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A
tribute to
Jeff Beals,
WA4AW
By
ARRL Southern
Florida
Section
Manager Barry
Porter, KB1PA
Jeff Beals,
WA4AW became a
silent key on
July 20, 2024.
He lived a
life dedicated
to community
service and
Amateur radio.
Jeff was
elected as
Vice Director
for the ARRL
Southeastern
Division in
2022, and was
previously
Vice Director
in the SE
Division from
Aug 2009- Dec
2010.
He
was active
with the ARRL
Field
Organization
since the late
70s. In the
Southern
Florida
Section he
served as the
Section
Manager,
Assistant
Section
Manager,
Affiliated
Club
Coordinator,
Section
Membership
Coordinator,
Technical
Coordinator
and Technical
Specialist.
Jeff
was first
licensed in
the early 60s
as WN2OUK at
age 12 in Long
Beach, LI, NY
, where he was
active with
the local 5
Towns Radio
Club and
Nassau County
AREC/RACES. He
even had a 2
meter radio on
his Bicycle.
He held an
Amateur Extra
Class license
and FCC First
Class
Radiotelephone
license (now
called a
GROL).
Jeff's service
with amateur
emergency
communications
includes
serving as
Section
Emergency
Coordinator
for the
Southern
Florida
Section,
Assistant SEC,
District
Emergency
Coordinator
for the Gold
Coast
District,
Emergency
Coordinator
and County
RACES Officer
for Lee and
Palm Beach
Counties and
member of the
ARRL National
Emergency
Response
Planning
Committee. He
was certified
at all 3
levels of ARRL
ARECC ,
EC-015, EC-016
and advanced
FEMA training.
He received
State of
Florida
commendations
for service
with
Hurricanes
Andrew and
Katrina. He
was also
deployed to
Hurricanes
Frances, Jean,
Wilma, Matthew
& Irma.
Jeff
was active
with the
Quarter
Century
Wireless
Association (
QCWA ) He
served as
Secretary/Treasurer
of the Palm
Beach Chapter
111 since 1999
and a member
of the
National Board
of Directors
and Historian.
He was a
member of the
Highlands,
Edison,
Everglades
& Citrus
Chapters of
QCWA. He was
elected Vice
President of
QCWA in 2023.
He
was a life
member of the
ARRL, QCWA ,
OOTC and AWA
and a Fellow
of the Radio
Club of
America. Past
President of
the Fort Myers
and West Palm
Beach ARCs and
a member of
the Wellington
RC, Port St.
Lucie ARA,
Florida
Contest Group,
FL East Coast
DX Club and
life member of
the Fort Myers
ARC, West Palm
Beach ARC,
Gold Coast ARA
and Martin
County ARA. He
held
membership in
the ARRL A-1
Operator Club,
Old Timers
Club &
Royal Order of
the Wouff
Hong. He also
was named "
Ham of the
Year " by the
West Palm
Beach ARC. He
was a CE and
VE with the
ARRL and W5YI
VEC and VE
with the
Laurel VEC.
His
personal
tribute to the
fathers of
electronic
communications
are memorials
to Major Edwin
H. Armstrong
and Philo T.
Farnsworth and
was trustee of
the callsigns
for their
pioneering FM
and TV
stations.
He
curated the
Yesteryear
Village Old
Radio & TV
Museum at the
South Florida
Fairgrounds in
West Palm
Beach. That
club call is
W4YYV. His
other
interests
include
collecting and
restoring
classic
radios,
traveling to
hamfests,
antique cars
and radio-TV
history.
Professionally,
He was the
communications
supervisor in
SE Florida for
the State of
Florida
Forestry
Service. He
was also a
licensed
insurance
adjuster in
the State of
Florida and
previously, a
licensed
insurance
broker in New
York State. He
also owned a
taxi company
in Long
Island.
Jeff's XYL,
Myra, K3PGH is
retired and
they split
their time
between
residences in
Lake Placid
& Royal
Palm Beach,
FL. They also
volunteered at
many amateur
radio events
throughout the
year.
His
presence will
always be with
us, but he
will be deeply
missed.
Rest
in Peace
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