Electronics Weekly Electronics Design & Components Tech News
Tributes have been pouring into Electronics Weekly following the death of its former editor Richard Wilson on Sunday 10 February 2019.
Richard worked on the publication for 30 years, with 25 of them as Editor and when he left Metropolis he still remained in touch as Consultant Editor.
With a background in telecoms, he joined Plessey as an Engineer in 1980 following study at Imperial College London, where he gained a Bachelor of Science in Physics.
He joined Electronics Weekly in 1987, then published by Reed Business Information, becoming a very well-established figure in the electronics industry. He saw a lot of changes at the title on its journey from newspaper to a controlled-circulation magazine, a period of time that also saw Electronics Weekly move online, in 1994, with Hyperactive.com.
Following the acquisition of the title by Metropolis Business Media (now Emap) in 2012, he was instrumental in overseeing the transition of the team and stabilising the continued production of Electronics Weekly to this day.
Richard was adept at turning his hands to a variety of topics, drawing on his wide range of learning and interests, covering business developments, distribution, test and measurement and the latest research from around the world.
Below, friends and colleagues remember a man trusted and admired during his 30-year association with the first UK electronics industry title.
Steve Bush, Technology editor
I can’t say enough nice things about Richard.
At work, he was incredibly hard working, wise, effortlessly intelligent and dedicated to keeping Electronics Weekly on an even keel.
Personally private, we saw snatches of his life outside Electronics Weekly:
He was devoted to his family, and I remember him being so proud when his wife earned her PhD, and proud all over again when his son earned his PhD – the latter causing him to point out that he was the only non-doctor left in the household. That said, he did have a degree in physics from Imperial College, and properly knew his way around a laser.
Something of a renaissance man, Richard loved art – seizing opportunities for half an hour in a gallery whenever one arose and, as far as we know, painted watercolours and wrote poetry.
Reading literature was another favoured pastime, as was watching football – there is a remarkably eclectic list of specialist knowledge in the Electronics Weekly office, and, although I know nothing about either of the subjects under discussion, I could happily bathe in the enthusiasm and the shower of facts that emerged when Richard discussed them with those who do.
Although he was ill, he made time to pop in to see us a few months ago, and my last memory of him was smiling and chatting with us, all sitting around a table at the local cafe.
It is indeed a sad day.
Rest in peace Richard.
The passing of a Renaissance man
Mick Elliott, Former editor & publisher
If there was a mistake in my hiring of Richard Wilson at Electronics Weekly it was probably letting him out of the building before offering him the job.
Technical journalists boasting the calibre of Richard’s qualifications – a Physics degree from Imperial College, London and a post at Plessey’s Roke Manor research centre – were like gold dust.
Employing Richard was one of the best decisions I ever made.
At the time Electronics Weekly was shifting its ground. It had become a controlled-circulation weekly and the audience was electronics engineers.
To get them to take the paper out of its wrapper and read it, good technical content was required.
Richard delivered hands-down, as he progressed through the paper to News Editor and Deputy Editor, and his appointment as Editor was inevitable.
He managed the balance (and not all editors are able to) between the realism of commercial necessities and fiercely guarding editorial independence and integrity. This was why Electronics Weekly prospered so well under his leadership, his crowning moment coming when he oversaw the publication of a 134-page issue, the biggest in the paper’s history, to mark the magazine’s 40th anniversary.
He was respected by colleagues and the electronics industry – both recognising his deep technical knowledge, his keen interest in new innovations and products, and his ability to grasp the significance of these announcements and his clear, concise reporting which conveyed the news to Electronics Weekly’s readers.
Richard’s interests were varied. He loved his football and cricket (always a bonus for me), reminiscing about times watching Tranmere Rovers with his dad (and you don’t meet many Tranmere Rovers fans in the publishing business), though by the time he joined Electronics Weekly he had ferried across the Mersey to Liverpool FC.
The shortcomings and triumphs of the England cricket team were regularly discussed, and at times disagreed upon, as Richard could hold strong views on these topics.
To be honest Richard’s interests were so wide he could contribute intelligently to any conversation whether about music, politics or art.
All of us who worked alongside Richard were very lucky to have him as a colleague and we won’t forget him.
David Manners, Components Editor
One of Richard’s many fine qualities was his good sense. This was sorely needed when the publishing world was hit by the tsunami of the internet, when many titles went out of business.
Richard kept us on an even keel throughout, positioning us as a champion of the UK electronics industry.
He was the perfect person to work for – considerate, polite, kind, capable and straight as a die.
He absorbed the pressure coming down on him from above and never passed it down to us. You can’t ask more of a boss than that.
Richard’s background – a degree in physics from Imperial College, an engineering stint at British Aerospace and a spell in Plessey’s renowned R&D HQ at Roke Manor – gave him an unrivalled insight into the theoretical and applied technologies of the electronics industry,
Consequently he was deeply respected in the worldwide industry as we know from the many tributes we have received.
They talk about his commitment to the industry, the time he gave to individual companies, the interest he took in their plans and products, his deep understanding of the technology, his smart judgements on industry issues – and a quality that is repeated most often, which is that he was a gentleman.
But Richard was much more than that. He was a Renaissance man, steeped in art, music, literature and Liverpool Football Club. He painted, wrote poetry and short stories and could talk about every subject under the sun.
You never got far in an argument with him though, he knew his mind and once his mind was made up he was unbudgeable.
Richard never appeared to impose his will but he always got his way. He had an understated, but very effective, way of putting an end to proposals which he didn’t like.
Once, when listening to such a proposal he condemned it to irrelevance by asking quietly “what’s all this got to do with us?”
That was the end of that idea.
All of us on EW miss his good judgement, his leadership and his friendship.
A fierce guardian of editorial integrity.
Alison Noble, Editorial assistant
Richard was so professional, conscientious, clever, witty, creative, the list goes on. To those of us who knew him well he was the backbone of Electronics Weekly and worked tirelessly for the brand – always went above and beyond. We shared a passion for music, he was remarkably knowledgeable. He will be missed very much by this team who have worked closely together for many years.
He was the nicest person you could wish to meet, a thoroughly decent human being. I feel blessed to have worked with him.
Rest in peace Richard.
Sue proud, Production editor
Richard earned respect among engineers in the same way he earned it with his colleagues – through his industry, kindness and integrity.
This inspired loyalty and a strong team spirit. Since he gradually withdrew from coming to the office as his illness progressed we have all missed late afternoon conversations with him about the enjoyment of literature, music and art and the disappointments of politics and football. He last visited late in 2018, sporting a rakish fedora and an optimistic smile.
That’s how I shall remember him.
Alun Williams, Web editor
What sad news it was to hear that Richard had passed away, at much too early an age. Our thoughts are with his family, particularly his wife and son, the source of so much pride for Richard.
We shouldn’t talk of people ‘battling’ cancer, we are told, so instead I’ll highlight and salute the good nature and poise he managed to maintain despite a long struggle with the illness.
Hard working. Professional. Polite. Conscientious. Thoughtful. These are the words that first come to mind when I think of Richard working on Electronics Weekly.
There was no mistaking his dedication and devotion to the title and the big responsibility he took in the role of editor.
And no one should underestimate his efforts in producing so much content for both a magazine and website, for such a long duration, alongside the many and varied editorial and commercial calls on his time.
Indeed, for the best part of thirty years – working first on the Telecoms and Products sections, and then News, before becoming overall Editor – he has been deeply involved in the electronics industry with Electronics Weekly, talking to so many fellow participants, visiting so many companies, events and shows, and generally being immersed in what is the cutting edge of new technology.
He will be missed, and fondly remembered, I am sure, by all who met him or worked with him.
His primary interest, given his background at Plessey, was telecoms, but he had to spread himself widely to cover business developments, distribution, test and measurement and the latest research from around the world. And much more.
He could take in his stride quarterly-result interviews with CEOs, technical paper announcements from professors, and breaking news stories involving public bodies or government ministries. He was adept.
But when you worked alongside him you soon also saw extra dimensions: his love of music, art and football, for example. His humour, his sensitivity, his considerateness. So many memories and conversations to treasure for those of us fortunate to count as his colleagues.
In the later days, I was fortunate to share part of a daily commute with Richard, and many and varied were the topics of conversation. These were often lead by Richard’s eclectic reading, often sparked by random purchases in local charity shops (try out ‘A Time of Gifts‘, ‘Persian Fire‘, ‘Waterloo: The History of Four Days, Three Armies and Three Battles‘ and ‘Death in Venice‘ if you would like a nice flavour of his wide reading).
Most of the time, however, he was happiest talking football (he was an old-time Liverpool fan) and music (he particularly loved the music of David Gilmour and Pink Floyd). So many concerts attended, so many LPs and CDs devoured, so many stories to tell, so many experiences as part of the journey.
I fondly remember, as just one example, his describing an early departure from a sodden Cropredy Festival, only to hear at the car park a surprise encore of Robert Plant in the far distance, singing The Battle of Evermore in tribute to Sandy Denny. Oh dear… Happy days, now gone.
Richard, you will be missed.
Comments received from the industry
John Walko
I have been away so just caught up with this very, very sad news.
Although Richard and I were competitors, I don’t think either of us ever really thought of our relationship as such. He was a true professional, obviously dedicated and highly knowledgeable about our industry and one of the nicest people you could across at a press conference or meeting.
Condolences to his family and RIP Richard.
Betty Persechino
In memoriam of Richard Wilson a courageous man.
I am finding this very difficult to write as I am still saddened by the loss of learning Richard has passed away, I can’t imagine how Angie and Tom must be feeling. I feel angry that a truly kind person like Richard should be taken away from us so young. Especially when just nearing retirement age, a time which we all strive to work towards, a time to enjoy life with family. Life isn’t fair.
His family gave me the opportunity to attend his funeral and l would like to thank them, and for them to know I would not have missed joining them for the world. A celebration of his life was read and the chance for many of us to say our goodbyes. For me, Richard holds a special place in my heart, he was such a gentleman to work for, back in the days at Reed. It has been a true delight and a privilege for me to have been Richard’s secretary. Memories galore flood back in my mind to the “good old days”, to when we would celebrate in style, to receiving a splendid trolley of Champagne, lavishly organised by Richard many times, for the whole of the editorial department to enjoy.
For me, I feel greatly honored, he was one of the nicest, thoughtful, polite, and well-mannered persons I have had the pleasure to meet and work for.
He was hard working, dedicated in his profession, strived to reach goals, triumphed and excelled to achieve excellence, was awarded recognition in his feature writing.
He was highly respected, extremely knowledgeable in his field, and industry. He was much liked by all old comrades, his staff back at Reed. He was the most perfect boss for me to work for, most understanding, even when acknowledging I was dyslexic, a disability for spelling on my part. He was very supportive of me, and for that I felt very lucky, I am indebted to him for giving me the chance to work for Electronic Weekly. He was indeed a truly lovely man; a family man, a man proud of his family, a brave man. He will never be forgotten.
Love from Betty
Steve Rogerson
I was so sad to hear of Richard’s passing. I worked for Richard as a freelancer regularly, either in the office or working from home. He was a great bloke and an excellent boss. He treated people with respect and earned their respect as well. I have worked in this industry for many, many years and I can never, ever remember anyone saying a bad word about him, and in this industry that is some going.
Goodbye Richard, you will be missed. The world needs more people like you.
Gillian Crook
A sad day indeed, I never met Richard but had the privilege of discussing potential editorial opportunities with him – his knowledge of the industry was unsurpassable. Please pass on our condolences to his family from everyone at Shrewdd Marketing
Peter Hannon
I met Richard on a number of occasions over the years at various trade events. He was always very interested, courteous and keen to talk to you about what you were doing and new products being developed.
My thoughts are with his wife and family.
James Stanbridge
I only just read about the sad passing of Richard. We would meet on occasions when I would try to convince him of the merits of our latest and greatest products, however he was seldom duped! Often though, at shows, he would simply drop by for a chat. Richard was an utterly charming and engaging man and a huge asset to our industry – you could never tire of his anecdotes and stories of yesteryear. It was of course a privilege to have known him. My thoughts are with his family at this difficult time.
Josh Bowen
I am very sad to hear of the passing of Richard, I enjoyed reading his editorials whenever Electronics Weekly Magazine came in through the postbox and was clearly very passionate about his work. As a prominent voice within the industry and a positive advocate for its progress he will be dearly missed.
Simon Merrick
Richard was an editor with a gentle composure and a sharp mind. Always willing to listen. In an industry where disappointment is just a headline away, he was always to be relied upon, whether for meetings or simply some advice.
I offer my deepest condolences to his family.
Nigel Watts
A real contributor who will be sadly missed by everyone who knew him and the Electronics industry as a whole.
Rest in peace mate
John Ellis
Very sad news indeed. Richard was a charming and true gentleman. Having known him for many years both as a client and more recently as the recipient of news and invites to meetings from my own clients he was forever kind, considerate and patient. My condolences to friends, family and colleagues. He will be missed.
Terry Marrinan
I am sorry to hear about Richard’s passing. I have many nice memories of meeting with him. My deepest condolences to his family, relatives and friends.
Phil Mayo
Sad news indeed. My path crossed with Richard on many occasions over the years. He always had an enquiring mind and was a man of great integrity.
My thoughts are with his family and friends. Our industry will miss him dearly.
Claire Saunders
Such sad news. I knew Richard from when we were part of Reed and he was always a lovely, calm mannered and very professional colleague. An incredibly intelligent man and in later years used to occasionally bump into him in the local supermarket!
My deepest condolences to his family and friends. Rest in peace Richard.
Lee Nye
That is very sad news indeed. I had the pleasure of being the recipient of Richard’s questions and in depth knowledge of the electronics industry on numerous occasions.
A lovely man, always professional, kind and extremely polite.
My condolences to all close…
Richard Parker and Andrew Shephard
Richard will always be remembered by us as an interested, cheerful and properly nice guy.
Although he really knew his stuff and was deeply respected for that, he was always incredibly polite and never blunt with stupid people.
In his tough role as editor he was the most diplomatic man we’ve ever dealt with, we will all miss him.
Juliet Philip
Just heard the sad news about Richard Wilson. I was only thinking about him on Tuesday and wondering how he was getting on. Please pass our condolences on to all who worked with him for so long – it was a sad day in the office yesterday when we heard.
Richard Warrilow
I was very saddened to hear of the loss of Richard Wilson; 100% one of the good guys and someone from whom I took great inspiration when I made my move into journalism 23 years ago. I’d go so far as to say Richard personified professional trade press journalism.
I only found out about Richard’s illness at Southern, so to hear of his passing just a week later came as a huge shock.
My thoughts are with you all at EW and, if you’re in contact with Richard’s family, please pass on my condolences.
Keith Mason and Annie Williams
Currently on the other side of the world, it is with great sadness that Annie and I learned today of Richard’s death last weekend. He was consummately professional at all times and always extremely kind and generous to us even when the story was a bit of a rotten apple. He will be greatly missed from our perspective and our heart-felt condolences go out to his family. We will remember him fondly and raise a glass of Sauvignon to his memory tonight.
Rest in peace Richard.
Martin Southam
Richard was a passionate supporter of the British Electronics Industry and made time on several occasions out of his very busy schedule to have lunch and was genuinely interested to hear the latest developments of our Company .Over the years he was very generous with the column inches that he afforded us which will always be deeply appreciated . RIP to one of the nicest guys in the industry
Jonathan Kearley
Reading the story and comments, I have learnt more about this remarkable man, Richard.
A sad day but Richard will always be remembered with found memories and had the utmost of respect.
Mark Burr-Lonnon
It was always such a pleasure dealing with Richard . He was part of the fabric of the UK Electronics Industry and such a key player in the Media that although very changed today from when he started in the Industry continued always to make some of the most keenly read stories, be they Technical or Commercial in nature. A great leader at EW and just one of the Industry’s “nice guys” who will be sorely missed personally and by the Mouser team not only in UK but Globally .
Marie Almeida
Dear Electronics Weekly team, I am so sad to read that Richard Wilson will not be among us anymore.
I am sending my deepest condolences personally and in the name of Mentor Graphics.
I will always remember Richard being interested by any news coming up, any product update, any announcement.
Always trying to make his time available for our press briefings or press tours… Always with the same enthusiasm over the years.
I remember some of our discussions about “art”. He always tried to find a little time to go see an art expo in Paris.
He will stay in my heart as a wonderful person and one of the best editors.
David Harold
It feels like I just saw Richard, but looking back at my diary it was the tail end of 2015. I’m so sad that we won’t be enjoying any more evenings like that one. He was such a gentleman to work with, and consistently acute no matter what complexity of the topic we were talking about. My condolences to his loved ones.
Graham Maggs
So sad to hear the news of Richard’s passing. A true professional and a joy to talk with.
A wealth of both knowledge and experience that will be missed.
My deepest condolences to family and colleagues.
Mike Maynard
Such sad news. Richard was one of the first journalists that I pitched – a terrifying experience made so much better by the fact that he was simply a lovely person. That was more than 20 years ago, and since my respect for him as one of the best journalists in the industry simply grew and grew. I will miss him. Condolences to family and everyone who knew Richard.
Peter van der Sluijs
Richard managed the rare combination of being very switched on and perceptive with being very kind and thoughtful too – I don’t think he really ever realised how much he was liked and respected by the industry. Apart from being a pleasure to be around at any time, and the many achievements recorded above, one thing that always struck me was his success at overcoming what initially was quite a pronounced stammer to successfully present at the Elektras for several years.
Helen Duncan
I am so very sorry to hear this sad news. Richard was one of the best editors, if not the best, in the industry, and was also an extremely nice man. He will be greatly missed. My sincere condolences to his family and his colleagues.
Peter Clarke
I am saddened to hear of this. My condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.
Richard Wilson was a quiet, thoughtful and essential part of electronics journalism. He was the consumate professional and served for many many years communicating information that helped move the industry forward and then also guiding Electronics Weekly to do the same. And as many others have remarked he was a gentleman. He will be missed.
Steve Rawlins
A lovely man so knowledgeable I had great respect for him, my thoughts are with his family
David D’Arcy
Very saddened to learn this news. Always found Richard to be a generous colleague and a gentleman. My condolences to his family and colleagues.
Simon Flatt
It was always such a pleasure talking to and meeting with Richard and this is indeed a very sad day for the industry. Condolences to Richard’s family, friends and colleagues.
Kevin Taylor
Richard was a very good journalist and editor, as well as an exceptionally nice man. He was always an absolute pleasure to deal with, talk to, and spend time alongside. A very sad loss. The media and PR community from the IT and telecoms industry gathers annually in the Yorkshire Grey pub on Grays Inn Road to remember ‘Absent Scribes’… I will make sure we add Richard to our sadly increasing roll call.
Nick Foot
Richard was one of the very best. My condolences to his family and friends and to the electronics industry press corps who have lost a very significant figure.
Benoit Simoneau
So sorry to hear about his passing; deepest sympathies to his family, relatives and colleagues.
Anke Pickhardt
It has always been a pleasure working with Richard.
He will be sorely missed.
Rob Davies
So sad. A perfect gentleman. Thoroughly respected. Fondly remembered.
Patrick Le Fevre
This is with a great sadness I read this column and news about Richard, which I considered not as an editor but as friend. We shared so many nice talks about our common passion for the electronics industry and new technologies, we had so much fun to challenge on the future of digital power when nobody believed on it, and only few months ago on supercapacitors. I’m feeling the loss of a friend and would like to express my sincere condolences to his family and relatives. All my thoughts to all.
Nigel Robson
A great loss. Such a thoroughly nice chap and so knowledgable. He will be missed by so many. My condolences to friends, family and colleagues.
Fred Dart
Oh jeez, a sad loss indeed. My condolences to family and friends..
Peter Bush
I can only echo the above sentiments based on many years of working together with Richard on a variety of news stories and technical features. If I may inject a more lighthearted note, however, he did provide us with one of the more memorable excuses for not attending a press event when we had a last-minute call apologising for his missing out on a Tektronix Christmas dinner because the pet hamster had got lost under the floorboards and they wanted to get to it before the cat did! We missed Richard that night, but fortunately the hamster survived.
Angie and Tom Wilson
Thank you it is so reassuring to hear your experience working with such a devoted husband
