From Judith Rice-Jones -

In honor of Gerry Riggs

Many thanks to those who arranged the moving tribute to Gerry.  The number of his friends and fans was impressive as was the breadth of his interests and friendships.   Gerry was an exceptionally genuine and authentic individual and everyone recognized this quality in him.

  

I didn’t hear anyone address Gerry’s recognition of the beauty of our campus and its unique site opposite Pikes Peak.  At a past exhibit, Gerry displayed a number of his photos of the wonderful rock formations on the bluffs.   Gerry often hiked all of the 500 plus acres of our campus and knew the unique beauty spots and exquisite view corridors that many have never seen or fully appreciated.

I believe it was this recognition of the specialness of our site and topography that bonded Gerry and Dot Heller.  Like Virginia Trembly, Dot and Larry Heller loved the land and its topography.  Dot was a founding member of the local Horticultural Arts Society and though she planted iris and lilacs immediately adjacent to their home she knew enough to appreciate the rich diversity of the plant life on their property and thus preserved the native plant communities.  With the loss of Gerry and the earlier loss last fall of Martha Mattoon, two people who knew Dot Heller and her hopes for her land are gone.

Gerry also took the time to fulfill a specific request of Dot’s.  When Larry died, Dot had scattered his ashes on the Heller land.  She had asked the same for herself but instead her ashes were buried next to the headstone for her and Larry.  After the service, Gerry disinterred her ashes and scattered them as Dot had requested.