[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Deedee Corradini, the first and only female mayor of Salt Lake City and a U alumna, died on March 1. Her funeral was held on Monday.

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Corradini received her bachelor’s in psychology in 1965 from the U and a master’s in educational psychology two years later, also from the U.

She was elected mayor of Salt Lake City as a Democrat in 1992 and held the position until 2000. During her time in office, she represented Utah in 1998 in Nagano, Japan, when they passed the flag to Salt Lake City to host the 2002 Winter Olympics.

Many of Corradini’s works are still visible throughout the city today. During her time in office, she pushed to relocate the Union Pacific railroad tracks to downtown — what is now the TRAX system. To help prepare the city for the Olympics, Corradini raised funds to reconstruct Salt Lake’s freeway system. This project was one of the largest public works transit projects in American history, according to the mayor’s office.

She also promoted construction of the Smith’s Ballpark and negotiated what is now the Gateway Mall in downtown Salt Lake City.

“Deedee was a visionary … she was able to see our community in the context of a big, bold future and do the work to ensure her vision would come to fruition,” current Salt Lake City mayor Ralph Becker said in a public statement.

Her work did not end after leaving office. In 2004 she met Lindsey Van, who told Corradini that women were not allowed to jump in the Olympic Games. She soon became president of Women’s Ski Jumping USA and took Van’s fight to a global level. After 10 years, the sport debuted at the Sochi Winter Olympic Games in 2014. To honor her efforts, Women’s Ski Jumping USA held a memorial service on Monday at 12 p.m. at the Wasatch Presbyterian Church in Salt Lake City.

Corradini, who the mayor’s office described as strong and dedicated to the betterment of the city and its citizens, wrote her own obituary. She said it was a great honor for her to serve as mayor of the city she fell in love with.

“I was honored to serve as President of the International Women’s Forum from 2011 to 2013, where I was surrounded by many bright and visionary global women leaders who continue to lead our world on a brighter path forward,” the obituary noted. “My time spent at IWF greatly increased my understanding of and perspective into the incredible talent and leadership potential that women have in this world. It inspired me to champion, promote, and enable women to create their own extraordinary legacies.”

Corradini was 70 years old and diagnosed with lung cancer when she died.

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