Edward B. Close

Edward Close died Dec. 7, 2017 after a wonderful long life. He was born June 7, 1924 in Greenwich, CT. He was moved to Paris when he was 3, with his twin brother. He attended Summerfields School in Oxford England, then Harrow School. He graduated from St. Paul's School in Concord, MA after his family moved back to Greenwich. He attended Harvard where he was a member of the Owl Club. He enlisted in the Navy Air Corps and flew off the carrier Roosevelt in WWII. After the war, he went to Yale University where he was a member of the Fence Club, Book and Snake, and editor of the Yale Daily News with William Buckley. He was an excellent athlete: playing on the Harvard soccer team (beating Yale) and the Yale soccer team (beating Harvard). He was captain of the Yale ski team that went to the intercollegiate races in Aspen in 1949, where he met Anne Merryweather, an avid skier and his future wife. They were married Nov. 25, 1950. After graduating from Yale, he worked for the foreign office of Corn Products Refining stationed in Hamburg, Germany. After Hamburg, he and Anne moved to Colorado where he graduated with a Law degree from Denver University and later became a partner of Hughes and Dorsey, a prestigious Denver law firm. He practiced business and banking law, and he won a case that went to the U.S. Supreme Court. As he spoke several languages, he also represented clients with foreign interests. He served on the Board of Directors for several banks and Denver Chicago Trucking, and as Trustee of the Denver Art Museum for 10 years, during which time the Gio Ponti building was built. He was an avid golfer and a member of The Round Hill Club, Denver Country Club, Augusta National, Cypress Point Club, Castle Pines Golf Club and Gulf Stream Golf Club. He was an active member of the USGA Seniors, serving on the board for 8 years and running the tournament at Castle Pines Golf Club. He also enjoyed sailing, hunting and fly fishing. He is survived by his wife, son Montgomery Close, daughter Eleanor Close Kraft, and four grandchildren.