Longtime Evergreen resident and community leader Ted Mann died on January 18. Born in suburban Chicago, Ted graduated from Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa, and began his career in radio advertising sales in Prescott, Arizona. He moved to Colorado in 1971 to join the staff of classical music station KVOD in Denver, where he enjoyed great success.
His love of fine wine led him to help start Plum Creek Cellars, a winery in Palisade, Colorado, where he devoted untold sweat-equity hours before acquiring Mountain Ranch Supply in 1987. He operated this feed and tack store in Kittredge until retiring in 2000.
Ted’s extensive community involvement paralleled his passion for business, horses and music. He served as president (since re-titled chairman) of the board of the Evergreen Chamber of Commerce, as treasurer of Arts for the Mountain Community (now Sculpture Evergreen) in its early years, and as a board member of Friends of the Evergreen Library. In addition, he started the Mountain Branch of the Jefferson County Horse Council and in recent years served as a manager of the council’s emergency evacuation team. He also spent many years as a horseback patroller for Jefferson County Open Space.
During the 1980s, his love and knowledge of classical music made him an obvious choice for the board of directors of the Colorado Philharmonic Orchestra, which is now the National Repertory Orchestra in Breckenridge.
In 2000, he was one of a small group of organizers and a driving force behind the Evergreen Jazz Festival. He subsequently served two terms as festival president, several terms on the board of directors and also worked tirelessly on fundraising for the event. Shortly before health issues developed, Ted and Jeannie, his wife of nearly 40 years, very appropriately enjoyed a jazz cruise through the Panama Canal.
Memorial contributions may be sent to
- Evergreen Jazz Festival, PO Box 3775, Evergreen 80437
- Evergreen Animal Protective League, PO Box 2517, Evergreen 80437
- Cornell College, 600 First Street SW, Mt. Vernon. IA 52314
No services are scheduled.
(See previously written profile on Ted Mann and his wife, Jeannie Mann, by clicking here.)