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Today, I met a Ham who I will never know

Discussion in 'Silent Keys / Friends Remembered' started by K5VWZ, Nov 17, 2015.

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  1. K5VWZ

    K5VWZ Ham Member QRZ Page

    Today, I met a man who I will never know.

    I volunteered to assist a friend, who was contacted about a estate sale.

    Gladly, I agreed to help.

    Only a few hours away, no big deal.

    Got a coffee and met my friend for the trip to Yoakum Tx.

    After our drive, we met the family, just as nice as you would ever like to meet.

    The kinda folks you want in your neighborhood, and maybe just next door.

    So after a walk around, a deal was made for the estate.

    As any good ham would do, had to see if the equipment worked.

    Antenna analyzer was found, battery's were installed, good to go, found the coax to the Gap vertical, ahh,perfect match.

    Wired the power supply, plugged in a microphone, spun the dial on the ICOM, hey guys, give me a radio check..

    Seven or eight stations replied immediately, sounds good in Arkansas, good in Louisiana, good in Oklahoma, wow, I could have spent two hours saying thanks.

    The meters wiggled, the sound was superb, I was getting out on a true Ham radio station.

    I looked on the walls, Certificates, WAS, DXCC 200 plus, WAZ, wow, this guy had it going on

    Maps, DX calls, QSL cards, all the things a first class station has, is there.

    So then began the work, taking apart a Radio Station, coax pulled, grounding lifted, you know the drill.

    Station engineering at it best, and reflected on the wall with DXCC.

    I did not feel it at the time I keyed the radio, but I think the old ham was in the shack with me, watching his station and equipment getting packed up with the expectation of a new operator getting in line for his DXCC accreditation, I think he smiled, I sure hope he did.

    So now I am home, I have a big shack here, but I surely thought about the Ham station I took Apart today as I rode home from Yoakum Tx

    I met a fellow Ham today, I did not shake his hand, but I know in my mind I met him today, His shack was my shack today, and I helped him make that last call.

    Rest in Peace sir, I think we would have been friends had we ever met

    KI5GO, GAETON A MESSINA, (SK)

    K5VWZ
    Tom
     
    G0WXU, KI4FSZ, KE0RG and 13 others like this.
  2. KL7AJ

    KL7AJ Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    This would be a great QST human interest piece.
     
    G0WXU, K9ASE and K5VWZ like this.
  3. K2HAT

    K2HAT Premium Subscriber Volunteer Moderator Volunteer DX Helper QRZ Page

    Nice write up. My Condolences.

    Gaeton A. Messina, KI5GO SK

    SK April 21, 2015

    [​IMG]


    Gaeton Anthony Messina, Age 73, passed away Tuesday, April 21st, 2015. He was born December 18, 1941 in Fullerton, CA to the late Charles and Josephine Taormina Messina.
    Survivors are his loving siblings, his sister Claudia Ennis (Charles) of Yoakum; brothers, Gene (Marilyn) of Comfort and Cam Messina (Kathleen) of San Antonio; nieces, Christine Zimmermann, Ellie Eddy and Lily Messina, loving cousins, great-nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents.

    Gaeton grew up in Donna, TX and graduated from Donna High School in 1961. He attended Victoria Junior College and then studied food technology at Texas A&M, College Station. He then worked in the family business, Taormina Canning Company in Donna, TX as a quality control manager from 1967-1988. When Taormina Canning Company was sold he worked at Knapp Sherrill Cannery from 1988-1992. In 1992, he and his cousins Randall Ennis and Frank Taormina established an import business. He remained active in this business until his retirement in 2000. At this time Gaeton moved to Yoakum to be close to his family.
    He had many hobbies and interests. He loved to read, and he wanted you to read the same books so you could later have a lively discussion on the topic.
    One of his major interests was WWII, and one of his favorite people was his Uncle Herby, a WWII Marine Veteran. For hours they would discuss the war itself and the many books they had read on the subject. Gaeton's WWII interest could also be seen in his membership in the American WWII Orphans Network. He attended several conferences and traveled twice to Europe with this group.
    He was also interested in many sports and was an avid and loyal San Antonio Spurs fan. Gaeton was a kind and loving brother and a loyal son who had a great sense of responsibility and family. He was a good and faithful servant and his loving, happy and caring nature will be missed by all.

    Visitation from 5-7 on Monday, April 27th, 2015 followed by a Rosary at 7:00 PM at Thiele-Cooper Funeral Home in Yoakum, TX.
    Funeral Mass will be held on Tuesday, April 28th, 2015 at 11:00 AM at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Yoakum, TX with Rev. Matthew Huehlefeld officiating.

    Memorials may be made to The National WWII Museum, 945 Magazine St. New Orleans, LA 70130; nationalww2museum.org or Wounded Warriors Weekend c/o Harrison Waldrop & Uherek, LLP P.O. Box 2052 Victoria, TX 77902.

    Online guestbook may be signed at www.thielecooper.com . Arrangements by Thiele-Cooper Funeral Home, 361-293-5656.
    Sign the guest book at www.themonitor.com/obituaries
    Published in The Monitor on Apr. 26, 2015 - See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/themonitor/obituary.aspx?pid=174718255#sthash.YVFtFBqV.dpuf
     
    KF5HDR likes this.
  4. KF5HDR

    KF5HDR Ham Member QRZ Page

    Thank you Tom for writing such a beautiful letter about this Ham whome you never met.
    5 or 6 years ago, my wife introduced me to one of her clients. She said that I would really like him.
    I relented and went with her one evening to go and meet with him while she worked on his books.
    She had the privilege to have worked for him 4 years befor we met.

    That Ham I never new up until this point is named G. David Waddell, N5GDW and he became my Elmer that day, thus the reason I became Ham. He and I grew in our friendship and he became my best friend. He always told me that he was dying, I did not understand fully at the time that the cancer which was growing inside of his Pancreous would ultimately take him from me after only a short time. 5 or 6 years goes by in a blink.
    He gave me a radio to listen to and a manual to study and that is how I became a Ham.
    I miss my Best Friend every day, he went home to be with our Lord in April of this year, 2015.
    David was truly a gentle Giant of a man. He was the epitome of the gentleman you described above in the beautiful letter you wrote.
    I was there with him as he was slipping away and got to see him smile at me as I was wipeing his face with a warm moist towel. See, he had me Come to his house in March to start the dismantling process of his elaborate Ham Station. So I too have experienced the feeling of a ham watching over me as I tested then dismantled his station to sell if for him.
    My friend and Elmer is missed every day that I get on the radio.
    I know that he is resting in the arms of Jesus as I write this.
    N5GDW is S.K. now and will be missed forever.

    73 my Freind, Eric KF5HDR
     
    G0WXU, K9ASE and K5VWZ like this.
  5. K2CYS

    K2CYS Ham Member QRZ Page

    What a wonderful note.

    Rabbi Cy Stanway, K2CYS
     
    K9ASE and K5VWZ like this.
  6. VE3TMT

    VE3TMT Ham Member QRZ Page

    What a great story Tom. When I got my license in 1990 I met a local ham, Doug, VE3DUG. He only lived a few blocks from me so I used to spend time at his place learning the ropes so to speak. We developed a great friendship. A few years later, when he became interested in PSK31, I set his computer and radio up for him. The next night he would call, saying something wasn't working. I'd make the drive over and we'd end up chatting for hours. It got to the point I think he was sabotaging the setup as an excuse for me to come over.

    He passed away in 2007 and I volunteered to sell off his equipment. It was very tough to do. I'd recall all the times we'd been sitting around this very equipment, sharing a laugh or a can of coke. His tower was given to me by his family and to this day, it proudly stands as a reminder of a great friend I once had.

    73,
    VE3TMT
     
    G0WXU, VE3CLQ, K8PG and 1 other person like this.
  7. K5VWZ

    K5VWZ Ham Member QRZ Page

    This a reply from the family, thought it worth sharing also. regards tom K5VWZ

    Dear Rick and Tom,

    What a distinct pleasure it was to meet both of you. Little did I know when I woke up Monday morning that our family would meet two very special ham radio operators we would never forget.
    Thank you so much for your gentle and kind words of sympathy. They meant so much to us and were very appreciated.
    And thank you dear Tom...for your beautiful tribute to Gaeton. It was so heartfelt and touching. Believe me when I tell you we all shed tears after reading those moving words about our loving brother. I feel certain that you gentlemen will put Gaeton’s equipment to the best possible use. Thank you again for all.

    73 from Claudia
     
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