Friends, dignitaries remember Mr. Downtown Richard Wirick
This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A memorial service was held Thursday night for Richard Wirick at Gallivan Plaza in Salt Lake City. Known as "Mr. Downtown" for his zeal and optimism for Salt Lake City's urban core, 82-year-old Wirick was accidentally run over and killed by a UTA bus on Feb. 21 on his way to a meeting about downtown issues. He owned and ran The Oxford Shop for 51 years.
Family members joined the Downtown Alliance, Vest Pocket Business Coalition, Visit Salt Lake, Downtown Retail Merchants Association and Salt Lake City officials and residents to remember the tireless advocate who rarely missed a day's work and stayed engaged with championing the downtown until his final hour.