Walter Willis, winner of a special 1958 Hugo award for "most outstanding fan," died October 20 of a heart attack.
Described as a "living legend of Irish fandom" by Dave Langford, Willis was the last surviving core member of Belfast's seminal "Irish Fandom" circle.
Through his long and typographically distinguished career in the fan press, Willis is largely credited with introducing Irish science fiction fandom to the rest of the world.
He published the fanzine Slant from 1948 to 1953 in collaboration with the late
Willis was also very active in promoting relations among SF fans in Europe and North America, being credited as "the original inspiration" for the Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund (TAFF), which he generously supported throughout his life.
He was 79 years old. Survivors include his wife, Madeleine, and a son, Bryan.
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