Active 7 years, 3 months ago
1937-2020
Vince Kontny
Vince Kontny, a friend and respected by all, passed away peacefully in his sleep August 9, 2020 at his home on the Centennial Ranch in Ouray County, Colorado at age 83.
Vince was the ninth of ten children born to Ed and Ruth Kontny of Julesburg, Colorado on a cattle ranch. His parents were highly respected in NE Colorado. His mother helped prepare and deliver food to soldiers passing through on troop train in WWII. Vince attended a rural, one-room school near the family ranch and later grade school and high school in Julesburg. He attended the University of Colorado in Boulder graduating in 1958 with a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering. In later years he served on numerous boards for the University and was recognized with an honorary Doctor of Science and the Distinguished Alumni Award in 1991. He was also active with Stanford University for many years, attended the Stanford Executive Program, served on the Engineering Advisory Committee, and taught a course on Project Management he developed for the Engineering Graduate School.
Vince entered the Navy in 1958 and was assigned to the Navy Civil Engineer Corps and sent to the Seabees where he served as an officer for more than six years in several locations in the Pacific and Southeast Asia. He volunteered for a small, elite team of Seabees during the early stages of the Vietnam conflict who were helping the Vietnamese people in remote locations building roads, bridges, medical facilities, marketplaces and other projects. He was so successful with this 13 man team that he was asked to stay on in SE Asia and head up a number of other teams that were sent to do the same work. It was here 55 years ago that he had another future member and President of the National Academy of Construction, Jack Buffington, working for him as an officer in charge of one of these early teams in Vietnam. Jack went on to become a Rear Admiral, Head of the Seabees and Chief of Navy Construction Engineers. One of Vince’s favorite sayings was “While I received my degree from the University of Colorado, I received my education in the Seabees”. Vince and Jack remained close personal friends for the past 55 years and Jack gives Vince credit for training him well in those early days which played a large role in his future success in the Navy.
During the time Vince was in charge of the Seabee Teams some of the Teams were assigned to the Army Special Forces in very remote locations to help stabilize the war support from local Vietnamese. One of these locations produced the first Medal of Honor for the Navy in Vietnam when their camp was overrun by some 2000 North Vietnamese and one of the Seabees on team 1104 saved many lives prior to giving his during the two-day battle. That Seabee was Marvin Shields.
Vince told Jack he was leaving the Navy in September 1965 and was going to Australia to see what kind of work was available there. He took his discharge in Bangkok, Thailand and headed for NW Australia where he got a job as basically a laborer on a railroad that was being used to construct several mines. In three years he rose to the Chief Construction Superintendent for the railroad and some of the mines. Fluor International bought the railroad and the mine construction efforts and Vince came with the deal to Fluor. He was later transferred down to Melbourne where he managed development projects in Queensland and construction of coal mining facilities as well as an export port on the coast. It was in Melbourne where Vince met and married a former Australian airline attendant and later a Fluor executive secretary Joan Dashwood FitzGibbon.
Vince remained with Fluor and traveled the world working on projects on seven continents with a workforce of over 30,000 employees working in 67 countries. He retired in 1994 from Fluor as President and Chief Operating Officer. After his retirement, he continued to serve in the construction industry as a consultant and for two years as the Chief Operating Officer for the Washington Group International of Boise, Idaho during a period of financial crisis and put the company solidly back in the black. Additionally, he served on the Board of Directors for the Canadian firm Agra and the Dutch-registered firm Chicago Bridge and Iron headquartered in Houston. He also served on the Seabee Historical Foundation Board of Directors for several years during this period. In 2004 he was inducted into NAC and relieved Jack Buffington as President in 2007. Vince exhibited exemplary leadership in international construction on all seven continents at the highest level of management.
Vince was always dedicated to providing assistance for health and welfare activities as well as education at all levels. He was a long-time member of the United Way in Orange County, California where he served as a board member and a fundraising campaign chairman raising over $20 million. He also served as a board member and fundraising campaign chair for the creation of the world-class Discovery Science Center in Orange County.
During all his professional success Vince never lost track of his dream to return to ranching. He and Joan and their kids toured the Southwestern Colorado mountains and purchased the spectacular Last Dollar Ranch near Telluride in 1989. They decided to restore the ranch to its original way of operation with cattle, horses and hay handling operations similar to the way it was done 100 years earlier. That ranch was so beautiful the Budweiser Corporation, the Marlboro Cigarette Company, several car agencies and many others used this ranch for their advertisements. Three years after buying the Last Dollar Ranch at the 10,000-foot level which was very difficult to raise cattle or anything else on during the winter, they bought the Centennial Ranch on the Uncompahgre River down the mountain but still above the 6000 foot level near Ridgway. Both of these historic ranches were meticulously restored and protected in perpetuity from development with conservation easements ensuring they would forever provide open space, wildlife habitat and remain as working cattle ranches. Vince encouraged other large landowners in the area to do the same with their ranches in perpetuity with conservation easements.
Vince adhered to the Code of the West and continued to operate both ranches as they had been 100 years ago. He was an incredibly accomplished and caring man with a quick wit, mischievous smile and a knack for storytelling. He always had a joke for friends and a knee for his grandchildren whom he adored. Most of all, Vince will be remembered as a loving husband, father, grandfather and friend to all.
Vince exhibited exemplary leadership in international construction on all seven continents at the highest level of management. What an incredible life Vince Kontny lived. He will be missed by all he touched.
Vince was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Joan Dashwood Kontny. He is survived by his children, Natascha (husband Jan) Gundersen of La Canada, California, Michael Kontny of Ridgway, and Amber (husband Adam) Cornell of Ridgway and grandchildren Kai, Siena, Tucker, Landon, Emery, Macey, and Scarlett.
Jack E. Buffington, 2020
Vince was the ninth of ten children born to Ed and Ruth Kontny of Julesburg, Colorado on a cattle ranch. His parents were highly respected in NE Colorado. His mother helped prepare and deliver food to soldiers passing through on troop train in WWII. Vince attended a rural, one-room school near the family ranch and later grade school and high school in Julesburg. He attended the University of Colorado in Boulder graduating in 1958 with a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering. In later years he served on numerous boards for the University and was recognized with an honorary Doctor of Science and the Distinguished Alumni Award in 1991. He was also active with Stanford University for many years, attended the Stanford Executive Program, served on the Engineering Advisory Committee, and taught a course on Project Management he developed for the Engineering Graduate School.
Vince entered the Navy in 1958 and was assigned to the Navy Civil Engineer Corps and sent to the Seabees where he served as an officer for more than six years in several locations in the Pacific and Southeast Asia. He volunteered for a small, elite team of Seabees during the early stages of the Vietnam conflict who were helping the Vietnamese people in remote locations building roads, bridges, medical facilities, marketplaces and other projects. He was so successful with this 13 man team that he was asked to stay on in SE Asia and head up a number of other teams that were sent to do the same work. It was here 55 years ago that he had another future member and President of the National Academy of Construction, Jack Buffington, working for him as an officer in charge of one of these early teams in Vietnam. Jack went on to become a Rear Admiral, Head of the Seabees and Chief of Navy Construction Engineers. One of Vince’s favorite sayings was “While I received my degree from the University of Colorado, I received my education in the Seabees”. Vince and Jack remained close personal friends for the past 55 years and Jack gives Vince credit for training him well in those early days which played a large role in his future success in the Navy.
During the time Vince was in charge of the Seabee Teams some of the Teams were assigned to the Army Special Forces in very remote locations to help stabilize the war support from local Vietnamese. One of these locations produced the first Medal of Honor for the Navy in Vietnam when their camp was overrun by some 2000 North Vietnamese and one of the Seabees on team 1104 saved many lives prior to giving his during the two-day battle. That Seabee was Marvin Shields.
Vince told Jack he was leaving the Navy in September 1965 and was going to Australia to see what kind of work was available there. He took his discharge in Bangkok, Thailand and headed for NW Australia where he got a job as basically a laborer on a railroad that was being used to construct several mines. In three years he rose to the Chief Construction Superintendent for the railroad and some of the mines. Fluor International bought the railroad and the mine construction efforts and Vince came with the deal to Fluor. He was later transferred down to Melbourne where he managed development projects in Queensland and construction of coal mining facilities as well as an export port on the coast. It was in Melbourne where Vince met and married a former Australian airline attendant and later a Fluor executive secretary Joan Dashwood FitzGibbon.
Vince remained with Fluor and traveled the world working on projects on seven continents with a workforce of over 30,000 employees working in 67 countries. He retired in 1994 from Fluor as President and Chief Operating Officer. After his retirement, he continued to serve in the construction industry as a consultant and for two years as the Chief Operating Officer for the Washington Group International of Boise, Idaho during a period of financial crisis and put the company solidly back in the black. Additionally, he served on the Board of Directors for the Canadian firm Agra and the Dutch-registered firm Chicago Bridge and Iron headquartered in Houston. He also served on the Seabee Historical Foundation Board of Directors for several years during this period. In 2004 he was inducted into NAC and relieved Jack Buffington as President in 2007. Vince exhibited exemplary leadership in international construction on all seven continents at the highest level of management.
Vince was always dedicated to providing assistance for health and welfare activities as well as education at all levels. He was a long-time member of the United Way in Orange County, California where he served as a board member and a fundraising campaign chairman raising over $20 million. He also served as a board member and fundraising campaign chair for the creation of the world-class Discovery Science Center in Orange County.
During all his professional success Vince never lost track of his dream to return to ranching. He and Joan and their kids toured the Southwestern Colorado mountains and purchased the spectacular Last Dollar Ranch near Telluride in 1989. They decided to restore the ranch to its original way of operation with cattle, horses and hay handling operations similar to the way it was done 100 years earlier. That ranch was so beautiful the Budweiser Corporation, the Marlboro Cigarette Company, several car agencies and many others used this ranch for their advertisements. Three years after buying the Last Dollar Ranch at the 10,000-foot level which was very difficult to raise cattle or anything else on during the winter, they bought the Centennial Ranch on the Uncompahgre River down the mountain but still above the 6000 foot level near Ridgway. Both of these historic ranches were meticulously restored and protected in perpetuity from development with conservation easements ensuring they would forever provide open space, wildlife habitat and remain as working cattle ranches. Vince encouraged other large landowners in the area to do the same with their ranches in perpetuity with conservation easements.
Vince adhered to the Code of the West and continued to operate both ranches as they had been 100 years ago. He was an incredibly accomplished and caring man with a quick wit, mischievous smile and a knack for storytelling. He always had a joke for friends and a knee for his grandchildren whom he adored. Most of all, Vince will be remembered as a loving husband, father, grandfather and friend to all.
Vince exhibited exemplary leadership in international construction on all seven continents at the highest level of management. What an incredible life Vince Kontny lived. He will be missed by all he touched.
Vince was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Joan Dashwood Kontny. He is survived by his children, Natascha (husband Jan) Gundersen of La Canada, California, Michael Kontny of Ridgway, and Amber (husband Adam) Cornell of Ridgway and grandchildren Kai, Siena, Tucker, Landon, Emery, Macey, and Scarlett.
Jack E. Buffington, 2020
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