This Ham Radio in the News is a little different. Below, find links to three recent SKs.
- Dr. John Henry Thomas III, W3FAF, of Sellersville, formerly of Mahtomedi, Minn. and Bucks County, Pa., died Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011, at Rockhill Mennonite Community where he was a resident. He was 70.In addition to holding a PhD in physics, Dr. John Thomas was a ham radio operator for more than 50 years. He was an active member of several radio clubs, and was recently honored with the American Radio Relay League’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He was an Official Relay Station for 52 years and an Official Observer for more than 20 years.
- Kenneth D. Marker, N9KM, age 82, of Richmond, died Friday, November 11, 2011, at Golden Living Center.He was an engineer at NATCO for 38 years, a former member of Earlham Heights Presbyterian Church, a member of the Whitewater Valley Amateur Radio Club, and USA Defenders of Greyhounds.
- Donald James Wilson, WB8ZOS, of Muskegon died peacefully at his home on Wedneday, November 9, 2011 after a brief illness. He was 88. Don had a long career as an engineer with Sealed Power Corporation and had many hobbies throughout his life, including building and flying model airplanes and helicopters and amateur radio.
Michael J. Zydiak says
I am saddened by the loss of these three individuals unknown to myself. Not so much for the eventual and most certain outcome of our shared human existence… of this, I have no control, and certainly there is nothing that I could say or do which would make the loss and pain any less for those that they left behind.
Rather, I am saddened by the loss of the knowledge, insight, skill sets and experience that is now lost forever by the passing of these individuals… absolute treasure troves of technical experience, which is now no longer available to those of us who remain behind and are still fully enmeshed in communications technology.
Let me take these thoughts of lost experience and turn it around 180°. One of my absolute favorite authors is Joseph J. Carr K4IPV (SK). He was an unbelievably prolific writer on a wide range of radio electronic technical subjects. I have about fifteen of his well worn books in my library, and a large number of PDFs of his published articles on my hard drives. Sadly, I was never able to actually meet and speak with him while he was alive, but as a consolation, he speaks volumes to me every time I explore the countless pages of his well thought out technical brilliance.
Of course there are many now long gone and most brilliant engineers who speak to me so very clearly as I turn the pages of the reflections of their own insight and experience. Sadly, there are so many many more brilliant technical minds which I will never have the opportunity to share and explore their life experiences and decades of discovery.
I do so very much wish that more experts in their specialized disciplines would take it upon themselves to write, publish and preserve, and thus leave behind a record of their hard won experience and insight so they too might be able to speak volumes to those of us that remain behind.
Mike Zydiak (W2MJZ)