Michael Heinz Josef Wahlster

Born in Saarbrücken, Germany, Michael was an English-to-German translator, certified by the American Translators Association and working in the areas of electronics, telecommunications, computer software and hardware, as well as corporate communications. His niche specialties were optics and image processing, with video, photography, and printing as related fields.

His first job was compiling entries in the dictionary department of Collins Publishers in Scotland. From there he said “it was a relatively small step to translating, not least since it gave me the opportunity to drill down into the many different subjects I was interested in. Once I was able to purchase an IBM Selectric typewriter in 1978 for more money than most computers cost today, I thought I had arrived. Little did I know.”

In Tokyo during the 80s, he incorporated, hired in-house translators and designers, and branched out into phototypesetting and layout. The ventures were quite successful, but they taught him that what he wanted to do was translate, not run a business. In the early 90s, he sold his interest in the company (Syntax Ltd) and concentrated on translation work. He was a full-time freelance translator until he passed, working for agencies and direct clients in the US, Germany, the UK, Japan, and Hong Kong. Most recently he translated subtitles and performed quality control for Netflix. He said “What I bring to the table is a wealth of experience in my core subjects, solid writing skills in my native language, the humility to stay away from what I don’t know, and the insight of having been “on the other side,” coordinating translation projects for many years. As a balance to my translation work, I offer web development for local clients, and I’ve been writing this blog since 2003 – mainly about translation and translation-related subjects, but not entirely. “All work and no play” – we know only too well what that can lead to”.

Michael and Margaret married in Tokyo in June 1977 and their daughter, Klara, was born there in 1986. You can visit his blog at http://blog.wahlster.net/

Michael is survived by his spouse, Margaret Grogan and daughter, Klara Wahlster.

A memorial service will be held on Thursday, March 18th, 2021 at 12:00 p.m. at Gates Kingsley and Gates Smith Salsbury in Culver City.

Donations : St John’s Cancer Center https://www.saintjohnscancer.org/make-a-donation/contact-usdonation-form/