Skip Kinsley Memorial Service
Fred ‘Skip’ Kinsley, Jr
October 2, 1934 – August 2, 2025
Fred Ward “Skip” Kinsley, Jr. passed away on August 2, 2025, at the age of 90, leaving behind a legacy of adventure, integrity, deep friendships, and unforgettable stories.
Born on October 2, 1934, in Glendale, CA, to Fred Kinsley, Sr., and Lousie (nee Moniot), Skip earned his nickname early in life—literally skipping through his father’s shop, where the employees dubbed him “Skip.” It stuck. And generations of family and friends are grateful it did.
Skip lived more fully than most people dare to dream. A passionate outdoorsman, he loved bird hunting with family and friends throughout the western United States and Canada, fishing the wild rivers of Colorado, Montana, Alaska and Scotland, and exploring the remote beauty of Chile. He climbed Mount Rainier with the legendary Whitaker brothers and skied for more than 75 years. He discovered his love for skiing at an early age, taught by his uncle Eddie Moniot.
Skiing become such a part of his life that, after graduation form Herbert Hoover High School, he joined the ski team at the University of Colorado in 1952. He studied geology and skiing at CU. He joined the Kappa Sigma fraternity where lifelong friendships were created.
After a short career as a geologist he created the Skimeister Ski Shop in Stockton, CA, in 1964. Through the shop began Skip’s Junior Ski Program. Over the years more than 3,000 kids learned to ski through the program. Later in life Skip, now in his 60’s, became a world champion powder skier—two years in a row—and moved through deep snow with such grace that he earned the nickname “Thunder Thighs.”
Not only a trained geologist and entrepreneur, Skip was also a phenomenal cook, a skilled teacher of fly fishermen, and the builder of what many consider a lasting fly-fishing legacy. His generosity in sharing knowledge and passion made him a mentor to many. And through it all, he earned the most valuable wealth of all: a vast circle of enduring friendships. He was, unofficially and joyfully, the “Social Chairman” everywhere he went.
Skip lived by the values of integrity, honesty, and trust—even, as he would say with a laugh, “to a fault.”
He is survived by his beloved wife of 59 years, Sandi; his children, Steve (Allison), Lisa (Patrick), and Kiki (Derek); and his grandchildren, Paige, Will (Megan), and Reiner.
He leaves behind not just a family, but a community—a legacy not measured in titles or trophies, but in the warmth of campfires, the laughter of fishing lodges, the quiet of mountain mornings, and the stories that will be told for generations.
Godspeed, Skip. May the powder be deep, the rivers clear, and the company as good as you always made it.
Service is scheduled for Saturday, August 16, at 1:00pm at the Vail Interfaith Chapel, Vail, Colorado. Celebratory reception to follow the service at the chapel. 19 Vail Road, Vail, CO 81657
In lieu of flowers please make a donation in Skip’s name to either the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration, PO Box 1000, Vail, CO 81657, or Shaw At Home, PO Box 2559, Edwards, CO, 81632.
Service to be held at the Vail Interfaith Chapel and followed by a reception downstairs immediately following the service.