Steve Myers

Steve Myers, the builder of the old drive-in theater in South Lake Tahoe and one time owner of Echo Summit Ski Area, died June 24, 2016. He was 94.

Steve was born July 7, 1921, in Minneapolis to Frank Colby Myers and Mildred Dyer Myers. The family soon moved to Oakland.

Steve graduated from UC Berkeley in 1942. He then joined the military, what with the U.S. having entered World War II. Steve served with the 101st Airborne Division over Utah Beach in the invasion of Europe and over Holland. He transferred to the 501st Parachute Infantry where he fought in the Battle of the Bulge.

Steve moved to South Lake Tahoe in 1947 and built the Tahoe Drive-In Theatre. Owning the theater was a summer job for Steve, allowing him in the winter to attend Stanford University where he earned his MBA. This is where he met Jean Thayer. There were married in 1953.

Jean had never seen it snow before, however,with their purchase in 1957 of the Echo Summit Ski Area that would change.

In 1962 they cast an even wider business model and began to get involved in retail stores in the state line area. In 1970 they sold the ski area and theatre and dove head first into their growing retail business.

They moved to Fairfield for health reasons.

Jean Myers died on April 5, 2008.

The Myers Trust, administered on their behalf by the El Dorado Community Foundation, will provide an ongoing financial support for learning and exploration for generations of South Lake Tahoe residents for years to come.

There will be a celebration of life on Oct. 22 at 2pm at Chapel of Flowers, Cherokee Memorial Park in Lodi. RSVP to tahoesum@gmail.com or call the El Dorado Community Foundation at 530.622.5621.