Orville Slutsky - Memorial

Amazing day yesterday..
The whole Slutsky family was back in town! Great to see a couple that have drifted to other states lately..

Colonels Hall was PACKED for the service. The local Rabbi from Hunter lead the service with heart felt memories of an amazing life.
Russ Colton(Pres Hunter) and members of the family spoke with their personal remembrances. People torn between crying and smiling.. Everyone that spoke - talked of loving the winter playground that Orville created for them. The close family ties... the work ethic and the love of family that this man was consumed with. Other touched on how great it is to have a family business and OS apparently never really took any offers to buy Hunter seriously because it was the family business and keeping his family business was paramount to him. The history of my town unfolded in gorgeous sentiment...

After the service the Orvilles coffin was taken to the local cemetery where his family rests.
We didn't go - but many of us gathered across the street a McGregory Pub for bloody marys... Where the original owner Michael - was there just like old times.. In fact that was a cool thing about the day - so many people that i haven't seen in awhile..

After the cemetery a reception was held at the Copper Tree Restaurant where we all chatted about our memories of a great man.. There were also conversations about how much of a pain in the ass he could be at times. Which is true - because he had a vision that he stuck to.. But if you plead your case - he would listen..

Orville did some amazing things..
He created a ski area where there was none... Where everyone said he could not...

He has an amazing family that he created and kept together..
He was instrumental in creating the Village Of Hunter... He wanted it to succeed.. He was a lifelong member of the Fire Dept.. He sponsored charities to better our community.. He gave out loans and mortgages to people with only a handshake. Many of those people have paid the $ back and are important part of our community.. A friend of mine owns his house thanks to Orville..
He also protected our town when NYS was talking about putting a prison in Hunter back in the day... Having it out with Mario Cuomo on the phone and taking no shti...

One of the most important things he did for the community was establish a local doctor in town..
Having Doc Rob in town is a game changer for our community.. And we owe it all to Orville..

What i took out of it was he created the fabric of our town...
Most of us that are now lifelong friends wouldn't know each other without what he did...
My life would be VASTLY different if i never moved here to join this community..

Thanks O.S.!!!
God bless!!

Nice job DMC. OS sounds like quite the character. I know that Al and Gale Kryger (former owners of GP) went to the services as well.

I bet... He was well loved...

I saw vans from other ski areas in the parking lot..  

I have memories of him busing tables in the lodge , you would never had guessed that he was the owner..

yeah..  He stopped doing that around 90 years old...  
 
But he was a "I wouldn't ask someone to do a job that I wouldn't do myself"  kind of guy...
 

JasonWx wrote

I have memories of him busing tables in the lodge , you would never had guessed that he was the owner..

Old school

dmc_hunter wrote

Amazing day yesterday...

Nice dmc. Thanks for the update.

Did either brother ski?

Orville would ski one or 2 days a year...  Always when national Ski Writers day when the trade magazine people came up.   From what I hear - he wasn't all that good and snowplowed a lot.. haha..

Izzy on the other hand.. Before he got old - would catch first chair - every day - and skied a run or two even when he was really old..  After he stopped skiing he'd be seen taking the chairs around the hill in his blue one piece..    We'd always do "Izzy Checks" and look up the chairs when we were riding the Z...  Cause if caught you doing something - not so kosher as he was coming down on a chair- he'd write the number down and have you busted at the top...  haha..

Does anyone know what will happen to the ownership at Hunter.  Will it stay in the family or will the mountain be sold.  I hope that it stays in the family.  I unfortunately never got to meet him because I only started skiing at Hunter on a weekly basis last year.  He has built a great ski area that has been very successful.  The story of Hunter Mountain is one of my favorites to tell.

To hear the family talk - it's staying in the family because that's what Orville wanted...  And certain members of the family really enjoy working there in the business..

But JUST last night someone floated a rumor that it's getting sold..  

Not sure what to believe..

So the NYT finally gives him his due:


http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/02/nyregion/orville-slutzky-an-owner-of-hunter-mountain-ski-resort-dies-at-96.html?ref=obituaries