Sam Bonasso - Lift engineer and executive, transportation administrator

Ski Lift International (SLI) co-founder and influential aerial lift and tramway engineer Sam Bonasso passed away on July 1, 2025. He was 85.

SLI built 46 double chairlifts, several of which are still in use, and was acquired by Riblet Tramway Company in 1973. Bonasso founded architectural and engineering firm Alpha Associates, based in Morgantown, West Virginia, in 1969. He was one of the original engineers for the National Ski Areas Association’s insurance program and served as a committee member and secretary for the 1983 revision of the industry’s safety standards for lifts and ropeways. He also co-founded the North American section of the International Organization for Transportation by Rope. Active in public service, Bonasso served as West Virginia’s secretary of transportation from 1998 to 2000 and was later appointed a deputy administrator at the U.S. Department of Transportation.