Bee Reichel, a long-time Telluride, Colorado resident, formerly of Villanova, Pennsylvania, passed away peacefully in Richmond, Virginia on December 22, 2025. Of the many places she lived and visited in her 93 years, Telluride captured her heart like no other. Her passion for skiing began with her marriage, on March 26, 1955, to Dr. Frank Hartranft Reichel, Jr. and extended over seven decades. At the age of 76, she was honored with her own trail, "Bee's Run," at the top of Revelation Bowl.
Bee was born Beatrice Adelaide Hinson on September 20, 1932, in Charleston, South Carolina, to Frances Passailaigue and Herbert LeRoy Hinson. She grew up in Charleston and Atlanta, Georgia where she graduated with honors from Washington Seminary. She earned a degree in Chemistry, magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from Vanderbilt University in 1954. After graduation, she moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and worked briefly as a research chemist. It was her future husband, Frank, who had interviewed her for the position with American Viscose Corporation. While raising her two children, Lynn and Frank, she became involved with many Philadelphia charities and civic activities including The Philadelphia Orchestra, Academy of Music, University of Pennsylvania Hospital Antiques Show, and The Franklin Institute, as well as the U.S. Ski Team. In 1978, as a Trustee of the U.S. Ski Educational Foundation, she founded the Philadelphia Ski Ball. Named the "Queen Bee of Ski," by The Philadelphia Inquirer, Bee especially loved hosting the Ski Team athletes annually at her Villanova home, "Framar." Throughout her life, she shared her natural talent for entertaining and cooking with warmth and flair.
In 1981, Bee and Frank bought an old Victorian house in Telluride and continued their support of the ski community. Their party for the Telluride Ski Patrol became a yearly tradition. In 2002, Bee was honored with her own day, December 30, "Bee Reichel Day," by the mayors of Telluride and Mountain Village for having "generously donated to a wide variety of worthy causes" such as the U.S. Ski Team, Telluride Ski Patrol, and Telluride Tech Festival, and for her "commitment to ski every day," and "positive attitude," among other accolades. She remained a devoted skier into her late eighties. Bee had strong faith in the Lord and was a member of Christ Presbyterian Church in Telluride and previously Church of the Redeemer, Bryn Mawr, PA. During the summer, Bee and Frank loved to windsurf and entertain along the Columbia River Gorge at their Rowena, Oregon beach house, the "Telluride Yacht Club."
Bee is survived by her two children, Lynn Reichel Coombe of Heber City, UT and Frank Reichel, III (Sue) of Jackson, WY, six grandchildren, Hardy Reichel (Jessie) of Big Arm, MT, Jamieson Chaix of Telluride, Cory Coombe (Brigitte) of Vista, CA, Hope Reichel of Richmond, VA, Hallie Gao (Jeffrey) of Redmond, WA, and Honor Reichel of Manakin-Sabot, VA, three great-grandchildren, and a niece, Katherine Breen, of Albuquerque, NM. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband of almost 63 years, Frank, and sister Katherine ("Kitty") Breen.
A service and reception celebrating Bee's life will be held this March in Telluride. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Foundation -- www.usskiandsnowboard.org/foundation
Bee was born Beatrice Adelaide Hinson on September 20, 1932, in Charleston, South Carolina, to Frances Passailaigue and Herbert LeRoy Hinson. She grew up in Charleston and Atlanta, Georgia where she graduated with honors from Washington Seminary. She earned a degree in Chemistry, magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from Vanderbilt University in 1954. After graduation, she moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and worked briefly as a research chemist. It was her future husband, Frank, who had interviewed her for the position with American Viscose Corporation. While raising her two children, Lynn and Frank, she became involved with many Philadelphia charities and civic activities including The Philadelphia Orchestra, Academy of Music, University of Pennsylvania Hospital Antiques Show, and The Franklin Institute, as well as the U.S. Ski Team. In 1978, as a Trustee of the U.S. Ski Educational Foundation, she founded the Philadelphia Ski Ball. Named the "Queen Bee of Ski," by The Philadelphia Inquirer, Bee especially loved hosting the Ski Team athletes annually at her Villanova home, "Framar." Throughout her life, she shared her natural talent for entertaining and cooking with warmth and flair.
In 1981, Bee and Frank bought an old Victorian house in Telluride and continued their support of the ski community. Their party for the Telluride Ski Patrol became a yearly tradition. In 2002, Bee was honored with her own day, December 30, "Bee Reichel Day," by the mayors of Telluride and Mountain Village for having "generously donated to a wide variety of worthy causes" such as the U.S. Ski Team, Telluride Ski Patrol, and Telluride Tech Festival, and for her "commitment to ski every day," and "positive attitude," among other accolades. She remained a devoted skier into her late eighties. Bee had strong faith in the Lord and was a member of Christ Presbyterian Church in Telluride and previously Church of the Redeemer, Bryn Mawr, PA. During the summer, Bee and Frank loved to windsurf and entertain along the Columbia River Gorge at their Rowena, Oregon beach house, the "Telluride Yacht Club."
Bee is survived by her two children, Lynn Reichel Coombe of Heber City, UT and Frank Reichel, III (Sue) of Jackson, WY, six grandchildren, Hardy Reichel (Jessie) of Big Arm, MT, Jamieson Chaix of Telluride, Cory Coombe (Brigitte) of Vista, CA, Hope Reichel of Richmond, VA, Hallie Gao (Jeffrey) of Redmond, WA, and Honor Reichel of Manakin-Sabot, VA, three great-grandchildren, and a niece, Katherine Breen, of Albuquerque, NM. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband of almost 63 years, Frank, and sister Katherine ("Kitty") Breen.
A service and reception celebrating Bee's life will be held this March in Telluride. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Foundation -- www.usskiandsnowboard.org/foundation
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Beatrice "Bee" Hinson Reichel, please visit our flower store.
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