Pauline Ann Garrigan

On July 19, 2024, Pauline Ann Garrigan (92) passed peacefully in her Lakewood home, surrounded by loved ones. A proud Colorado native, Pauline was born March 15, 1932 in New Raymer and moved several times with her family before finally putting down roots in Silt, Colorado. She graduated from Rifle’s Union High School, with a joint-honor scholarship to attend her choice of six Colorado State Institutions of Higher Learning, including the Colorado School of Mines, CU, and CSU. Rather than pursuing a degree, Pauline opted to follow her heart and marry her high school sweetheart, Paul Garrigan. They married March 31, 1950 and welcomed their only child, daughter Janet, in August 1952. 

Pauline and Paul moved to Denver after Paul was discharged from the Navy. She worked at Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph until the early Sixties. Then, after a decade of part-time work, Pauline joined the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association staff to work alongside her daughter and best friend, Jan. When she retired from the dealer’s association in 1997, Pauline quickly settled into her favorite pastime, gardening, which she enjoyed for the rest of her life. 

Pauline was gentle, generous, kind, compassionate, and loving. She had a wicked sense of humor and a huge soft spot for her beloved dog, Mitzi. She was stubborn and could be intractable, and yet, she had a way of endearing herself to everyone she encountered. Determined never to pose a burden on anyone, she was fiercely independent – particularly in her later years. Pauline will be dearly missed. 

She is survived by her daughter, Jan Garrigan, her son-in-law John Noe; her sister, Joyce Tiahart; niece, Wendy Martin and nephews, John, Jeff and David Piper and their respective families. She is preceded in death by her husband Paul, her parents Kenneth and Helen Piper, brothers Harold, Carl, Duane, and her younger sister, Tootsie. 

Funeral services will be held July 31, 2024, at 1:00 pm at Horan & McConaty Funeral Services, 3101 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Lakewood Colorado 80227. There will be a reception at the mortuary following the service. Flowers can be sent to the funeral home. Donations may be made in Pauline’s honor to the National Kidney Foundation, 720.478.9991.