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SAM Magazine—Denver, Dec. 1, 2015—Gerald F. (Jerry) Groswold, longtime head of Winter Park resort and a former board member and chairman of both Colorado Ski Country USA and NSAA, died Nov. 26. He was 84.

SAM Magazine—Denver, Dec. 1, 2015—Gerald F. (Jerry) Groswold, longtime head of Winter Park resort and a former board member and chairman of both Colorado Ski Country USA and NSAA, died Nov. 26. He was 84.

Jerry was renowned for his involvement with Winter Park Resort, which began in 1939—he carried water as an eight-year-old for volunteers who cut trails. He served as a volunteer member of the Winter Park Recreational Association board of trustees from 1959 to 1975, and in 1969 was elected chairman. He became president and CEO of Winter Park Resort in 1975, a position he held until he retired in 1997.

During his tenure, he oversaw the development of Mary Jane mountain as well as the Vasquez and Parsenn expansions, and the master planning for the Winter Park Village. He was pivotal in the creation of the Winter Park Nordic Jumping Program, which launched thousands of young jumpers, including several Olympians.

Jerry also created the Winter Park Handicapped Program, which evolved into the National Sports Center for the Disabled. He was passionate about making the sport of skiing accessible to thousands of people with disabilities. Winter Park hosted the World Disabled Championships in 1990, the first time this competition was held outside of Western Europe.

Jerry served as both board chairman and member of Colorado Ski Country USA and the National Ski Areas Association/USIA. He was instrumental in the creation of the Colorado Tramway Safety Board and the passing of the Colorado Ski Safety Act. He was inducted into the National Ski Hall of Fame in 1986, the Colorado Ski Hall of Fame in 1987, the Denver and Colorado Tourism Hall of Fame in 2000, and the Colorado Business Hall of Fame in 2005, among many other honors he received.

A Celebration of Life will be held in the spring of 2016; details to be announced. Contributions in memory of Jerry can be made to the Grand Foundation, PO Box 1342, Winter Park, CO 80482 or the National Sports Center for the Disabled, 1801 Mile High Stadium Circle, Suite 1500, Denver, CO 80204-1780.