[OKDXA] K5KA - Ken Adams SK

[Jerry Chouinard]

I am sorry to report to all that my good friend and OKDXAer Ken Adams 
passed away
peacefully this Sunday afternoon.

Most of you know Ken had been undergoing chemotherapy for some time now.  This
entire past year he continued in good spirits and operated the ARRL SS CW 
test just
a couple of weekends ago in the MS category with his friend Steve Merchant 
K6AW.
He and Steve had operated HC8N in the Galapagos Is. quite a number of times 
together.
Ken was well known around the country for his work on the Sweepstakes as 
the contest
manager for the past couple of years and for his efforts at building and 
maintaining one of
the top domestic contest stations in the country.  His station regularly 
won the NAQP M/S
category and I was privileged to be part of the operating team quite a 
number of times.

Ken will be missed.  Even before his passing I missed operating his FB 
station this past
August in the NAQP.  It was always a grand time after the 12 hour contest 
was over.
During and after we had good snacks and food with plenty to wash it down 
with.  His wife
Vicki always made sure we had plenty of things to keep the energy 
going.  She supported
Ken and his hobby 100%.

In September, operators from around the country came to Bartlesville to 
help Ken dismantle
one of his two towers and reorganize the beams on the first tower.  K1TO 
Dan from Florida,
N6TR Tree from Oregon, N5KO Trey from California, N5RZ Ralph from Texas, 
K3LR Tim from
Edmond and myself had a fine weekend at Kens place.  He had a long list of 
items to get
done and most were accomplished by late Saturday.  I remember he was quite 
pleased to
have so many folks travel such distances to help him wind down his 
station.  I believe the
reason they came was to help their long time friend with his wishes.  I 
know that is why I
went to his place that weekend.

Ralph, N5RZ sent the following email to let me and us know of Ken's passing.

Jerry:

Just talked to Vicki.   Ken passed away peacefully this (Sunday) afternoon.

He will be cremated, and there will be no formal service.  However, Ken has 
told me repeatedly (and perhaps some of y'all) that when the antennas come 
down he wants us to have a big BarBQ - a celebration.  We will plan this 
sometime after the first of the year.

Vicki's e-mail is    vicadamsarf at gmail.com

Mailing address:
VICKI ADAMS

24211 PHILSON FARM RD

BARTLESVILLE, OK 74006

USA

She said she will probably put together a condolence page on the web.

RIP Ken.

73,  Gator

Indeed, RIP Ken we will all miss you.

K5YAA