The small mountain town of Carbondale was reeling today with the loss of a long-time resident and active community member killed in a plane crash.
Barry Maggert, who owned an engineering business in Carbondale, died Thursday in the crash in a rugged, remote area of Gilpin County, according to the Valley Journal, a newspaper in Carbondale.
Maggert’s brother, professional golfer Jeff Maggert, withdrew from the The Players Championship tournament in Florida, informing the tour that his brother had been killed, according to ESPN.
Barry Maggert was flying to Boulder to attend the graduation of one of his sons, 23-year-old Lee Maggert, from the University of Colorado today, family friends said.
Lee Maggert was scheduled to receive his bachelor’s in architectural engineering, said Bronson Hilliard, a spokesman for CU. Hilliard did not know whether the new graduate showed up at today’s ceremony at Folsom Field.
“Obviously, our hearts go out to his family and him,” Hilliard said. “It is a terrible, terrible situation.”
University resources, including counseling and support, will be available to Lee Maggert and his family if needed, Hilliard said.
Maggert is survived by two other sons, Bryant, Lee’s twin, and Taylor; and his wife, Renee.
An unidentified 23-year-old passenger in the plane was injured in the crash Thursday about 40 miles west of Denver. He was taken to a Denver hospital, and details on his condition were not released. Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Mike Fergus in Seattle said one of the people on board called 911 from a cell phone after the crash.
Barry Maggert, who was an experienced pilot, coached Little League Baseball over the years, and he also was an avid golfer.
“He was a real family man,” said John Foulkrod, a Carbondale town trustee and long-time friend. “He coached all the kids in baseball. He did a lot of things with the boys.”
Foulkrod described Maggert as Libertarian who always was eager to share his point view.
“If you got to know Barry, he was a character,” Foulkrod said. “He always spoke his mind, and he could be way off the wall on some of these issues, but he would stick by it and tell you why.”
The Gilpin County Sheriff’s Office said this morning that it was waiting for family to arrive before releasing the names of the others aboard the Cessna.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822 or knicholson@denverpost.com
