Spas of America is saddened to announce that Canyon Ranch founder, Melvin “Mel” Zuckerman, passed peacefully yesterday at the age of 94.
For thousands of Canyon Ranch guests, Mel was the personification of the brand and company that he, his wife Enid, and his partner Jerry Cohen, built. He inspired everyone he met to discover and pursue a well way of life. As we mourn, we also celebrate the accomplishments and impact of his remarkable life. Mel will be remembered most fondly as a devoted father, grandfather, great-grandfather, loving husband, and compassionate friend.
There is an unlikely quality to Mel’s origin story and how he came to found one of the world’s premier wellness guidance companies. Born in New Jersey on May 23, 1928, he had asthma as a child and was cautioned to avoid exercise from an early age. As an adult in his fifties, during an era in which health and fitness were not mainstream objectives, Mel found himself 40 pounds overweight, unfit, and at odds with his body. Determined to make a change, he went to a ‘fat farm’ in California where he lost weight but, more importantly, found purpose. He discovered renewed energy and confidence built on healthy habits and mindful living. In 1978, Mel decided to share his ‘aha’ moment with the world.
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In 1979, already a successful real estate developer, Mel and his wife Enid liquidated their assets and used all their resources to buy the dilapidated 42-acre Double U Dude Ranch near Sabino Canyon in Tucson, Arizona. He renovated the old ranch buildings and carefully retained the natural beauty and magic of the site. When it came time to name the new resort, he called it Canyon Ranch, “a name derived from Sabino Canyon and the Double U Dude Ranch.” The mission: To ensure each person believes in the power of their possibilities and to help people live younger – and longer.
Success was not instantaneous, but Mel and Enid persevered—long before wellness became a multi-trillion-dollar industry. His first-of-its-kind wellness resort, in Tucson, pioneered an integrative approach, drawing holistic methods, treatments, and evidence from western and eastern practices to address the well-being of mind, body, and spirit. Embracing exercise, a healthful diet, and attention to one’s mind and spirit, Canyon Ranch helped usher in the modern wellness movement. To make it all work, Mel assembled a team of caring, engaged colleagues who combined their expertise with his focus on the guest experience.
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Mel was loved because he took the time to make Canyon Ranch a family, helping individual colleagues through hard times and rewarding hard work and dedication. He set the tone and the example with his passion for the purpose of Canyon Ranch. And he loved the guests. He always had time to stop and chat with anyone who wanted to meet him and hear his inspirational stories.
Mel leaves behind an impressive legacy. Throughout his tenure as owner and founder, he expanded Canyon Ranch into new properties and successful ventures, including the resort in Lenox, Massachusetts, and the Spa-Fitness resort in The Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas.
In 2017, Mel and Enid transferred Canyon Ranch to John Goff, a patron and investor for two decades. But Mel and Enid never left the Canyon Ranch family. They continued their involvement, living on the property and frequently meeting with guests and colleagues.
Mel is survived by his wife Enid, and his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. All will cherish the time we had with Mel and the example he set for wellness and purpose. His spirit will live on in our memories and the many lives he has touched through Canyon Ranch. He will be missed.
The Zuckerman Family welcomes your condolences which can be mailed to the address below. In lieu of gifts, a memorial fund has been established with Pima County Joint Technical Education District (JTed). This fund will go directly to support a new Health and Medical High School at Pima JTED for students and young adults pursuing careers in the medical field. Mel’s passion to support quality health care for all will live on through this fund.
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