In a combination of remembrance and song, nearly 500 students and family members gathered in Holy Trinity Catholic Church Friday night for the memorial service of Daniel Rigby (MSB ’05).

Rigby died in an electrical fire that engulfed the basement of his Prospect Street townhouse early on the morning of Oct. 17.

Rigby’s death was the second of two student fatalities that shook the campus community during the first few weeks of October. His death came only nine days after the accidental drowning of Bobby Tremain (MSB ’05) in the Potomac River.

In attendance at the service were Rigby’s immediate family members including his parents, Kevin and Mary, and his younger brother and sister.

“It has been a pleasure to listen to the many testimonies about the love Dan shared with us in many different and powerful ways,” Rev. Timothy S. Godfrey, S.J., presider and director of campus ministry, said. “We have been touched by his spirit and wonderful sensation of life.”

Rigby’s close friends offered picture pins to all members in attendance in order to celebrate and remember Rigby’s life.

Many faculty spoke in remembrance of Rigby, including Vice President for Student Affairs Todd Olson, who offered a presidential citation in place of University President John J. DeGioia.

“Some events are beyond the realm of understanding, and the question of Dan’s death serves as one of these events,” Olson said. “Whether it was on the rugby field or with the community service work he did, the impression he made on his friends was indelible.”

Olson also touched on the quality of Rigby’s friendship, saying that he was the kind of person anyone would want as a friend.

“The Georgetown community is poorer with the loss of Dan’s presence,” Olson said. “His death frustrates our intellects, and it hurts our hearts, but we were blessed with the gift of having him among us.”

Reena Aggarwal, interim dean of the McDonough School of Business, offered her condolences and spoke in memory of Rigby’s life.

“This marks the second time this semester that I have had to address friends and family of a student that the university has lost,” she said. “In Daniel, I found tremendous promise and bright hopes of a thriving future.”

Aggarwal described Rigby’s love of business, government and law, and noted how his leadership skills instilled in him a sense of confidence and teamwork.

“For Daniel, success was measured by the quality of interaction with others in all aspects of his life,” Aggarwal said.

Many of Rigby’s closest friends spoke in remembrance of his life, including Jay Tedino (COL ’05).

“When you see how many people have gathered here this evening, you could say that Dan created this family. He loved us in the way that we all love each other,” Tedino said. “I remember asking him where he would see himself in 10 to 15 years, and to that, he answered, `It doesn’t really matter, because I have my friends.'”

Dan O’Toole (COL ’04) described Rigby as a tremendous role model who felt compassion for all other humans.

“His personality was too huge. He might as well have been eight feet tall because that’s how he lived,” he said. “There is nothing that would please him more than to see his sphere of influence to continue beyond his namesake.”

Rigby was also remembered by Chloe Kamarck (COL ’07), a close friend who said she always enjoyed her long walks to Safeway with Rigby.

“Walking gave us time to just talk,” she said. “Dan would tell me why his friends were all so great and about how he pushed them to see the world in a different way.”

She also said that Rigby had taught her to walk slowly and with pride.

Rigby’s roommate Michael Buckley (COL ’05) offered a final commemoration, speaking of Rigby as a friend who filled in the missing parts of people’s lives.

“He was our rock, our center,” Buckley said. “He was able to get many of us to do things that some of us would never do.”

Buckley recounted how he and Rigby would often sit on the stoop outside their house and greet people they didn’t know.

“Dan sometimes took it upon himself to be a `solo stooper,’ having a conversation with anyone that would pass by,” he said.

Buckley stressed how closely Rigby held his friends at Georgetown and noted that they were always a priority for him.

“He loved bringing us together, to laugh, cry, confide in him and love. He built bonds as a support structure to last our lifetimes,” Buckley said.

The Office of Student Affairs helped organize the event in conjunction with the Office of Campus Ministry and Rigby’s family.