Obituary: Sasha Francis Couturier

Couturier

July 29, 1985 – June 13, 2021

A celebration of Sasha Francis Couturier’s life will take place on Saturday, August 14, 2021 at 11 a.m. at the Snowmass Chapel. A reception will follow where loved ones can share memories and stories of Sasha, who will be immensely missed by his family and many friends.

Sasha was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico on July 29, 1985. He was raised in Snowmass Village and graduated from Aspen High School in 2004. He then moved to San Francisco where he shared many adventures with one of his best friends Tyler Miranda, who recalls Sasha’s unforgettable personality, style and great sense of humor. Sasha was a trend-setter with a seemingly infinite collection of hats and shoes. He was always ahead of his time, anticipating the coolest music, art, movies, and places to go. His friends admired Sasha’s kind heart, epic hugs and ability to make others feel seen and heard. He was a great listener and instantly treated anyone he knew like family. Many considered him to be truly “one of a kind.”

Sasha eventually returned to Colorado where he helped his parents run restaurants in the valley and on the Front Range. He was a fantastic chef who enjoyed sharing meals with those he held close to his heart. In 2014, Sasha moved back to Aspen where he worked at Silver Peak, Best Day Ever and Green Dragon, where he was a manager and expert but tender.

Sasha loved to spend time with his family, attend concerts with his friends, and travel to his favorite places including Moab, Lake Powell and California. He also spent many summer vacations in France where he shared great times with his favorite cousins, aunts and uncles.

Like his grandfather, who passed away from Covid-19 in 2020, Sasha was a very talented artist. He loved music, painting, street art, film and literature. His favorite authors included Dostoevsky, Hunter S. Thompson, Irvine Welsh and John Steinbeck. He was a thinker and a dreamer, blessed with profound wisdom and creative ideas. Sasha was also a man of strong convictions and beliefs. His sisters remembers one of his favorite quote by Malcolm X, “If you

don’t stand for something you will fall for anything.” Sasha always supported and stood up for those he loved especially his younger sisters whom he adored, Marion and Charlotte.

A sensitive and gentle soul with a big heart, Sasha packed so much life into his nearly 36 years. His mother credits the Aspen school system for the high quality education her three children received. The family is working on establishing an arts scholarship fund in Sasha’s name for students who not only demonstrate creative promise, but also impact others through their kindness and vibrant personalities. A bench, in loving memory of Sasha, will be set up on one of his favorite trails in the Village, where his family and friends will remember him.

A memorial fund has also been established in Sasha’s name at Alpine Bank in Snowmass Village.

The Couturier family would like to express their deepest gratitude for all the love and support they have received in the community since Sasha’s passing. Sasha’s laugh, hugs and beautiful smile will be deeply missed by his friends and family, but his memory will live on in their hearts and minds forever.