Fred Riggers passed away suddenly on April 26, according to his obituary in the Idaho Statesman.
Riggers, with his white cane and wide grin, was a regular at Idaho legislative meetings. He wasn’t a lobbyist, activist, or statehouse employee — just a citizen who loved public policy and a good debate.
But it wasn’t just about the meetings. Riggers loved people, too. When I was a brand new legislative reporter in 2012, he was one of the first to introduce himself to me. He gave me some of the warmest congratulations when Idaho Public Television hired me in 2013, and immediately invited me to join Rotary Club. I didn’t take him up on it — at the time, I was overwhelmed with a new baby, new job and new house — and today, I’m regretting the lost opportunity to get to know him better.
Fred never hesitated to tell me what he thought of my reporting and stories. Lucky for me, his reviews were almost always positive.
In 2013, Bill Spence of the Lewiston Tribune wrote a lovely profile of Riggers. You can read it here.
