George held a special place in the history of Vail Mountain and in the Vail community. Inducted into the Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame in 2005, he became an enduring part of the story we tell at the Museum through his contributions to Vail and his deep connection to the community.

For many years, George was a frequent visitor to the Colorado Snowsports Museum. It was always a pleasure to see him walk through our doors. He loved talking with guests, sharing his stories, and remembering the early days of Vail. His humor, memories, and firsthand perspective brought Vail’s history to life in a way that only someone who had lived it could.

“George was one of the people who helped shape the character and spirit of Vail, and his passing will be deeply felt by so many in this community,” says Colorado Snowsports Museum Executive Director Jen Mason.

“We are grateful that George’s stories, contributions, and place in Vail’s history will continue to live on through the Colorado Snowsports Museum and Hall of Fame.”

George Gillett, Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame Class of 2005

George Gillett’s influence on Vail and Colorado skiing was profound. When he purchased Vail and Beaver Creek Resorts in 1985, he ushered in a new era for the Colorado ski industry. Encouraged by his family to invest, George brought to Vail a deep belief in the importance of family, hospitality, and creating memorable experiences for guests. Through his leadership and love of skiing, he introduced thousands of people to the freedom and joy of Colorado’s mountains.

With a keen business sense and a strong focus on the guest experience, George helped redefine what a world-class ski resort could be. Early mentors Pete Seibert and Sarge Brown took him under their wings and helped him learn the ski business. George, in turn, remained remarkably connected to the mountain and the people who visited it. He was as likely to be found riding chairlifts and talking with guests as he was to be found sitting in a boardroom. He wanted to experience Vail firsthand and understand what guests wanted and what would make the resort better.

That hands-on approach left a lasting impression on those around him.

“George was passionate. He was a community man. He loved the culture of skiing, the employees who worked for him, and he knew many of their names,” recalls Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame member and Vail filmmaker Chris Anthony. “Vail was not small, but he made it his backyard to share.”

Under George’s leadership, Vail underwent significant transformation. He oversaw the installation of high-speed detachable chairlifts and expanded the resort’s network of groomed terrain, helping Vail grow into one of America’s premier ski destinations. He also introduced a centralized reservations system that helped families arrange lodging, lift tickets, and airfare through a single, customer-friendly service, a reflection of his belief that every part of the guest experience mattered.

George also recognized the importance of bringing the world to Vail through international ski competition. At a time when many American ski areas were reluctant to host major international races, he supported Vail’s pursuit of the 1989 World Alpine Ski Championships. The event brought worldwide attention to Vail and demonstrated that Colorado could successfully host one of the sport’s most significant competitions. It also helped introduce Vail to a new generation of European skiers and established the resort as an international destination.

A decade later, George again helped bring the world’s best alpine racers to Vail for the 1999 Alpine Ski Championships. With Vail hosting the championships for a second time, it became the only ski area in North America at the time to have hosted the event twice.

For Chris, the significance of those years extended far beyond the competitions themselves.

“Gillett amplified the North American ski industry, and he did it out of pure love,” Chris says. “That love made Vail the place to be.”

George’s influence also reached individual lives in ways that were often much more personal.

Chris’s connection with George began when he was still in high school. George would come through Chris’ mother’s checkout line at City Market and regularly ask about Chris’ progress as a competitive skier and what his plans were for the future. Eventually, George asked Chris to meet him. Chris prepared a business plan as a student project, and while the plan never came to fruition, George brought him into the company to ski with VIP guests visiting Vail.

“It was a very prestigious list of people,” Chris remembers. “Those were the magical days of an on-site, owner-operated ski area.”

Chris remembers a leader who made people feel that their work mattered. He recalls George dressing as Santa on Christmas Day, accompanied by the tallest and shortest ski instructors dressed as elves, and skiing around the mountain to personally thank employees and hand out money.

“He was a man you wanted to perform your best for,” Chris says. “He made you feel that your role, no matter what it was, was very important.”

That ability to make people feel seen and valued was also central to George’s relationships with other community leaders.

Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame member Ceil Folz remembers George as a singular presence in Vail.

“Yesterday Erik Borgen texted me, ‘We lost George today.’ George, in Vail, that could only mean G2,” Ceil recalls. “He was the original 1 of 1.”

“He exuded the rugged individualism that helped create America. Everything was possible. EVERY person who ever met him walked away with at least one great story.”

Ceil has plenty of those stories herself. Among her favorites is a lunch she shared with George in his Potato Patch office. When she arrived, George was on the phone. He motioned for her to sit down and said, “I’m buying a soccer team, just a second.”

While Ceil ate her sandwich, George completed the deal to purchase Liverpool FC and then called August Busch to secure Budweiser as a sponsor. About 20 minutes later, he turned his attention to the program Ceil was working on for the Vail Valley Foundation.

That story captures something fundamental about George: his ability to think big, move quickly, and make seemingly impossible ideas feel entirely possible.

George also played an important role in Ceil’s own career. He called to persuade her to take the position of president of the Vail Valley Foundation, a decision that would lead to 15 years in the role. Years later, George continued to offer his advice when Ceil launched her own company.

“He had nicknames for everyone,” Ceil remembers. “Mine was Ceily ga deely.”

George’s influence extended well beyond Vail. In 1999, SKI magazine named him one of the “100 Most Influential Skiers of All Time,” recognizing his lasting impact on the sport and the ski industry. When he was inducted into the Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame in 2005, he remained active in the industry as chairman and CEO of Booth Creek Ski Holdings, which managed six resorts across North America.

Yet for those who knew him, George’s legacy was never simply about the resorts he owned, the businesses he built, or the major events he brought to Vail. It was about the people, the culture, and the sense of possibility he created around him.

George continued to support Chris Anthony throughout his filmmaking career, attending Chris’ film screenings and taking the time to talk with him afterward.

“That he would take the time, make the trek, and then talk to me about it meant so much,” Chris says. “We had some wonderful conversations. He inspired me.”

For Ceil, the opportunity to know George and benefit from his vision was equally meaningful.

“What an absolute honor to know him, to have been the beneficiary of his advice and vision, to live in a community that he loved so much.”

Throughout his career, George brought together business acumen, innovation, a genuine love of skiing, and an abiding interest in the people who came to the mountains. His legacy can be seen in the evolution of Vail as a world-renowned ski destination, in the growth of the North American ski industry, and in the countless people whose lives he touched along the way.

“It is amazing how the tip of the spear can literally set the momentum and culture for an entire community,” Ceil says. “That was Mr. George Gillett to me.”

Chris still finds himself thinking about those years and asking a simple question:

“Do you remember when George owned Vail—how amazing everything was?”

For a man who helped shape Vail’s history, perhaps there is no more fitting legacy than that: a community filled with stories, memories, and people who still remember the difference George Gillett made.

The Colorado Snowsports Museum and Hall of Fame is honored to preserve those stories and to remember George Gillett, not only for what he accomplished, but for the people he inspired, the community he loved, and the spirit of possibility he brought to Vail.

George Gillett leaves behind a lasting mark on Vail, Colorado skiing, and the broader ski industry. His story is now part of the history of Colorado snow sports, and we are grateful to continue telling it. Our thoughts go out to his family, the entire Vail community, and beyond.

Learn more about the life of George Gillett via his obituary and through the Vail Daily.

Special thanks to Jen Mason, Chris Anthony, and Ceil Folz for sharing their connection and memories with George.