Walter Kirch
Obituaries
Vail Daily - December 19, 1995
Walter Kirch remembered as a man of generosity, humor
Services are set for Thursday morning
Walter Kirch, 56, an avid skier and longtime Vail resident, died Sunday afternoon from internal chest injuries after hitting a tree on Christmas Run on Vail Mountain.
Autopsy reports revealed Kirch died of internal injuries on his left side, including a lacerated left lung, according to Donna Barnes, Eagle County coroner.
Family and friends will gather for a memorial service at 11:30 a.m. Thursday at the top of Chair 4 on Vail Mountain with Vail Municipal Judge Buck Allen officiating. A reception will follow at the Vail Racquet Club the East Vail complex developed by Kirch in 1972 with his partner, Jay Utter.
A respected and active member of the community, Kirch served for many years on the local water board. Kirch was a bright, soft-spoken man with a quick wit and a generous nature. He was known for his quiet but powerful presence.
"Whatever you asked for, he would get for you," said restaurateur Peter Haller of the Alpenrose, who worked with Kirch for 14 years at the Racquet Club Restaurant. "Walter was a strong business person and was always right on the nose. He was involved in the day-to-day running of his business. His employees all liked him because he was there for them, whether it was a business matter or a personal matter. He had a wonderful dry sense of humor."
Kirch was a mentor to many, including his nephew Fritz Dietrich.
"He was extremely generous and had a heart of gold under a tough veneer," Dietrich said. "He was one of the most intelligent people I've ever met. He really got a kick out of seeing people enjoy themselves and supported people in so many ways. He took many of the young people who came to Vail under his wing, providing them with places to live and helping them find jobs. "He had a wonderful, quiet, subtle, sense of humor," Dietrich added.
Kirch was born Feb 4, 1939, in Des Moines, Iowa, to Dr. Walter and Catherine Kirch. He attended Phillips Exeter Academy and completed undergraduate studies at Stanford University where he was a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity. He earned an MBA from the Harvard School of Business.
Following graduation, he worked in the home development business in the Washington, D.C. area; Greensboro, N.C. and Denver before moving to Vail in the early 1970s.
Kirch loved the mountains and hiked the many trails near his East Vail home with his beloved dogs at his heels. Skiing was a favorite sport and he hit Vail's slopes as often as possible. Nearly every winter he planned a Canadian helicopter trip to tackle the celebrated untracked powder.
He initiated the popular Les Streeter Ski Program several years ago to honor the memory of his good friend who died in a plane crash.
Kirch is survived by his wife, Lee Hollis Kirch, and her children, Marlo Medrano and Anne Hollis; sisters Catherine Dietrich (Edward) of Belleview, Wash., and Elizabeth Seaton (John) of Ladue, Mo; nieces Elizabeth Goldes, Gretchen Patterson, Catherine McCabe, Elizabeth Seaton and Anne Seaton; nephews Edward Dietrich and Frederick Dietrich; golden retrievers Winston and Kirby, and Bear, a black labrador retriever. He was preceded in death by his parents.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Eagle Valley Humane Society, P.O. Box 2587, Vail CO 81658; or to the Les Streeter Program, in care of Rodgers Dockstader, P.O. Box 2889, Vail CO 81658.
Farnham-Holt Mortuary in Glenwood Springs is in charge of arrangements.
