"The Utah Peace Officer Downed Officer Memorial"

Thomas S. Rettberg
Utah Highway Patrol
Date of death: February 11, 2000
Cause: Helicopter Crash
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Courtesy ODMP

In Memory of Utah Highway Patrol Lt./Aircraft Pilot 1

Thomas S. Rettberg, who died in the line of duty February 11, 2000, in a helicopter crash.

Lt. Thomas Sumner Rettberg, 58, died on February 11, 2000 in a tragic helicopter accident. He was born April 26, 1941 in Glendale, California to Sumner Rettberg and Evelyn Weldon, now deceased. He married Frances Lanzo on September 9, 1961 in Chelsea, Massachusetts. Tom was a dedicated husband, father, grandfather, friend, and public servant. He faithfully served with the U.S. Navy for four years; 10 years at Tooele Army Depot; and 25 years with the Utah Highway Patrol. He was a member of the JayCee's in American Fork and a volunteer for the American Fork ambulance service. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus in Provo. Tom will be remembered for his courageous service to the UHP and the people of the State of Utah; saving numerous lives throughout his career. Tom was a skillful pilot and was known for his dedication to safety and professionalism. He received numerous commendations and awards for his service. He was an avid golfer and Vikings fan. Tom will also be remembered for his wonderful sense of humor and loving devotion to family and friends and will be sorely missed by all who knew him. Tom is survived by his loving wife of 38 years, Frances, West Jordan, UT; three daughters, Polly (Mike) Tracy, Vernal, UT; Kim Rettberg, Hollywood, CA; Lori Lucas, Midvale, UT; eight grandchildren; one great-grandchild; sister, Betty (Mike) Spangler, West Virginia, and brother, Alvin (Roxanne) Smith, Los Angeles, CA.
A funeral mass was celebrated on February 15, 2000 at 10 a.m. at the Cathedral of the Madeleine, 309 East South Temple. A vigil service was held February 14, 2000 at 8 p.m. at Neil O'Donnell and Sons Mortuary, 372 East 100 South, where many friends called from 6-8 p.m.

The following was written by Tom's Partner and Good Friend, Mike Royce

It was a pleasant Utah afternoon and Tom was flying a red and white Fish and Game Cessna 185 on the way home after a nice trip, cutting ridge tops, seeing what he could see. He came over one ridge top to see the mountain maggots (herd of sheep) scattering from the sound of the plane. Unfortunately Tom also spotted out of the corner of his eye, the sheep herder mounted on top of a horse that was also spooked from the sound of the aircraft. The sheepherder may have been rolling a Bull Durham (a hand rolled cigarette) and was sitting cross legged on the horse at the time the horse decided to do a rodeo act. The last Tom saw of the horse, it was 'frog hopping' stiff legged down through the scrub oak. Tom wondered if he should go back and apologize but decided that some matters are best left undone.
Tom started his quarter century career with the Utah Highway Patrol as a Trooper in the Evanston Port of Entry. He then transferred to the road as a road trooper in Weber County. He became a fixed wing pilot in 1976 with the Air Bureau working with Don Christopherson and was taken under the wing of Rex Nielson. He transferred to Fish and Game (Division of Wildlife Resources) in 1979 where he earned the nickname "Bush Pig". It was about this time that Tom got involved pretty heavy in the Mountain Man scene. The Pig part came about because of his law enforcement career, the bush part (we heard) was because of the beard he had grown. He worked with Ralph Nobel and Chuck Morris while working with Fish and Game. He then transferred to the Aeronautics Division of DOT. Here he flew turbo prop planes and transported state officials including several Utah governors.
About five years after leaving the Utah Highway Patrol, he transferred back to the Air Bureau because of a love of law enforcement. There Tom flew single and twin engine airplanes until the Department acquired helicopters in 1988. Both Tom, Mike Royce and Doyle Thorne received their helicopter training from Mike Magonagol, who was an Army flight instructor from Fort Rucker, Alabama. Tom rose to the challenge of acquiring skills as a helicopter pilot and preferred missions that involved search and rescue.
At one point in Tom's career, the Aero Bureau negotiated with the State of West Virginia to trade a Hughes OH-6 helicopter for a Bell OH-58 (Jet Ranger). Tom loaded up the Hughes on a trailer and set off for Omaha, Nebraska, returning several days later with a more powerful Bell Jet Ranger.
Some of the missions that Tom flew included surveillance, search and rescue, drug interdiction and support. He also flew flights supporting Wildlife Resources where he became an accomplished buffalo herder. He loved to fly Santa Claus into the local department stores and malls for Shop-With-A-Cop. Through the Aero Bureau Tom flew with nearly every local, city, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies, gaining wide recognition as a valuable law enforcement pilot. A few of his recent accomplishments would include the use of night vision goggles, establishing new maintenance contracts, and was looking forward to Olympic Security involvement.
Before Tom joined the Patrol, he served in the Navy as a cook on an icebreaker. After the service, he worked at the Tooele Army Depot in electronics, became a flight instructor at a small Lehi airport where Mike Royce was a student pilot. He also worked as a volunteer with the American Fork Ambulance Service.
Tom enjoyed golf immensely. The foursome of Ike Orr, Herb Katz, Duane Richens and Tom were a staple of weekends for many years. They used to have another player that quit playing with them. Tom's wife, Fran, asked him why 'old so-and-so' quit playing with them. Tom asked her "Would you continue to play with a guy who always gets drunk, loses so many balls other groups are always playing through, tells lousy jokes while you are trying to putt and generally offends everyone around him on the course?" "Certainly not, dear," she replied. "Well, neither would he," was the answer.
In the winter months, Tom would go back to the old scores and replay past games. He enjoyed analyzing every aspect of the statistics, greens in regulations, putts, fairways missed, etc. Maybe the fact that the foursome played for nickels and dimes with sometimes up to a dollar at stake, that three score cards were kept just in case of a dispute.
In truth, golf is the best metaphor for how Tom lived his life. He always counted every shot. He believed that if you didn't play by the rules, you were not playing golf at all. He called every stroke and took responsibility for every shot. He knew and stood tall to everything he did on the course, whether anyone else knew or not. "Play it as it lays" on all shots was the rule.
Once at Bonneville we both hit our tee shots on the par-5 No. 1 hole down the middle and about 260. We drove up for the second shot, and Tom hit his shot down the middle for an easy approach, but I sliced mine over the trees and it ended up in the cart path of the adjoining hole. "Guess I get a free drop for the cart path," I said. "Oh no," says Tom. "We agreed. Play it as it lays." So I drove Tom up to his ball in front of the green, dropped him off and I drove over to my ball on the cart path. Tom watched in amusement as sparks showered down from the practice swings I took. Then, in amazement a perfectly struck shot landed on the green and rolled to within three feet of the pin. I drive back to the green. Tom asked, "Great shot back there! What club did you use?" I replied, "Your six iron."
He also enjoyed the outdoors, hunting and fishing and frequently was found down on Fish Lake Mountain during the elk hunt. At one point his campfire coffee pot was responsibly scrubbed and washed by Herb Katz. Tom never went hunting elk with them again.
Tom loved to go to Mountain Man Rendezvous, competing in various outdoor events, hatchet throwing, black powder rifle, etc. Tom also loved to work with his hands, car repairs, landscaping projects, and fixing sprinklers torn up by school kids walking by his house.
It was not common knowledge that Tom had a soft spot for cats. He started out with a couple, ended up with several, which then became lots. However, Tom lived near a busy highway, so the problem sort of solved itself.
Tom was also very involved in the neighborhood. He spent a lot of time once searching for a woman screaming in his neighborhood, only to find out that it was a male peacock screeching. Recently he set up a bird feeding station for sparrows, however, it turned into a buffet for hawks and other birds of prey.
Tom and his wife, Fran, were married for 38 years. They recently had just returned from a two week trip to Hawaii. They snorkeled, skin dived, took helicopter scenic flights and five games of golf. Fran loved to play golf with Tom and they had three daughters whom Tom adored, with eight grandchildren and one great grandchild. One granddaughter, a four year old at the time, once woke Grandpa Tom up with a mean blow to the forehead with a golf putting iron, who then ran to grandma for sanctuary.
Lt. Thomas Sumner Rettberg, 58, died on February 11, 2000 while doing his duty, what he loved to do the most. He was born April 26, 1941 in Glendale, California, to Sumner Rettberg and Evelyn Weldon. He married Frances Lanzo on September 9, 1961 in Chelsea, Massachusetts. He was a dedicated husband, friend and public servant. He was a member of the Jaycees in American Fork. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus in Provo. Tom will be remembered for his courageous service to the Utah Highway Patrol and the people of the State of Utah; saving numerous lives throughout his career. Tom was a skillful pilot and was known for his dedication to safety and professionalism. He received numerous commendations and awards, including a commendation from Weber County Sheriff's Office for assistance rendered in the recovery and removal of Utah's largest marijuana grow, 8600 plants and weighed 11 tons. He was an avid Vikings fan. Tom will be remembered for his wonderful sense of humor and loving devotion to family and friends and will be sorely missed by all who knew him.
In golf there is a term called a mulligan. A mulligan is when you get to take a shot over because your last shot was bad. In life there are no mulligans and Tom always played it that way. But every person always got a mulligan from Tom. He always gave everyone around him another chance. He was slow to judge and quick to give you another chance. For all his competitive spirit, he was a gentle soul. He will be dearly missed.