Former ARRL Roanoke Division Director and Third Vice President John Kanode, N4MM, died on January 13. He remained active in the organization of the Berryville (Virginia) hamfest until very late in his life, and I fairly often spoke with him on the wide-area coverage Bluemont two meter repeater until about a year ago. John was 88.
John C Kanode, N4MM SK Enders & Shirley Funeral Home John Cadwallader Kanode August 17, 1937 - January 13, 2026 John Cadwallader Kanode, 88, of Boyce, Virginia died Wednesday, January 13, 2026 at his residence. John was born August 17, 1937 in Clarke County, Virginia, the son of the late John Ott Kanode and Frances Cadwallader Kanode. He retired from IBM in 1993. He was a member of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL). He was a founding member of the Shenandoah Valley Amateur Radio Club as well as an honorary vice president and was in the Hall of Fame. He was also a member of the Clarke County Ruritan Club. He is survived by his cousins, Harry Marshall Kable and wife, Carol, R. Tyree Kable and daughter, Natasha Fogle, Mark Kable and wife, Lisa and their son, Jake, Marcia Barrett and husband, Russell, Sandra Kaye Kuykendall and husband, Troy, and Robert Anders. A memorial service will be held 11:00 A.M. Tuesday, January 27, 2026 at Enders & Shirley Funeral Home Chapel, Berryville, Virginia. Burial will follow in Green Hill Cemetery, Berryville. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Clarke County Ruritan Club, P.O. Box 1167, Berryville, VA 22611 or Shenandoah Valley Amateur Radio Club, P.O. Box 2273, Winchester, VA 22604 https://www.endersandshirley.com/obituary/john-kanode
N4MM John.... SK An Amateur Radio Legend is gone ! Every Silent Key is a loss, but the impact of losing John Kanode N4MM has rippled far beyond the Shenandoah Valley Amateur Radio Club’s clubhouse walls into and throughout the national and international amateur radio community. He was a legend in so many ways: his dedication to the hobby, his service as an ARRL officer and Lifetime Member, his on-air presence and hundreds of prestigious awards, and his faithful and regular participation in amateur radio events from club meetings to VE sessions to flea markets to hamfests to hamventions and so much more. Everyone who has known John has an N4MM story. He could be ornery, irascible, hilarious, and opinionated. But no one ever doubted his dedication to the hobby, his package preparation and encouragement of new hams at the VE sessions, and his twice-a-month ARRL updates. More info here : https://svarc.us/silent-key-john-kanode-n4mm/
John will be remembered by this ham as a radio legend who was fully involved in the hobby and lived a simple life. One of his famous quotes on the air during a traffic net in Northern Virginia will now be used by me to honor his service. "fine business" ...... He explained what he was doing in everyday life in an almost sarcastic way, but he always made his point. 73 John, I will miss you on the 147.300 repeater. Bob Rice, KG4RRN
Several times during the 2014 ARRL Centennial QSO Party N4MM John came to work me when I was calling CQ as he was worth many points, being an Honorary Vice President. He did this again in 2023 for the ARRL VOTA Volunteers On The Air event too. I thanked him for the QSO's several times. Gone but not forgotten!!
