[PaQSO] Ray

[TwelveVDC at aol.com]

And to think I was the only one to serve in that foul horse trailer manning the 6m FD operating position at Grumpy Acres while Ray was in the air-conditioned "Thing Of Beauty" for the entire weekend... a couple of years in a row!

(I don't even have to close my eyes to remember that godawful stink.) Guess it was always the least in seniority to get assigned there, hi!

I had too much going on to fully participate in this year's PArty, but I did turn the rig on just to make one single, important Q. I found the Grump immediately, and logged him for the last time. I was very moved by the remarkably wide berth he was considerately afforded on 75 phone that day. It was clearly not coincidence. The band was mayhem outside +/- 10kc on either side of Ray the whole time I listened.

Those of you who can attend the Service Monday evening, please incorporate or display some small badge or identifier on your garment that will reflect to the family your connection to Ray was through radio. This will be a meaningful tribute to the medium we came to know him by.

-Pete / NL7XM 




> On Jan 9, 2016, at 2:01 PM, Steven Stepansky <sstepa at verizon.net> wrote:
> 
> I did FD duty in that horse trailer years ago and I'm not sure rank describes it all that well,,,it was beyond rank. K3ANS introduced me to Ray. It took some time for me kind of figure Ray out and afterwards, he was quite the character to be around and I mean that with full respect.  Last spoke to Ray in early October and he told me he knew the end was near but still geared up for PA QSO and a few other radio interests he wanted to do. I think ham radio kept him going.
> Rest in Peace Ray.
> 73,
> SteveKC3WX
>  
> 
>      From: "k3cc at verizon.net" <k3cc at verizon.net>
> To: paqso at mailman.qth.net 
> Sent: Saturday, January 9, 2016 1:25 PM
> Subject: Re: [PaQSO] Ray
> 
> I knew Ray for many years...  Almost 50 if counting numbers...He was a 
> fantastic husband, loved his wife dearly...  Ham radio, CW was his thing.
> I never could use his bug...I have a lot of stories but many can't be 
> printed....  He visited us one day when our red and black plums were just 
> ripe.
> Ray was going to make plum preserves... So he started in the orchard among 
> the yellow jackets and bees....They never bothered him...But  he
> ate as many very ripe plums as he picked....We lived in Kempton, PA about 50 
> miles from Ray.....I'll leave it to imagination as to what happened
> on the way home...One Thanksgiving, my wife and I had made a turkey and ham 
> for Thanksgiving...We had a very large home and a table that
> seated 12....and a kitchen table....Someone started on the 2 meter repeater 
> and the next ting there was 8 hams and their partners...Ray and a woman
> from South America, Bob Wf3h and wife, N3IYX, K3ANS and Hope, and a few I 
> don't remember....that came to dinner....What a fun day that was..
> If you can imagine abt 10 hams in one place and their wives in with Jean my 
> wife...Field Days,  20 meters that was Ray's...  The QCWA worked FD
> at Ray's place in Springtown, PA and I remember  my station was in a very 
> HOT bread truck...I don't know who got stuck in the
> Horse trailer but in was rank.  FD at night  W3LR's wife would bring us hot 
> Hobo stew  great food....For some reason a lot of our time was spent 
> eating.
> QCWA picnic's,  W3OK Picnic's , saturday's picnic just for fun....
> In some cases Ray was like a father to me.....and I was that thorn in his 
> shoe !
> 
> de Skip  K3CC
> 
> 
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