Community Honors Life of Hyland Hills GM Steve Loose

Hyland Hills Park and Recreation District lost a treasured friend in Steve Loose when he passed away Tuesday, October 23rd. Loose spent 42 years with the park District where he started as the athletic supervisor in 1973. He was part of the initial Hyland Hills employee team who lent a hand to physically construct Hyland Hills Water World’s first two water slides, in 1979. Later, Loose assisted with group sales and marketing, until 1984, when he was named general manager. During his tenure as general manager, Water World evolved from a small water play attraction, into one of the world’s most innovative and award-winning water parks. Loose remained in that position until he retired in 2016.

Today, Water World features more than 50 attractions, all thoughtfully laid out over 70 hilly acres in Federal Heights, and has hosted more than 15 million visitors. Additionally, under Steve’s watch, about 30,000 area youth found their first employment opportunity at Water World.

While Water World has enjoyed remarkable success and accolades as the nation’s first publically-owned water park, Loose was also recognized individually, earning dozens of awards, including the Colorado Special District Association’s Distinguished Manager Award in 1993 and the World Waterpark Association’s (“WWA”) Commitment to Excellence award in 1996. In 2016, he was inducted into the waterpark industry’s esteemed WWA Hall of Fame where he will be immortalized among the industry’s greatest innovators.

Hyland Hills Executive Director Yvonne Fischbach said of Loose, “Steve was a hard-working, one-of-a- kind personality, and a true gentleman. Though gone, his signature will remain on the Hyland Hills District and Water World, forever.”

The District will say goodbye to Steve Loose on Saturday, November 3, at a Celebration of Life event being hosted by his family, in Westminster.

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