It is with sadness that the Utah Farm Bureau Federation (UFBF) announces the passing of Dale K. Newton, Chief Financial Officer and UFBF Board Secretary/Treasurer, after a courageous year-long battle with cancer. 

Dale Newton was born in 1947 in Salt Lake City to Karl & Anna Newton. Growing up in Salt Lake with his three siblings, he graduated with high honors from South High School and was awarded the full ride D. C. Jackling scholarship in metallurgy at the University of Utah.  

Cheering on his beloved Utes, Dale graduated with high honors with two degrees in management and in accounting. He joined the Los Angeles office of the international CPA firm of Deloitte and Touche, which placed him right close to cheer on his Los Angeles Dodgers as well! 

Professionally, Dale was the CFO at 5 different companies in three different states (workers compensation insurance and behavioral healthcare) and taught courses at Westminster College as a professor of accounting prior to coming to the Utah Farm Bureau. Dale first joined UFBF in 2014 and served as Chief Financial Officer, and for the last five years has served as Chief Executive Officer. While serving as CEO, Dale was instrumental in the creation of two new companies (Miracle of Agriculture Foundation and Farmers Feeding Utah, Inc.) in 2020 and helped project the Utah Farm Bureau onto a stable financial future. 

Dale also served on numerous boards as part of his duties with UFBF, including Farm Bureau Bank, Utah FFA Foundation, Utah Foundation, and Mountain States Legal Foundation.

But far from focusing only on finances, Dale has come to love and incorporate the UFBF Mission Statement into his life philosophy. Dale has truly taken upon himself to help connect ALL Utahns with the Miracle of Agriculture. Dale also has devoted his life to being a disciple of Jesus Christ, serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a teacher for more than 20 years, including a fond time teaching in the women’s prison. 

While his dedication to the Utah Farm Bureau is unquestioned, Dale’s family remain among his most cherished possessions. Having been happily married to his wife Holly for 48 years and welcomed 5 children, and 10 grandchildren, Dale has loved spending time with them on various family outings, little league baseball games, driving on trips and hiking Mt. Nebo, Lone Peak and the High Uintas. 

For his countless hours of service to Utah agriculture and the Utah Farm Bureau, UFBF recently honored Dale with the Utah Farm Bureau Distinguished Service Award, which he was able to receive in-person at the most recent Farm Bureau Annual Convention. 

His date of retirement would have been December 31 of this year. Holly and Dale were excited for their next chapter. Dale will be greatly missed, and his family are in the prayers of the Utah Farm Bureau Federation leadership. Dale’s full obituary can be found HERE.