A life of simplicity, friendship, and deep connection to nature was lived by Jordan Harris Greengrass, a longtime resident of the backside of Aspen Mountain. He passed away at home on April 20th, at the age of 77.
Jordan carved out a truly unique life for himself and his children -- living off the grid in a small cabin without running water or electricity. Accessible only by snowmobile in the winter when the road became impassable, the cabin was both rugged and remote. Yet despite the lack of modern conveniences, Jordan raised two children there as a single father. Those two children went on to have three children each, and Jordan was most proud of his six grandchildren.
"One thing we'll always remember is his playfulness, which came out through the sandwich game," recalls his beloved daughter-in-law, Heather Greengrass. "He visited us every week with his lunch -- a sandwich he'd challenge his grandkids to identify. You can't imagine how many different kinds he made -- sometimes with the strangest ingredients. It was a delightful game we all enjoyed."
An avid mountain climber, Jordan summited all of Colorado's 14ers. He loved biking and skiing and was an enthusiastic Broncos fan, remaining loyal to his team no matter their performance.
Born in the Bronx, New York, Jordan was the grandnephew of Barney Greengrass, of Manhattan's legendary Jewish deli, Barney Greengrass the Sturgeon King. On a whim, he moved to Colorado and enrolled at Denver University, where he studied film. Just after graduating, he discovered -- and fell in love with -- a rustic wooden cabin in the heart of Little Annie Basin, then with only dirt for a floor. At 23, he moved in and stayed for the next 54 years, calling that cabin home until the day he died.
"Jordan never tired of the incredible views that surrounded his cabin," recalls his younger sister, Joan, going on to say; "We were all so fortunate to have had him in our lives - to have loved him as deeply as we did, and to have been loved by him in return."
He is survived by his sister, Joan Greengrass; his two children, Annie Grace Jensen (Brian Jensen) and Moses Ezra Greengrass (Heather Greengrass); and his six grandchildren: Lana Bella Greengrass (19), Turner Alan Jensen (16), Jayla Jazz Greengrass (16), Trace Harris Jensen (13), Kiyanna Raye Greengrass (11), and Daelyn Grace Jensen (7).
On April 20th, his daughter arrived to pick him up for Easter dinner and found him in his chair, having passed away. His phone sat quietly beside him, untouched and without any sign of an attempted emergency call, leading the family to believe Jordan left this world on his own terms, peacefully "resting his eyes."
"Whenever I've faced a challenge in life, I've whispered to myself, 'I am my father's daughter,'" says Annie Grace. "Knowing his strength, love, and devotion lives in me gives me the courage to face whatever comes."
Though he lived a remote and solitary life, Jordan was a close personal friend to many and will be deeply missed.
His philosophy on happiness can be summed up in his own words: "Be basic, be simple, be quiet, be meditative, be happy with yourself and you won't need anyone else -- I love people, but people are a bonus."
Jordan's family invites all who knew him to bring a dish to share and join us at his cabin, at 2710 Little Annie Road, on June 22nd, at 12pm to celebrate his incredible life. Memorials can be sent to Mountain Rescue or the Pitkin County Library in Jordan's name.