Denver lost one of its legends last week.
Jack Weil was not only this country’s oldest CEO at age 107, he was one of this state’s treasures.
As his family said, Weil was “to Western shirts what Henry Ford was to cars.”
“Papa Jack,” as he was known, founded Rockmount Ranch Wear in Denver in 1946. His shirts eventually became so famous even the famous wore them, from Elvis Presley to Ronald Reagan to Bruce Springsteen.
His unique design — sawtooth pockets and diamond snaps — is considered the longest continuous shirt style produced in America.
For locals and tourists alike, a trip to Rockmount was always more than just shopping. It was an experience, largely thanks to Weil.
Over the years, he became the embodiment of the Western values, mythic or not, that we should strive for as Coloradans and citizens of the West.
He showed up for work most every day for 62 years, greeting customers with his familiar, “Where you from?”
As Pat Grant, a rancher and CEO of the National Western Stock Show, said, Weil “always greeted you by standing up, giving a firm handshake and looking you in the eye, and that’s part of Western culture, and a big part of who Jack was.”
Denver is a poorer place without his presence. But with a third generation running Rockmount, his styles and spirit will endure.
