
The Curtis Cleveland Bench is a wooden bench with the following carved in the back of the seat:
"In Loving Memory of Curtis Cleveland 1931-2000"
See http://www.rdbriggs.com/rmm/public_site/snownews/SnowNews-2000Apr.pdf for the story of the Curtis Cleveland memorial service, and it is quoted below.
Curtis Cleveland’s memorial was held at the top of
An Aspen Daily News article of April 3, 2000 has more information on him; it is quoted below.
Longtime local ski instructor Curtis Dale Cleveland died Thursday after doing what he loved most: skiing. He was 68. "His life was skiing," said Cleveland's wife Hattie M. Cleveland. "So it's appropriate he collapsed while he was skiing."
Cleveland, of Missouri Heights, collapsed Thursday while skiing on Aspen Mountain. He passed away later that evening.
Hattie met Cleveland when she took a ski lesson from him on a vacation in Aspen. They fell in love and were married six years ago. Cleveland was a longtime employee of the Aspen Skiing Co. He worked for SkiCo from 1969 to 1996. Beginning at Snowmass, Cleveland was a ski instructor until his retirement. He also did computer consulting for SkiCo.
"He was totally devoted to training and teaching and loved to race. He had a true passion for the mountains and the sport of skiing," wrote Lynn Phillips, Aspen Mountain Ski School reservationist, in a prepared statement. "Everyone who knew him loved him. He will be missed by us all," Phillips said.
Cleveland was also a builder who designed log homes and a runner and racer in the Masters program.
He received his secondary education from Williston Academy in Northampton, Mass., graduated from Tufts College in 1951 and later received a master's degree in education from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Before moving to Aspen, Cleveland was an air traffic controller in Germany during the Berlin Airlift. He worked for the U.S. Airforce between 1952 and 1957. Other jobs included the Assistant Head Master position at Stowe Preparatory School in Stowe, Vt. from 1959 to 1960. Cleveland also was the principal of Chelsea High School in Chelsea, Vt. He was both principal and a teacher at the Beaman Academy in Vermont. He taught at the Williston Academy in Northampton, Mass.
Cleveland was born on April 18, 1931, the adopted son of Ewin C. Cleveland and Lillian M. Barnes. Both are now deceased.
Cleveland is survived by wife Hattie M. Cleveland; children David Cleveland of Missouri Heights, Mary Jayne Anderson of Basalt and Edwin "Chip" Cleveland of Dunnellon, Fla.; grandchildren Spencer Cleveland and Marshall Cleveland; daughter-in-law Julie Cleveland. A memorial service will be held Wednesday, April 5, at 3:30 p.m. on the deck of the Sundeck. SkiCo will provide lift tickets to anyone who needs them for the service. A reception following the service will be held at the Wienerstube Restaurant. Everyone is encouraged to bring a dish of food. Donations may be made to the Aspen Valley Ski Club for the Curtis Cleveland Memorial Fund at P.O. Box C-3, Aspen, CO., 81612. Friends of Cleveland would like to place a memorial bench on Aspen Mountain. Any donations may be sent to longtime friend Judi Francis at 201 Heather Lane, Aspen, Colorado 81611. Francis may be reached at 925-1055.
The Curtis Cleveland bench is located near the top of the Silver Queen Gondola on Aspen Mountain. Photos of it are below.
This item is part of a Facebook photo album that covers various signs and plaques on Aspen Mountain (you do not need to have a Facebook account in order to view the album): https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.451981024873867.101778.100001859201674&type=1&l=9577c13e9e
If you have any photos of or information about this item that you would like to share for use on this page, please send to the author at [email protected].
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