The family of Sergio Pizzorno has donated a collection of items to the University of Leicester, celebrating the extraordinary life of his grandfather, Wilf Dillon.
Wilf, who became Students’ Union President between 1971 and 1972 at the age of 50, was one of the oldest students ever elected to the role. His story is now preserved in an archive at the University’s Archives and Special Collections.
Picture credit: University of Leicester
Pat Pizzorno, Wilf’s youngest daughter and Sergio’s mother, donated a box of University-related items, including newspaper clippings, photographs, and exam papers. “Wilf’s archive offers a glimpse into the story of an everyday man who lived an extraordinary life,” she said. “He inspired his family and many others with his kindness, purpose, and morality. This archive celebrates that legacy.”
Dr Simon Dixon, the University’s Associate Director for Community and Heritage, praised the donation: “Wilf Dillon’s archive is a treasure trove of material, complementing fascinating interviews recorded for the East Midlands Oral History Archive. We are very grateful to Pat for generously donating it.”
Wilf made headlines internationally when he beat five candidates to become Union President. Enrolling on a politics course at 47 after selling his family hosiery business, he became a grandfather for the first time as a student. His campaign profile described him as a working-class father and grandfather with a career spanning sales, engineering, and business ownership, as well as trade union activism.
Picture credit: University of Leicester
His manifesto emphasized advocacy over organisational ability. Among his achievements, he pushed for curriculum reviews, influenced student council decisions, and played a key role in a University ban on employing South African staff, supporting the anti-Apartheid movement.
Wilf also featured on Kasabian’s 2014 album, 48:13, speaking the album’s only lyrics in Latin: “in mortis ora incerta est” (“the hour of death is uncertain”). That year, Sergio paid tribute during Kasabian’s Glastonbury headline set, wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with “Wilfred,” a gesture that delighted his grandfather in hospital.
Wilf Dillon passed away in 2017, aged 95. His obituary, written by fellow Leicester graduate Esuantsiwa Jane Goldsmith, described him as an “internationalist and socialist” who loved opera, sports, and family life. Goldsmith noted, “He was a life-enhancer, and his spirit, energy and dynamism will go on growing with his memory.”
