Topband: Milt Sullivan, RL Drake Chief Engineer, SK

[Jim Brown]

This was in today's ARRL Letter.

Milton A. Sullivan Jr, ex-K8YDO, Former Chief Engineer at R. L. Drake 
(SK)Milton A. "Buddy" Sullivan Jr, ex-K8YDO, of Washington, DC -- the 
former chief engineer at the R. L. Drake Company 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._L._Drake_Company> -- passed away from a 
stroke on October 28. He was 85. Sullivan designed and oversaw the 
designs of all the most significant Drake Amateur Radio products, 
including the 1A, 2B and 2NT transmitter, all the 4 lines and the 
beginning of the 7 line.

After retiring from Drake in 1984, Sullivan ran his own business selling 
and setting up satellite television systems, an offshoot of his later 
projects at Drake that involved designing satellite equipment. After 
that, he went back to work full time as chief engineer for Lytton 
Electronics, where he worked until his final retirement in 1990. In 
1993, he and his wife Judith moved to South Carolina where Sullivan 
worked for Alpha Delta, the small company owned by his former Drake 
colleague and long time friend, Don Tyrrell, W8AD. Sullivan donated his 
body to science. A US Navy veteran, he will be interred at Arlington 
National Cemetery after a term with the Georgetown University Medical 
School. -- /Thanks to John Sullivan and Don Tyrrell, W8AD, for the 
information/

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I worked for Milt at R.L. Drake as a co-op EE student from Univ of 
Cincinnati, and was working at a bench in the engineering lab when news 
came over the radio that President Kennedy had been shot.

One correction/addition to the obit.  In addition to designing the 
products noted, Milt also designed the TR3, Drake's first transceiver, 
and the beginning of their line of transmitting products.  Bob Drake 
established and ran the quality company, but Milt was the chief engineer.

Both were nice guys, and Milt was a fair boss.  I never kept track of 
him after leaving Drake, and wondered what he had done with the rest of 
his life.  From the obit, quite a lot. RIP, Milt.

73, Jim K9YC