I was shocked to hear of the death of my good friend Rich Boebel on the slopes at Purgatory Resort. Though if his death was because of natural causes, I am sure he would have liked to go that way.

We ran together daily when we both taught at Tulane University, and since then he has divided his time between New Orleans, Durango and New Zealand, where he taught after he left Tulane. Rick was a devoted outdoorsman, having climbed in Yosemite Valley, fished in Ecuador, guided for the San Juan Mountains Association, etc.

He was as devoted to a good beer and his two dogs as he was to Purg’s black diamonds. As I am only a summer Durangoan, I only saw him then. But we readily made up for lost time. He lived a rich and full life, never wasting a minute.

Dan Purrington

New Orleans