Topband: VE1ZZ has passed on - Very Very Sad news! (Long)

[Brian Campbell]

A friend of mine ( who to this day knows absolutely nothing about radio, propagation or especially antennas  ) and I worked together about 30 years ago and when he found out I was doing radio he immediately said " Do you know VE1ZZ?"  No I replied not personally but I know "OF" him because he is a legend to all Topbanders.

He then went on to explain how, when he was a kid back in the early 60's or 70's, he and his friends would sneak over to Jacks place to climb his towers for fun and that Jack would sometimes catch them and run them off. "Funny thing he said, sometimes when we were on the towers they would start humming" and he started laughing. I asked him if he knew why they were humming and he said he had no idea. So then I started laughing and told  him why - and then he stopped and got little pale...

That became a running joke between us for the many years we worked together.

I even had the chance to tell Jack about it during one of the CQ160 SSB contests about 10 or 11  years ago. Jack laughed on the air when I relayed the story and said " I know who you are talking about!"

R.I.P. Jack es TU for the countless 160 QSOs...

You will be missed but not forgotten my friend.

73,
Brian
VE3MGY