Rob C. Mahan
Burial Details
Obituaries
Vail Daily page A4 - February 4, 2012
POPULAR SKI INSTRUCTOR LOSES BATTLE WITH CANCER. ROB C. MAHAN, 42, WILL BE REMEMBERED AS AN ENTHUSIASTIC FRIEND, by Geoff Mintz.
Friends said the Vail and Beaver Creek communities lost a tremendous skier and an even greater individual in Rob C. MAHAN, who succumbed to a three-year battle with cancer near his home in Kentucky on Friday.
MAHAN, 42, passed in his sleep with his mother and father at his bedside. He leaves behind his parents, two brothers, a sister and a large network of friends and extended family. The Southern gentleman will always be remembered as a passionate skier and educator, friends said, whose fervor for mountain life was infectious.
A native of Ashland, Ky., MAHAN worked for the Beaver Creek Ski & Snowboard School for six years as the adult group lesson supervisor and training manager. He also served as training manager in Vail for one season.
"He always had a smile on his face. He was positive and cheerful. I just remember always having a good time with him," said Kevin ROOP, MAHAN's coworker and friend. "Not only did he love skiing, but he loved teaching skiing. If you really love a sport, then you want to share it with others. And that's how Rob was."
One of the people with whom MAHAN shared the sport was Vice President Joe BIDEN, who was lucky enough to get a private lesson from the talented instructor a couple of years ago in Beaver Creek. Story has it, upon concluding their final day on the hill, the vice president said to MAHAN, "We need more guys like you in Washington."
"He was a gentleman, a passionate skier and a scholar of the sport," Roop said. "I'm sorry to see him go, but he lived life to the fullest, all the way to his final moments. He was a Southern gentleman and a great skier. I wouldn't tell him that too often, but that's what he was."
MAHAN's pursuits brought him overseas as a member of the Beaver Creek Demo Team. He was also an active powder 8 competitor and local town series racer. AJ JONES, one of MAHAN's partners in competition, will remember his passion for skiing and his eagerness to share the sport with others.
"With all the goofiness and good times of competing overseas, it was a huge bonding and teamwork experience," Jones said. "If things weren't working out (in competition) and you had to make a change, you would rely on each other's friendship. He was always a top-notch guy and would look at the positives with everyone."
Ultimately, in addition to his accomplishments in the world of skiing, MAHAN will most likely be remembered for his contagious smile and enthusiasm for life.
"He left an indelible mark on so many people in the ski industry," said Stacey GERRISH, MAHAN's colleague and friend. "He never let a moment slip by. He did everything with a lot of energy. He was always happy, always smiling. Even in his pain and dealing with what he was dealing with, he was always able to put a smile on someone else's face."
A graveside service has been planned at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday in Ashland, Ky. A local gathering of his extended Colorado friends and family will be announced at a later date.
