John Brackney once described him as “perhaps the most active member of the community who did not hold an elective office.”

Pete Ross, one of the five founding fathers of Centennial, died at the age of 68 in 2001 after a six-year battle with melanoma.

“He was always there when you needed him,” Centennial Mayor Randy Pye said. “He was very strong-willed. He had very definite opinions, but he always would take the very stringent and narrow road.”

Ross was chairman of the Walnut Hills Civic Association when he started to attend Arapahoe County Council of Organized Development meetings. He eventually became president of the council.

When Pye took over as president, Ross continued as the Walnut Hills council representative.

“It was very easy to work with Pete. He really cared about Walnut Hills and Arapahoe County,” said former Centennial City Councilmember Andrea Suhaka, who was active in the incorporation movement. “From the [pancake breakfast] until his death, Pete campaigned long and hard for the formation of Centennial. He was a very passionate campaigner and did everything he could until cancer forced him to cut way back. He was sorely missed by all, fighting the Centennial fight.”

During Centennial’s battle for incorporation, Ross served as treasurer of the Centennial incorporation committee, keeping track of thousands of donations generated by the grassroots effort.

Ross also was a retired U.S. Air Force colonel who served two tours in Vietnam as a navigator and bombardier. He was appointed in 1998 to the Centennial Airport Board Authority, where he launched a campaign that convinced officials to repair the crosswind runway.

“He was not just a participator. He was an active leader,” Brackney said.

Ross died just 11 months after Centennial’s incorporation.

“I still do miss him in odd moments and find myself wondering whether he would approve of where Centennial is now,” said civic activist Sue Rosser. “I believe and hope that he would.”