Vail Daily obituary: John M. Galvin, Sept. 16, 1932, to June 11, 2017
John M. Galvin, 84, died in his sleep, Sunday, June 11, 2017, at home in Mountain Star. He was born Sept. 16, 1932, in Richmond, Indiana. He was a graduate of Indiana University.
Following a brief period in the Air Force, John entered the corporate world, where he would remain until retirement. He held a series of increasingly executive management positions in a number of companies, including Chrysler, American Standard, Aetna and the Irvine Co. His work had him and his family living from coast to coast and in several foreign countries.
John fell in love with the Vail Valley in the early 1970s on numerous ski trips. He purchased a condominium in Vail, skied Beaver Creek its inaugural season and built one of the first homes in Beaver Creek. John was extremely active in the community. A few highlights include Beaver Creek Citizen of the Year, chairman of the Endowment Committee for the Beaver Creek chapel, chairman of the Vilar Performing Arts Center, director emeritus of the Vail Valley Foundation, founder of the Eagle Valley Family Assistance Fund, founder of the Beaver Creek Property Owners Association and a significant contributor to the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens.
John is survived by his loving wife of 64 years, Linda (Baird) of Avon; his son Greg and his wife Betsy (Peterson) and their children Thomas, Kristen and Andrew, of Ithaca, New York; his sister Ann, of Zionsville, Indiana; his daughter-in-law Traci, of Denver; and his brother and sister in law Steve and Karen Baird, of Cordillera. He was predeceased by his son Robert in 2016.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at the Beaver Creek Chapel on June 19, 2017, at 11 a.m., with a reception to follow at the Beaver Creek Club. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Eagle Valley Family Assistance Fund, Bravo! Vail Music Festival, the Beaver Creek Chapel Endowment or the charity of your choice.
