The Buzz: Remembering Brad Gamble

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

By Ben Cannon

Jackson Hole, Wyo.-A memorial will be held Saturday for Jackson Hole resident Brad Gamble. Gamble was found dead in his West Bank home last Friday.
His death was unexpected and autopsy results are pending, but close friends speculate the death was related to complications from diabetes.

A native of the Boston area, Gamble, 48, moved here around the mid-80s and became passionate about skiing, according to friend Cindy Keresztes.
“He was a down-to-earth guy, very kind and generous,” Keresztes said.

Reported to be a direct descendant of James Gamble, of the original Procter & Gamble, Gamble kept a low profile and did not advertise the details of his lineage.

He built a house in the exclusive John Dodge subdivision that was to be a homage to an ancestral home, according to his friend and attorney, Jerry Bosch. But Brad Gamble’s version of the famed Gamble House, a National Historic Landmark site located in Pasadena, Calif., was never completed, and Gamble lived in a guest house, according to someone who worked on the home.

An avid skier, Gamble frequently left the valley to ski in places like Alaska and Oregon, or left the mountains to sail around far-flung ports of call.

“To nail down Brad would be tough,” Bosch said, referring to Gamble’s wanderlust.
In recent years, Gamble held two jobs, working as a line cook at Nora’s Fish Creek Inn and The Granary. The responsibilities of work gave him some needed structure, said Granary chef Jason Mitchell, a close friend.

“He just needed some help in his life,” Mitchell said. “Me and my kitchen [the Nora’s kitchen] were a big part of that. We helped him get on top of his demons. We’ve got to take care of our ski family.”

When Gamble was not heard from for several days last week, Mitchell went to Gamble’s home, where he discovered his friend’s body.

“He was a good friend and a really generous man,” Mitchell said.
Nora’s owner Kathryn Taylor said Gamble had become a model employee who often arrived before dawn to do the dirty work.

“He was a nice guy to work with,” Taylor said, describing her employee as “a quiet guy.” She added, “He would do anything, come in at any time.”
Friends recalled that in spite of the famous last name, Gamble was a regular guy.
“You would never know he was a Gamble heir,” Keresztes said. He loved to watch football with friends, she said.

Photographer Greg Von Doersten said he used to see Gamble while skiing in Alaska in the early ‘90s. Though the two men were not close in recent years, Von Doersten said he always expected to see Gamble in line to catch early Tram laps at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.

“He always had a smile on his face,” Von Doersten said. “He was a very generous and giving and sweet man.”

A memorial pot luck dinner for Gamble will be held 5 p.m., Saturday at Nora’s in Wilson. JHW

Courtesy photo of Brad Gamble

PERMALINK:
The Buzz: Remembering Brad Gamble | Planet JH News Article: General News

Leave a Comment