Edward Harold Ziegler Jr

Professor Edward Harold Ziegler Jr, 77, of Castle Pines, CO, passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones on October 30th, 2025. Edward was born in Newport, KY, on May 31, 1948. He was an outstanding athlete in three sports and a high school All-American in football at Newport Catholic in Newport, Kentucky. He then starred as a running back in college football at the University of Notre Dame where he was known as Zig-Zag Ziegler for his trademark running style. He is still in the record books at both Newport Catholic and Notre Dame for his athletic performance. He later earned his J.D. from the University of Kentucky (1973) and his LL.M. with highest honors from George Washington University (1975).

Edward Ziegler served with distinction as Professor of Law and the inaugural holder of the Robert B. Yegge Memorial Research Chair in Law at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. At DU, he co-founded and served as past president of the Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute at the University of Denver School of Law, the premier research and conference institute on community planning law and sustainable development in the western United States. He authored the authoritative five-volume treatise The Law of Zoning and Planning and the classroom casebook Land Use Regulation. His writing has been cited by state appellate courts in all fifty states, and has been quoted in federal and even U.S. Supreme Court decisions.

With a global footprint, Professor Ziegler traveled widely as an Erasmus Mundus Distinguished Visiting Scholar in Law and delivered invited lectures across China and Europe. His legal scholarship spanned core fields including zoning, urban planning law, constitutional law, administrative law, and protection of private property rights. He is considered one of the more prolific and influential legal scholars of his generation.

In retirement, Edward dedicated himself to understanding the long-term brain health of former football players. He became a driving force behind what would ultimately become the Notre Dame Former Players Medical Research Project, undertaken with the Boston University School of Medicine. This independent medical study is designed to assess the impact of playing major college football on the physical and mental health of former Notre Dame football players from the years 1964-1980, expanded in the second phase to former players over 40 years old, both as they have aged and continue to age in the years ahead. Edward had an unwavering commitment to the health and well-being of his fellow Fighting Irish, from the players of the 1960s and 70s to those who came after, and the generations yet to come. Although the research project is totally independent of the University of Notre Dame, Edward worked tirelessly to raise awareness, ensuring that Notre Dame’s administration and university leaders recognized the importance of this work and the need to safeguard the health of all players. For the last several years, Ed won the unbridled admiration of his fellow Notre Dame teammates, from each decade, for his tireless leadership on this project. His posthumous brain tissue donation to the Boston University CTE Brain Bank stands as a testament to his enduring dedication to the health of others.

In his personal life Edward found joy and balance in nature. He enjoyed taking long walks, performing Tai Chi, and doting on his granddaughters Skylar and Peyton. Edward also wrote poetry in his spare time most notably "What the Heart Already Knows" a collection of 10 poems. Edward was known for his fun-loving spirit, ready smile, and infectious hearty laugh. He had a great passion for fishing most notably as an occasional fly-fishing companion of the late Justice Antonin Scalia and good friend and co-founder of the Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute Chris Duerksen on Rocky Mountain streams.

Professor Ziegler was predeceased by his parents Edward and Rita Ziegler, brothers Vincent and Robert and sister Linda. He is survived by his son Adam Ziegler and daughter-in-law Nichelle of Castle Rock, CO, sisters Sylvia Burke of Union, KY, Jeannine Ravenscraft of Leadville, CO, and granddaughters Skylar and Peyton of Castle Rock, CO.

We honor Edward Ziegler's life, his service, his intellect, his kindness, and lively spirit. His global travel and lectures reflect a scholar who not only mastered his field but shared it generously across borders, cultures, and continents. In his memory, we recommit to the values he advanced: thoughtful development, respect for private property, sustainable communities, and the transformative power of teaching and inquiry.

May his work continue to guide and his spirit continue to inspire.

Celebration of Life will be held from 1 PM to 4 PM, on Saturday, December 13th, 2025, at Newport Central Catholic High School and in Denver in March in conjunction with the annual conference of the Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to:

Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute - Sturm College of Law
https://www.law.du.edu/give

BU CTE Brain Bank and Neuropathology Fund
https://www.bu.edu/cte/financial-support/

Newport Central Catholic High School
https://ncchs.com/donate

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