September 7, 1951 – March 7, 2023
John Sands passed away peacefully on March 7th, 2023 following complications from transverse myelitis.
John was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. He later went on to study photography at the San Francisco Art Institute, making it a lifelong passion and hobby. His younger years in San Francisco count seeing Janis Joplin play Golden Gate Park in 1969, an informal interview with Allen Ginsburg as a young student, and brushing shoulders with Ken Kesey.
Following the completion of his studies, John traveled extensively through Europe, teaching skiing lessons and working at small resorts in the Swiss and French Alps to get by. While in Greece, torn between continuing east or turning back, upon the flip of a coin, John returned home to the U.S. to start a career in hospitality. He ran numerous restaurants, golf clubs, and resorts in Vail, Keystone, Arizona, and Utah. John moved to Park City in 1988 and opened two local businesses during the 1990s and early 2000s. John was always at home in the mountain west, particularly Montana, where his extended family lived and ranched. He loved skiing and hiking until his paralysis in 2015.
John is survived by his children and grandchild, brothers, sister, niece, nephews and cousins. His family thanks the countless healthcare staff, from RNs to doctors to social workers, who helped to meet his needs alongside the needs of so many others, during his years of illness.