Peter Arguello was the kind of person who showed up for his community without fuss or flash. He saw a need and he met it, without question or hesitation.
Arguello, 64, was killed in a suspected robbery at his store, Peter Damian Fine Jewelry and Antiques, in Wheat Ridge on Wednesday. His death has caused waves of grief for the community, drawing hundreds to a candlelight vigil outside the store at 7220 W. 38th Ave. on Saturday night.
Arguello’s son, Diego Arguello-Casillas, has heard countless stories over the past few days about how much his dad cared for people – how he was a father figure, friend, teacher, confidant and therapist to many.
“He was a very loving person and very, very against anything violent,” said Arguello-Casillas, a 20-year-old student at the University of Colorado Boulder. “He cared about everyone. He didn’t just have acquaintances, he wanted to get to know people and he loved learning about people.”
Arguello ran the jewelry and antique store for 17 years and has worked in the industry for his entire life, Arguello-Casillas said.
“He couldn’t wait to go to work every day,” Arguello-Casillas said. “He told me that God knows how many times. He used to dream about doing his job, which I know a lot of people find crazy, but he loved every single day and he lived not a day in his life with any regrets.”
Arguello-Casillas could pick out any item in the store and his dad could talk endlessly about who sold it to him, how they found it and why it was significant.
The store was a second home where Arguello-Casillas went to help his dad with the business or simply listen to his stories, he said.
Next door to Arguello’s shop is the Wheat Ridge Chamber of Commerce, where President Dominick Breton got to know Arguello over the years. They first met nearly 20 years ago, when Breton was working at the Safeway at 44th Avenue and Lowell Boulevard.
“Peter was an amazing community member,” Breton said. “He was liked by everybody. He was kind of a behind-the-scenes guy, but if there’s a need or something needed done, he would find a way.”
One example is when Arguello found out the city’s Carnation Festival didn’t have a car for festival royalty to ride in during the parade, Breton said.
Arguello’s red convertible Ford LTD, which he called Big Red, was well-known around town.
“He didn’t want to drive it, just said “Here are my keys,’” Breton said.
Katie Schroder was neighbors with Arguello and his wife Teresa for nearly 10 years, and their sons are still close friends.
Living five houses apart meant plenty of family dinners and the boys running back and forth between each house to play, Schroder said.
“He was everyone’s friend,” she said. “Everyone felt like they could call him up and chat with him or go play golf. He was a really giving human and really cared about people, and he was always there for you if you needed him.”
When Schroder’s husband was traveling for work, Arguello would be sure to include Schroder’s son on outings with his son, whether it was playing baseball or buying 50 hamburgers from McDonald’s and driving around town to hand them out to homeless people.
Arguello-Casillas has so many memories of his dad: watching people open up to him at the store, shooting the breeze while they drove around town, watching his dad play along with “Jeopardy!” to see how many points he could get.
“His legacy will be the people he touched throughout his life,” Arguello-Casillas said. “I got the pleasure to have him as my dad and grow up with him, but he was a dad to many more people than me.”
That included his niece, Sasheen Arguello, who counted her Uncle Pete as one of her biggest cheerleaders.
Sasheen Arguello said she will remember his love for breakfast dates at the Sunrise Sunset restaurant down the street from his store and how devastated he was when Arguello-Casillas got his driver’s license because it meant he wouldn’t get to drive his son to school and baseball practice every day.
“He was the biggest loveable goofball you’ll ever meet,” she said. “My whole life, anything he could tease me about was the funniest thing for him.”
While Peter Arguello’s family is devastated by his passing, Sasheen Arguello and Arguello-Casillas said he would have wanted them to find ways to be happy.
“He always told me that if he were to go, he doesn’t want me crying, he wants me smiling and celebrating his life,” Arguello-Casillas said.
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