[CQ-Contest] GW4BLE SK

[Ian Pritchard]

Hello all.
I'm sure you'll be sad to hear the news that Steve GW4BLE passed away in the early hours of Friday the 2nd of December, his wife Mandy was with him to the end.  
He was born in South Wales in 1952.  He grew up in what was probably the hey-day of Amateur Radio.  As a teenager he was a member of the local  Blackwood Amateur Radio club, where he  rapidly progressed from SWL to fully licensed Amateur.  He became a keen DX'er but what really motivated him was contesting.  He simply loved it.  His favourite was, of course, CQWW SSB.
Anyone around the world who has ever taken part in an SSB contest will recognise his callsign.  Steve was one of the good guys, fiercely competitive but always ready to offer help and encouragement.  Scrupulously honest in every respect he was an excellent operator who was always ready to adopt new practices and squeeze the most out of his station.  He crammed more antennas into his small garden than one might have thought possible!
Steve had been diagnosed with cancer a while back.  It seemed as though the surgery had been successful in eliminating it.  He was a a fighter and always positive. Unfortunately, over time, complications developed and in the end his cancer returned with a vengeance.

Amazingly , even in very poor health, Steve managed to put in an entry for this year's CQWW SSB contest.  He simply said he wanted to be a part of the greatest contest in the calendar.   Many of us have lost a dear friend and the world of Amateur Radio will be a poorer place without him.

73 Ian G3WVG