With profound sorrow, we share the passing of Professor Ričardas Zitikis on April 9, 2025. He was 62 years of age.

Ričardas was born on July 13, 1962, in Lithuania, to Edvardas Zitikis and Irena Zitikiene. Ričardas was awarded his PhD degree in 1988 by Vilnius University in Lithuania and moved to Canada in 1994, on an NSERC Canada International Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, to pursue his research at Carleton University in Ottawa. He joined the Department of Statistical and Actuarial Sciences at the University of Western Ontario in 2001.

He dedicated his life to his career, leaving a significant impact in the fields of quantitative risk management and actuarial science as a researcher, industry pioneer, and devoted mentor. His intellect, humility, and unwavering belief in the power of science to serve society inspired everyone who had a privilege of working with him. His students have gone on to hold a variety of academic and industry positions, including professorial roles, senior positions in traditional insurance and banking, as well as modern roles in InsurTech, FinTech, machine learning, and artificial intelligence.

Ričardas authored more than 180 peer-reviewed publications, which altogether have been cited over 4,500 times. In addition to being a Professor of Statistical and Actuarial Sciences at Western University, he was also a board member and co-founder of the RISC Foundation, a Canadian nonprofit that promotes research and education in risk management for the benefit of Canadians. He also served as a principal scholar on RISC’s New Order of Risk Management research program, funded by the Government of Canada..

His pleasant and unassuming demeanour will be missed. In memory of Ričardas, those wishing to make a donation are asked to consider contributing to the Ričardas Zitikis International Research Prize in Quantitative Risk Management: https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/donation-form/honour-professor-riardas-zitikis-support-the-next-generation-of-risk-scientists.

Ričardas is survived by three daughters: Dovile, Sigute, and Gabriele.

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Based on the obituary written by Serge Provost, Western University, Canada, originally printed in SSC Liaison magazine, Volume 39, number 4, August 2025, with additional material from the online obituary at https://www.northviewfuneralchapel.com/obituaries/ricardas-zitikis/