The family of Don “Postie” Post is profoundly sad to share the news that our husband, father and grandfather died in a glider accident on Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2018.
The loss of this vibrant man is a blow to our family, his huge circle of friends, and the community of Stowe where he lived for close to 50 years. His impact on the town and community will be felt for generations to come. Everybody knew and loved Postie.
Born to Marguerite and Robert Post on Feb. 10, 1948, Postie grew up in Madison, N.J., with his sister, Dot. He went on to excel in engineering at Clarkson University, graduating in 1970.
Postie moved to Stowe following graduation, where he joined the ranks of elite skiers, rock climbers and hang gliders. These activities gave him firsthand knowledge of every square inch of the Green Mountains and Worcester Range — knowledge he would employ years later as an observer for the Vermont Audubon Society and Vermont Center for Ecostudies to ensure the well-being of peregrine falcons and Bicknell thrush.
He brought his boundless energy to a wide array of business and community activities. After several years of competing on the freestyle skiing circuit, Postie ran the Mansfield Touring Center and is credited with reinvigorating the Stowe Derby. He was a hands-on entrepreneur who founded Black Magic Chimney Sweeps and Stowe Sky School (for hang-gliding instruction) with longtime friend and business partner Chris Curtis. These pursuits were followed by several business ventures in the fields of energy management and conservation.
His glider instruction and riding business, Stowe Soaring, continued his passion for flying and introduced thousands of customers to the joy of pure flight. The experience was best described by a friend who wrote, “The beautiful void encompassed the glider and there was nothing but soaring and silence, and it was magnificent.”
In recent years, Postie served as a consultant for the Freeman Foundation in preserving and enhancing public libraries in Vermont. He took pride in personally visiting each and every one of those libraries.
Postie dedicated himself to the Stowe community. He served from 1991 to 2014 as the longest-standing member of the Stowe School Board. Through constant transition in Vermont’s educational climate, Postie remained a steady force and tireless advocate for quality education for Stowe students.
Complementing his school board work was his service for the Stowe Education Fund and the Starr Foundation Scholarship Fund. Few things made him happier than hearing of the accomplishments of children who went through the Stowe school system.
In addition to education, he was committed to youth athletics. Stowe’s perennially successful soccer and hockey teams have Postie to thank for co-founding Stowe Youth Soccer with neighbor Alan Thorndike, and championing the new town hockey rink and sports arena.
Postie was a man for all seasons. He loved windsurfing, kite boarding, scuba diving, hockey and excelled in all forms of skiing and cycling. Obsessed with road biking, Postie set out at age 53 to ride from Seattle to Cape Cod, a journey he accomplished in 30 days.
His passion for exercise was matched only by his love of food, especially Ben and Jerry’s, “the best ice cream in the world.” Coffee, however, could not be offered without his infamous reply, “It’s unbelievable how something that smells so good can taste SO bad.”
He will always be remembered as the first person on the dance floor, especially when “Start Me Up” came on. As an avid Rolling Stones fan, he frequently attended their concerts, the most recent being this past June in Edinburgh.
Neighbors and friends will miss Postie dearly. He was always there with a helping hand when a truck got hung up on a rock, a tree was down, or a meadow needed brush-hogging. His wealth of knowledge meant that if you were willing to endure a lengthy discourse, any question could be answered.
Overarching all of his activities and accomplishments was his love for his family. He was taken far too soon from his beloved wife Linda and children Tyler, Alexi and Graham. He was known as “Po” to his grandchildren Greyson, Isla and newly arrived Evie, all of whom he adored. He loved his sister Dot Gordon, niece Casey, nephew Cole, daughter-in-law Stacie Post, and son-in-law Ryan Perryman.
A celebration of Postie’s life will be held Thursday, Sept. 6, at 2 p.m. at Stowe Community Church. In lieu of flowers, the family will appreciate donations to Stowe Mountain Rescue, P.O. Box 291, Stowe, VT 05672.



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