Crown: Honoring Jim Crown

Some lives leave a mark too deep to fade. Jim Crown’s did, in cities around the world, but especially here in Aspen.

On June 25 — his birthday and final day — Jim was surrounded by family, friends in this extraordinary town he loved.  He cherished Aspen’s beauty, spirit, and people.

Jim led not by command or title but by drawing others to the things he cared about — to ideas, adventures, and the simple joy of being together. Humble, curious, stubborn, resilient, empathic, whip-smart, always equipped with the perfect comeback, he filled rooms with laughter, meaningful conversations, and human connection.

He shaped Aspen’s story in ways both quiet and profound. Since his passing, countless people have shared memories of his kindness, encouragement, and the bonds of kinship he sparked.

His greatest love was his family. Paula, their remarkable four kids and their partners, and his two young grandsons feel his absence most profoundly. They strive to honor him daily — in how they live, work, love, and continue to gather in this town he called home.

On that day, we want to pay tribute his arrival and his departure. And all the time in between when he figured out a multitude of creative, pragmatic, amazing ways to make people around him and our world better. 

He understood that community isn’t just a place of residence — it’s all about the people who lift us when we fall, celebrate us when we rise, and walk beside us through everything in between.

To this day, I am still approached by strangers almost everywhere I go who want to share stories about how my brother touched their lives.  He was an introvert, so it’s a bit baffling how he somehow seemed to know everybody everywhere.

Jim once told me that no one is irreplaceable. 

I believed him. Until I didn’t.

Susan Crown

Chicago