Norman Slauenwhite

DAMMERON - Norman William Slauenwhite Jr. passed away peacefully on October 3, 2026 at the age of 69. Norm Jr. was an adventurer, entrepreneur, and kind man whose boundless generosity and deep devotion to his family enabled him to lead a remarkably full life, albeit one cut short by a sudden and expected diagnosis of metastasis melanoma.

Born August 8, 1957 to Norm Slauenwhite Sr., and his wife Lois Margaret Reid Slauenwhite in Queens, NY, Norm Jr. was the oldest of five children. One of Norm Jr’s pivotal moments with his Dad was joining him at work. Norm Sr. was an airline mechanic who once with Norm Jr., sitting in the pilot’s seat, navigated a United Airlines jet around the airport. This fueled Norm Jr.’s lifelong sense of adventure and love for all things mechanical. The man could fix anything.

The Slauenwhite family moved to Schaumburg, IL during the 1960’s riots. Norm was taught to “turn the other cheek” to incidents of physical violence. During that time and since, NormJr. was a fierce protector of his family.

Norm Jr. was an entrepreneur and believed that hard work reaps rewards. As a middle school student he earned money from a paper route to buy a canoe. In 1977 Norm went to Utah on a ski trip and got a job at Snowbird because of his love of being in the mountains. While working at Snowbird as bellman Norm saw a need for skiers to get to the Salt Lake City airport. He borrowed $1,000 from his parents to purchase his first suburban; later partnering with Bob Dixon to start Canyon Transportation. The business expanded considerably. At one point, Canyon Transportation had the largest fleet of 4X4 vans in the United States. 2002,during the Olympics, Canyon Transportation bused spectators, visitors, and athletes to the games. In 2014 Canyon Transportation was sold, Norm stayed on as the business relations liaison until retiring in 2018.

While spending winters at Snowbird, Norm would return to Monmouth, Maine for the summer. While in Maine in 1987 he met Laurie Smith, the woman who would become his soulmate and love of his life. Laurie was attending college at the time and would eventually finish her senior year at the University of Utah. The pair married 9/09 1989, the Saturday after Labor Day because Norm didn’t want to “mess up the holiday weekend for all those he loved just for a wedding”. Laurie and Norm would spend 37 years together and in 1999 their family was expanded with a son. Austin, after Norm’s grandmother, and James, after Laurie’s grandfather. Norm wanted his son to have a cool nickname, hence Austin James became AJ.

An avid skier, Norm skied all over the west and also ventured to other countries, including Canada and Switzerland. He was known to take risks like jumping off cliffs in the back country.

Norm was the king of the one-liners, always having one at the ready. Once stopped for speeding on a motorcycle going 120 miles per hour, he was asked by the officer if he had anything to say. Norm replied, “I’m only in third gear”.

Norm was preceded in death by his parents, Norm Sr. and Lois Slauenwhite. He is survived by his wife Laurie Smith Slauenwhite, his son Austin James Slauenwhite, his sisters Jill Slauenwhite Saucier and her husband Paul, Teri Slauenwhite Roulliard, Marcia Slauenwhite, and his brother Lt Colonel Timothy Slauenwhite USAF retired and wife Pamela Slauenwhite,
nieces Kristen Guilford Nora Roulliard, Libby Slauenwhite Morgan and her husband Bob, Emmaline Slauenwhite, Margaret Slauenwhite and nephew Benjamin Slauenwhite and wife Alexis; and grand nephew Wesley Morgan.

Laurie and AJ would like to express their deep love and gratitude to the extended family who were such a big part of Norm’s life. He lived life on his terms, cheated death more than once, and had a deep and abiding appreciation for his rural roots in Maine.

There will be a Family Graveside Ceremony on November 3 at the Cedar City Cemetery at 10:30 and a Celebration of Life on November 5 at Crescent Hall Event Venue, Sandy, Utah from 5-8 for all who would like to come and remember Norm.