Arthur Ernest Wainwright

Arthur Ernest Wainwright passed away on February 20, 2026, at the age of 101. Born on June 16, 1924 in Hornsea, England, Arthur came to Canada in 1929 where he grew up. Moving to Detroit in 1946 to work at RCA, he transferred to Colorado in 1952 where he spent the rest of his life. In 1956, he received a "Q" clearance to work at Dow Chemical in Rocky Flats - he received a patent for designing a radiation measuring test instrument.

In 1959, he left Dow to work at the Colorado Research Corp, to develop a digital TV system for the U.S. Navy. The Navy wanted to encrypt the pictures to keep them secret. In 1960, he began a long-term employment with the National Institute of Standards & Technology. His work included the electronics behind the atomic clock that handles time for the western hemisphere. He also worked on other projects including antenna testing, police radio and radar gun tests as well as the design and construction of a radio listening receiver to listen to Soviet transmissions behind the Iron Curtain. He retired in 1984 after 24 years at NIST but continued to work part time there for another eight years.

In retirement, he produced several video documentaries, which can be found in the Carnegie Library here in Boulder.

Art lived at the top of Flagstaff Road for many years before his marriage to Helen Stiles in 1979. They had many happy years together in Boulder and did much travelling. Both were avid lovers of nature and birdwatching. In 2002, Art had to place Helen in a nursing home at Balfour for Alzheimer's disease. Helen died in June, 2010. Art continued to live at Balfour until his death.

A Memorial Service will be held on March 8, 2026, at 12:30 pm at Community United Church of Christ, 2650 Table Mesa Dr., Boulder, CO 80305, and please arrive before 12:15 PM.