Tom Branch (1930-2025)
It is with a heavy heart that the Colorado Snowsports Museum and Hall of Fame announces the passing of Hall of Fame Class of 1996 member Tom Branch. Tom passed away peacefully on Friday, March 21, 2025, after a long illness. He was 94 years old. A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, August 23. Our thoughts go out to Katie, Steve, Karen, Izaak, and the entire Branch family, the Volunteer Ski Patrol, and all Tom’s family, friends, and students.
At the core of our mission as an institution, we are dedicated to preserving and sharing the legacy and stories of our Hall of Fame members. The following details Tom’s impact on the snow sports industry in Colorado.
Tom Branch – Class of 1996 – Inspiration
Tom grew up as a flatlander in Omaha, Nebraska, and got his first taste of skiing while attending the University of Denver, majoring in business, and skiing on the University of Denver Ski Team. According to Tom, however, "I could only turn in one direction, so I had to stop at every other gate." He met his wife, Katie, in a singles line at Loveland Ski Area, and for a while, he sold chair lifts.
In 1959, Tom became Director of the Eskimo Ski Club. The Eskimo program has introduced more children to skiing than any other program in Colorado and probably more than any other in the country. They average 800 to 1,000 children every year, and estimate over 50,000 youngsters have gotten their start with the program. They used the Winter Park ski train for many years, transporting the group every Saturday to the area.
Tom managed one hundred volunteer instructors, utilizing about fifty every weekend. As Director, he assigned the kids to groups, oversaw their progress, and followed up on their needs, as well as overseeing the racing program and the summer activities of the group. According to co-workers, when a problem arose, Tom was always the first one to be there to help.
Tom feels his greatest success was "...being at least partly responsible for recruiting, training, and motivating the Eskimo instructors; and moving them from just teaching for free, to excitement about sharing their skills and love of the sport with the children; always recognizing that this should be done while having fun. It's hard to say who benefited the most from the Eskimo Club experience - the children, who through the progress they made in the sport developed a sense of independence, a love of the outdoors, and increased self-esteem; or the instructors who had the raw pleasure of observing this multi-faceted progress knowing they had a hand in providing the tools for some of the 'breakthroughs'."
Tracy, with the Volunteer Ski Patrol at Winter Park, put together this message to be shared in honor of Tom.
Katie, Steve, Karen, Izaak Branch and their family have suffered a loss.
Steve’s father, Tom, passed away peacefully Friday, March 21st, after a long illness. He was 94 years old.
Tom Branch was a member of the University of Denver Ski Team in college. He went on to teach skiing for the Eskimo Ski Club at Winter Park for 60 years. Tom became the Director of the Eskimos Ski Club in 1959. He was inducted into the Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame in 1996. Steve’s mother, Katie, also taught skiing for the Eskimos, as did Steve, Karen, and Izaak.
The Winter Park Volunteer Ski Patrol has a long history with the Branch family:
Steve’s brothers and sister, Duncan, Kirk, and Betsy, were all Junior Patrollers. Steve joined us on the Senior Patrol when Izaak joined the Junior Patrol in the 2009/10 ski season. Karen joined us in the 2014/15 season.
Tom and Katie Branch attended our Winter Park Ski Patrol Reunion in 2014.
Here is a photo of Tom teaching an Eskimo class on Norwegian.
About the Colorado Snowsports Museum and Hall of Fame:
Founded in 1975 and located in Vail, Colorado, our mission is to celebrate Colorado snow sports by telling stories that educate and inspire others to seek adventure. The priceless artifacts we collect and display tell the story of the birth, rise and explosion of skiing and snowboarding in Colorado. The Museum features displays including Climb to Glory about the 10th Mountain Division, Vail’s DNA, The Colorado Snowboard Archive, and The Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame, among many others. Learn more and consider supporting the Museum by becoming a member: www.snowsportsmuseum.org.
Media Contacts:
Colorado Snowsports Museum:
Jen Mason | Dana Mathios
jen@snowsportsmuseum.org | dana@snowsportsmuseum.org
(970) 476-1876