Justan Lovvorn, 35, came to Grand County with the intention of working at Winter Park Resort in guest services. It was his first time exploring the seasonal lifestyle, but his journey was cut short in the frigid early hours of Dec. 3, 2024, when he was found dead in Fraser wearing only a light T-shirt and ski pants.

Justan came to Winter Park from Alabama, where his parents, Terri and Richard Lovvorn, still live. He and his sister, Natalie Lovvorn, grew up in the small town of Woodland, which reported a population of 568 people in 2022.

“His family and friends were everything to him,” Natalie wrote in an email to Sky-Hi News.

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The siblings were similar in age, only 20 months apart, and were incredibly close, she said, adding that she will remember her brother as an “amazing, kind, loving, stubborn, hardworking, adventurous, hilarious person.”

While Justan was just getting his start as a seasonal worker, Natalie has been working in seasonal roles — including as a server, bartender and sommelier — for over 10 years.

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Justan loved adventures and moving to Colorado was going to be his next one, according to his family. He was drawn to Colorado by a friend he made while working in Denver. The two continued to stay in touch even after Justan left and returned to Alabama. Justan eventually decided he wanted to return to Colorado, and he got a job at Winter Park Resort.

Justan’s mom, Terri, explained that he felt pulled to Colorado. He became familiar with snowboarding through trips with his church to different ski resorts, which fostered his love for sports and the outdoors.

“It was just a wonderful thing. He was so happy about going back,” Terri said about his return to Colorado. “He had been talking about getting his pilot’s license so he could fly his mom, daddy and sister out there.”

Prior to working at the resort, Justan had been doing tree work for the past 10 years and worked on vehicles as a hobby.

After the news broke of Justan’s death, Terri said people from across the country reached out to her to offer their condolences.

“I didn’t know the magnitude of the people he touched in Colorado that have reached out to me,” Terri said.

Winter Park Resort spokesperson Jen Miller said Justan’s death was “very difficult,” specifically for those who worked with and knew him.

“Everyone I’ve spoken with who knew Justan said he was friendly, thoughtful and positive and that he knew no strangers,” Miller wrote in an email.

Terri said Justan was someone who was always able to find the good in people and easily made friends out of strangers.

“He would always say, ‘Listen, there’s good in everybody, and sometimes you just got to find it.’ He believed that about everybody,” Terri said.

The loss has been incredibly hard for the family, with Terri calling it a “parent’s worst nightmare.”

“As a mother and a father, our world has changed forever,” Terri said. “The norm of what you’re used to doesn’t happen anymore. We miss him so much it hurts.”

Terri wrote in a post online that she still has “so many questions and no answers” about her son’s death. The family said they are hoping justice is served and that anyone responsible for his death is held accountable.

Justan was last seen leaving Tin Cup Tavern, a local bar, according to the Fraser Winter Park Police Department. Officials confirmed the bar’s liquor license has been suspended and that the case remains under investigation. An autopsy along with toxicology analysis is pending to determine the cause and manner of death.

“People of Grand County, please do better in opening your tourist area to people seeking adventure and kindness in your beautiful home,” his sister Natalie said. “To those who did show care and kindness to Justan, thank you so much.”

Meanwhile, the tight-knit family is searching for a way to move forward.

“There’s going to be a light out of this tragedy that happened to my son,” Terri said. “My dad always said there’s a blessing in every situation. Sometimes it presents itself and sometimes you got to dig a little deeper. This one, we’re having to dig. He was a wonderful human being. He loved life. He loved people.”