It is with a sad heart that I report that W5SUS became a silent key last month
on June 14, thirty days
before his 99th birthday. John was an old timer on 160M receiving the 23rd
DXCC certificate issued on
that band in August, 1982 and the second one issued to anyone west of the
Mississippi river. John lived
in Gravette, AR about 15 miles from where I grew up and was the one who got me
interested in 160M.
John and I became very close friends even though there was a 45 year difference
in our ages. At an age
of over 70 in about 1980 he put up phased verticals on 160M in order to try to
complete his DXCC on 160M.
Back then it was a real challenge to work and confirm 100. He was always
interested in a challenge, having
stopped chasing overall countries perhaps 25 years prior while near or at the
top of the Honor Roll because
it seemed to easy. Because of his wife's health he moved to Rogers about 35
miles away and in his mid seventies
decided he wanted to work 2M moonbounce. Soon he was working the world on 2M
with a backyard set up in a subdivision.
He moved to New Port Richey, FL perhaps 15 years ago and has been living in a
retirement community where the challenge was for us to put up an antenna that
would enable him to get on 160M with restrictions against having an antenna.
He has been inactive for most of the last few years with failing health and not
being able to his new radio without turning the wrong knob. I fondly remember
when JA5DQH and another JA came to visit John in about 1981 and still have some
pictures of John, Aki and our families with Aki holding baby Kevin, now N5DX,
in his arms. More important than any of John's accomplishments as a ham
operator, John was a wonderful man. Sitting in his living room, listening to
him quote poetry for an hour at age 90 or more, and seeing the twinkle in his
eyes is one of the best memories I will have of John. There will be a memorial
service in Tampa at the Hyde Park United Methodist Church on July 26 at 1:00PM.
I will be there. John is survived by his son and
daughter and several grandkids. Many of you will remember John's distinct
fist operating with a straight key. I will never forget dit daahdaaaah
dididididit dididit dididaaaah dididit.
Stan, K5GO
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