W4NG - Earl Tonjes

[h=2]Earl was a lifelong friend of my father, W4DO SK. I lived down the street from him when I was a student at the Univ. of Florida in the '70's and we used to go on very long bike rides together. As a radio operator in the Merchant Marine he was he was, of course, a CW man. He told me about being on a ship and hoping the bombs aimed at them missed. He would go away for long periods of time in this role, and once came home to Gainesville in the middle of the night - and not wanting to wake his parents he slipped into an unlocked second story window and went to bed in his room. He didn't find out until the next morning that they'd moved to the house next door. He was a very very fun guy to be around.

73 Earl,

Sid
K6AF

Earl W. Tonjes, age 94 of Gainesville, FL passed away Thursday, March 13, 2014. He was born June 19, 1919 in Orlando, FL.[/h]
Mr. Tonjes graduated from Gainesville High School and his first job assignment was as the radio operator on the yacht, Sea Cloud, owned by Marjorie Post.

He was the founder of the Gainesville Ham Radio Club and served as a first responder for the Red Cross and Civil Service.

He was a member of the Ocala Gun Club, and the Gainesville and Ocala Pistol Clubs.


He was a Merchant Marine until retirement.

Mr. Tonjes is survived by nephew, Jim Greene; nieces, Lisa Greene and Leslie Beal; cousins, Marjorie Niblack Whitley and Evelyn Childress.

Services will be private; arrangements are under the care of WILLIAMS-THOMAS FUNERAL HOME DOWNTOWN, 404 North Main Street. In lieu of flowers, donation may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, 4899 Belfort Road, Suite 300, Jacksonville, FL 32265.