Flipping open the morning paper to the obits section, “Who died?” Lou would say in a Russian accent, bearing a wry grin, channeling the spirit of his grandfather, Zadie.

Louis M. Wigdor, 72, of Amherst, died peacefully on February 16, 2023. His wife, Helena Donovan, and son, Ariel Wigdor, were at his side. Sole proprietor of the Wig & Pen blog (https://wigpen.blogspot.com), Lou spent 40 years at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst working as a business writer, editor, and comedic fixture at the Isenberg School of Management. 

In his spare time, Lou frequented local coffee shops, bookstores, and record stores in the Amherst and Northampton areas. He lingered at Amherst Coffee or Woodstar Café reading and chatting. Lou was a regular at the former site of Rao’s Coffee and Share Amherst. There, he would gather with friends to dish out stories and doses of his trademark eccentricity, a hot coffee and fresh pastry nearby. He stopped by Mystery Train Records and Turn It Up! to chat and flip through CDs. Lou often dropped by to see the Gladus at Ren’s Mobile and to check in on longtime friend Henry at The Old Book Store.

Born July 31, 1950, Lou grew up in Worcester, MA, with his mother, Beatrice Wigdor, whom he loved immensely, and his father, Dr. Leo Wigdor, with whom he shared a warm and playful relationship. His father owned a dental practice. His early interests included boxing, baseball cards, stamp collecting, and humor – from Laurel and Hardy to MAD Magazine. In his late teens, Lou spent summers in Washington, D.C. with his aunt Sylvia and uncle Bill, who inspired his interest in literature and the arts. Lou became an avid reader, esthete, and unorthodox scholar.

Lou’s gig with higher education began in the late 1960s at Worcester State University. He created a discography for the university’s library and helped organize movie nights by renting art films for the Y-Not Coffee House, a local folk venue. Music, from jazz, to classical, to international, was a cornerstone of Lou’s persona. He experienced Woodstock in 1969. Lou later attended Greenfield Community College before completing a bachelor’s degree in anthropology at UMass Amherst. He spent a year at Rutgers University as a doctoral student in anthropology.

Unenthused with academe, Lou returned to Amherst where he met Helena. They married in 1985. At the University of Massachusetts, Lou worked on research for the business school and was hired full time in 1980. There he made a profound impact as the school’s communications director and institutional historian. Lou single-handedly wrote and edited the Commonwealth, a quarterly alumni magazine published for several decades. He described encounters with brilliant minds such as Steve Wozniak, Nassim Taleb, Richard Thaler, and many others. Remarkably humble, he cared deeply for the people around him.

After four decades at the Isenberg School of Management, in 2021, Lou retired. He spent time with family and friends, enjoying books and entertainment, going on excursions in nature, and making the occasional trek to Montréal, a favorite city. 

He leaves his wife, Helena Donovan, his son, Ari Wigdor, both of Amherst, as well as cousins and many friends.

A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. Feb. 24, at Westview Cemetery, 520 Bedford St., Lexington, MA. Shiva services will be held at 7 p.m. Feb. 26 through March 2 with visitation from 2 to 4 p.m. For location, contact the Jewish Community of Amherst. Details for a memorial celebration in the spring will be forthcoming. A scholarship in Lou’s name is being set up at the Isenberg School of Management.