When Colin Fitzgibbons lost his battle with colon cancer at the age of 46, he left a permanent imprint on both the Dallas skyline and the lives he helped shape as a community leader, devoted father, and friend.
“I’ve never known anyone who loved people more than he did,” Colin’s wife, Jessica, said. “I feel like his legacy that he’s passed on to my boys is just living through kindness and love and taking care of others.”
Now, Colin’s family hopes to continue the Preston Hollow-raised business leader’s dedication to helping other Texans.
When the co-chairs of this year’s Cattle Baron’s Ball, Cynthia Everitt and Paige Westhoff, reached out about recognizing Colin and the Fitzgibbons family at the paddle raise to support innovative cancer research in Texas, Jessica said the family was grateful for the opportunity to help.
She called being asked to be the honorees “incredible” and a meaningful way to remember her husband, who was a leader in the booming North Texas real estate industry and served as president of Hunt Realty Investments.
Colin had hoped to attend last fall’s Cattle Baron’s Ball but was unable to go because of his failing health, Jessica said.
“He wanted his story to matter, and he wanted to be able to help other people moving forward,” she added. “I feel like this opportunity has just given me the chance to carry on his legacy and do what he had hoped to do, since he’s no longer here to do it.”
Jessica said that colon cancer research funded by events such as the Cattle Baron’s Ball gives her reason to be optimistic about fighting the disease. The incidence of colon and rectal cancer is rising rapidly among adults under 50, and it has become the leading cause of cancer-related death in younger adults, according to the Cancer Research Institute.
“Especially where colon cancer is concerned, there really haven’t been any innovations and new treatments in the recent past,” Jessica said.
Everitt and Westhoff said they’re grateful for the Fitzgibbons family’s support of the Cattle Baron’s Ball’s mission.
“Talking about Colin and the paddle raise reminds us why we’re doing what we’re doing,” Everitt said.
Though the Cattle Baron’s Ball is 53 years old, this will be just the fourth year the Ball has had a paddle raise component.
“It’s so impactful because it pulls it all back to why are we here? What are we doing it for?” Westhoff said.
Everitt added that the chairs are hopeful Colin’s story will motivate attendees to support the Ball’s mission of improving lives and making a difference for cancer research.
“We knew their story would be compelling,” she said, “and we can do some good here.”
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