Avon native and SSCV Hall of Fame inductee Mauri Nottingham died peacefully in his sleep early on Wednesday morning, Feb. 28, at his home in Avon. He was 88 years old.
The Nottingham name bears a long and storied history in the Vail Valley. From their time as the early ranch keepers in the area now known as Avon, to their volunteer involvement for various causes and activities in the community, the Nottinghams have made their mark on countless local organizations — and SSCV is no different.
Maurice “Mauri” Nottingham was born in Avon on the Nottingham Ranch in 1930. Nancy and Mauri met at University of Colorado Boulder and were married in 1956. In 1968, they became well known in Vail as owners of the Talisman Lodge, near the International Bridge, where One Willow Place is located now.
Mauri was very active as a gatekeeper and FIS-certified starter for NorAm and World Cup ski races. By the 1989 World Championships, he was lead gatekeeper for the event.
His involvement with SSCV predates the clubhouse. In an era before personal computers, Mauri developed and coded a computerized inventory system — the first of its kind — for the Vail Ski Swap and later developed a bar code and tagging system that helped make the Swap into the smooth-running annual success and fundraiser it is today. He also helped modernize and computerize the club’s timing systems, back when that type of technology was cutting-edge in the world of ski racing.
In addition to his direct contributions to SSCV, Mauri founded We Recycle, the valley’s original recycling program. He has volunteered for the Eagle Valley Community Fund Rummage Sale since the early ’80s, and he volunteered each year for the Eagle River Cleanup and annual highway cleanup.
Along the way, he and Nancy managed to get their three children, Kim, Terrance, Shelley, to the ski club for training. Never one to let the kids have all the fun, Mauri also took part in some gate training himself — no matter the weather — as a steadfast member of the Masters program, which laid the groundwork for today’s Get in the Gates recreational racing program.
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