Thomas Pettigrew

Arden – Thomas Pettigrew, although born in New York City, was a natural heritage Carolinian, and lifelong citizen of Asheville and surrounding Western North Carolina, including Burnsville, Sylva and Old Fort. The son of Charles and Lucy Pettigrew, he grew up attending Trinity Episcopal Church, and was an active member of the Boy Scouts of America. During WWII, he attended Christ School for Boys in Arden, briefly Episcopal High School in Alexandria, VA, but returned home, where he graduated from Asheville High School. He was an enthusiastic outdoorsman, from hiking, mountaineering and vegetable gardening, to Christmas tree farming and sailing. While scouting for water at age twelve in Chunn's Cove, he met his future wife, Martha Ellington, and they were married in 1950, and resided in Asheville, until her death in 1992. Tom began college at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, took time away to help his father in the bottled propane business, then returned to North Carolina State University, where he received his degree in Industrial Engineering. During his career he worked and traveled fairly extensively, for various companies, including Western Electric, with security clearance, developing missile defense systems, in furniture manufacturing for Morgan Manufacturing in Black Mountain, Christie Tyler of England in South Wales, United Kingdom, Steelcase in Fletcher, Hillenbrand Industries, in several states. Following many years of independent engineering and building, and fine stone masonry, he finished his career at UNC Asheville. Tom was a member for many years, in the Asheville Royal Rhododendron Brigade of Guards, and was a North Carolina member of the National Society of the Cincinnati. He studied and appreciated every aspect of history, and viewed history as an unfolding living force. He found much personal and intellectual camaraderie in historic preservation efforts, including participating in living history reenactments in several states, and especially portraying the American Civil War era. He was a member of Marion SCV Camp 379. He was well known for his entertaining stories, based upon his various experiences, and was very happy strumming his folk guitar, and later learning the mountain dulcimer. Tom adored animals, and the affection was always mutual. Tom Pettigrew is survived by his daughter, Katharine Pettigrew Coleman (husband Key), granddaughter Caroline Coleman Easow (husband Amit), and great-granddaughter Adelina Coleman Easow, in addition to many Ellington and Middleton nieces and nephews in the Asheville area. Memorials may be directed to either: - Your local animal rescue shelter, or emergency animal clinic (for families unable to afford life-saving care) or - Friendship Baptist Church, 100 Pine Cove Road, Old Fort, NC 28762.