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George Politzi K2ZZ SK Age 65 Mr Radio Oasis

Discussion in 'Amateur Radio News' started by K2HAT, Sep 22, 2017.

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  1. K2HAT

    K2HAT Premium Subscriber Volunteer Moderator Volunteer DX Helper QRZ Page

    Memorial Services for George Politzi K2ZZ will be

    4:00PM Thursday Sept. 28, 2017 at the Blessed Sacrament Church 607 Central Ave Albany NY 12206

    George Politzi K2ZZ SK.

    Confirmed by his Brother Paul, Wednesday Sept 19th.


    George was an Amateur for almost 50 years, born June 7, 1952,
    he had been the driving force behind Radio Oasis for years now.


    His passing was unexpected, he was at the Boxboro Convention Hamfest
    very recently with a table inside with many of his Radio Oasis Antennas for sale.

    George was very proud to be #1 Honor Roll for DXCC having worked every DXCC
    entity that is currently on the DXCC Chart including North Korea. :)

    I had dinner with George about 10 days ago, he said he was feeling fine, just a little tired from the road trip to and from Boxboro.

    About 2 years ago George had relocated to the Albany, NY area about 10 minutes from where I live, and we usually shared a meal once or twice a week along with some other locals.



    73 K2HAT Lee Hatfield Jr

    Photo from the Centennial Hartford Convention 2014.

    [​IMG]
     
    K2ZZ and N1CM like this.
  2. W1YW

    W1YW Ham Member QRZ Page

    Tragic. Gone WAY too soon:-(
     
    K2HAT and K4BBN like this.
  3. K2RJK

    K2RJK Ham Member QRZ Page

    I only met George once many years ago when I was building a Hex beam and bought some materials from him at a ham fest in Central New Jersey, he was a pleasure to do business with. He will be missed.

    The good die young, and us cranky old fossil's will be around forever.

    73 George.
     
    WA0VSW, K2HAT and K4BBN like this.
  4. K2WO

    K2WO Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    George was a Class act. Gone way too soon and he will be missed greatly. RIP George.

    George
    K2WO
     
    K2HAT and K4BBN like this.
  5. W1QJ

    W1QJ Ham Member QRZ Page

    I met George way back in 1967. At the time we were both just barely 13 years old. Our very first meeting on a very brief basis was at a Boy Scout Camporee. George actually lived in New York State and I lived in Connecticut on the bordering town. Our scout troops were in the same district because we were so close. Anyhow at the Camporee our paths crossed for only a few minutes and just long enough to exchange first names. The encounter was over and off we went on our way. Fast forward about two weeks. One evening I was the 80 meter novice band, my usual "rock bound" frequency of 3727 khz. We used Khz in those days. I was in QSO with another ham around dinner time. My mother called me for dinner and I made my final with the ham I was in QSO with, logged him in, and proceeded to the kitchen for dinner. As I was walking away I could hear my call sign being sent a bit off frequency. Over and over I could hear WN1GSO being sent. Many many times. Then DE WN2YSG. Hmmm, I figured, someone in NY or NJ, I already have those states confirmed. Don't need it. My mother called out LOUIS YOUR DINNER IS GETTING COLD. Once again, a frantic barrage of CW, WN1GSO being sent over and over again. Many times, and then DE WN2YSG. I was at odds, do I answer this call or go to dinner. Another barrage of CW began again. WN2YSG was relentless in his calling. My mother shouts, YOUR DINNER IS COLD. I decide to sit back down and make this QSO with WN2YSG. So I went back to the radio and hit the transmit switch on my converted ARC-5 and called WN2YSG back. Once QSO was established he went on to thank me for coming back to his call and proceeded to say NAME IS GEORGE, QTH IS LEWISBORO,NY. RST 599. I HEARD YOU TELL YOUR LAST CONTACT YOUR NAME WAS LOU IN RIDGEFIELD,CT. ARE YOU IN BOY SCOUT TROOP #49 IN RIDGEFIELD? BK TO U. I wondered, who is this guy? How does he know I am a scout in troop #49, he lives in New York, I don't know any kids from NY. So after the routine WN2YSG DE WN1GSO I proceeded to say, YES GEORGE, I AM LOU FROM RIDGEFIELD ,CT AN I AM INDEED A SCOUT IN TROOP 49. HOW DID YOU KNOW THAT? I DON'T KNOW YOU. BK TO U. George came back and said that he remembered my name and my troop # on my uniform during that brief encounter two weeks ago at the Boy Scout Camporee. He said I was the one standing to the right of "the big guy" in our group. He said I just wanted to know if you were the same LOU in RIDGEFIELD that I met at the Camporee. Well indeed I was.

    How cool is this? It just so happened that back in those days a phone call over the state line to Lewisboro was a "local call", George gave me his phone number and I called him on the phone. We talked for a very long time on the phone, we were very truly "kindred spirits". We had made arraignments for that Saturday for George's dad to come and pick me up and I would go to visit George at his QTH just over the line in Lewisboro. That Saturday his dad came to get me and we went to his house for the day. I suppose you can guess what we did for the day? Yeah we "played radios". At the time I only had that 80 meter converted ARC-5 and was stuck on 80 meters. George had a Knight T-60 and he had made a 15 meter vertical out of a piece of 1/2" plumbing pipe. I never was able to get on 15 meters. He showed me his log book where he had worked stations in Europe on 15. I was so impressed I had to do something to try and get on 15 meters. Subsequently I managed to talk one of the older guys in the radio club to loan me his novice transmitter, an Eico 720. When I go that transmitter I was able to now do 15 and 40 meters.

    From that day on, George and I had regular Saturday visits to each others house. These visits went on for years, along with just about daily phone calls to go over our daily ham radio contacts and the various bands. George was only 3 weeks younger than me so we both got our drivers license's around the same time. Once those days came we were together just about every day. I can probably say unequivocally that George was probably one my best friends. When George was 18 and a senior in HS he was diagnosed with polytcystic kidneys. This is a hereditary disease of the kidneys that eventually destroys them, leading to death unless you go on routine dialysis or get a kidney transplant. His doctor said you probably have about 10 years and you will be really sick and need dialysis or transplant. About 6 years later George started to get sick and by the 9th year he was so sick he could not get out of bed. He was dying. Doctor said it was time now for dialysis or transplant. George has 3 brothers and a sister and a check was made to see who would be the best matched donor for a kidney. Turns out that his brother Paul was a great match and a kidney transplant was scheduled at Yale New Haven Hospital in Connecticut on Dec 7th circa 1978. Well that is over 38 years ago. Shortly after the kidney transplant George was like a new person, he was healthy again and leading a normal life. Thank God for his brother Paul and medical breakthrough of those days. The ironic thing to this whole story is back in 1990 I was diagnosed with kidney disease. My doctor told me my prognosis was that eventually I would lose my kidney function and I would need dialysis or kidney transplant. Over the next 20 years my health slowly declined, little by little until in 2009 I was sick like George was just before he had his kidney transplant. My day had come, I am facing the same situation as George had. I was lucky, another friend of mine had 5 boys, I am Godfather for the eldest. All his sons always and still do call me "Uncle Louie". I know each one from birth and they grew up with me being their "Uncle Louie". #2 boy Robert who was 25 in 2009 volunteered to donate a kidney to me. Robert had seen me as he was growing up, getting sicker and sicker. One day he said to me, Uncle Lou, you are really sick huh? I said yes Robert I am, and it is time I go on dialysis or have a kidney transplant. There is no other choice. That day he said he would go get checked to see if he could be a donor. Well, I am here to tell you today that he was my donor, and a good one at that. I had the transplant in June of 2009.

    You see, there is a very special relationship with George and myself. I really believe God meant for he and I to become friends. Our meeting was so unusual and the slightest turn of events in our lives at the time could have been like two ships passing in the night. Every aspect was perfect. What would have happened if I went straight to the dinner table that day in 1967 when WN2YSG was calling frantically on 80 meters? I don't know? I would hate to think if it had been any other way. George is gone now and I grieve, I grieve terribly, I think back on a 50 year friendship and I reminisce of good times and bad, and in sickness and in health. And now death has parted us, but only in the flesh. George's spirit will never die in me. He will always be there. George held the following call signs during his ham career. WN2YSG, WB2THN, KC2QF, and finally K2ZZ. He had been issued a 1 call by mistake because the mail for Lewisboro,NY. was routed through New Caanan,CT, and that was part of his address. The FCC made a mistake and issued him a 1 call. He quickly got the changed. I don't recall what that call sign was. Sleep well my friend.
     
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  6. W9PUG

    W9PUG Ham Member QRZ Page

    great story and great friendship I have a friend like that been friends 20 years an still going strong god bless you and George 73 Jeremy hance kc9wdv
     
    W2BK, K2HAT and K4BBN like this.
  7. N5WD

    N5WD Ham Member QRZ Page

    Condolences on the loss of your good friend. It sounds as if George was quite a guy.

    I recently learned of the passing of a high school friend of mine, Dalton McCrary W4WUQ. We were both baritone horn players and members of the marching band at Murfreesboro Central High School in Tennessee during the 1966-1968 era. I moved out of the Murfreesboro area when my Dad retired from the US Air Force, and that was the last time I saw Dalton in person until 2010 when I made a business trip to Huntsville and a side trip back through the old stomping grounds in Middle Tennessee made it possible for my XYL and I to have dinner with Dalton and his XYL before travelling back west towards home.

    It's certainly hell, this getting older and losing friends stuff...
     
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  8. K3SX

    K3SX Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    Thank you all for your stories of life long friendship. Many of us have similar stories and it was wonderful to just sit and read yours. Mine goes back 54 years and we are in touch every day and more often when 160 season is on. 73 Sid K3SX
     
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  9. K7LZR

    K7LZR Ham Member QRZ Page

    Great & heartwarming story Louis and I well understand your pain. I've lost several lifelong friends within the last 10 years, and many of them were hams whom I had met as a boy. Some not too old when they passed away either.

    I too am remembering the good times - and even the not so good - and I am forever grateful for each and every moment, then and now. Take care.
     
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  10. NN1C

    NN1C XML Subscriber QRZ Page

    Tragic. Saw him just a few weeks ago. I needed an antenna for the W1A special event station on site, and he came through!
     
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  11. K2HAT

    K2HAT Premium Subscriber Volunteer Moderator Volunteer DX Helper QRZ Page

    I was at W1AW October 9th, 2014, with KC2WLR, we were in room # 1 on the air as W100AW, I was taking a break for a moment and looked out the window,
    and saw K2ZZ walking towards the W1AW building. I got up from the chair and went to the door to say Hello to George.

    George noticed that I had taken off my sneakers to use the foot pedal for the boom mic, and that my long sleeve shirt was off;
    he said "What are you pretending your at home?? No Shoes, and a tee shirt??"

    LOL I told him, I can not feel the foot switch with my shoes on, and come on in the room, its about 90f in here with the Acom 2000A amp on. :)

    upload_2017-9-25_16-59-26.png

    upload_2017-9-25_17-2-21.png
     
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  12. K2HAT

    K2HAT Premium Subscriber Volunteer Moderator Volunteer DX Helper QRZ Page

    George Politzi, K2ZZ SK


    Our beloved brother, uncle, friend and outstanding ham operator, George Politzi, passed away peacefully in his home, September 18, 2017. K2ZZ will always hold a special place in our hearts. A memorial funeral Mass to be held Thursday, September 28, 2017, at Blessed Sacrament Church, 607 Central Ave., Albany, NY. 4:00pm


    Visit McveighFuneralHome.com to leave a message for the family. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the National Kidney Foundation, 30 East 33rd Street, New York, N.Y.10016.

    Published in Albany Times Union on Sept. 26, 2017

    http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/timesunion-albany/obituary.aspx?n=george-politzi&pid=186760797
     
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  13. KA1WPM

    KA1WPM XML Subscriber QRZ Page

    I bought my auto-tuner many years ago from George. Whenever I use that tuner, I think of George. Whenever I saw George, I was always reminded of that hamfest in Vernon, CT, where George spent the time to explain the different offerings he had. Most recently at the hamfest in Newtown.

    I will really miss seeing George.

    Dana, KA1WPM
     
    K2HAT likes this.
  14. KA1AAA

    KA1AAA Ham Member QRZ Page

    Met him years ago.
    Miss you George....
    73 de KA1AAA

     
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  15. K2HAT

    K2HAT Premium Subscriber Volunteer Moderator Volunteer DX Helper QRZ Page

    Many people are unaware that George K2ZZ Radio Oasis built the wire antennas used for WRTC2014.

    George donated antennas to the ARRL, to many Hamfests and to some small Radio Clubs. The group that I am involved with that locally has several Technician training Classes and VE sessions per year was a recipient of a Donated Radio Oasis Antenna.

    Photo from page 54 July/August 2014 ARRL National Contest Journal

    IMG_8560.JPG
    73 K2HAT
     

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