Bob Syrett, manager of Ruby's Inn, dies at 63

Bob Syrett, who managed Ruby's Inn near Utah's Bryce Canyon for several decades and was a longtime member of the Utah Board of Tourism Development, died of a massive heart attack in his sleep Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2007.

Mr. Syrett, 63, was a world traveler who "had a whole lot of respect for people," his brother, Rod Syrett, said.

He helped run southern Utah's largest resort with his brothers. They inherited the resort from their grandfather, Reuben "Ruby" Syrett.

"It's family business," Mr. Syrett's nephew, Lance Syrett, said. "I think he just enjoyed people."

In addition to helping run Ruby's Inn, Mr. Syrett was a member of the Garfield County Travel Council, Lance Syrett said. He was well-known in tourism circles and helped the resort grow from about three dozen rooms to more than 600.

He also saw the resort become incorporated as a town, Bryce Canyon City, earlier this year.

Mr. Syrett's famous quote among friends and family was, "To make a long story short," Lance Syrett said. He'd use the phrase 20 minutes into a 30-minute story, Lance Syrett said.

"If you ever went to talk to him, you knew you'd be in it for a while," Lance Syrett said.

Fellow board members on the Utah Board of Tourism Development remembered Mr. Syrett as dedicated, friendly, soft-spoken and funny.

"He will be missed," they said in a statement Wednesday.

Funeral services will be Wednesday at 1 p.m. in the Tropic Ward chapel.