Aspen Highlands VP Dick Merritt Dies at 90

“Nothing brought Dick greater joy than his family and the opportunity to watch his children and grandchildren grow.”

That line from his obituary doesn’t just describe a sentiment; it describes a life’s architecture. Lieutenant Colonel Richard Owen “Dick” Merritt, known affectionately to most of us in the Roaring Fork Valley as “The Colonel,” passed away peacefully on June 11, 2026, at the age of 90. He left us surrounded by the very people who anchored him, but his roots in this valley were deep, woven into the snowpack and the community infrastructure just as firmly as the timber lines on Aspen Highlands.

Born in Seattle in 1935, Dick grew up with his brother Charlie in the shadow of Mount Rainier, a landscape that taught him early on about scale, endurance, and the quiet dignity of the outdoors. He didn’t just admire the mountains; he worked them. He fought forest fires, manned remote lookouts, and climbed peaks alongside Jim Whittaker, the famed mountaineer who would later become the first American to stand atop Everest. It was a childhood forged in cold air and high stakes, a foundation that carried him through a distinguished Marine Corps career spanning more than two decades.

You can feel the weight of that service when you look at his record. He didn’t just serve; he led. He was a Second Lieutenant commissioned in 1957, and by 1966, he was in Vietnam with the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, seeing combat during Operation Hastings. The war changed him, shaping a lifelong reverence for life and a commitment to compassion that he carried back to the civil world. He even earned a Master’s degree in Geography while serving as an instructor at the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center, proving that the mind is just as vital as the muscle in times of conflict.

But it was Aspen that became his second home, and his second calling. He met Patricia there, and they married in 1975, building a life that spanned more than fifty years. They adopted Matthew and Heather while stationed in Taiwan before returning to the valley to raise their family. Dick didn’t just live in the Roaring Fork Valley; he helped build its identity. Following his retirement from the Marines in 1979, he immersed himself in the ski industry, working his way up from ski instructor to Vice President of Aspen Highlands.

If you look closely at the history of Aspen’s ski culture, you’ll find Dick’s fingerprints everywhere. He wasn’t just an executive; he was a patroller, a safety manager, and a mentor. He treasured the camaraderie of the slopes, spending countless days in the mountains he called home. Even in retirement, he continued working with the Aspen Skiing Company and the Roaring Fork Club, where he served as Safety Manager until he was 85. He found a place there, a community that valued his vigilance and his warmth.

Dick was honored as the guest speaker at the 235th United States Marine Corps Birthday Ball, hosted by Battery Q, 5th Battalion, 14th Marines, a fitting tribute to a man who embodied the Corps’ ideals. But for the folks around here, his legacy isn’t just in medals or titles. It’s in the safety protocols on the mountain, the friendships forged on the lift lines, and the quiet pride of a man who served his country and then served his community with equal parts rigor and grace.

The snow will fall on Aspen Highlands again this winter, covering the trails where he once patrolled, but the warmth of his presence remains, embedded in the stone and timber of the valley he loved.