they represent a vast body of work far more massive than most best-selling authors or novelists would produce in a lifetime. Richard’s editorials have reflected a consistent theme of conservatism. He has resisted intrusive government. He has decried waste and corruption. He has favored no political party but has always advocated honest and courageous political leadership.

Modest about his personal achievements, Richard has never touted his doctor’s degree or his vast knowledge of politics, government, world affairs, Church scholarship, literature, and the arts. There are few subject areas about which he cannot carry on a very intelligent conversation. Above all, Richard has been a compassionate and caring son to his mother. He has devoted his life to her well-being. There are few sons as dedicated as he was to a mother’s happiness and comfort. In addition to the extraordinary care for his mother, he cared for his grandmother, Sarah Bunot, and his mother’s sisters, Inez Bunot and Lily Bunot, all of whom lived well into their 90s.

Richard is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served diligently in many callings over the years and has a fervent testimony of the restoration of the Gospel in this the dispensation of the fulness of times. Recently, at a small family gathering celebrating Richard’s ninetieth birthday, he affirmed his testimony of the Savior and expressed his love and appreciation for the Prophet Joseph Smith, his great sacrifice and his role in the restoration of the Gospel.

Richard is survived by his sister, Georgia Anderson of North Salt Lake; his niece Lisa Dawn (DaLon) Esplin, of Riverside, Idaho; his nephews Cameron Lee (Beverly) Anderson of Leesburg, Virginia; Stuart McKay Anderson of North Salt Lake, Utah; and Matthew Laney (Missy) Anderson of Humeston, Iowa.

A family graveside service will be held Saturday July 3, 2021 at 10 am. Interment will be at the Salt Lake City Cemetery. Location instructions will be posted here the day prior to services.


Guestbook/Condolences

Mom,
Stuart and I love you and we will miss our Uncle Richard. He was such a fun uncle! You are in our prayers always, 💖 Lisa and Stuart


- Lisa Dawn Esplin

I am so saddened about this. My mom, Kathie Trulson and I just visited him in May and we had a wonderful visit as he shares his memories from the past.
I would have loved to be there for the service. I’m so sorry. He was a wonderful uncle who played a huge part in the lives of my family.


- Emily

We are sending our love to all of "Uncle Dick's" family. From the time we were young, all of Eleanor's nieces and nephews, including myself, called him Uncle Dick. He was at every family gathering, playing mean games of Boggle or Trivial Pursuit, lovingly bantering and teasing. He is a legend in our family. He was a blessing to us and to our Aunt Ellie. I remember being with him at the hospital in 2006 after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and hearing him tell her (while she was in one of her moods) that he would be around forever and that she couldn't get rid of him that easily. He really did love her very deeply. He cared for her very lovingly in her last years at Silverado, visiting every day. Theirs was a very long and sweet love story, and I hope they get to continue it on the other side now, reunited and playing some great games of Scrabble or answering obscure Jeopardy questions. We are so sorry for your loss. We would have loved to have come to show our love and support and admiration but didn't know about this until we looked on FamilySearch and saw that Aunt Ellie's profile now gets to list him as a companion. Please accept and feel all the Knowles family love and condolences!


- Christine Knowles Monson

I am sad to see that the man I've called Dr. Dick since I was a kid has passed. He and my aunt Eleanor were friends, partners, companions for so many years before they finally married not long before she died; our whole family loved him. It gives all our family great comfort to know that he and Ellie are together at last.


- Kathryn Knowles

I have very fond memories of my Uncle Richard's visits to Arizona every February during my childhood. He would make his annual visit to soak up the wonderful Arizona winter weather and visit with his dad - my Grandpa Laney - and my Grandma. He would always arrive with a treasure trove of books for us kids from Deseret Books carefully gift wrapped. We would delightedly open and begin reading them. I remember drives with him and my grandparents out to Carefree and Cave Creek, Arizona to view the Sonoran desert - one of Uncle Richard's favorite things about visiting. The ultimate part of his visits were the marathon Scrabble games where we stood no chance against him but still loved to play because of his wonderful sense of humor and the new words we learned. Although I hadn't seen him in many years after my grandparents passed away, I will always have fond memories of the time I was able to spend with him. My condolences to all those who are feeling his loss. I hope your memories bring you comfort.


- Hillarie Bethancourt