Members of AIA Colorado, the AIA national component, and the National Associates Committee are deeply saddened by the death of Jason Pettigrew, Assoc. AIA. Pettigrew was killed July 25 by a fall suffered while climbing in southern Colorado’s Sangre de Christo mountain range. His body was recovered by Custer County Search and Rescue on July 30.

Pettigrew, a 29-year-old experienced climber, was pursuing his goal of scaling Colorado’s “54 Fourteeners,” the peaks over 14,000 feet in elevation, before his 30th birthday this month. He had climbed 49 of them.

AIA Colorado 2004 President Chris Green, AIA, noted, “Jason touched the lives of many individuals, both within our professional organization, as well as outside of it. Jason inspired our organization through his leadership. I valued his energy, contribution, and opinions. His approach, attitude, and leadership values will be deeply missed.”

Pettigrew served the profession in a number of leadership positions. He was the first associate director for the Western Mountain Region Board representing Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and Las Vegas on the national AIA Board of Directors. He was a member of the 2003 AIA Colorado State Board of Directors as an associate director. He also was chair of the fifth annual Young Architects Award’s Gala (YAAG), which honors the efforts of Colorado’s emerging professionals and architecture students.

His leadership was recognized nationally by nomination for this year’s AIA Associate Member of the Year award. In his letter written on Pettigrew’s behalf, Green wrote, “Jason’s leadership and his team are strengthening an event (YAAG) that is unique not just for AIA Colorado, but for the American Institute of Architects.”

For the past several years, Pettigrew created opportunities for involvement for AIA Colorado Associate and student members by organizing outings to social and architectural events in the Denver area. “Jason was a genuine, passionate, and inspirational individual. He will be missed by our staff and all of our members,” said AIA Colorado Executive Director Sonia Riggs.

In addition to his loves of climbing and architecture, Pettigrew was devoted to his church and had recently completed a four-year course in lay ministry at Denver’s St. Johns Episcopal Cathedral, where a memorial was held for him on August 3.

Pettigrew worked for SlaterPaull Architects in Denver and at the time of his death was working on an expansion project for a church in Centennial, Colo., according to the Rocky Mountain News. Originally from New Orleans, Pettigrew was graduated by Rhodes College in Memphis and earned an MArch from the University of Colorado at Denver. He was in the process of taking the ARE. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, those wishing to remember Jason send contributions to Custer County Search and Rescue, PO Box 1489, Westcliffe, CO 81252.

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