Mr. Noorda nurtured relationships with Novell employees, which Heinz said created a "culture of trust and integrity."

A 1993 article in Fortune magazine described Mr. Noorda as an "easygoing" chief executive with a "casual style" like the late Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton. The article stated that Mr. Noorda had become a billionaire off of Novell's stock.

After retiring from Novell in 1995, Mr. Noorda founded the Lindon-based Canopy Group (now Canopy Ventures), which invests in start-up companies.

Last year the firm was the focus of a dueling lawsuits with three of its former executives who filed a suit alleging they were illegally terminated in December 2004. Canopy lodged a countersuit, saying the fired employees tried to take $25 million from the company while taking advantage of Mr. Noorda's failing health. In a settlement in March 2005, the three former executives received an undisclosed amount of money.

At the time of the lawsuits, Canopy was reported to be worth $300 million.

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. is also quoted on Canopy's Web site, calling Mr. Noorda one of the "innovators of the Utah Miracle."

Mr. Noorda is survived by his wife of 56 years, Tye Noorda. Together they had one daughter, who preceded Mr. Noorda in death, and four sons.

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E-mail: sspeckman@desnews.com