There will be a void in the president's box next season at University of Utah football games.

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, who spent many Saturdays watching his alma mater at Rice-Eccles Stadium, died late Monday at age 91.

"He was a remarkable, kind, thoughtful, warm, compassionate person, and we will genuinely miss him," University of Utah President Michael K. Young said Tuesday.

The university is one of the many places where Elder Wirthlin, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, will be missed. For Young and his wife, Suzan, Elder Wirthlin "had become a very big part" of their lives. Four years ago, Young invited Elder Wirthlin to sit in the president's box during football season. He became a fixture there, attending games whenever his schedule would allow and interacting with young people who wanted to meet the apostle.

"His affection for the university and for the people at the university was just enormous," Young said. "The people here had great affection for him."

Elder Wirthlin was a former running back who played for the U. and is listed as a letterman for 1936. He played for Ike Armstrong, who compiled a career 141-55-17 record at the school. Elder Wirthlin's presence served as a reminder of the program's past, Young suggested.

"He connected us back to another great era," Young said. "It was a wonderful kind of bridge between the generations."

On Tuesday, Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham expressed his sorrow at the passing of Elder Wirthlin.

"We really considered him a part of the football family," Whittingham said.

The coach called Elder Wirthlin an "avid supporter and an avid football fan in general." Elder Wirthlin was a presence at not just games, but also football practices and activities as well. He addressed Whittingham's players several times, and during former coach Urban Meyer's two-year tenure, Elder Wirthlin often traveled with the team and made the trip to the Fiesta Bowl when the Utes played Pittsburgh on Jan. 1, 2005.

Terry Baker, an instructor at the Salt Lake University LDS Institute of Religion adjacent to the school, remembers Elder Wirthlin speaking at a football pep rally.

"An apostle of the Lord who loves football," said Baker, himself a former U. football player and the current adviser for the school's Latter-day Saint Athlete Association. "It doesn't get any better than that."

Baker didn't know Elder Wirthlin personally, though he did teach his daughter at the East High seminary. He did, however, know Meyer well and said the former Utah and current University of Florida head coach maintained a good friendship with the Mormon leader.

"He was so proud of the fact that Elder Wirthlin was a good friend of his," Baker said of Meyer.

Meyer issued a statement Tuesday through the Florida sports information office.

"Elder Wirthlin was a great Ute and a true friend to the University of Utah football program, coaches, players and staff," he said. "We sorely miss his presence and mourn his passing."

One experience of being at a Utah football game that Elder Wirthlin recounted reflects the apostle's sense of humor, Young said. Meyer's wife, Shelley, whom Young described as an "enthusiast," used to invite Elder Wirthlin to sit in the stands with the coaches' spouses. According to Young, whenever the team scored, Shelley Meyer would traditionally turn around and give Elder Wirthlin a high-five. The first time it happened, though, he was unprepared and ended up falling backwards.

"From then on, he used to brace himself with his cane so he wouldn't get knocked over," Young said.

On Tuesday, Elder Wirthlin's son, Joe, recounted how his father attended the recent BYU-Utah contest in Salt Lake City.

"Dad loved to watch football," Joe Wirthlin said. "When it wasn't a U. game, it was a Y. game. He had loyalties to both. He loved the sport, and loved what it made out of people; the focus it gave to young people to know that they had to go in a particular direction was always part of his teaching. He was excited. He stayed for the whole game. Many times he would leave at the end of the third quarter, but he stayed the whole time for this last game even though it was quite a defeat for the Y. He had a great love for both teams. He had a great love for all sports."

Elder Wirthlin's interest in the university wasn't limited to football. Young would spend time each game sitting with Elder Wirthlin, who would inquire about various happenings on campus. He would attend other university events when time permitted, and he had concern for the players as individuals and students, according to the school president.

"He really cared about the players as people," Young said.

One thing Whittingham will miss are his occasional visits to Elder Wirthlin's office. Helen Buchanan, who works as Whittingham's assistant, says the coach always looked forward to those meetings.

"You could tell it was really a bright spot in his day," Buchanan said. "You could tell the influence Elder Wirthlin had on him."

Whittingham says he considered Elder Wirthlin a "mentor."

"He was just a genuine person and had a great spirit about him," Whittingham said. "We're going to miss him. I'm going to miss him personally."

E-mail: ashill@desnews.com

Contributing: Dirk Facer, Gerry Avant