Egon Zimmermann, 82

Egon Zimmermann, 82

GILFORD — Egon Zimmermann passed away on Saturday, Feb 27, 2016, at his home in Kirchbichl, Austria, after struggling with heart issues the last few years.

Egon was born on Feb 19, 1933, in Innsbruck, Austria, and was raised by his paternal grandmother during very difficult times of war and having very little money.

Egon was a gifted athlete who would ride his bike for an hour, skis strapped to his back and ski boots around his neck, to train on the local ski hills that had no lifts, then return home on his bike. He turned out to be a world-class ski racer being named to the Austrian Ski Team in 1957. Three times he was second in the very technical, very fast Hahnenkamm downhill held in Kitzbühel, Austria, and raced in the 1958 World Championships in Bad Gastein, Austria, and the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, California. Egon was considered one of the best downhillers of his time.

Egon met his first wife, Penny Pitou, skiing in Europe in 1958 — Penny was on the U.S. Alpine Ski Team. They were married in 1961. Egon built a house just down the road from where Penny was raised on Potter Hill Road in Gilford, and started a family with his new wife. Christian was born in 1962 and Kim in 1965. Egon and Penny ran the local ski school at Gunstock and the Ski School at Blue Hills in Massachusetts, bringing over Austrians as ski instructors. Many are still living in the area today.

Egon was also an accomplished tennis player and would bring many a challenger during summers to his home clay court usually sending them off exhausted so he could face the next opponent.

Egon and Penny divorced in the late 1960s and Egon married a local teacher. Egon continued to run the ski school at Gunstock and was involved in other areas of the ski business working at Beconta as a sales person and opening ski shops in Nashua and Gilford.

In 1980 Egon divorced a second time and moved back to his home town of Kirchbichl, Austria, where he lived the rest of his life. He was married a third and last time to Hanna in 1983.

Egon is survived by his widow, Hanna; his sisters, Ulli and Christa, and brother Hans and their families who live in Austria; and his children, Christian with wife Debra, and grandchildren, Zane and Zoe; and Kim with partner Jenn, and grandson, Dylan, all of whom live in New Hampshire.

A memorial service will be held for Egon at the Gilford Community Church on March 12, at 10 a.m., followed by a reception in the adjacent Youth Center. Everyone is invited.

In lieu of flowers please consider a donation in Egon's name to the Gunstock Ski Club P.O. Box 222 Laconia, NH 03247, or the Gilford Youth Center 19 Potter Hill Road Gilford, NH 03249.