[TAC] K8DD remembered

[Ian - K8MM]

Well said Mike.

Mike Zedan wrote:
> Hi Ian:
>
> That is a great remembrance of Hank.
>
> I've been turning over a way to relate my feelings about Hank, but having a terrible time doing so.  Just tonight, in responding to a letter from my kids, it came together, as inadequate as it is.
>
> Here's what I wrote to them:
>
>
> You know, I've been thinking a lot about what made my relationship with Hank so special.  He certainly had friends with which he had closer relationships, for much longer than he knew me.  What made my relationship with Hank so good for me is that his knowledge level of radio technology, and the working of Ham radio was more than superficial.  He had an in-depth grasp of things.  To top things off, he never acted as though I were someone who was taking time away from his other relationships.  This was built into his personality deeper than anyone I've met in a very long time, if ever.  My recent thoughts have likened knowing Hank with meeting, and getting along with, someone who is a celebrity.  Despite living the life of a celebrity, because of circumstances or just plain innate personality, he had this marvelous way of making those with whom he was interacting at a particular time feel as though they were his main interests.  He was a friend (in every sense of the word) to anyone who didn't come off as a insufferable idiot.  Even with the latter, he managed (without conscious thought) to avoid coming off as a snob, as some of us are wont to do.
>
>
> Take Care, Ian,
>
> MikeZ
>
>
> Hank Kohl or K8DD as he was known by many of us, was my best friend, a 
> willing accomplice, and a father figure rolled into one. When he moved 
> to Lum, it became easy to spend many days together goofing off, playing 
> radio and eating Schwan's Ice cream bars. We would go to Radio club 
> meetings, contest, work on antennas, go on dx'peditions and more. During 
> our many trips out to dinner, Hank and I would sit and talk about radio 
> while our wives would roll their eyes and talk about what ever it is 
> that wives talk about. He was never bored and always had some sort of 
> project to work on. Even if we really didn't accomplish much at all 
> during a visit, just being together, playing radio and doing nothing in 
> particular, truly were some of the best times of my life.
>
> Hank selflessly gave a lot of his time to various amateur radio groups 
> and was always a welcome guest at club meetings and gatherings. He made 
> many friends all over the country and the world, and looked forward to 
> going to Dayton every year to see many of them face to face. You could 
> always call him up and ask him for help with something and he'd drop 
> what he was doing to give you a hand no matter what it was. If you 
> needed help with a computer or anything related to amateur radio, he had 
> the answer or could help you find out what you wanted to know. No matter 
> how simple your question was, he never treated like you were stupid even 
> if you probably should have known the answer.
>
> Hank loved to laugh and there were many times when we would end up 
> laughing so hard, tears would come to our eyes and our sides would still 
> hurt the next day. I'm sure a couple of you guys remember the 'sending 
> of the sweepstakes exchange challenge' between Hank and Marty (K8MV). I 
> can't think of any other time in my life when I laughed so hard AND 
> wished I was wearing a gas mask. There is a reason one of Hank's 
> nicknames was 'the divine wind'.
>
> Hank and I were constantly joking around. It was common to give each 
> other a hard time if one of us messed something up. I knew exactly what 
> he meant when he would grunt the words "Uh huh". Sometimes he would just 
> let out a big sigh, look at me, push up his glasses with his middle 
> finger and grin. If I made a comment about his age he would say "Keep it 
> up and you won't make it to be this old". Sometimes people would ask us 
> if we were father and son. Hank would look at me, shake his head and say 
> "If he were my son he wouldn't have lived this long". If you made the 
> 'mistake' of asking him "How are you?" he would quickly respond and say, 
> "Great, fine, wonderful, superb, stupendous, fantastic. If I was any 
> better I'd be twins." Many people would laugh, some would looked 
> confused and overwhelmed, and others just didn't quite know what to say. 
> No matter how people reacted, Hank didn't mind, he just loved to 
> interact with the people he'd come across everyday on his way through life.
>
> I'm sure Hank would want me to share a favorite saying of his his, which 
> he truly believed.
>
> “Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of 
> arriving safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in 
> sideways, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming ‘Wow 
> – what a ride!’”
>
> Henry my friend, I'll see you again someday. I look forward to sitting 
> around, having a beer and playing radio with you, Buck, and our other 
> friends that make it there before I do. I know it may sound cliche' but 
> I couldn't have asked for a better friend and mentor. I miss you 
> terribly and I was very fortunate to have you in my life. When you 
> passed you left a hole in many of our hearts that won't easily be 
> filled. 73 OM, good luck in the contest and good dx.
>
> Ian - K8MM
>
> p.s. I want to thank everyone that sent me email and wished me well as I 
> deal with this tremendous loss. Many of you that have been through this 
> before understand the ups and downs one goes through. The pain doesn't 
> lessen but intervals of time between moments of tears becomes longer 
> everyday.
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