Necrology
David Clayton Pettig '68
Mar. 17, 1946-Aug. 31, 2021
David Clayton Pettig ’68, P’03 died on Aug. 31, 2021, in Victor, N.Y. Born in Orange, N.J., on March 17, 1946, he grew up in Millburn, N.J., and came to Hamilton from Millburn High School. On the Hill, he majored in history and was a member of Delta Phi fraternity. He was also the manager of the Bristol Campus Center, chairman of the Intramural Committee, and on the staff of WHCL-FM.
On March 21, 1970, David married Kim L. Garcia, sister of Lee Garcia ’67 and a speech pathologist in Penfield, N.Y., near Rochester. David was at that time working for the Lincoln-Rochester Trust Co. as a trust officer, an experience no doubt foundational to his subsequent career as a trusts and estates attorney. To prepare for his legal career, David entered Boston University's Law School in 1973 and earned his Juris Doctor three years later.
Thereafter, he and Kim returned to the Rochester area, which would remain home for the rest of his life. They had two sons. For many years, David maintained a small legal practice with offices in Rochester and in Pittsford, N.Y., with a focus on estate planning and tax advice. In 1988, he was certified by the Florida Bar Board to provide comparable services in that state. As an expert in this area, he maintained an active correspondence with then-Director of Planned Giving Ben Madonia ’74, in support of the College’s efforts to encourage alumni to consider deferred giving in their estate planning.
Outside of work, David served as a Boy Scout leader, baseball coach, and computer games teammate to his sons, Clark and Bruce, with whom he later traveled to Scotland and Alaska. At some point, his marriage to Kim dissolved. In 2015, he married Susan, with whom he traveled, attended the theater, and took cooking classes.
David C. Pettig is survived by his wife and his two sons, one of whom is Clark Pettig ’03.
