Historical society honors legacy of Gary Slutzky
Published on:
October 16, 2026
Mountain Top Historical Society hosted a kiosk dedication ceremony in memory of Gary Slutsky at their visitor center in Haines Falls on October 10. Among those on hand were (left to right) Elizabeth Tavares, district director for Senator Michelle Hinchey; Linda Geary, MTHS board member; Larry Gardner, MTHS board president; Paul Slutzky; MTHS board member; Barbara Slutzky and Dede Terns-Thorpe, Town of Hunter historian.
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HAINES FALLS―Tribute was paid to the quiet philanthropic legacy of Gary Slutzky when the Mountain Top Historical Society hosted a kiosk dedication in his memory last Saturday at its 1913 Ulster & Delaware Train Station visitor center.
Slutzky’s family founded the Hunter Mountain ski slope and, “Gary was a very, very beloved member of our community,” said Mountain Top Historical Society (MTHS) President Larry Gardner.
He was an integral part of the Hunter Fire Department for decades, a fire investigator for Greene County and a faithful supporter of the MTHS, serving as vice-president at the time of his 2024 passing.
Slutzky was also a significant benefactor for multiple entities, earning respect near and far, including from State Senator Michelle Hinchey.
Hinchey, in a statement read by her district director, Elizabeth Tavares, noted that when she first ran for office in 2019, she started searching for community leaders to meet.
“In Greene County, specifically on the mountaintop, one name came up over and over again―Gary Slutzky,” Hinchey recalled. “As soon as I met him, I knew he was the real deal and someone who, from that moment, I'd been privileged to call a friend.”
“No one embodied the spirit of community more than our friend Gary. He was a profile in courage, and he gave others around him confidence and inspiration. He was funny, kind, and hardworking―a lifelong volunteer and the epitome of hometown pride,” Hinchey wrote.
“It's true that we have all said a much-too-soon goodbye to a one-of-a-kind, larger-than-life man who left a giant hole in the middle of Hunter and in our hearts,” Hinchey wrote. “But across the mountaintop, there are countless pieces of Gary to be found in the places and people he cared deeply for, and today, we add another. We're better for it, and we'll miss you forever, Gary.”
The new four-panel kiosk in memory of Slutzky portrays the history of the U & D Train Station and the tourism made possible by the railroads that led to the great mountain hotels.
