Michael Joseph "Mike" Pigott

Cause of death was cardiac arrest.

Pigott, 61, joined forces in 1988 with Mark McNeely and, later, David Fox to create the firm, which now employs more than 70 and has satellite offices in Texas and Washington, D.C.

Prior to his career in public relations, Pigott was an award-winning investigative and political reporter for the now-defunct Nashville Banner.

The Cleveland, Ohio, native moved to Nashville after graduating from Purdue University in 1976. It was at Purdue that he met his wife, local architect Sharon McRedmond Pigott.

Pigott covered several presidential and other campaigns while at the afternoon newspaper. He was the recipient of many awards, including the Malcolm Law Memorial Award for Investigative Reporting in 1977 and 1979, the United Press International Award for Investigative Reporting in 1978, and another for Public Service Reporting in 1980.

Pigott had a wonderful sense of humor and was always ready with a quip. His investigative stories about politicians were tough, but he remained friends with almost all his subjects. After 12 years with the Banner, Pigott moved to public relations, where his clients included the Tennessee Titans, Nashville Electric Service, Skanska Construction and the Southeast U.S./Japan Association.

Consistently ranked as one of the most influential public relations professionals in Nashville by various publications, Pigott also took time out from his career to provide communications counsel to former governor and Nashville Mayor Phil Bredesen and current Mayor Karl Dean. He also worked on a state Supreme Court re-election race as well as other legislative races.

“Mike Pigott made a tremendous impact on the city of Nashville and the state of Tennessee, first as an award-winning journalist whose source network was the envy of every one of his competitors, and since 1988 as the partner of what would become one of the Southeast’s best PR firms,” said McNeely. “His projects included the downtown arena, the Tennessee Titans, Nissan Stadium, the Country Music Hall of Fame, work for mayors and governors, and scores of other high-profile successful projects. He was just as proud of his work with pro bono, not-for-profit clients like Hands On Nashville and Safe Haven. He was truly one-of-a-kind, talented, witty, a loving father, world traveler and ballroom dancer extraordinaire. We will all miss his many contributions.”

Active in the Nashville community, he served on the boards of the Middle Tennessee YMCA, Hands On Nashville and Safe Haven. He remained a proud and loyal alumnus of his high school, Cathedral Latin School in Cleveland, and kept in frequent contact with fellow alumni and friends through Facebook. He was one of the founders of the Nashville Swine Ball, which raised more than a quarter of a million dollars for the American Cancer Society.

In recent years, Pigott and his wife, Sharon, had taken up ballroom dancing, and the couple competed in numerous dancing events. He also indulged a passion for international travel and photography, delighting in taking pictures of his world travels and grandson, Connor. He was an accomplished cook and loved turning out big meals for family and friends.

Pigott is survived by his wife of 39 years, Sharon; three daughters, Mary Byrne Dailey (Chris), Connolly Behr (Chris) and Ellen Pigott; grandson, Connor Joseph Dailey; sisters Margie Flynn (Danny) and Marybeth Glasier (Don); and brothers Steve Pigott and Dan Pigott (Susan).

He was preceded in death by his father, Joseph Daniel Pigott, in 2001, and mother, Mary Byrne Pigott, in 2004.

The family will receive friends at The Fleming Center at Cathedral of the Incarnation on Thursday, July 2, from 3 to 7 p.m. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at the Cathedral of the Incarnation on Friday, July 3, at 2 p.m. Interment in Calvary Cemetery. Following the burial, there will be an Irish wake at The Fleming Center.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Joseph D. Pigott University Circle Leadership Award Fund (10831 Magnolia Drive, Cleveland, OH 44106) or Safe Haven Family Shelter (1234 Third Ave. South, Nashville, TN 37210).