Obituary for Jack Allen Brendlinger
Jack Allen Brendlinger. Feb 9, 1933- Feb 13, 2022
Is it possible for a man to live 89 years on this planet and have made only friends and no enemies? Jack Allen Brendlinger left this realm having accomplished that feat on February 13th, 2022. The hoot of an owl embraced his spiritual transfer and watched over the gathering of his loved ones to mourn and to embrace his passing.
He was a pioneer at heart, he possessed a creative intellect that gave him the confidence to follow his passions and silence the doubt and complacency screaming all around him. After a childhood in Denver, where he attended East High as a varsity wrestler and springboard diver, he stuck close to home and became a Buff and an infamous Kappa Sig at the University of Colorado in Boulder.
At the forefront of the beatnik generation in 1956-57, he and his Kappa Sigma Little Brother, Robert Redford, spent his post graduate time travelling Europe on a shoestring budget as starving artists and ski bums. He learned a lot, honed his artistic skills and his turns and came home broke, but rich with experience.
That travel experience led him and Robert on their next adventure, a stint in Malibu California to check out the beach bum life.
They met two nice Mormon girls from Provo Utah, and after a still shrouded in mystery apparent date swap, he ended up with Marsha Ann Bray. He proceeded to marry her and settle into a life of work and to begin to raise a family in his hometown of Denver, Colorado. Jack worked at Martin Rocket in Denver and Marsha became a schoolteacher and they began their family life.
Jack was a skier, first and foremost, and deep down he knew the mountains were to become his true calling, so he and Marsha and their two young boys followed this passion to the nascent ski town of Aspen. They embarked on a 58 -year Roaring Fork Valley adventure by building The Apple Jack Inn in downtown Aspen in 1964. The only hotel with an indoor pool, a daily apple in every room and Little Cliff’s Bakery hot cinnamon buns delivered every morning. Jack and Marsha also opened up the first fondue restaurant in the brand-new ski area called Snowmass and called it The Tower in 1968. The next ten years provided them with a growing business and amazing lifelong friendships that they easily developed with their returning guests.
The small town of Aspen had true off seasons during those years and those trying to survive the mud season kept themselves entertained through lavish and sometimes, well...most of the time, illegal practical jokes. The family coerced him into writing down these legendary stories and you can get a good laugh by reading his book that chronicles those mischievous years. It is called “Don’t Get Mad, Get Even, Aspen’s Practical Joke Years”.
Aspen was growing and Jack’s creative energy could not be contained within the walls of one form of hospitality. He became the Marketing Director for the Aspen Skiing Corporation between the years of 1976-1986. His team was credited with the creation of the Snow Host (todays Mountain Ambassador program) and the return of the World Cup and the international acclaim bestowed upon the steeps of Aspen Mountain which became famously known as “Americas Downhill”.
His creative juices were still not satisfied and he once again dropped everything and changed careers to learn something new. The next 16 years were spent as the President of New Visions, a distribution company for Freewheeling Films, a local film production company garnering work all over the United States making documentaries and promotional films. They produced an acclaimed Native American documentary called “Sacred Ground” and groundbreaking promotional ski industry movies such as “The Beginning of a Love Affair”. Jack realized one of his creative dreams by selling, producing and directing an award winning golf special called “Golf...A Perfect Passion”.
His creativity and artistic ways manifested themselves through his work but also through his volunteer service to the community. He was a football coach, a director of numerous Aspen High School plays, and an active member of Mountain Rescue. Jack was the President of the Aspen Ski Club (from 1969 to 1971) where he started the Buster Brown local racing series, to provide all kids an in-town opportunity to ski race.
Jack was a lifelong member of the Aspen Rotary Club where he started the Ducky Derby and then the Carbondale Rotary Club when he moved downvalley, and started the Running of the Balls event. He was a founding board member of Aspen Junior Golf, and introduced his passion for that sport to innumerous youngsters. Jack was an unsung hero and supporter of international diplomacy, a by product from he and Marsha’s willingness to open their house to seven exchange students from seven different countries around the world during this time.
His happy place was in his art studio on West Buttermilk road, and latter in his life in his studio in Carbondale, where he became adept at many forms or art and art mediums. He mastered many, but his ability to turn wax into bronze sculptures of skiers, surfers, rock climbers, kayakers and windsurfers were a true display of his vision and gift.
With this mastery, he shared another life lesson to those paying attention, and at age 87 he started fresh again, and learned an entirely new form of painting that he had never tried, producing a painting almost every day, and continuing, with great success, to fill the walls around him with his creativity and to actualize his lifelong quest to just keep on learning.
He accomplished all of these things with humility and a true internal interest in others. There was no need for him to paint enemies on his final canvas, just the color and joy of an exceptional life filled with friends and family.
The owl surveyed the scene, all was well, so he swooped out of the tree and flew down the river because his wisdom had already been shared.
Jack is survived by the love of his life, Marsha Ann Brendlinger, and their four children and spouses; Kurt Brendlinger, Eric & Patty Brendlinger, Dina Farnell, and Kira and Tommy Kearsey. Jack was blessed with 6 grandchildren, Remi Stern, Chloe Brendlinger, Camden and Macie Brendlinger, Jack and Addie Kearsey, with one great grand-child on the way. In lieu of flowers, Jack wanted you to consider a donation to his favorite organizations which include The Rotary Club of Carbondale, The Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club and Aspen Junior Golf. It was Jack’s wish to have a celebration of life to be held on the family’s property in Carbondale this summer.
Is it possible for a man to live 89 years on this planet and have made only friends and no enemies? Jack Allen Brendlinger left this realm having accomplished that feat on February 13th, 2022. The hoot of an owl embraced his spiritual transfer and watched over the gathering of his loved ones to mourn and to embrace his passing.
He was a pioneer at heart, he possessed a creative intellect that gave him the confidence to follow his passions and silence the doubt and complacency screaming all around him. After a childhood in Denver, where he attended East High as a varsity wrestler and springboard diver, he stuck close to home and became a Buff and an infamous Kappa Sig at the University of Colorado in Boulder.
At the forefront of the beatnik generation in 1956-57, he and his Kappa Sigma Little Brother, Robert Redford, spent his post graduate time travelling Europe on a shoestring budget as starving artists and ski bums. He learned a lot, honed his artistic skills and his turns and came home broke, but rich with experience.
That travel experience led him and Robert on their next adventure, a stint in Malibu California to check out the beach bum life.
They met two nice Mormon girls from Provo Utah, and after a still shrouded in mystery apparent date swap, he ended up with Marsha Ann Bray. He proceeded to marry her and settle into a life of work and to begin to raise a family in his hometown of Denver, Colorado. Jack worked at Martin Rocket in Denver and Marsha became a schoolteacher and they began their family life.
Jack was a skier, first and foremost, and deep down he knew the mountains were to become his true calling, so he and Marsha and their two young boys followed this passion to the nascent ski town of Aspen. They embarked on a 58 -year Roaring Fork Valley adventure by building The Apple Jack Inn in downtown Aspen in 1964. The only hotel with an indoor pool, a daily apple in every room and Little Cliff’s Bakery hot cinnamon buns delivered every morning. Jack and Marsha also opened up the first fondue restaurant in the brand-new ski area called Snowmass and called it The Tower in 1968. The next ten years provided them with a growing business and amazing lifelong friendships that they easily developed with their returning guests.
The small town of Aspen had true off seasons during those years and those trying to survive the mud season kept themselves entertained through lavish and sometimes, well...most of the time, illegal practical jokes. The family coerced him into writing down these legendary stories and you can get a good laugh by reading his book that chronicles those mischievous years. It is called “Don’t Get Mad, Get Even, Aspen’s Practical Joke Years”.
Aspen was growing and Jack’s creative energy could not be contained within the walls of one form of hospitality. He became the Marketing Director for the Aspen Skiing Corporation between the years of 1976-1986. His team was credited with the creation of the Snow Host (todays Mountain Ambassador program) and the return of the World Cup and the international acclaim bestowed upon the steeps of Aspen Mountain which became famously known as “Americas Downhill”.
His creative juices were still not satisfied and he once again dropped everything and changed careers to learn something new. The next 16 years were spent as the President of New Visions, a distribution company for Freewheeling Films, a local film production company garnering work all over the United States making documentaries and promotional films. They produced an acclaimed Native American documentary called “Sacred Ground” and groundbreaking promotional ski industry movies such as “The Beginning of a Love Affair”. Jack realized one of his creative dreams by selling, producing and directing an award winning golf special called “Golf...A Perfect Passion”.
His creativity and artistic ways manifested themselves through his work but also through his volunteer service to the community. He was a football coach, a director of numerous Aspen High School plays, and an active member of Mountain Rescue. Jack was the President of the Aspen Ski Club (from 1969 to 1971) where he started the Buster Brown local racing series, to provide all kids an in-town opportunity to ski race.
Jack was a lifelong member of the Aspen Rotary Club where he started the Ducky Derby and then the Carbondale Rotary Club when he moved downvalley, and started the Running of the Balls event. He was a founding board member of Aspen Junior Golf, and introduced his passion for that sport to innumerous youngsters. Jack was an unsung hero and supporter of international diplomacy, a by product from he and Marsha’s willingness to open their house to seven exchange students from seven different countries around the world during this time.
His happy place was in his art studio on West Buttermilk road, and latter in his life in his studio in Carbondale, where he became adept at many forms or art and art mediums. He mastered many, but his ability to turn wax into bronze sculptures of skiers, surfers, rock climbers, kayakers and windsurfers were a true display of his vision and gift.
With this mastery, he shared another life lesson to those paying attention, and at age 87 he started fresh again, and learned an entirely new form of painting that he had never tried, producing a painting almost every day, and continuing, with great success, to fill the walls around him with his creativity and to actualize his lifelong quest to just keep on learning.
He accomplished all of these things with humility and a true internal interest in others. There was no need for him to paint enemies on his final canvas, just the color and joy of an exceptional life filled with friends and family.
The owl surveyed the scene, all was well, so he swooped out of the tree and flew down the river because his wisdom had already been shared.
Jack is survived by the love of his life, Marsha Ann Brendlinger, and their four children and spouses; Kurt Brendlinger, Eric & Patty Brendlinger, Dina Farnell, and Kira and Tommy Kearsey. Jack was blessed with 6 grandchildren, Remi Stern, Chloe Brendlinger, Camden and Macie Brendlinger, Jack and Addie Kearsey, with one great grand-child on the way. In lieu of flowers, Jack wanted you to consider a donation to his favorite organizations which include The Rotary Club of Carbondale, The Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club and Aspen Junior Golf. It was Jack’s wish to have a celebration of life to be held on the family’s property in Carbondale this summer.