[CQ-Contest] K4OJ SK

[Robert Higgins]

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