Ron Riggert, 87, of Sudbury, Massachusetts, passed away Monday, May 26, 2025, at his home surrounded by the love of his family.
Ron grew up in Seward and attended The University of Nebraska, earning a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering and then a Master’s Degree in Science. Ron and his wife, Karen, (née Schoepf) were married in 1958 and moved to Massachusetts in 1960 with their young son, David.
Ron was an early pioneer in what is now referred to as biomedical engineering, working for Sanborn, Hewlett Packard and finally at Raytheon for 33 years, retiring in the early 2000s. Of course, retirement meant nothing to Ron. As an avid lover of community service, he immersed himself in a multitude of volunteer activities such as Sudbury Valley Trustees, Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge, Sudbury Senior Center Friends Group, the Fix It Program at Sudbury Senior Center, Retired Men’s Association, Sudbury Cable Station and others.
He was a long-time member of Peace Lutheran Church in Wayland, Massachusetts, where he made many enduring friendships. Ron was a founding member of the brass group, presiding as its principal tubist. He helped oversee various projects including its renovation, a solar panel installation as well as his crowning achievement – a new pipe organ for the sanctuary.
As a child of The Great Depression, Ron was an avid collector of all things (and by all we mean everything imaginable!) and delighted in repurposing them for his many ongoing projects and feats of engineering. He was passionate about his family, community service, the environment and geopolitical affairs and will be remembered dearly for his generosity, kindness and wry sense of humor. Ron’s life was an embodiment of service. We are eternally grateful for all of the efforts he made to make this world (and its various structures) a better place.
Ron leaves behind his beloved wife, Karen, of 67 years; his three siblings, Diane, Ruth and Robert; his brother-in-law, John Schoepf; his children and their partners David (Andi Popeo), Katherine (Tom Stevens) and Chris (Neena Philip); his daughter-in-law, Karen Peltier Riggert; his three grandchildren, Julie, Sarah and Jake; and his four great-grandchildren, Rylan, Wesley, Zara and Naomi.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested in Ron’s memory to Family Promise (https://familypromise.org/) or to a charity of the donor's choosing.
