I have very sad news. My good friend, Brian Kantor, WB6CYT, became a silent key this past week. He passed away suddenly at his home in San Diego, California. Brian retired only two years ago after 47 years of service on the staff at the University of California San Diego (UCSD). Way back in the mid 1980s, Brian and I founded AMPRnet, the TCP/IP over amateur radio network. He continued to manage it until his passing. Brian recently created and served as chair and CEO of Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC), a charitable foundation funded by the sale of unused AMPRnet IPv4 addresses. ARDC promotes STEM education and amateur radio digital development through scholarships and by funding the development of open source hardware and software. Brian will be sorely missed and impossible to replace. Memorial arrangements will be announced when known. Phil Karn, KA9Q
Thanks. He really was a good friend. I've known him so long I keep thinking of events and anecdotes I'd forgotten.
Brian was a very long time friend. I am so sad to hear of his passing. He will be greatly missed. Rory Bowers, K5CKS (ex K6CKS)
I've known Brian since around 1979. A very smart dude and always willing to help someone get up-to-speed on technology.
Sorry to hear, Phil. Brian's and others' (including your) work to form ARDC is welcome and transformative. A worthy legacy, but gone too soon. 73 de Brennan N4QX
Brian H. Kantor, WB6CYT SK Brian Halpenny Kantor January 19, 1953 - November 21, 2019 Clairemont Brian Halpenny Kantor, a long-time San Diego resident, died suddenly November 21. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Martin E. Kantor and Ann Halpenny Kantor, Brian became a Californian at the age of two. After residing in Pasadena, California, the family moved to San Diego in 1959. Brian was a graduate of Clairemont High School and received a BA in Computer Graphics from UCSD's Muir College in 1985. He worked for the University of California, San Diego, for 47 years, mostly in the Academic Computing and Network Operations departments, finally retiring from the Computer Science and Engineering department in 2018. He was respected worldwide in the technology community for his achievements including co-creation of NNTP (Network News Transfer Protocol), his co-founding of the AMPRNet packet radio network, for which he served as West Coast operator, and most recently for his founding of the Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ADRC) charitable foundation for which he served as chair and CEO. Brian was an enthusiastic ham from his teenage years, (call sign WB6CYT), and volunteered his considerable radio and antenna construction and repair skills on mountaintops all over San Diego County. He served as a mentor to many, including his many student employees over the years, many of whom credit their success to the opportunities Brian gave them and to his early teaching and encouragement. Brian had a wide circle of friends and was known to them as kind and reliable, always up for a dinner out, and always ready to help in times of need. He threw great parties and had many hobbies, including photography and videography, film and film history, naturism, programming, and fast cars. He loved all things Japanese and adored cats.Predeceased by his mother, Ann H. Kantor, Brian is survived by father, Martin E. Kantor of Pt. Loma; sister and brother-in-law, Maggie and Jeff Porter of Claremont, California; niece Kate P. Dorff of Riverside, California, and three great-nieces. He also leaves behind a group of dear friends and his beloved cats.A celebration of Brian's life will be held in the new year. Published in The San Diego Union Tribune from Nov. 30 to Dec. 1, 2019 https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/s...ry.aspx?n=brian-halpenny-kantor&pid=194582934
This news took me by surprise. Brian was a good mentor and we have enjoyed working with the packet radio infrastructure here in San Diego for a few decades of good exchanges. I still remember the fish water squirt gun he brought to the SCAPS meeting up in Riverside. He did have a serious commitment to making Amateur Radio and contentiously growing family. He is in a better place now but, surely he will be missed.
I'd completely forgotten that squirt gun until you just mentioned it. (I think it was actually a Super Soaker.) I remember him with it at a few other social events in those days. Yes, that was Brian all right. A somewhat more recent device of his that also had "Brian" written all over it was his "TV-B-Gone". This is a small device with a button and a bunch of IR transmit LEDs that generates the "OFF" codes for every make and model of TV set, for use in public places with a half dozen unwatched TV sets blaring away. I remember how tickled he was when he first got it, and I couldn't understand why he himself hadn't invented it. Funny thing, though, I don't think I ever saw him actually use it. Just the idea (and the capability) made him very happy.
As you know, Brian Kantor, WB6CYT passed away suddenly on November 21, 2019. We will hold a memorial service for Brian on Saturday, Feb 1 2020 at 1:30 PM in La Jolla, CA (part of San Diego). Please see this link for details: https://www.evite.com/event/0135NF6...m_medium=sharable_invite&utm_source=evitelink Please bring any photos, mementos and (above all) stories and anecdotes about Brian to share. Brian wasn't exactly a highly formal person who stood on ceremony, so we'll keep this informal. If you have a story to tell, it's up to you whether you stand up and relate it to the whole group or just a few others at a time. There will be plenty of time for both. Everyone who knew Brian is welcome. His friendships spanned at least three distinct social circles, and I know he'd be very happy to see everyone meet and enjoy everyone else's company. Even if he'd be a little embarrassed that we were doing it in his honor. Free snacks and refreshments will be provided, so please RSVP through the evite link so we can tell the hotel how much to make available. If you have special dietary needs, please say so; the hotel has a menu we can choose from. Please forward this email to anyone you think might be interested. Hope to see you on the 1st. Phil Karn, KA9Q
I am very sorry about your loss, Phil! My deepest condolences go out to all who knew and loved Brian. He always made a good impression on me with my - although few - encounters with him. He was a pioneer, but not full of himself - I could truly tell that he was a good, kind man who cared about others. He will be sorely missed my many! GODSPEED BRIAN & Rest In Peace.
Thanks Tom, much appreciated. In my opinion, Brian's main fault is that he was unable to really take pleasure in his accomplishments and contributions to others. But better that way than in the opposite extreme!
You prompted me to look around his house for his Super Soaker so I could show it at his memorial. I couldn't find it, and I think it would have been obvious had it still been there. So he must have tossed it out. Oh well.
