Thomas Ritchie Brownell

Thomas Ritchie Brownell, age 81, passed away Saturday, December 8, at his home in Taos. He was with his wife Elisabeth and son Christof when he died.
He was born, April 3, 1926, in Evanston, Illinois. His parents were Ruth Ritchie and Herbert S. Brownell. Tom entered the Navy V-12 program at the University of Notre Dame in 1943. He completed his B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering , and in 1948 completed a Master of Business Administration program at Northwestern University. In 1952 Tom was recalled to the Navy and served on Guam during the Korean War.
At the end of his military service, Tom joined a management consulting firm until 1957 when he started his own firm in Chicago Marketing Management, Inc. He specialized in sales and marketing manpower development. His clients included Lever Brothers, R.J. Reynolds, PepsiCo, Lipton Tea, and Zenith, among others. Tom belonged to the honorary engineering fraternity, Tau Beta Pi, and the National Society of Art Directors. He taught administrative management at the University of Chicago Extension and has served on several corporate boards. He founded the Taos Valley Reservation Association and has been an active consultant in promoting Taos Ski Valley.

In 1961 he went on a ski vacation in Taos Ski Valley where he met Elisabeth Schlegl. They married in 1966. They have two sons: Christof, born in 1968 and Marcus, born in 1971.

During the late sixties, Tom and Elisabeth bought the Thunderbird Lodge. They managed the lodge together for over thirty years until they sold it in 2005. Tom is credited with starting the Jazz Legends Festival at the Thunderbird Lodge in 1984. Over thirteen years, he brought such jazz greats as Ralph Sutton, Milt Hinton, Kenny Davern, Ray Brown, Herb Ellis, and many other renowned jazz musicians to the Thunderbird Lodge. Tom was an accomplished jazz pianist himself, and his passion for jazz inspired many local musicians.

Tom is remembered by many in the community for his generosity, sense of humor, and his active involvement in Taos Ski Valley over the last 40 years. He is survived by his wife, Elisabeth Brownell, of Taos Ski Valley; two sons: Christof Brownell of Taos and Marcus Brownell and his wife Amanda, of Munich, Germany; two grandchildren, Phoebe and August Brownell; and his niece and nephew, Wendy Williams and Bob Williams.

IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, memorial contributions in Thomas name can be made to Mountain Home Health Care Hospice, PO Box 2566, Taos, New Mexico 87571 and to Taos Community Foundation(music for children) PO Box 1925, Taos New Mexico, 87571