[RSM] Long-time Contester and DXer, W6SZN, SK

[Jack]

For those of you who may have known or worked him, Kip Edwards, W6SZN, 
succumbed to a heart attack yesterday. It is a sad day for those of us 
involved with DXing and Radiosport.

I am sharing something sent to the Northern California Contest Club 
reflector by Rusty Epps, W6OAT.

> Kip Edwards, W6SZN
>
>
> Born in Wichita, Kansas in 1947, Kip was first licensed as KNØPID at 
> the age of 11. Along with his older brother Craig, KNØPHC, they built 
> a 40 meter transmitter and a Heathtkit AR-3, strung up a longwire and 
> were on the air. The family moved to Washington state and Kip became 
> KN7GGC and later K7GGC. Golf, girls and college soon replaced amateur 
> radio.
>
> Newly married in 1968, Kip and his wife moved to Berkeley where he 
> graduated from the University of California at Berkeley School of Law 
> (Boalt Hall) in 1971. After a stint as a Teaching Fellow at Stanford 
> Law School, Kip joined a major law firm in San Francisco as an 
> associate in 1972 and became a partner in 1978.
>
> Ham Radio Outlet had its main store at the time next to the railroad 
> tracks in Burlingame, California. Intrigued by the big antennas on the 
> roof of the building as he rode the commute train to and from work, 
> Kip visited the store and came away with a Kenwood receiver. It was 
> 1976 and everyone was signing what sounded like exotic DX calls but 
> which were really only stateside stations. In short order, Kip passed 
> the Amateur Extra exam and became W6SZN.
>
> The contesting and DXing bugs bit soon, and hard. Kip was a member of 
> the Northern California Contest Club and served as President and 
> editor of The JUG, the club’s newsletter. He was honored as Contester 
> of the Year in 1982. He was also a member of the Northern California 
> DX Club and served as that club’s President and received the club’s 
> DXer of the Year award in 1988. Kip was on the DXCC Honor Roll and 
> held 9BDXCC and 5BWAS.
>
> DXpeditions include 3D2XX Rotuma (first to activate the new country in 
> 1988-awarded World Contest Expedition by CQ Magazine), F0XX Clipperton 
> (1986), FO0KP (1981), VP5KP (1982—10th in the world CQWW S/O SSB), 
> TI1C (1983—First in the world CQWW M/M SSB), G4/W6SZN (1983), FM/W6SZN 
> (1984-8th in the world CQWW S/O CW) and P40V (1987).
>
> Kip was a Director and Secretary of the Northern California DX 
> Foundation and served as Editor of the NCDXF Newsletter and the WWDXC 
> Totem Tabloid.  He was a Director and Secretary of The Yasme 
> Foundation, Life Member of the ARRL, Life Member of CW Ops, the Maxim 
> Society of the ARRL, and a member of the Northern California Contest 
> Club, the Northern California DX Club, the Western Washington DX Club, 
> and a founding member of the Kitsap County DX Club. Additionally, Kip 
> had been an ARRL Volunteer Counsel and a Vice Director of ARRL's 
> Pacific Division.

RIP, Kip,

Jack, W6NF/VE3RUA