Individual Details

Obituary

from Nancy Rigg:
This obituary will appear this coming Sunday in the Ventura County Star newspaper. My brother, Jack, Jr., will post obituaries in the Denver and Grand Junction newspapers as well.
It's a sad statement about today's world, but due to identity theft, where thieves are now mining through obituaries and stealing the good credit of those who have left us, we were advised not to include Dad's birthdate or Mom's maiden name...
Thanks,
Nancy

John B. (Jack) Rigg

John B. (Jack) Rigg, 77, of Camarillo passed away December 31, 2003. Jack was born in Omaha, Nebraska and grew up in Grand Junction, Colorado, where he met his childhood sweetheart, Shirley, and married her in 1946. He graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1949.
A decorated World War II veteran, Jack proudly served his country with the U.S. Marine Corps from 1943-1946. He was deployed with the 6th Marine Division, which was activated on Guadalcanal in the South Pacific in 1944, saw combat in Okinawa, and participated in the surrender and occupation of Japan, with post-war military action in Tsingtao, China.
Jack had an adventurer's spirit and independence. After the war, he co-owned and operated Mexican Hat Expeditions with his brothers and was among the first 100 people to run the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. Jack was active in the mining industry throughout his career, working as a drill rig operator, uranium prospector, and an independent mine operator in Colorado. He served as Manager of the Colorado Mining Association and consulted with the Colorado School of Mines. As an executive in the U.S. Department of the Interior, Jack served under three U.S. Presidents, with responsibility for numerous agencies, including the Minerals Management Service. He retired from the Interior Department in 1995 and moved to Camarillo in 1996.
Jack was active in the community, serving with the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #11424 of Camarillo and the Senior Corps of Retired Executives in Ventura County. He was a Life Member of Masonic Lodge 55 in Grand Junction, Colorado, a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, and was a founder and lifetime member of the National Mining Hall of Fame & Museum in Leadville, Colorado.
More than anything, Jack was a dedicated family man, who will be remembered for his quick wit and sense of humor, his love of language and story telling, and his moral courage and character. He is survived by his best friend and wife of 57 years, Shirley, his son, Jack Rigg, Jr., and daughter-in-law, Jan Rigg, of Denver, Colorado, daughter, Nancy Rigg, of Los Angeles, daughter, Betsy Rigg Maxwell, and son-in-law, Hal Maxwell, of Phoenix, Maryland, five grandsons, John B. Rigg III and his wife, Jen, Jim Rigg, and his wife, Lauren, Michael Rigg, Devin Maxwell, and his wife, Katie, Ryan Maxwell, his brother, Robert W. Rigg, and his wife, Karen, of Anchorage, Alaska, and many loving nieces, nephews, cousins and friends around the world.
A memorial service was held January 2, 2004, in Camarillo, followed by cremation. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to the American Lung Association of Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties, 1510 San Andres Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101-4104.
Farewell and God bless, beloved husband, father, and grandfather.