Silent Key Notice!

Fred Uber / WA4HQZ

Died: August 4, 2009. Lived to the age of 63 was living in Wampum, PA.

Fred had a wonderful sense of humor, and it turns out that he carried a special secret to the grave. Evidently a few weeks before his death he had applied for a vanity call sign, despite having had the call WA3HQZ for over 40 years, and never told any of us. But he suffered a brain hemorrhage on July 25, and was in a coma until he died on August 4. In the meantime his new license arrived, effective July 31. Are you ready for this? His new call sign was K3LJP. I can only imagine that he had planned to open the 75-meter net some evening with his new call sign, causing all of us to be shocked and surprised. What a wonderful way to honor our dear mentor and founder, Ed Peterson, K3 Love, Joy, and Peace, and what a tragedy that he never got to use it! Now, thanks to his dear wife, the AARAI received permission to obtain K3LJP as our new club station call sign.

Larry Prolog / KE4PM

Died: June 28, 2009. Lived to the age of 57 was living in Niles, MI.

Read more at http://www.blossomlandara.org/Announcments/KE4PM.html

Hervie (Chris) Christian / KC7CU

Died: March 1, 2008

Chris was almost what we could call a pioneer in ham radio as he first began having an interest in radio when he was attending the Far Eastern Academy in Singapore. His parents were missionaries in the Far East. He along with Wilton Wood (W8GS) made themselves some primitive transmitters while there to communicate with anyone they could find using CW in those days. I am sure those were exciting days for them. Chris was a regular member on the West Coast Bible Study Net and also on the 20 meter net. During his later years of life he lived in Cottonwood, Arizona with his wife, Francis.

Homer Dunford D.O. / K7GTE

Died: April 1, 2008

Homer was a very active and avid ham radio operator. He obtained his novice license in ’55 and his general class in ’58. He loved working with antennas and spent much of his time after retirement experimenting with many different designs of antennas. His first rig was a Viking Adventurer transmitter and a Collins 75A-1 receiver. He loved ham radio, flying, and training horses and dogs. He was a member of the Civil Air Patrol in Arizona and participated in several search and rescue operations. He was a regular and often led out on both the 20 meter and the 75 meter West Coast Bible Study Group nets. Homer and Don (K7NHR) were neighbors in Glendale, AZ for many years but caused each other very little QRM. He is survived by his wife, Hedy, K7JJE.

Homer Wayne Dunford D.O. 1923-2008

By Don Starkey, K7NHR

Homer Wayne Dunford was born December 24, 1923 in Addington, OK. He was the youngest of 6 children with 3 brothers and 2 sisters. Everyone in the family worked in order to make a living from their farm during those depression days of the late 20’s and 30’s.

He had a strong desire to obtain a Christian education and in 1943 he drove his ’33 Ford to southern California and was able to register for school at La Sierra Academy near Riverside, CA. When he arrived there he had $20 and all of his earthly possessions in his 10 year old car. He was able to convince the school registrar that he was willing to work and make his way in school. They provided him a job, hauling hay for which he was paid 15¢-20¢/hour, but later was hired at the school dairy for 60¢/hour. He worked 70 hours/week along with full time attendance in school and was able to graduate from the academy.

Following graduation from La Sierra Academy he served in the U.S. Army as a surgical technician both here in the U.S. and overseas. He was discharged from service in 1946 and went to work in construction doing plastering for $4/hour.

With a continuing desire for education he enrolled at Pacific Union College in 1950 and pursued a course in pre-med which he finished in 1953. It was during these college days that he met a young lady by the name of Hedy Hofmann who was in the process of obtaining her degree in nursing education. Their relationship blossomed and they were married June 1, 1952. Following graduation from college, Homer was accepted for medical school in Kansas City, MO at the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences. In August ’53 they moved from California to Kansas City to begin school.

Daughter, Linda, was born in September ’53 and son, Larry, was born in December ’54. Homer cared for the children evenings and nighttime so that Hedy could work at the hospital. He also remodeled the house in which they lived to supplement their financial needs.

Graduation from medical school was in June ’57 which was followed with a move to Sacramento, California for an internship. It was in 1958 that the family moved to Phoenix, AZ to finally settle in one place and begin practice as a family physician. This became home to the family where they reared their 2 children and lived for the next 40 years.

In addition to his busy family practice, he was also appointed to serve a term as chief of staff of Phoenix General Hospital. Homer enjoyed his family and spent as much time as his busy medical practice would allow with them. They enjoyed time camping, hiking and enjoying the many diverse areas of Arizona. Much of his time was also spent assisting Linda and Larry in their horsemanship programs for which they brought home many Ribbons.

His hobbies included amateur radio which was perhaps the strongest one along with training horses and obedience training of dogs. He also loved nice cars and planes. He was a private pilot and a member of the Civil Air Patrol in Arizona where he participated in several search and rescue operations. Many times while camping in remote areas, one would see him stringing up an antenna to use with his ham radio while camped. This was an exercise in emergency communications which was utilized in times of disaster as he worked in later years with the Red Cross. In his later years after retirement, he enjoyed time experimenting with various antennas in an attempt to find one that was more efficient and would push his signal just a little farther.

Integrated among all these other activities was devotion to his church. Homer and Charles Jordan were the prime promoters of the school and all the building programs at the present site of the Glendale Adventist church and school in Glendale, AZ. Dr. Dunford’s talents were many and during his time as a member of the church filled many positions over the years including but not limited to school board chairman, head elder, Sabbath School teacher, deacon and even landscape maintenance. Many will remember numerous social activities at their farm and also the skits he and Hedy used to do.

He is survived by his wife, Hedy Dunford of Cartersville, GA; brother, Delwin of Oakdale, CA; daughter, Linda Carman of Cartersville, GA; son, Dr. Larry Dunford and Terrilynn Cochran Dunford of Ft. Myers, FL; and 4 grandchildren.

Henry Little / KA3LWE

Died: March 21, 2008

Henry was an active member of the AARA for many years. He was very faithful on the 75 meter Eastern net and was net control from time to time. He held an Advanced Class license. The phonics that Henry used for his call Keep All 3 Large White Eggs. Henry was born in 6-14-2015.

Bernard Briggs M.D. / KI6R

Died: April 16, 2008

Bernard was an active member of the AARA for many years. He was a faithful net control on the 20 meter net as well as a participant regularly on the West Coast Bible Study Net each morning. He held an Extra Class license. Even in his later years he participated quite regularly on the nets. Bernard was winner of the QSO Party. Bernard was born 11-8-1911.

Dr. Briggs was a member of the heart team of Loma Linda in the earlier years of the team’s existence. He was also on the teaching staff of the Loma Linda University Medical Center in the anesthesia department.

His son, Burton (KI6BB), is also a ham radio operator and an anesthesiologist as well, in the southern California area.

Rose Ballard / W0OES

Rose was born June 15, 1930 and was living in Calhoun, Georgia for Rose was the XYL of Russ Ballard, W0OER, who died in 2001. Her son, Robert, KG4CSH, presently lives in Calhoun, GA. Rose was a faithful church member and a good friend to many. Her health began to deteriorate only a few months ago and followed a fairly rapid downhill course until her death. She was born in Bowling Green, Ohio June 15, 1930, and died April 10, 2008 in Granite City, Illinois where she had moved to be near one of her daughters.