Siegfried “Zig” Engelmann passed away on February 15, 2019.Much of his life was dedicated to improving the future of all children. Zig, senior author of Direct Instruction programs, was the director of the National Institute for Direct Instruction and former professor of education at the University of Oregon. He has authored over 100 programs, ranging from beginning reading to elementary chemistry and earth sciences. His principal efforts have focused on at-risk, deaf, Down Syndrome, and autistic children. He has authored60 chapters, over 100 articles, and 20 books on educational psychology and instruction, including Theory of Instruction (with Douglas Carnine). He has been involved in nine major research projects and has received the 2002 Award for Education Research from the Council of Scientific Society Presidents. His other awards include the Fred Keller Award from the American Psychological Association and an honorary doctorate from Western Michigan University.