Death; Bruce Bastian Utah Obituary, co-founder WordPerfect & LGBTQ+ philanthropist, American computer programmer and businessperson Is Dead: Bruce Bastian, a Utah native who spearheaded word processing advancements and subsequently emerged as a significant advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, has departed from this life. Bastian was a founder member of Equality Utah, which made the announcement of his passing on Sunday. His age was seventy-six. “No individual has had a greater impact on the lives of LGBTQ Utahns,” stated Troy Williams, the executive director of Equality Utah.
“Every success our community has achieved over the past three decades can be traced directly back to Bruce.”76 years old Bruce Bastian, a Utahn who spearheaded word processing advancements and subsequently emerged as a significant advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, has departed from this life. Bastian was a founder member of Equality Utah, which made the announcement of his passing on Sunday. His age was seventy-six. “No individual has had a greater impact on the lives of LGBTQ Utahns,” stated Troy Williams, the executive director of Equality Utah. “Every success our community has achieved over the past three decades can be traced directly back to Bruce.”
In 1979, while pursuing his doctorate studies at Brigham Young University, Bastian co-founded a word processing application that would eventually become WordPerfect. Professor of computer science at BYU Alan Ashton was one of his co-founders. The program was produced under contract for the city of Orem, but the developers kept ownership of it. In a 2022 interview with Equality Utah, David Parkinson stated, “Bruce was definitely a legend, running one of the most successful companies, and an out and proud gay individual.” “Not only does he give his money, but he gives his time, he gives his connections, he gives his knowledge, to help change Utah.”
Bastian’s services to the LGBTQ+ community as a “friend, mentor, and benefactor” were lauded by Equality Utah in their announcement on Sunday. His early support of various advocacy groups, including the Utah AIDS Foundation, the Utah Pride Center, Plan B Theater, and Encircle, was brought up. A portion of the organization’s statement said, “He has been a rock and pillar for all of us.” “We cannot adequately describe the gratitude our community feels toward Bruce. Bruce’s amazing spouse Clint, as well as his friends and kids, have our deepest sympathies and best wishes.”
