[CQ-Contest] Contest Personality Doc Sheller K8RR now a Silent Key

[BobK8IA at aol.com]

Doc Sheller K8RR (also WA8ZDF, KN8Z and  several  other calls) passed away 
yesterday from complications of a  lengthy bout of  kidney problems and 
diabetes. Doc was 69.

Some  of you contesters,  those of you that contested in the 70's and 
80's  for sure, will remember Doc as  one of the more outrageous 
personalities  
in radiosport history. In addition to  sometimes off the wall antics,  he 
was one of the most meticulous station  builders I ever knew. And he  grew 
into 
being a decent contester, after he built  two great  multi-tower stations 
in 
central Ohio.He once said, in that regard,   "now I have this really fast 
car....I better learn to drive it!"

Doc  and  I were close friends and still emailed up until about 3 weeks 
ago.  
Before K8TD and I had formalized our antenna company, Doc was our first  
true major "client".  In the early 70's, we helped take his Groveport  OH 
QTH from one to four 
towers and make it truly  contest competitive.  

Here was my Facebook post earlier  today,

"The most colorful  ham radio contest personality I ever met passed  away 
today, Doc  Sheller K8RR (WA8ZDF, KN8Z etc). Everything Doc did in  
contesting 
and  DXing was done with a flair, over the top details, and with  complete  
obsession towards winning. Doc let nothing get in his way. Our   friendship 
began in 1971, when Doc solicited help in expanding his  antenna  system 
and 
continued as five of us began Mad River RC, and on  to memorable  multiop 
efforts at his Groveport OH QTH. RIP  Doc!"

There are many "Doc  stories" out there. I am sure some of  them will come 
out in the next few  days.Here's a sample of my memory  of Doc.

I was going thru some old  slides, from when we did all that  antenna work 
at Doc's Groveport QTH.(72-73  mostly). I came up with one  slide of our 
Multi-Multi group effort there (CQWW  SSB) it showed the  ops all standing 
behind 
a target with callsigns of the big  M/M groups  as target rings. W8TA 
stands 
on one side of the target with a 30-30   rifle. Doc stands on the other 
side 
with his Thompson machine gun. He  later  complained, violently, when CQ 
wouldn't print the pic. ;-) Doc,  the original  "Outlaw".

Another episode I recall was that 1 am  meeting in Dayton, 1971,  when five 
of us formalized the beginnings of  the Mad River Contest Club. Doc was  
the 
ringleader, of course, and I  cant recall if anyone in that group was 
sober.  
Some really funny stuff  happened in that meeting. I wish video cams would 
have  been around  then.

Or the time, when we were expanding his station, I came  to  him with the 
need to buy something (I cant recall what) for $1000. He  looked  at me, 
incredulously, and said, "Get it! And Don't bother me  with anything  
unless it 
costs me a LOT of money". That pretty much  summed up Docs stance on  
station 
improvement. ;-)

RIP  Doc....there will never be another like  you.


73, Bob K8IA  (K8HLR "back in the day")