Gregory S. Morrisette, W4TUT SK Gregory S Morrisette Sr. December 3, 1929 - June 16, 2019 Born in Norfolk, VA Resided in Punta Gorda, FL https://www.ltaylorfuneral.com/obituary/Gregory-S-Morrisette-Sr./Punta-Gorda-FL/1850375 Gregory Shelton Morrisette was born in 1929 in Norfolk, VA. to Dr. Hubert and Ms. Virginia Morrisette. He attended Granby High School and Woodberry Forest. He served in the U.S. Marines from 1951-1954. His first wife was Barbara Halstead, now deceased. He later married Marie Bowden and moved to Punta Gorda, FL where he remained until passing. He was of the Episcopal faith and an avid Ham Radio operator (W4TUT). He will be deeply missed by his wife, Marie; brother, Thomas (Everyn); daughter, Carolyn Kubik; daughter-in-law Kathrine; grandchildren, Kirsten, Chase and Geoffrey; and four great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by parents; sister, Virginia Leigh; sons, Gregory Jr. and Robert, and daughter, Gail. Burial arrangements will be announced when complete. To express condolences to the family, please visit www.LTaylorfuneral.com and sign the online guestbook. Arrangements are by Larry Taylor Funeral and Cremation Services. Published in The Virginian Pilot from July 2 to July 3, 2019 https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/pilotonline/obituary.aspx?n=gregory-morrisette&pid=193288883
Copied from Greg's QRZ Bio page; It all happened in 1958 after moving to Jacksonville, FL from Norfolk, Va. I was listening to my short wave radio and heard a Ham radio operator talking to another Ham. I listened long enough to get one of the hams call sign which was W4NTU. After some investigation I was able to get the address of that station which turned out to be just across the Saint Johns River in Jacksonville. To make a long story short I met Howard ( (W4NTU (Nuts Tacks & U bolts or Nice Tight Undies)) and we became good friends and wound up going to Howards QTH and learning more about Ham operation. My wife and I introduced Howard to a girl whom he married and we stood up for them at their wedding. We had cookouts together, drank a few beers together and talked Ham radio. Howard was a heavy smoker and sometimes would have several cigarettes going at a time. It wasn’t long after that I took the exam and here I am 59 years later. Howard became a Silent Key and below are myself and Joe W4WLZ visiting Howard for the last time. Howard (W4NTU) when I first met him in 1958 Greg W4TUT & Howard W4NTU Joe W4WLZ & Howard W4NTU My first AM transmitter was an ART13 which was built by Collins for the US Government used in heavy aircraft during World War II and used an 813 in the final from Fair Radio Sales in Ohio and paid $60.00 for. I had to build the power supplies, filament, low voltage and high voltage because in the aircraft the ART13 ran off the dynamotor. After a couple of years I purchased my first commercial built transmitter which was a used B&W 1500. At this point I became interested in SSB and found out I could attach the B&W side band generator to my B&W 5100 and be on side band. SSB was a whole new experience to me. I even dabbled in the digital modes with the PK 232. In 1960 my pet project while living in Jax was my 75 foot telephone pole in my back yard. I ordered the pole from Palatka, Fl. for straightness even though I had to cut off 2 feet. I got a metal iron works company construct a track in three sections that I bolted onto the pole from top to bottom. Next came the cradle that ran on the track with the rotator on the bottom and 15 foot pipe going up through two thrust bearing and 2 element 40 meter beam on bottom and a 3 element tribander 5 feet above the 40. This entire cradle road up and down the track with a 5,000 pound test aircraft cable running from the cradle up to the top thru a pulley and down the other side to the bottom attached to a wench. It worked great and no guy wires required. "See below" One of my great satisfactions was running phone patches for KC4USA and KC4USB in the Antarctic. Even though I was a Jarhead I had some Navy Ham friends that went on Med Cruises and ran phone patches when they were able to use the shipboard radio. Some of the Hams even had plats made on the ship and presented them to me upon arriving back home. "See below" Fast forward to 1965. After attending Florida Tech and graduating in 1967 I accepted a job with The City of Portsmouth, Va. As a Computer Programmer/ Systems Analyst which lasted for the next 30 years until my retirement in 1997. Over the years I have owned different gear such as Swan 140, Swan 240, Swan 500, Amp Supply linier, TenTec Paragon, Omni V, Omni VI, TenTec Titan Amp, Yaesu FT1000MP, Ameritron AL800 and AL1500 Amps. "See below" 1982 was not a good year. My youngest son 24 passed away which led to a divorce and my living on my 36 foot houseboat for the next 3 years. Then over the years two more of my children passed away leaving me one out of four. Living aboard a boat was a complete new experience and I even operated a little Marine Mobile. "See below" In 1985 as luck would have it I met Marie, the love of my life, and we got married in the Church of Christ, Chesapeake, VA. The picture below is like a side view mirror. The objects may appear younger than they really are. As of today I am 87. Greg and Marie in 1985 "Perhaps we look a wee bit older now." During our stay in Norfolk and before retiring to Florida I really enjoyed trying different antennas. Most of the houses we lived in were on water and I put up several vertical phased arrays some at quarter wave spacing some at eighth wave spacing. The water made a perfect ground. Then I came across the Web site International Antenna Corporation who made and sold the Double Bazooka Antenna and that changed my complete antenna system.. I ordered a single 40M dipole and later found out I could order another 40M dipole and use them as a 2 element 40M Phased Array which did a bang up job enhancing my signal. In 2016 we bought a new house with less acreage so I had to downsize my antenna system. Again with double bazooka antennas from International Antenna Corporation I purchased a new 20M, 40M & 80M element antennas and supported all three in a inverted V fashion from my 30 foot flag pole spaced about 5 feet apart. I like to call it my Christmas tree antenna. They work great and I have no interaction problem with zero SWR. ABOVE TWO PICTURES OF ANTENNA FARM Three Stacked IAC Double Bazooka Antennas from a 30 foot flag pole (80 meter shorty on top, 40 meter standard in middle & 20 meter standard on bottom) Dave (WA3HDW) My Double Bazooka Supplier Jeanna (Dave’s lovely wife) and CEO of IAC. Marie and I married in April of 1985 and she loved to take long walks on the beach. At the time I could only walk about two city blocks before my legs would ache and I would have to rest awhile before continuing. I went to my Doctor and he ran me thru several test and discovered I had a partial blood blockage going to both legs. I had smoked for about 35 years at this point and tests showed plack built up in my veins from smoking. The next step was an Aorta bypass. To do the operation they made an incision across my stomach from one side to the other about a foot long. As I lay in bed the night before the operation I gave to my wife two full packs and one open pack of cigarettes plus a lighter ( you could smoke in a Hospital then) and told her to throw them in the nearest dempster dumpster on he way home and I have not had one sense. After about a month of recuperating I had a checkup with my Doctor and we noticed that when they sewed me back up my belly button was about one half inch off center. The Doctor jokingly asked me if I wanted to sue him. I looked at him and said why would I want to sue someone who saved my life. We still keep in touch. So when I want a beer now I take one out for me and I put on the table for Howard. I also drink Howard’s beer when I know he is not looking. I would like say to all of my fellow Hams, XYL’s and YL’s that if just 0ne half of one percent would throw all those Cancer Sticks away there would be less Silent Keys. When Joe and I visited Howard for the last time, Howard with the Oxygen tube in his nose said to me in a very weak voice “ Greg, I wish I had listened to you long ago”. I wish he had also. 73's Greg
