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In Memoriam
Memorial to Norsk Patroller Steve Giovagnoli
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We lost a fellow Birkie patroller Sunday, November
13, 2011. Steve was a long term Birkie family member and a great guy. I
think he’ll always be remembered as one of our “flying squad”
speedsters, and always quick with a smile and snappy one-liner. And
always willing to do what it takes to help another. I never skied with
Steve in the earlier years (cause he would have driven me into the
ground!) but did get a chance to ski as his partner this last year.
Steve will be
missed in so many ways. My thoughts and prayers go out to his
girlfriend, family, and friends.
Drew Flaada ~ American Birkebeiner, Hiawatha Nordic
and Welch Village patrols
I could always
count on Steve to to share a positive thought; I never heard him
complain or speak negatively about anyone or anything.
Kathy Schmidt ~ American Birkebeiner, and Glacial
Park patrols
Steve and I served in the old Norsk patrol at
Waterfall Glen, we would patrol there and then go to Camp Sagawau for a
sweep. When DuPage County would no longer allow the patrol to work at
the Glen because of liability issues, I moved to VO Nordic and Steve
helped out at various locations. When Lee Nielsen died and I became PD,
I bumped into Steve at the Birkie and invited him to join us, he did and
we went full circle and became Norsk again.
We enjoyed our “all Nordic” refreshers and became a
close knit family. Eventually Nordic numbers dwindled because of death
and illness and Steve and I went to Grand Geneva for our refresher and
CPR. The last time I saw him was on October 30th. As usual, we teamed up
to practice our skills. We talked about the importance of keeping the
Nordic patrols and dreamed about the day that we could have our Nordic
family back together at our refreshers.
We talked about the Birkie. Steve was excited
because it was his 15th year on the patrol and he just received his
Birkie vest. I liked Steve, he was sincere about serving, he was a great
skier and had a wonderful, upbeat attitude. I could depend on Steve, he
always kept his word.
I shall miss him at Norsk, I will miss him at the
Birkie!
Steve, I hope that
your snow is good and your skis are waxed. May you never lose that
“Birkie Fever”! I will miss you my friend.
Pat Michals ~ Patrol Representative - Norsk Nordic
patrol, American Birkebeiner patrol
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Memorial to Grand Geneva Patroller James Holder
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On October 9, 2011, Grand Geneva Ski Patrol lost
James Holder, one of the most respected and loved patrollers.
Jim Holder was born November 28, 1937 in
Scottsville, KY. He was a graduate of Indiana University, Kelly School
of Business, BA, and Loyola University, MBA. He was a veteran of the
Army. Jim was an active member of the Presbyterian Church, a member of
the Masons of the Masonic Lodge for 52 years.
Jim and his wife Gretchen of almost 50 years loved
to travel the world and cherished spending time with their two children
Jim (Julie) Holder and Susan (Richard) Masterson; his grandchildren,
Bridget and Brook Masterson and Kevin, Julie and Daniel Holder.
This past April, Jim received his 40 year service
award. Jim started at the Holiday Park Ski Patrol. When Holiday Park
closed he moved to Majestic Hills where he patrolled until it closed.
Jim then moved to Grand Geneva Ski Area where he patrolled on the
Thursday Night shift. He served in many capacities in the various
patrols, namely as a Hill Trainer of patrollers, he became a member of
the board and recently became Treasurer.
When a child came to the Ski area without a warm
hat or gloves Jim always s had extras in his ski bag.
Jim will be greatly missed.
Nannetter Patnaude - Grand Geneva Patrol |
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Memorial to Snow Creek Patroller Robert J Thompson
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Robert J
Thompson Remembered
March 13,
1938 - November 29, 2008
Robert J “Buffy Bob” Thompson, a longtime member of
the Snow Creek Ski Patrol, passed away November 25, 2008. Robert began
his patrol career at Mount Bleu Ski Area in Lawrence, Kansas in 1969.
He was very active in the operations of the patrol becoming the Patrol
Director and remaining in that position until the area closed.
Robert worked hard to keep the patrol together. He
and the other patrollers moved to Mt. Crescent Ski Area in Mt. Crescent,
Iowa. Then after 10 years of service at Mt. Crescent, Robert was asked
to help develop the Trail Ridge Ski Area ski patrol in Nebraska. He,
along with the group of patrollers that went to Trail Ridge was then
given an opportunity to develop a patrol at a new area which was closer
to home. The Snow Creek Ski patrol was formed and Robert was very
instrumental in its development. He brought his knowledge and
dedication to Snow Creek. He was elected twice to the position of
Patrol Director of the Snow Creek Patrol.
Robert was also very active in the Kansas City Ski
Club and the Heartland Winter Games for Special Olympics. When Robert
was not pulling patrol shifts in the winter he worked for Lutz, Daily
and Brain Consulting Engineers in Kansas City.
Robert will be greatly missed by one and all.
Submitted by E. Edward Reitz Snow
Creek Ski Patrol |
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Memorial to Seven Oaks Patroller Dennis Pike
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Members of the former Southwest region as well as
the Central Division lost a great friend and valuable member on November
26, 2008. Dennis Pike passed away after a year long battle with
liver cancer. He was diagnosed Thanksgiving weekend, 2007 and made the
decision to fight his cancer and did so, finally giving in (not up) to
the disease following a year filled with doing all the things he loved
most: skiing, golfing, motorcycling and boating.
Dennis made great contributions to the NSP both at
the local level and the region. He joined the NSP in 1999 and completed
his senior in 2003(?) He had completed his PSIA level one
certification and was working toward his level two. He had served as the
ski school advisor for the Southwest Region since 2006. He also served
as a toboggan instructor.
Dennis patrolled at Seven Oaks in Boone, Iowa last
season while receiving chemotherapy. This summer, he rode his Harley to
Oklahoma over Memorial Day weekend with friends, many of whom were ski
patrollers. He played golf as often as he felt able, and continued to
boat with friends and family at Lake Perry in Perry, Kansas which with
so many ski patrollers as members of the marina there, it could be known
as Mt. Lake Perry!
While on hospice and being cared for by his wife
Lea at home, Dennis continued to plan for the benefit of the NSP. As
recently as late October, Dennis had discussion with members of the
Seven Oaks patrol for the training and development of the ski school at
Seven Oaks, a commitment he had made with other patrollers and area
management last year.
Dennis leaves a great legacy to those who knew him,
a love for skiing and patrolling, for teaching and sharing his knowledge
with others. Dennis, thanks for sharing your time, energy and passion
with us all!
Submitted by Mindy Mitchell
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Memorial to Wilmot Patroller Lew Krimen
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Lew Krimen has been many things to Wilmot
Mountain Ski Patrol, as recently as Slope Leader for one of our Day
Shifts and the Patrol’s “Alumni Liaison.” Lew’s passing marks an era of
dedicated teachers from a day when personal experience meant respect.
A very active Patroller since joining in 1968, he
brought authority and personal, first-hand knowledge to his patrolling
and teaching. According to some of the details in his profile per the
National Ski Patrol database:
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Level 1 Avalanche course: 1969
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Mountain Travel & Rescue: 1971
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Level 2 Avalanche course and Mountain Travel & Rescue 2:
1973
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Phase II Training: Global Phase 2 and Avalanche Phase 2:
1995
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Mountain Travel & Rescue Instructor is active through
2010
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National Appointment # 4665.
Lew was never shy about participating and would not
be shy about providing a piece of his experience. And he was always an
active participant. As a Basic Patroller, I was a student in some of his
classes, which were extraordinary and rich with embellishment from his
personal experiences. He leaves a legacy in Lisa, his daughter, an
Active Patroller at Wilmot.
Dare I say, his experiences will live on. And Lew
will certainly be missed.
Respectfully,
Christopher Morris
Patrol Director/Rep.
Wilmot Mountain Ski Patrol
Wilmot, Wisconsin |
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September 16, 2008
I’ve just said goodbye to our friend, Lew
In my own private, personal way, I’ve just
finished saying goodbye to my friend, Lew Krimen.
I’ve been asked to tell you about him and now, I
can.
A lot of people thought he was eccentric. And, he
was. He thrived on being thought of that way, but there was far more to
him than that.
Lew Krimen was a basically good man.
If you needed a friend, you could always count on
Lew. If you asked something of him, there was never any doubt as to his
response.
To sum up any man’s life in one short note is
difficult, but let me do it in one sentence...
Lew Krimen was a good man.
What more can you say about anyone? He was a good
man. A man with a never ending intellectual curiosity. A
compassionate man who never forgot any detail of your life and always
wanted to know about you… and your opinions… and your thoughts. Oh,
sure, he could drive you crazy… he’d rush up to you, in the Patrol Room,
hustle you into the back room with a conspiratorial gleam in his eye,
pull you close and then whisper in your ear “So, how are you?” And, the
funny thing was, he really wanted to know! It wasn’t a cliché “How are
you?”, Lew really wanted to know. And, six or seven years later, he’d
remember what you said and he’d ask follow-up questions!
Lew was dedicated to the Patrol. When his health
was failing and he was no longer able to ski, he’d still appear for his
duty shift to help in the Patrol Room.
He was, simply, “Mr. Avalanche” in the Central
Division. Who knows how many Patrollers he introduced to the science of
avalanche in the classrooms here and in the snow pits and shoots of
Utah’s mountains. He taught first aid and mountaineering and avalanche
and lots of other things… like how to live your life as a gentleman… as
a purely good man.
He wore a whole constellation of stars on his name
bar, but he most treasured the one he received for a high altitude
rescue on one of the many mountains he climbed. He was an advocate for
mountaineering. It’s because of him that I found myself on the slopes
of Mt. Rainier, with his crampons on my boots, his ice ax
in my mittened hands not once, but twice. He had an evangelical zeal
for mountaineering.
He had a wonderful sense of humor and never
laughed at any joke as hard as one where he was the butt of the joke. I
teased him about being a “Rooky” because even though he had 40 years of
service in the Patrol, we both received our National numbers the same
night… and mine are 53 digits ahead of his! He always had the grace to
allow me to be satisfied by pretending to be offended by the “Rooky”
reference.
Lew left behind, a life long soul mate, Lenora,
two children, Lisa (a member of the Wilmot Mountain Ski Patrol) and
Mark, a son-in-law, Max, and two grandchildren, and … and a hellava lot
of Patrol friends who will miss him and think about him… and when that
angry freezing wind comes charging over the crest of the winter laden
hill and the wind chill drops off the charts… we’ll think of Lew, laugh
at the weather’s feeble attempts to dissuade us and then go out to do
our duty shift in Lew’s memory and honor.
Sam
Frank |
Memorial to Swiss Valley Patroller Jim Smith
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Southern Region, Section 4 and Swiss Valley in
particular, lost one of its’ first and long time patrollers May 14, 2008
when Jim Smith did not survive quintuple bypass heart surgery.
My Dad became a patroller in 1969, a “graduate” of
the first NSPS training program at Swiss Valley & continued there his
entire patrolling career. He began his skiing journey in earnest in the
1950s after graduating as a civil engineer from Purdue University. In
true Warren Miller Fashion, he moved to Colorado, settled in the Denver
area & “bummed” that winter, enjoying many of the slopes in the Rockies.
Other ski adventures over the years took him to Europe & New Zealand,
but Swiss Valley was always his ski home. This was so much his passion
that each of my sisters and I in turn, became patrollers and instructors
as well.
Many of you will remember him as the venerable “Clothing Department
Manager” of the annual Chicago Ski Swap and Show, a position he and his
wife Sally took charge of for many seasons. For several years, Jim
offered his services as a guide in the program for visually impaired
skiers at Timber Ridge Ski Area as well as Swiss Valley. His well-
deserved NSP accolades accumulated over the
years, including repeat Southern Cross honors, numerous Certificates of
Appreciation, a Yellow Merit Star, and the Black and Blue Award. |
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He was a CPR IT for both NSP and the American Red
Cross in the Portage, MI community. One of his great delights in his
retirement was mentoring/tutoring academically at-risk students in math
through the Portage Community Outreach Program.
His gentle guiding hand and helping ways have touched
so many of us; his presence at Swiss Valley and beyond – will be sorely
missed by all, none more so than us.
Thank you for being such a great role model, mentor,
teacher and Dad.
Tom and Sue Smith |
Memorial to Des Plaines River Nordic Patroller Mike Boxer
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Our friend and fellow Patroller Michael Boxer lost his battle with cancer at
the beginning of December 2007. Mike was PR for Des Plaines River Nordic
Patrol on and off for many years. He participated at Glacial Park Ski Patrol
events over the years as well, and was always there when we needed an extra
hand. Michael was a good friend that touched many lives in our National ski
patrol family, as well as in his personal life. Mike’s Wife Frada sent a
note out when it was suggested that Mike go into Hospice Care at the end of
November and many of you responded with comments and fond memories that were
in turn shared with Mike. I can only guess that some of those comments made
him smile and helped him and his family know that he touched many lives and
was acknowledged by many as a kind and gentle man that was always willing to
help out when needed and teach what he knew. Mike was awarded the Southern
Cross on three separate occasions for fundraising and as Patrol Director in
our Southern Region, and many of us remember him as an OEC instructor and
Nordic toboggan instructor. Mike was always present at the Trail of History
weekend for which he volunteered at the first aid tent, often staying
overnight. Mike was also on the “Birkie” patrol for many years traveling to
Hayward Wisconsin to patrol the American Birkebeiner Nordic Race each
February. Mike enjoyed the outdoors and had a great appreciation for nature,
an active canoeist he was honored after his passing with a December canoe
paddle down the Des Plaines River with a close group of friends wishing him
farewell. Mike is survived by his wife Frada, his two sons Russell and Eric
and grandchild Caden. He will be greatly missed. Respectfully submitted by
Sue Fishburn
Patrol Representative
Glacial Park Nordic
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Memorial to Villa Olivia Nordic Patroller Bob Faulkner |
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NSP lost one of it’s long term dedicated patrollers, Monday
June 18, 2007, when Bob Faulkner past away. Bob joined the NSP in 1979 as a
Nordic patroller. Bob contributed to the NSP in so many ways. He made
presentations to attract new members, he handled public relations at the Region
level, and he was a member of the Speaker’s Bureau. He was a regular worker at
the Ski Sale and headed up the Nordic Department for many years. He taught OEC
and taught patrollers to be instructors of OEC as well as teaching Instructor
Trainers. He was the mainstay of the nordic basic training for over ten years
and held the Assistant Nordic Advisor position in charge of testing and training
for five years. He was an MTR instructor, and completed many other electives as
well. Bob was a member of several patrols including the Norsk Nordic Patrol,
the Villa Olivia Nordic Patrol, the Cary Ski Jump Patrol, the Glacial Park
Patrol, the Birkie Patrol, the Northern IL Nordic Patrol, and the Joliet Nordic
Patrol. Bob earned numerous awards including National Outstanding Nordic
Patroller twice, and the Primly Outstanding Birkie Service Award and in 1991 Bob
earned National number 7388. |
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My favorite memory of Bob is when he bought his book “Cross
Country Ski in One Day” and instructed my grandson’s scout troop; from which
many of the boys got their Snow Sports Merit Badge.
Al Down
Villa Olivia Nordic - National
Number 4880
I remember the early years when we were "guests" of the
Sawyer County Sheriff. Bob always wanted to have a bed down location in the
'jail'. It was very important to him to say he slept in the jail for the Birkie
weekend.
Howard C. Holz
Viking Nordic Patrol, MN
I was lucky enough to have known and to have worked with
Bob for many years. I can honestly say that there are few people that were, or
are as devoted to ski patrolling as Bob was. To me, Bob was more than just a
fellow patroller, he was a genuine friend. I am really going to miss him.
Norm Janowicz
Indianhead Patrol, MI
Bob Faulkner - He was the best coach, mentor, advisor and
driver for me, as going through the senior OEC, he would NOT let you fail.
Bill Johnson
Villa Olivia Patrol, IL
Bob was a strong example of the commitment it takes to make
a volunteer organization like ours successful.
Julie Timmons
DPRN, Wilmot Patrols
Bob in a nutshell: A solid friend with boundless enthusiasm
for projects large and small.
Don Creelman
Right after Bob had gotten his yellow Porsche, he had come
to my company for a morning press check
and drove his new Porsche so I could see it. We went for lunch, it was cold that
day, but Bob had
the top down. Knowing I was a former gear head, he pushed the car hard to show
me the acceleration
and as we approached a red light (very fast) I looked at him and said, " you
know that light is red", he nonchalantly turned to me and said " I know, I want
to show you also how fast it stops".
Well it did, and we just turned to each other and smiled.
He will be greatly missed.
Mark Johnson
BFCPRINT.com
Bob was a great friend and strong supporter of the Ski
Patrol, especially the Birkie Ski Patrol. He was a great help in organizing,
cajoling and herding in the early days of patrolling the race. His artistic
contributions ranged from good-natured teasing to art on our memorabilia.
I am saddened to learn of his passing. His unique wit, cheerful disposition,
and endless goodwill will not be forgotten.
Toby Markowitz
(Roseville, MN, retired National
Ski Patrol #5770, past Division Nordic Advisor, Birkie Ski Patrol founder,
current XC ski competitor)
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