Rhoda 2

On November 3rd, Rhoda Blake passed away after battling a brief illness according to the Taos News. She was 97 years old.

Blake was the wife of Taos Ski Valley pioneer and former owner Ernie Blake and was known as a no-nonsense woman who loved the mountains as much if not more than her husband Ernie. Rhoda often helped out at the resort with day-to-day operations, subsequently keeping the lifts running while her gregarious husband spread the word of Taos Ski Valley far and wide across the United States and beyond.

Rhoda, who is often referred to as the matriarch of Taos Ski Valley, was known for her ability to wield a hammer and get things done at TSV. 

Shortly after being born in England in 1913, Rhoda was orphaned as a result of the First World War. She was then adopted through a London Jewish organization and was later raised in New York. After meeting her husband, the two packed up and moved to northern New Mexico. While founding TSV, the couple raised three children in a 12-foot trailer.

Recounting the early days Rhoda said, “it was like one big family.”

The Taos Ski Valley will surely miss their mother.  

Rhoda Blake died a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.

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