Alaska hospital won’t discuss Gronsky’s illness

Longtime Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce member Art Gronsky, 87, is in critical condition at a hospital in Alaska, a spokeswoman said Friday morning.

Gronsky, a former Newport Beach Citizen of the Year and a frequent volunteer at community events, fell ill while on vacation in Alaska and has reportedly been in a coma ever since. A spokeswoman for Alaska Regional Hospital in Anchorage confirmed Gronsky’s condition but declined to discuss the nature of his illness or how long he had been in the hospital.

Wally Zieglar, a longtime friend who has been in touch with Gronsky’s companion by phone, said the Balboa resident had fallen ill on Monday and not regained consciousness.

Word of Gronsky’s illness spread around the Newport community this week, as the Chamber of Commerce mentioned him in an invocation Thursday evening during a ceremony at the Newport Dunes Resort.

— Michael Miller