Service Sunday For Short Hills Dad Of 3 Who Died In Ski Accident

MILLBURN, NJ — Services will be held on Sunday in Maplewood for a Millburn father of three who died in an accident Thursday at the Vail ski resort in Colorado.

An obituary for Jason Varnish, 46, says he and his wife moved to Millburn in 2000. They have three children.

The obituary says, "Jase’s sense of humor and fun will be remembered by all, not least by his children’s friends who loved his zest for life. Whether playing golf, going boating, or sitting at the bar, Jase treasured the time he spent with his friends. His many passions included music, reading and cars, and he was an excellent and eager cook. Above all else, Jase loved his family."

The memorial service will be held Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Prospect Presbyterian Church (646 Prospect St., Maplewood).

In lieu of flowers, Varnish's family has asked for donations to be sent to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN, 38105. (The hospital treats children for free thanks to donations. Its website is here.)

Varnish passed away Thursday in an accident involving the ski lift chair in Blue Sky Basin at the Vail Resorts.

A Vail Daily story quoted witnesses as saying his ski chair might not have been properly prepared for use. "[Eagle County Coroner Kara Bettis] said that the chairlift’s folding seat was in the upright position, according to witnesses, instead of being folded down so riders could sit on it, leaving an open area which one could fall through if they did not notice the seat was not in place," the story said.

On Tuesday, Varnish's employers, Credit Suisse, sent a memo to staff:

<blockquote>We are deeply saddened to inform you that our colleague, Jason Varnish, has passed away unexpectedly.

Jason spent over 20 years at Credit Suisse, having joined in 1998. Most recently, Jason served as a Managing Director and Global Head of Prime Services Risk, having started his Credit Suisse career in Collateral and Valuations in London. Jason began his career in London as a currency trader.

Jason will be remembered for his dynamic personality, energy, desire to win, and significant impact with clients. He successfully struck the right balance between being commercially-minded with clients while maintaining risk discipline for the bank. After his family, he always put Credit Suisse first as he genuinely loved and cared about the bank. He was a fantastic partner to everyone he worked with across the industry, and the bank. His enthusiasm, camaraderie and friendship will be sorely missed by his colleagues at Credit Suisse.

We will share additional information including details of services and condolences in the coming days.</blockquote>

Spokeswoman Karina Byrne said Tuesday, “On behalf of all employees of Credit Suisse, we send our deepest condolences to Jason’s family and friends."

An investigative report in the Summit Daily of Summit County, Colorado, said there have been an average of 13 to 14 skier deaths at the state's resorts each year for the last 10 years.

For a prior story, see here.