Joe Kimm never got to Telluride. But he should have, he would have loved it. Joe is a pioneer pilot with Northwest Airlines, now retired for 39 years, father of my first wife Barbara, and who played no small part in my having a career with Northwest. On top of that, he has remained a friend over all the years since we first met in the 1950s.
As a professional pilot of the old school, Joe didn't take up skiing until he retired in 1971; couldn't risk a broken leg. With that late start, he still managed to ski actively for over 30 years! Career-wise, can you even imagine being a part of early commercial aviation, a lifetime of flying spanning the era of Ford Tri-Motors through Boeing jets?
Today is Joe's 99th birthday, and not only would I personally like to honor him, but Telluride Inside… and Out honors him, as he had a lot to do with who I became, and certainly had a shaping influence on his grand-daughters, Kimm Viebrock and Kjerstin Klein, also known as major players at Telluride Inside… and Out.
Happy Birthday, my friend.
(Joe aboard Aeolus, Florida Keys, Winter 1982. Clint Viebrock photo)
