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Sugar House Journal

SHCC trustee celebrates 73rd birthday cancer free

Dec 06, 2016 15h44 ● By Bryan Scott

SHCC Art and Culture Council_Mulder and his wife at Santa Shack opening 2013. (Laurie Bray/Sugar House Photographer)

By Aspen Perry  |  [email protected]


Sugar House Community Council (SHCC) trustee, Dave Mulder celebrated his 73rd birthday, after receiving the good news he is officially cancer free.

 Having served on the SHCC for more than 14 years, fellow trustees saw it fit to surprise Mulder with a cake in commemoration of his birthday at the November council meeting and Mulder shared the good news that his doctors revealed he was cancer free.  

Mulder has lived and worked in Sugar House since the early 1970s and loves serving as the Grandview trustee for the SHCC. 

“I have deep roots in this community. I view serving on SHCC as a way of giving back to a neighborhood that has enhanced my life and my family’s life,” said Mulder. 

In June of 2015, Mulder was diagnosed with stage three esophageal cancer. He received radiation for five days a week, for six weeks through July and August. Despite the radiation and weekly chemotherapy, Mulder was fortunate to not experience any of the typical side effects, such as nausea or hair loss. 

In October of last year, Mulder went through an extensive surgery to remove a large portion of his esophagus. The first 12 days after surgery Mulder remained in the hospital, from there he spent three weeks in a rehabilitation center before finally being released to home health care just before Christmas. 

During which time Mulder was fortunate to have the support of his family, friends, Lutheran “church family”, as well as other religious communities and the Sugar House community. 

Though it was no walk in the park, during Mulder’s recent October check-up doctors shared the good news that Mulder had no signs of cancer. 

Mulder feels the experience was truly miraculous.

No stranger to public service, Mulder has been involved in local and national politics the majority of his adult life. He has served on various boards including the Crossroads Urban Center, Salt Lake Council for Aging, Utah Legislative Coalition for People with Disabilities, Utah Community Advisory for Foster Children, as well as many community and church boards. 

His priorities for Sugar House center around housing. 

“The short- and long-term priority is low-cost housing. New housing [structures] are out of the range for most people working in the new businesses coming to Sugar House,” Mulder said.

Mulder hopes for a collaboration between community, city, county, and federal funding sources to ensure Sugar House has a good percentage of affordable housing. 

The care, attention, and experience Mulder provides to the community is something his fellow trustees admire. 

“He adds a wonderful historical perspective [to the council], he is well educated and gives thoughtful and informed views,” said Laurie Bray of the Arts and Culture Committee. 

Bray shared how Mulder’s compassion can be seen not just in the community, but in his family life, as well. 

“He was incredibly devoted to wife, who passed last year, he brought her to the opening of the Santa Shack several times… made sure she was at the opening of the Sugar House Draw. After I posted photos of the beauty of autumn in Hidden Hollow… he made it a special outing with her,” recalled Bray. 

Fellow SHCC trustees are quick to point out that Mulder is a man well respected for his role with his family, friends, and the community. 

“I love Dave for many reasons. I love him as a friend, an example and for his great sense of humor and commitment to his community,” said Benny Keele, a Forest Dale trustee. 

Receiving the cancer-free news allows Mulder to continue to focus on the community he loves. 

“SHCC is a direct way of being involved in the ongoing activities, as well as the long range planning of an exciting and vibrant community of Salt Lake City…I have been truly blessed in many ways,” Mulder said.