HAINES FALLS - Tribute was paid to the quietly philanthropic legacy of Gary Slutzky when the Mountaintop Historical Society hosted a Kiosk Dedication in his memory, last weekend.
Slutzky’s family founded the Hunter Mountain ski slope and, “Gary was a very, very beloved member of our community,” MTHS president Larry Gardner said.
He was an integral part of the Hunter Fire Department for decades, a fire investigator for Greene County and a faithful supporter of the MTHS, serving as vice-president at the time of his passing.
Slutzky was also a significant benefactor for multiple entities, earning respect near and far including from NY Senator Michelle Hinchey.
Hinchey, in a statement read by her district director, Elizabeth Tavares, said, “when I first ran for office in 2019, I started searching for community leaders to meet.
“In Greene County, specifically on the Mountaintop, one name came up over and over again - Gary Slutzky.
“As soon as I met him, I knew he was the real deal and someone who, from that moment, I'd been privileged to call a friend.
“No one embodied the spirit of community more than our friend, Gary. He was a profile in courage, and he gave others around him confidence and inspiration. He was funny, kind, and hard-working; a lifelong volunteer and the epitome of hometown pride,” Hinchey wrote.
“Too often, when we lose someone we love, our minds do an inventory of all the times we should have celebrated them while they were still here - in ways big and small.
“One thing that makes me happy is that we were able to celebrate Gary and his incredible wife Barbara with a Senate Commendation for all of the important work they did for the Mountaintop community.
“It's true that we have all said a much-too-soon goodbye to a one-of-a-kind, larger-than-life man who left a giant hole in the middle of Hunter and in our hearts,” Hinchey wrote.
“But across the Mountaintop, there are countless pieces of Gary to be found in the places and people he cared deeply for, and today, we add another. We're better for it, and we'll miss you forever, Gary.”
