Brian Vogt, CEO of Denver Botanic Gardens, dies at 66

More than almost anything in the world, Denver Botanic Gardens chief executive Brian Vogt loved people.

It came out in big ways, like his tireless efforts to make the gardens welcoming for all, and in small ways, like the way he stopped to talk with every volunteer planting flowers and wrote birthday cards for his employees.

“Brian was the most generous person on the planet,” said Deborah Jordy, executive director of the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District. “He touched my life in the most meaningful way. He was always there for me, his staff and board, our cultural community and business community.”

Vogt died early Tuesday morning from cancer, his sister, Teri Bray, told The Denver Post. He was 66.

Over his 18-year tenure as CEO, Vogt became a national leader in the garden world and transformed the Denver Botanic Gardens with events, music, film and collaboration, Jordy said.

“He would come up with these ideas and you’d think, ‘Can we do that?’” said Mary Lee Chin, chair of the garden’s Board of Trustees. “And he would make it happen.”

That included overseeing and raising funds for master development plans to transform both the York Street and Chatfield Farms campuses, Chin said.

One of Vogt’s biggest passions was making the gardens a place for everyone, Chin said. Programs for people of all ages and backgrounds, adding shuttle buses to increase access for people who needed transportation and veterans programs were all brought to fruition under Vogt’s leadership.

“It truly was such an open place because his goal was to make it not only a place of beauty, but a place where people can come and move apart from their busy, chaotic every day lives and enjoy nature and flowers and find solace,” she said.