William John Salmon III

William (Bill) John Salmon III, age 70, passed away on July 25, 2025, in Mesquite, Nevada. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on September 25, 1954, to William John Salmon Jr. and Edith Jones Salmon, Bill lived a life that was equal parts service, adventure, wit, and unwavering devotion to his family and community.

Bill was first married to Terri Teahon, with whom he shared his beautiful daughter, Angela, before finding lasting love and partnership with his wife of 45 years, Janay Salmon. Together, Bill and Janay raised a wild, wonderful family who inherited his quick wit, strong values, and ability to laugh even when life throws a punch: Angela Petersen (Kelly), Shanna Salmon (Zane Barton), Kevin Salmon (Trista), Shane Salmon (Shandon), Karlee Roper (Jake), Jordan Salmon (Breylin), and Jessa Salmon (Josh Holder). He is also survived by a small army of grandchildren who proudly carry his name and legacy: Easton, Karson, Jaylin, Kamri, Kelsi, Avery, Jaxon, McKinley, Jaime, Adelyn, Brycen, Mason, Ariah, Greenlee, and Ethan.

A proud graduate of Lincoln High School in Philly, Bill wasted no time in answering the call to serve, enlisting in the U.S. Navy in 1972. As a Radioman 3rd Class and cryptology specialist, he decoded Russian communications during the Cold War (and also decoded the mystery of how to show up for duty with a hangover). He was stationed in Key West, Florida—arguably the most dangerous place to put a 19-year-old sailor with a good sense of humor and a paycheck.

In 1976, Bill joined the Philadelphia Police Department, earning the Medal of Bravery after single-handedly stopping an armed robbery in progress. During the incident, he also rescued two store owners who had been locked in the men's restroom by the armed suspects—because he was never scared of anything and was always willing to put it all on the line to protect others. In 1979, he relocated to Utah where he served with the Utah State Prison before joining the newly formed West Valley Police Department in 1982. There, he spent two decorated decades as a patrolman, detective, field training officer, and community-oriented policing officer. He retired as a Master Officer in 2002 with honors including the Life Saving Medal, Police Star, and Unit Citation.

Not one to stay still, Bill joined the Utah Army National Guard from 1984 to 1988, serving as a sergeant in the 11th Artillery Corps. From 2003 to 2019, he served as the Director of Code Enforcement for Riverton City, where he took great pride in upholding the law and politely ruining people’s illegal shed-building dreams.

Bill was the kind of man who would work seven days a week without complaint to make sure his family was always taken care of. Providing for them wasn’t just a duty — it was his pride and joy.

He was instrumental in bringing the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) to Utah, serving as the first president of the Utah State Lodge. His leadership shaped police advocacy across the State for decades, earning him the FOP Lifetime Service Award.

He held an associate degree in Criminal Justice from Columbia College, but most of Bill’s learning came from the "University of Curiosity." He was a self-taught guitarist, songwriter, photographer, tropical fish breeder (yes, he made clownfish mate), genealogist, amateur historian, certified hypnotherapist, UTV adventurer, private yacht captain of Flaming Gorge, and entrepreneur. Bill opened everything from a window coverings business to a snow cone shack. Basically, if it involved learning something new or making people laugh, Bill was in.

Bill was also a proud tribal member of the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribe, a heritage he embraced with honor and curiosity. His connection to his Native ancestry deepened later in life and became an important part of his personal journey and family legacy. He also had a deep love for collecting—coins, Kachina dolls, Hummels (which absolutely terrified the grandkids during sleepovers), and Waterford crystal, particularly his legendary collection of approximately 9,000 crystal clocks (give or take a few hundred). If it sparkled, ticked, or came with a story, Bill was all in.

He was famous for quoting Monty Python and Pink Floyd, often yelling across the house, “You can’t have any pudding if you don’t eat your meat!”—a line his kids will hear in their heads forever. Another favorite that never failed to make him giggle was the line from the movie Click: “Stacy, did you sh*t in my lunch?” His humor was equal parts sharp, unexpected, and somehow always perfectly timed. When asked how he was doing, you'd almost always get, “Not worth a sh*t, but thanks for asking.”

Bill was also a die-hard Philadelphia Phillies and Eagles fan—even in the bad years. He may or may not have cheered when Eagles fans infamously threw snowballs at Santa Claus. Loyalty like that runs deep. 

Bill also adored his feral brood of Yorkies—Vinnie, Libby, Lucy, and Remmy—who barked incessantly and ruled the house with tiny iron paws. In a strange and poetic twist, Lucy passed away the very same morning as Bill, likely giving him a reason to chase her down the streets of heaven, yelling for her to come back inside one last time.

A funeral with full military honors will be held on August 4th at Camp Williams Veterans Cemetery. The service will begin at 9:00 AM for family, and open to all visitors at 9:30 AM.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Utah Fraternal Order of Police Foundation, which provides free mental health services to law enforcement officers, something Bill cared deeply about. Utah FOP Foundation

The family would like to extend a special thank you to Bill’s close friends who helped care for him and brought him comfort and laughter in his final chapter: Tony and Melinda Kassapakis, Kathy Lefever, Gary and Teresa, Liz DeForst and Kyri O’Mally Your love, loyalty, and presence meant the world to him—and to us.

In honor of Bill’s spirit and sense of humor, attire for the funeral is very casual. Bill will be buried in his Phillies jersey, and guests are encouraged to wear their favorite sports jersey—as long as it’s not a Cowboys jersey.

Bill lived, served, laughed, loved, and left the world better (and funnier) than he found it. His legacy lives on in his family, his brothers and sisters in blue, and in every story that ends with, “You had to know Bill…”