Wilfred Rigter

He was a wonderful Father and will be lovingly remembered by his five children: Sean, Geordia (Jesse), Adrian, Troy (Jennifer) and Joanna (Ron). He was a proud Opa and his memory will be cherished by his grandchildren: Dyson, River, Rose, Violet, Jocelyn, Eleanor, Cole, Chase and Reed.

Wilf was predeceased by his high school sweetheart and wife of 40 years, Diane (nee Seaby), in 2007. He will be greatly missed by his siblings Hanelle, Phil and Bob along with many nieces, nephews and extended family members.

He was born in Valkenswaard, Netherlands on October 11, 1946 and moved to Canada with his family in his youth. Wilf lived for most of his early life in Richmond, before settling in North Delta to raise his family.

Wilf had a brilliant mind; he was an excellent public speaker, a great Scientist and a valuable contributor to public education in science and technology. Wilf was especially passionate about electronics and robotics, even designing his own computer, the ZX97 (based on the ZX81). These designs were made free for anyone to make, build, and learn with. Wilf also developed new and interesting circuits in the area of BEAM robotics. These inexpensive, simple robots were based on environmental feedback rather than complex computing systems making them easily accessible to kids and hobbyists alike.

Wilf worked at BC Hydro for most of his professional career, working in the High Power Lab at Powertech Labs Inc., until his retirement. He enjoyed his work immensely and took great pride in his contributions to the Lab and all the interesting projects he had the opportunity to work on.

Wilf’s family treasures all the wonderful memories they have shared and look forward to a Celebration of Life for Wilf later in 2024.