In Memory

Norman Gray

Norman Gray

Deceased Classmate: Norman Gray
Date Of Birth: June-8-1948
Date Deceased: Jan-22-2002
Age at Death: 53
Cause of Death: Single seated glider plane crash
Classmate City: Aldasoro
Classmate State: CO
Classmate Country: USA
Was a Veteran: No
Survived By: JoAnn Shernoff, life mate, his mother Trudy Gray, and brother Alan Gray of Kent

A longtime Telluride ski patroller was killed on Monday, January 22, 2002 in a single glider plane crash in New Zealand. He was 53. Norm Gray was piloting a single seated glider as one of a group of four that include local residents and fellow patrollers from Telluride. He crashed into a mountainside on a cross country trip above the Southern Alps of New Zealand. The accident happened on a light-wind day. "It was an issue of losing lift, what they call a soft lift day. He just got nose heavy and stalled," said Marty Campbell a friend. Norm Gray was described by his friends as an all-around athlete, and was known as a meticulous pilot who had trained and studied for many years culminating in numerous expert-level flights. "His accident could have happened to any pilot at any time," said Marty Campbell. A venerable figure on the Telluride slopes, Norman began his long career for the ski area in 1972, the same year that he moved to Telluride from Seattle. He worked for Telluride Ski & Golf Company

 



 
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08/06/16 11:05 AM #1    

Gary Hall

Before moving to Telluride in 1972, Norm was also manager for White Pass Village Inn for 2 years. Norman started working in Telluride, and was promoted the following year to a patrolman, and then was promoted to Ski Patrol Director soon afterwards. Several years before he was killed, he had retired, but remained active in the community, volunteering his time for the Telluride Adaptive Ski Program and the Placerville Fire Department. Norm was a board-member with the Fire Protection District for 8 years and a volunteer for the Placerville Fire Department for 15 years. Friends of norman say he leaves an idyllic life, filled with love, adventure and athletics. Norman is described as one of those people to whom all things come easy. "He was one of the most talented people I ever met, in anything he did." He loved the mountains, he loved the community. Norm was a good man, with a great heart. He is greatly missed.


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