Eleanor Ruth Brickham

Longtime Aspen resident Ellie Brickham died in her house of natural causes on Friday, May 2, 2008. Ellie was born and raised in Denver on Feb. 5, 1923, to Marie and Ben Brickham and moved to Aspen in 1951. She was Aspen’s first woman architect, working with Herbert Bayer and Fritz Benedict in the early days on numerous notable and historically significant projects, including the Aspen Institute campus, and later she designed more than 60 residential and commercial buildings locally.

She served on the board of and was honored by the Aspen Historical Preservation Committee, and she was presented with a Preservation Honor Award in 2001. She also had served on the Pitkin County Planning and Zoning commission and the Board of Adjustments over the years.

As stated in a proclamation by Aspen’s Mayor Klanderud in 2003, “Ellie is one of the post-Paepcke pioneers, and is, without question, one of Aspen’s treasured ‘characters.’”

Ellie is survived by her sister and brother-in-law, Virginia and Louis Messina of Denver;, her niece Jennifer (Scott) Ketter and son Josh of Parker; and nephew Scott Messina (Debbie Kelly) of Aspen.

A private service will be held in Denver. A memorial and celebration of her life is being planned for this summer in Aspen and will be announced. Donations are requested to be sent to the Aspen Music School or Denver Dumb Friends League.