October 28, 1947 – August 14, 2025

Gregory Dean Gilbertson was born in Decorah, Iowa, one of eight loving brothers and sisters. After high school, Greg joined the US Air Force and was an airplane mechanic and crew chief during the Vietnam War. After the war, Greg heeded the mountains’ call and got a job in ski area operations at Eldora ski area in Nederland, CO. There, he met his first wife, Christine, and they had two children, Joseph and Erin (Davis). In 1979, the family packed into a tiny yellow pickup truck for a summer-long camping trip. Legend has it that they drove into Steamboat, thought, “this is nice,” and rented a basement apartment on the spot. Here they remained for the next 20+ years. Greg loved the mountains. He loved to ski and worked part time as a fly fishing guide, often traveling around CO, WY, UT and MT with his drift boats and belly boats in tow. Once in Steamboat, Greg obtained his Master Plumber license and began a successful plumbing and heating business. Every morning, he held “office hours” at The Shack on Lincoln Avenue, where he would conduct business (he never owned a computer!), and that is where he met his second wife and beloved of 26 years, Ann Gilbertson. Upon retirement, Greg and Ann moved to Saint George, Utah where they enjoyed many years of traveling around the west in their motor home, golf, and ofcourse their beloved Westies. After he suffered a stroke in 2019, Greg and Ann returned to Steamboat Springs to be closer to family and the valley that always felt like home.

Greg is survived by his beloved wife, Ann; his children and their spouses, Joseph Gilbertson and Victoriia Tymoshenko, and Erin and Tom Davis, his step-children Lara and Brad Craig, Amy and Aaron Scarborough, Greg and Alyson Mattlage; his grand-children Henry and Felicity Davis, and step-grandchildren (to whom he was “Grumple Greg”), Jack and Emily Craig, Ava Scarborough, and Anna and James Robinson; his brothers Keith, Kevin, and Gary Gilbertson and his sisters Ondra Gilbertson and Sonja (Sersland). He is preceded in death by his parents, Orville and Viola Gilbertson, his brother Korky Gilbertson, and his sister Radine Gilbertson.

A service will be held at the Concordia Lutheran Church in Steamboat on Saturday, September 27 at 1:00. Friends can also honor Greg by thanking a farmer and appreciating the gift of good dirt, honoring the sacrifices of veterans, protecting our wild places, and taking a moment to recognize the complete awe of a simple mountain stream.