Annalise Gadomski Kjolhede, 24, of Fly Creek and Cooperstown, N.Y., died on Wednesday, Nov. 14 in Reno, Nev., following an accident while skiing with friends.
Annalise was born in Cooperstown on June 17, 1988. It was a very happy day for her parents, Chris Larson Kjolhede and Anne Marie Gadomski.
Annalise’s first years were in Baltimore, Md. She attended Cooperstown Elementary and Middle School. She graduated from Emma Willard School, Troy, in 2006 and then received her B.S. in environmental sciences at the University of Rochester.
She graduated cum laude in 2011 and was awarded the faculty prize for academic excellence. She was granted a Kaufmann Entrepreneurial year at the University of Rochester where she developed a campus micro-farm project.
She most recently resided in Truckee, where she enjoyed many outdoor activities and a group of faithful friends. She was creative, developing an interest in cooking, and enjoyed life to the fullest.
Annalise is survived by her parents; by her sister, Caitlyn Gadomski Kjolhede and Caitlyn’s husband, Thomas Jefferson Hamilton IV; and by her brother, Hans Christian Kjolhede; as well as by stepmoms Barbara Peterson and Celeste Johns. Additionally surviving are paternal grandmother, Ginger Larson Kjolhede, maternal grandmother, Therese Szlenkier Gadomski; and a legion of loving aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.
Kjolhede Memorial at Alpine Meadows, Sat. Dec. 15
Come out on Saturday, Dec. 15 to celebrate the life and crazy times of Annalise Kjolhede, a beloved Truckee resident, Sierra Business Council intern, Alpine Meadows employee, and athlete on the Tahoe Lumber ultimate Frisbee team, who suffered a traumatic brain injury while skiing at Alpine Meadows on Nov. 10. Dress up as ridiculous as possible (pumpkin suits, sequins, onesies, and animal costumes were her style) to ski most of the day. As a group, we’ll take the last chair up Summit 6 at 3 p.m. and ski down together. Please bring anything you would like as an ode to Annalise.
A potluck reception in the lodge will begin around 4:30 p.m. A main meal will be provided; bring a side dish or a dessert to share. There will be arts and crafts, music, a slideshow, and stories to remember the good times with Annalise. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations to the Sierra Business Council’s Sierra Nevada Geotourism project, which Annalise was passionate about and helped draft the business plan for. Donated funds will be directed toward finishing and implementing Annalise’s many ideas captured in the Sierra Nevada Geotourism business plan. From this time forward, all contributions made to the Sierra Nevada Geotourism project will honor the memory and the life of Annalise.
Donate in Memory of Annalise Kjolhede
Call (530) 582-4800, visit sbcouncil.org/donate.php, or make checks out to Sierra Business Council (note “In memory of Annalise”) and mail to P.O. Box 2428, Truckee, CA 96160.
