Arthur L. Zigas

October 23, 1924 - March 11, 2016

Arthur L. Zigas, of San Francisco, died peacefully in his home at Rhoda Goldman Plaza in San Francisco, CA on March 11, 2016. The cause was acute renal failure. Zigas had battled Alzheimer’s disease in recent years, as well.

A native of New York who grew up in Washington Heights, Zigas was an accomplished Professional Engineer specializing in heating, ventilating and air conditioning. He was a 1944 graduate of the Cooper Union in New York and co- founded the firm Wald and Zigas, which later became Zigas and Associates. He worked on many public and private projects in the New York area and around the United States while living in Forest Hills and East Meadow, NY. His work included projects with prominent architects including Davis Brody, Richard Meier, among others. He later joined Welton Becket Associates and later became Vice President of the international engineering firm of Syska and Hennessey. He moved to San Francisco to open and supervise an office for the firm in 1977. During his tenure there he oversaw a number of large engineering projects, including the Monterey Bay Aquarium. After his retirement from Syska and Hennessey he continued in solo practice until 2009, working on both commercial and residential projects. Zigas had a life- long love of scouting, founding Boy Scout troop 478 in East Meadow, NY and serving as Scoutmaster there for a number of years. He also was an accomplished glider pilot, a sport he took up in 1968 and pursued avidly until moving to San Francisco. He and his brother Sidney, who predeceased him, competed in cross country and other glider competitions throughout the Northeastern United States. He was a devoted fan of the San Francisco Opera, appearing numerous times as a supernumerary in different productions. He was known for his lively sense of humor and quick wit, often with a sharp, ribald twist. Zigas maintained a close relationship with the Cooper Union throughout his life, organizing alumni events and helping to raise financial support for the school. He credited the Cooper Union’s tuition free policy as having been a key reason he was able to obtain an engineering degree and build a successful professional career. He was named Alumnus of the Year in 2001 in recognition of these efforts. Zigas was married to Irma ( Greenhut), who predeceased him in 2013. He died on the date of their 50th wedding anniversary. Theirs was a partnership of equals and they loved traveling, visiting every continent in their long lives together. They raised five children, Barry ( Jodie Levin- Epstein), Eric ( Nancy Windesheim), Carrie Benson ( Paul), Eve Brendel ( Wolfgang) and Rita ZigasBrown ( Greg Brown) and eleven grandchildren, all of whom survive him. His first wife Constance ( Ganser) died in 1964. He loved small children, and everything chocolate. The family will have a private ceremony and provide information about a memorial at a later date.