Bill Witte - Instructor, retailer, rep

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Passing Date

Bill “Wittso” Witte, of Lake Placid, New York, died November 30, at age 83. Raised in West Orange, New Jersey, Witte was 13 when his older brother Norman was killed while fighting in Italy with the 10th Mountain Division.

After high school, Witte hitchhiked all 48 states, then settled at Bromley, Vermont as a ski instructor. Moving to Snow Ridge in Turin, New York, he opened the Swiss Ski Shop and a motel. Joining Sport Obermeyer, he returned to Vermont to manage the eastern warehouse in Killington. Later he became an independent sales rep covering upstate New York and western Pennsylvania for K2, Smart Wool, Turtle Fur, Smith, Giro, Hard Corps and other brands. He was a founder of the Eastern Winter Sports Reps Association.

Witte is survived by his wife Cheley; son Douglas; stepsons Adrian Cieri (companion Sarah Keyes) and Bear Cieri (wife Kate); and grandchildren Olivia and Griffin Cieri.