CAMDEN — Maine, and especially the folks who love the mountains, were saddened to hear that John Christie, a Washington resident, outdoor enthusiast, and longtime supporter of the Camden Snow Bowl, died Saturday, May 7, while doing what he loved: spending time at the Camden Hills State Park.

The call came in at approximately 10:50 a.m. at the Camden Hills State Park gatehouse and attempts were made by Camden police to revive him, but to no avail. He died of natural causes.

Always smiling, John Christie was a steady and positive presence on the trails at the Camden Snow Bowl. He loved to tackle the slopes with style. A beautiful skier, he spoke often about the magic of skiing in Maine, and in particular, on Ragged Mountain. The last time skiers caught a glimpse of him this past winter, he was sailing with pure joy down the hill, on his new skis.

Not only a ski and mountain climbing enthusiast, he was an award winning ski writer, and strong supporter of Maine journalism. He often talked about stories, publications, and close friends in the Maine press. If you were lucky enough to ride up the chairlift with him, the stories were nonstop, and Maine ski lore ran deep in his veins.

John also served on the Ragged Mountain Redevelopment Committee, and together with committee members, earned distinction by the Camden Select Board for accomplishing their assignment that involved planning, design, community education and money.

In 2014, when the mountain was undergoing its terrain overhaul, John said: "There is no better example in the country of how you can make something work for the benefit of the community, and the kids, than getting them to go skiing. My son wrote a column yesterday for the Sunday Telegram, of Thanksgiving, of things he's thankful for. He said, 'I learned to ski at my father's knee, literally, between his legs on the T-bar at the Camden Snow Bowl.'"

John, who was born in 1937, had started skiing himself at the Snow Bowl. A Bowdoin College competitive skier, he was also a "Sugarloafer" and credited his early years learning to ski in his back yard, so to speak, for fostering his love of both the fun and sport of it.

John was general manager of Sugarloaf, having first started working at that mountain in the 1960s. He was responsible for overseeing the installation of the 23 gondola towers there in one day in 1965.

In 1972, he purchased Saddleback Mountain, in Rangeley. In 2005, he became president of the Ski Museum of Maine, and in 2007, was inducted to the museum. 

John Christie will be missed, and not just by the community, but by the very mountains he loved.

His obituary will be posted later, but notice of his death arrived Monday afternoon, May 9. It said:  John M. Christie, 79, author, former general manager of Sugarloaf, and member of Maine Ski Hall of Fame, died on Saturday, May 7, 2016 while working at the Camden Hills State Park of natural causes.   A complete obituary will be published and a memorial service will be announced later.  If desired, memorial gifts may be made in his memory to the Ski Museum of Maine, P.O. Box 359, Kingfield, ME 04947; Washington Volunteer Fire Dept., P.O. Box 408, Washington, ME 04574; or to the Ragged Mountain Recreation Area Foundation, P.O. Box 438, Camden, ME 04843. 

Reach Editorial Director Lynda Clancy at lyndaclancy@penbaypilot.com; 207-706-6657