1944-2022
John Paule Huff Jr. died on December 4, 2022, following a hard-fought battle with Parkinson’s disease and other complications. He was 78.
John was born June 4, 1944, in Los Angeles to Jack and Shirley Huff Read More
1949-2022
Philip “Smiley” Steck died at age 72 on Sept. 18 2022 in Victor, Idaho, after a short
illness.
Philip R. Steck was born Oct. 21, 1949 in Charlottesville, Virginia to James S. Steck and Rachel Shuck Steck. The family settled in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania where Phil
graduated from Shippensburg Area Senior High School. Read More
1952-2020
Glen was born April 2, 1952, to Al and Loretta Jaques in Northern California. In the early ‘70s his love of skiing took him to Lake Tahoe,where he was drawn to the new “hot dog” skiing, mastering the sport in its early years. Read More
1947 – 2019
Todd Harley died of natural causes while walking on Old Pass Road on June 5. He was 72. Todd worked as a patroller for Jackson Hole Mountain Resort for 25 years . Read More
1943 – 2018
Kirby Williams left Jackson on Christmas morning, 2018, in the midst of a winter snowstorm, the most fitting departure for a man who loved the snow and loved to ski. Read More
AKA “Big Wally” 1952-2010
Mark “Big Wally’ Wolling passed away at age 58 on January 9, 2010 after being critically injured in an avalanche while performing avalanche hazard work at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. He was in the Cheyenne Bowl area of the resort. Read More
Kathryn passed away March 17, 2009 from head injuries sustained in a fall while skiing Spacewalk, a chute just south of the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort boundary. Read More
AKA “2 Dogs”
Dennis passed away December 19, 2014 from lung cancer leaving behind his wife Sharon of 31 years, his son Gus, his mother Aletha, brother Fred and sister Lori. Read More
1934-2014
Renn was born February 23, 1934, in Keene, New Hampshire. He passed away at home in Alaska on July 5, 2014 from colon cancer. Read More
AKA “Jim” “Rat Hole” “Ratty” “RH” 1948-2011
Jim was born on April 22, 1948 . In 1978 he moved to Jackson to work as a patrolman at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Read More
AKA “Fee” 1956-2008
Fee died suddenly of a cardiac arrest at age 52 on November 8, 2008. Read More
AKA ‘Bernie’
1927-2012
As we recount John’s history there are certainly parts missing- where he grew up, went to school, etc. What we do know is that is he was a smart, personable and reliable man who was educated as an electrical engineer. He worked for Bendix Corporation, instrumental in designing the first lunar module. Read More
AKA “The Bear”
1936-1998
Juris Ojars Krisjansons was born in Riga, Latvia on May 8, 1936. During the Stalin invasion his family was forced out of their homeland, taking refuge near the Swiss/German border until WWII was over. They were able to immigrate to the United States when Juris was age 12, settling in Cleveland, OH. Juris attended school, learned English and graduated with a degree in aeronautical engineering in 1958. Read More.
1948-1980
Manny (Albert Manton) Read, a native of Edgewood, Rhode Island, died October 1,1980 at age 34, after becoming seriously ill during a 40 day religious fast in Israel. Manny came to Jackson Hole in the winter of 1972 after graduating from the University of Rhode Island with a Bachelor’s Degree in biology. He worked for two years as a First Aider for the Jackson Hole Ski Patrol before being hired as a full time patrolman. He was able to work ski patrolling in France for one winter on a ski patrol exchange program through the resort. He spent his summers as a boatman first for Jackson Hole Lodge and later Barker-Ewing. He was an avid kayaker and organizer of gelande jumping in the Jackson. His parents Charles and Helen, two brothers Aarne and Daniel and a sister Charlamayne at the time of his death, survived him.
AKA “Ranger”
1948-1986
Tom Raymer was born November 11, 1948 to Jack and Betty Raymer in Annapolis, Maryland. He learned to ski in the White Mountains of New Hampshire during his years at Arlington Virginia’s Wakefield High School, from which he graduated. After a tour of active duty in the Coast Guard reserve, he moved to Jackson Hole in the early 70’s.
His first job in Jackson was as a ski mechanic for the Jack Pine Ski Shop but realizing he’d rather be on skis than fixing them he doggedly pursued a job with and was eventually hired on to the Jackson Hole Ski Patrol.
He worked as a guide for Jackson Hole Mountain Guides but in 1976 a fall, while guiding, shattered his foot and left one leg shorter than the other ending that career. Preferring to work outdoors he tried various jobs such as being a cowboy for the Blackrock Cattle association on Togwotee Pass and a boatman for Charlie Sands Wildwater for five years.
Tom was known for his easy going manner, athleticism and zest for life; he never did anything conventionally. He lived for a winter in an igloo, spent a summer hiking up and down Tramline while he lived in the Halfway House, electing to have his other leg shortened so he wouldn’t limp he then biked from Arlington to Jackson as part of his recovery, he was the first individual winner of the Pole Pedal Paddle in 1975 and 1976 peddling his bike in his ski boot liners to save time during the transitions, he spent a winter in Meribel, France on ski patrol exchange knowing only a few words of French, and when asked for advice he was famous for saying ‘No danger!’. While building his small cabin on Teton Village Road he spent every evening at the Calico Pizza Parlor where a pizza bears his nickname ‘The Ranger,’ as does the JHMR ski run ‘Ranger’.
At the age of 37, after 12 years working for Jackson Hole Ski Patrol he tragically died in an avalanche on the Moran Faces while conducting avalanche hazard reduction work February 17, 1986. At the time of his death he was survived by his parents (who have since passed), a sister Susan Clark and nieces Jocelyn and Meilani. His little cabin has remained a gathering place for friends and family to honor and remember him.
AKA ‘Mr. D’
1937-1985
Paul was born in Staten Island, New York on July 28, 1937 to Paul and Marion Driscoll. After graduating from Curtis High School on Staten Island he went on to graduate first in his class from Bonaventure College in Buffalo, New York. Read More
Robert (Bob) Sealander was born February 15 1935, in Idaho Falls Idaho. He grew up on the family farm near Shelley Idaho. He passed away on January 14,2017 in Ormond Beach Florida.
After he graduated from high school his love of the mountains and skiing took him to Aspen Colorado. Bob started in Aspen as a ski instructor, and later joined the Aspen Ski Patrol.
After spending the better part of 10 years in Aspen Bob moved his family to Jackson Hole. Bob was involved with the building of the original tram. When JHMR opened he was a founding member of the Jackson Hole Ski Patrol. He took over as director of the ski patrol in 1967. After several years as director of the ski patrol, Bob became mountain manager. His heart was always with the ski patrol, so he returned to the ski patrol, where he stayed until his move to fulfill his dream of owning and living on a sail boat in Florida. Bob was also involved with running the summer ski racing camps for several years.
Bob not only loved skiing, he loved music. Spare time always found him playing the guitar, and singing ski songs, as well as folk songs. He always loved a sing along, and encouraged all to sing along.
Bob was also an accomplished carpenter. He designed and built the family home after the move to Jackson.
He is survived by wife Robin, Daughter Annalisa, Sons Klaus and Sven, and daughter Sky, Nine grandchildren, one step-grandson, and 13 great-grandchildren.
