The ARRL Letter
Vol. 18, No. 19
May 7, 1999
DONALD L. STONER, W6TNS, SK
The man who conceived of Project OSCAR, Don Stoner, W6TNS, of Clearwater,
Florida died May 4. He was 67. Stoner reportedly had been in ill health for
some time. He reportedly suffered a ruptured aneurysm.
In 1960, Stoner, then living in Alta Loma, California, was the idea man
behind Project OSCAR. Stoner outlined his concepts for an Amateur Radio
space program in the February 1961 issue of QST (see "Project
OSCAR--Something of the Future"). In his prophetic article, Stoner
envisioned a two-phase project, the first to launch an orbiting VHF beacon
transmitter into space, the second to launch an "orbital repeater." OSCAR 1
was launched December 12, 1961.
More recently, Stoner had become a guru for amateurs battling restrictive
covenants to install antennas.
A Flint, Michigan, native, Stoner developed an early interest in
electronics, according to longtime friend Merle Parten, K6DC. Stoner's
father, Lew, was W8IMS. Don Stoner went on to enjoy financial success in the
commercial world. In the Citizens Band heyday, he was a manufacturer of CB
transceivers. Later, he founded a company that developed systems to back up
bank records and to telephone overdue accounts. He retired in 1989.
An ARRL member, Stoner also will be remembered as a CQ columnist--he served
in several editorial capacities, including VHF editor, Novice editor,
surplus columnist and semiconductor columnist--and as founder of the
unsuccessful National Amateur Radio Association. Stoner also wrote the "In
Theory" column in CQ VHF magazine in 1996 and 1997.
Stoner's wife, Lucy, and two sons are among his survivors. Services were May
7 in Clearwater, Florida. A memorial service and interment were set for May
11 in Kirkland, Washington.
------------------------------
Around the corner
Around the Corner I had a contesting friend
In this great city that has no end.
Yet days go by and weeks rush on
And before I know it, a year is gone.
And I never see my old friend's face
For life is swift and terrible race.
He knows I like him just as well
As in the days when I rang his bell,
and he rang mine,
we were young novices then,
And now, we are busy tired old men.
Tired of playing a foolish contest game,
Tired with trying to make a name.
"Tomorrow" 'I say' "I will call on Jim.
Just to show that I'm thinking of him"
But tomorrow comes and tomorrow goes.
And the distance between us grows and grows.
Around the corner yet miles away
Here's a telegram, Sir "Jim died today."
And that's what we get and deserve the end.
Around the corner a vanished friend.
dr. B
--
CQ-Contest on WWW: http://www.contesting.com/_cq-contest/
Administrative requests: cq-contest-REQUEST@contesting.com
|