Funeral services for former Utah Gov. Olene Walker will be held Friday. The state’s first female governor died Saturday at the age of 85 due to natural causes.
A public viewing is scheduled for Thursday at the state Capitol, which will be followed by a private viewing the next day before the funeral.
Walker served as lieutenant governor for over a decade before being elevated to governor after Mike Leavitt left office to head the EPA in 2003.
Sen. Mike Lee took to the floor of the Senate Tuesday to praise Walker’s legacy in Utah politics. Lee noted her contribution to education.
“Olene Walker’s life and career were centered on principles of lifelong learning, of selfless service, and making a difference through civil discourse and meaningful dialogue,” Lee said. “Gov. Walker believed that the best way to open a mind was to read a book.”
Walker was unsuccessful in gaining the GOP nomination for governor in 2004. She previously served in the State House of Representatives from 1981 to 1989.
One of Walker’s most notable achievements as lieutenant governor was her oversight of a task force that eventually led to Utah’s Children’s Health Insurance Program.
