[MOham] WB0EJJ - SK

[Reicher, James]

I knew Beryl for 24 years.  I bought my first 2 meter rig from him
shortly after I got my General ticket back in 1980 and developed a
friendship that I will remember and cherish the rest of my life. 


I've attached his obit from the Kansas City Star.

73 de N8AU (ex-NT0P, ex-KC0HV), Jim in Raymore, MO


Beryl H. (WB0EJJ) Masters

Beryl H. Masters (WBOEJJ), 85, Kansas City, MO, passed away Sunday,  
October 3, 2004, at Timberlake Care Center. Funeral services will be 7  
p.m. Wednesday, October 6 at D.W. Newcomer's Sons Floral Hills Chapel,  
with Rev. Robert Seals (WOFLQ) officiating. Visitation will precede  
services, 5:30-7 p.m., at the chapel. Graveside services will be  
private. Memorial contributions are suggested to the charity of the  
donor's choice. Beryl was born April 5, 1919, in Corder, MO, and came  
to the Kansas City area in 1920. He was educated in the KC schools and  
MO State School for the Blind in St. Louis, MO. Beryl was preceded in  
death by his parents John L. Masters and Ruth (Hedges) Masters, two  
wives, Rosemary Duncan and Joyce Phillips, and brother John L. Masters,

Jr. He is survived by son James L. Masters, El Paso, TX; three  
stepchildren, Mary Simpson, George Duncan, and Helen Dankert; sister  
Winnie Schwab, Raytown, MO; two nieces and two nephews; he is also  
survived by a host of friends, including very special friends Al  
Hartig, Chet and Mary Jo Hallberg, and Milan and Kathryn Vunovich.  
Beryl became a member of Allied Workers for the Blind in 1939, and held

multiple offices. As Financial Chairman, he was instrumental in  
increasing the AWB's treasury from its meager beginnings to an amount  
that has allowed AWB to do many projects to help blind persons in KCMO.

In 1959, he became the AWB representative on the Education and Welfare  
Committee of the MO Council of the Blind (formerly the MO Federation of

the Blind), of which he was a life member. As AWB Representative, Beryl

was active on the legislative front. He appeared personally before the  
State Senate and the House of Representatives for many years advocating

for blind pension benefits, white cane legislation, and other laws  
designed to make life better for Missourians with impaired vision. In  
1950, Beryl was the first person with a disability hired by Bendix  
Allied Signal Corporation, where he served as a Tool Room Machinist  
until retiring in 1985. He operated lathes and other machinery for  
cutting and shaping metal items, thereby demonstrating his  
resourcefulness in overcoming his disability by the use of Braille  
tools to do the same work as the sighted. His exemplary performance was

instrumental in motivating Bendix to hire many additional persons with  
disabilities in future years. Beryl was the recipient of many amateur  
(ham) radio operation awards, including the A-1 Operator's Award  
(highest grade license available), and the Quarter Century Wireless  
Award. He assisted other blind persons in obtaining FCC licenses and  
equipment. He co-founded the KC Association for the Blind Amateur Radio

Club (KCABARC), and actively worked through fund raising to secure the  
equipment for Alphapointe Association for the Blind. He created the  
routes used by the MS150 Bike-A-Thon, arranged for the volunteers  
needed, and used his skills to provide radio communication each year to

raise money for research of multiple sclerosis and also worked with  
communications for the Heart Foundation, Cancer Fund, March of Dimes,  
diabetes, and other charitable organizations. (Arr. D.W. Newcomer's  
Sons Floral Hills Chapel, 816-353-1218) Published in the Kansas City  
Star on 10/5/2004.

http://www.legacy.com/kansascity/LegacySubPage2.asp?Page=LifeStory&Perso
nId=2676010

-----Original Message-----
From: N0PB Phil [mailto:n0pb at starband.net] 
Sent: Monday, October 04, 2004 9:50 PM
To: Reicher, James; moham at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [MOham] WB0EJJ - SK

I am sorry to hear about Beryl..
 Worked him many times over the years. Especially when I called the
Missouri
Single-sideband Net a few years ago.
 Thank you for the information.

Phil N0PB