CQ-Contest
[Top] [All Lists]

[CQ-Contest] K4OJ SK

To: "FL Contest Group" <fcg@kkn.net>, <CQ-Contest@contesting.com>
Subject: [CQ-Contest] K4OJ SK
From: "Robert Higgins" <RHIGGINS1@CFL.RR.COM>
Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2004 19:30:56 -0500
List-post: <mailto:cq-contest@contesting.com>
Its taken a while to sit down and write this, feeling as I do totally 
inadequate to the task.

I did not know Jim White as well or for as long as many of you who have 
written. I met Jim at the first meeting of the Florida Contest Group I 
attended, which was the "Vicnic" two years ago. Within five minutes of my 
arrival Jim had identified me as a newcomer in need of a buddy at the moment. 
He took me under his wing, introduced me to the group he was with and we began 
chatting. After about twenty minutes of getting to know each other, I asked Jim 
how long he had been a member of the club. "Well, I started it" he said, 
seeming a little sheepish that I had wrung this admission out of him.

Jim really made me feel welcome, and even though it was obvious I was a 
contesting newbie, he made me feel there was a place in the club for me.

When Jim invited me to participate in the multi-multi for CQWW cw in 2003 I 
felt like the third stringer who suddenly gets called up to the varsity. I'll 
always appreciate the help and patience Jim showed me in my first venture into 
big time contesting.

The CQWW multi-multi was dedicated as a memorial to Jim's dad, Bob W1CW. Jim 
put a tremendous amount of work into preparations in the weeks leading up to 
the contest, and was either operating, fixing antennas, or setting up radios 
and computers all weekend. It was painfully obvious at the time that Jim's 
health was not good. But at the end on the contest he had the look of a very 
tired but very happy man. You could read the weariness in his face, but along 
with it was the look of satisfaction that his efforts and the efforts of those 
around him had produced an effort that was a fitting memorial to his father. I 
am happy that he had that experience just a few months before his passing, and 
I'm very thankful to have been even a smallest part of it.

Sadly, anticipated future experiences like this are not to be, and we are 
saddened that Jim's friendship, helpfulness, caring, and wacky sense of humor 
are lost to us. But in grieving our loss let's also remember what we were 
privileged to share, even for too short a time.

68 days 15 hours until the Florida QSO Party.

73
Bob K4LW
---------------------------------------------------------------
    The world's top contesters battle it out in Finland!
THE OFFICIAL FILM of WRTC 2002 now on professional DVD and VHS!
       http://home1.pacific.net.sg/~jamesb/
---------------------------------------------------------------

_______________________________________________
CQ-Contest mailing list
CQ-Contest@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>