Pioneer resort developer Jack Kurlander dies at 76

Vernon - John “Jack” Kurlander, known to many as the visionary who brought skiing, golf and more to Sussex County, died April 24 in Connecticut, following a heart attack. He was 76 years old. “Jack Kurlander was an exceptional individual with the immeasurable talent, energy, a vision and drive required to accomplish the extraordinary feats he accomplished that others would not even dream of,” said John Whiting, a resident of Hidden Valley and a long-time friend. “Words are not adequate in describing the impact that Jack has had on the area and the lives of the people around him,” he continued. “He almost single-handedly transformed Sussex County from a rural farming area to the world-class recreation area it has become,” Whiting continued. “Those of us who had the privilege of knowing him and calling him a friend know that he had a life that would have been satisfying to any dozen normal individuals and that was the envy of us mere mortals.” Kurlander was born in Providence, Rhode Island, on October 2, 1929, and grew up in Nutley. While attending Nutley High School, he was named the N.J. Boys Tennis Champion. Inspired by his wife, Peg, and three young children, Jack, with his entrepreneurial spirit and his love of skiing, opened New Jersey’s first major ski area in McAfee. Lifetime friend John Fitzgerald joined him. Later, Alfred Stasium of Sparta and Matthew Baker of Vernon became part of the team. This was the beginning of skiing in Sussex County at Great Gorge Ski Area. In the late 1960s, Kurlander was a major force in selling the Playboy empire on building a hotel and golf course in 1971. Once the shining centerpiece of town, it has since passed through bankruptcy and multiple owners and now exists as the Legends hotel and golf course. Later, the Great Gorge Ski Area merged with the Vernon Valley Ski Area under the ownership of Gene Mulvihill, who subsequently sold it to Intrawest, which renamed it Mountain Creek. Kurlander’s next project was to design and build the Hidden Valley Ski Area off Breakneck Road before he retired from the ski business. He opened the Crystal Springs Swim and Tennis Club in 1982 in Hardyston and later acquired several hundred acres contiguous to the swim club, where he designed a golf and residential community. When he encountered financial difficulties, he sold that, too, to Mulvihill, who continues to develop it as the Crystal Springs Golf and Spa Resort. In addition, Kurlander designed and built the Black Bear Golf Course in Franklin in partnership with Mulvihill. The two men continued to collaborate in bringing golf to the forefront of the recreation industry in Sussex County. They also teamed up to plan and build the Spa at Great Gorge, Ballyowen Golf Course, and Wild Turkey Golf Course. In concert with the Spa Nine and the newly acquired Great Gorge Country Club, the resort has won national acclaim as a total golf resort. Kurlander is survived by his wife, Peg; son, John, and his wife, Ginny, of Morristown; daughter Jamie and husband, Dean Peters, of Park City Utah; and daughter Judy and her husband Randolph Pierce of Taos, New Mexico; brother Bob Kurlander and his wife, Marlene, of Jupiter, Fla.; and five grandchildren, Max, Tosh, Natalie Peters, Jake Kurlander, and Evan Pierce, as well as many loved nephews and nieces and friends. Visitation is from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday, April 27, at St. Francis de Sales Roman Catholic Church, 614 Rt. 517, Vernon. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, in the church. Private cremation will follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the St. Francis de Sales Roman Catholic Family Life Center, P.O. Box 785, McAfee, NJ 07428