Edgar Stern, Deer Valley founder, dies

Edgar B. Stern Jr., 86, former owner of Park City Mountain Resort and founder of Deer Valley Resort, died Oct. 12, 2008, in Seattle.

He had also been chairman of Royal Street Corp., founder of WDSU Television, New Orleans; the Stanford Court Hotel, San Francisco; and a director of Sears Roebuck and Co.

He was considered a true visionary and a pioneer in the TV, ski and hotel industries.

Born in New York City on Sept. 1, 1922, he was raised in New Orleans. He graduated from Harvard University.

During World War II he served in the Pacific and at the Pentagon during the Korean War.

In 1948, he founded WDSU-TV, Channel 6, in New Orleans with his father. This was the first commercial station in the Gulf Coast area.

He moved to Aspen, Colo., in 1968, the same year he purchased Treasure Mountains Resort and turned it into Park City Resort, with an ambitious improvement and expansion plan.

Mr. Stern sold Park City Resort in 1975 but acquired 1,700 acres that eventually became Deer Valley.

He moved to San Juan Island, Wash., in 1986. There, he served as president of the board of the San Juan Community Theatre and participated in numerous community endeavors.

A private memorial service will be held for the family, and a public celebration of his life will be planned at a later date in Park City.

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