Topband: W5SUS

[Stan Stockton]

It is with a sad heart that I report that W5SUS became a silent key last month on June 14, thirty days before his 99th birthday.  

John was an old timer on 160M receiving the 23rd DXCC certificate issued on that band in August, 1982 and the second one issued to anyone west of the Mississippi river.  

John lived in Gravette, AR about 15 miles from where I grew up and was the one who got me interested in 160M.  John and I became very close friends even though there was a 45 year difference in our ages.  

At an age of over 70 in about 1980 he put up phased verticals on 160M in order to try to complete his DXCC on 160M.  Back then it was a real challenge to work and confirm 100. He was always interested in a challenge, having stopped chasing overall countries perhaps 25 years prior while near or at the top of the Honor Roll because it seemed to easy.  Because of his wife's health he moved to Rogers about 35 miles away and in his mid seventies decided he wanted to work 2M moonbounce.  Soon he was working the world on 2M with a backyard set up in a subdivision.

He moved to New Port Richey, FL perhaps 15 years ago and has been living in a retirement community where the challenge was for us to put up an antenna that would enable him to get on 160M with restrictions against having an antenna.  He has been inactive for most of the last few years with failing health and not being able to his new radio without turning the wrong knob.

I fondly remember when JA5DQH and another JA came to visit John in about 1981 and still have some pictures of John, Aki and our families with Aki holding baby Kevin, now N5DX, in his arms.

More important than any of John's accomplishments as a ham operator, John was a wonderful man. Sitting in his living room, listening to him quote poetry for an hour at age 90 or more, and seeing the twinkle in his eyes is one of the best memories I will have of John.

There will be a memorial service in Tampa at the Hyde Park United Methodist Church on July 26 at 1:00PM.  I will try to attend.  John is survived by his son and daughter and several grandkids.  

Many of you will remember John's distinct fist operating with a straight key.  I will never forget dit daahdaaaah dididididit dididit dididaaaah dididit. 

Stan, K5GO