Chuck Lewis seemed so strong, so indestructible. It is hard to come to grips with the death of this remarkable industry leader. No single person better embodied a mastery of every facet and discipline of the ski scene. From the age of 15, when he began running trail crews for Winter Park’s Steve Bradley, “I spent a great deal of time trying to figure out how I could ski and still make a living,” he recalled in a 1972 profile of him in SAM.
He succeeded brilliantly, starting with his choices for education: Dartmouth and Denver Universities. His MA in hand, he joined the national accounting firm of Arthur Anderson and soon had some ski accounts, including the fledgling Vail, whose creator, Pete Seibert, then lured him away, first as assistant GM and then, when Vail incorporated, as executive VP and treasurer. Whether on skis or on the ladder of success, Chuck confidently set a sizzling pace.
Still in his early 30s, Lewis took on the building of Copper Mountain, from designing to financing to construction to operation—truly a one-man band who could, and did, do it all. Typical of his creative management style, when independent concrete dealers proved difficult to schedule, Lewis created his own source, PLC, Inc. (Pretty Lumpy Concrete) and soon had it running as a profitable stand-alone. For disposing of the timber that was logged, and as a source for construction lumber, he formed a joint venture called the Thick and Thin Lumber Company. No surprise, it also succeeded.
But this is not a recitation of his extraordinary accomplishments; rather, it is a fond farewell to a man of immense integrity, seemingly immune to the perils of ego, always willing to lend a hand if it would help. This publication was a beneficiary of this. It became something of an inside joke that whenever we felt the need for a wise, perceptive “think-piece,” we would automatically schedule a Chuck Lewis interview. Neither we nor our readers were ever let down.
Nor was the industry he served with such distinction. Whether heading key NSAA committees or serving as its chairman, Chuck compiled a matchless record of selfless service. Ditto for Colorado Ski Country, USA.
But his world extended well beyond his business life. Devoted husband and father, Chuck was probably happiest as a Colorado rancher, worrying about his hay crop in last summer’s relentless rains, or preg testing his large herd of cows. (“You’d be amazed at how long an arm you need!”) As in everything else he tackled, Chuck was nothing if not hands-on.
His death at the age of 63, while recovering from what had seemed to be successful surgery, dealt a shock that will not soon be forgotten. But neither will his contributions to the sport and industry he loved; nor, indeed, will the memory of a man so many people were proud to count as a loyal and true friend.
—A SAM editorial
