Umesh Ghodke, K6VUG - SK

Umesh was an amazing person and significant contributer to SBARA over the years. He was quite active with SBARA as well as with CERT, ARES, etc. He also used to be our webmaster. He loved Field Day and could frequently be seen sharing his ham radio and satellite knowledge with kids. Umesh also garnered much respect and fanfare when on June 28, 2014, while operating a SBARA Field Day station, contacted Navy Capt. Reid Wiseman (KF5LKT) aboard the International Space Station. Talk about exciting! I believe there is a recording of that floating around somewhere. Geez...it's hard to believe that was 12 years ago! I will miss Umesh! R.I.P. my friend!
-- Steve Wilson, K6WW

Very sad to learn this Steve thank you. My last meet up was at the Dog Park about two years ago talking about his portable solar panel he would use for portable ops. Plus the ISS contact he made and made it look so easy. He will be missed.
-- Bill Artelt, WB9YVN

I'm so very sad to hear this. I loved his engagement with the hobby and his expertise; his satellite setup was always a magnet. He did a lot for our Fremont Communication Volunteers group; for example, he developed automation setup for programming radio equipment of the Fire Department. And he was a very nice man. Yes, he will be missed.
-- Bernhard Hailer, AE6YN

For those that didn't have the pleasure of knowing Umesh, he was one of the nicest, and most unassuming people you would ever meet, but behind that humility there was a person of deep technical sophistication and capability. His exploits are well know to those of us who experienced Field Day with him many times. He was our satellite guy! I'll let the other Steve describe his exploits below. Umesh was endlessly curious. He always had a project or pursuit that he was going after that would add to his knowledge. We all lost a good friend!
-- Steve Wilson, KA6S

N5VD ROB - SK

We are sorry to announce the passing of Robert O'Neil, N5VD, a longtime club member and good friend to many of us. Robert was a dedicated member of the Volunteer Examiner group, and a regular contributor to Field Day as our safety officer. He passed away after suffering a stroke in Kunming, China, where he had been living recently, although he kept touch by joining our online club meetings. We will miss you Robert!
-- Steve AG6TT, Bernhard AE6YN, Al WT6K, J.J. W9ZZ, et al...

"So sorry to hear this! Rob was a good guy, who could talk your ear off! I felt so badly that these last few years seemed to be such a challenge for him"
-- Steve K6WW

"Devastating news to me, Rob and I spent so much time together and I learned so much from him. Rob was a very talented individual who worked tirelessly for our club, both as Field Day Safety Officer and a VE for our test sessions. Stay safe, healthy and well!"
-- Charles KK6IPR

While studying Solar Physics in the UK about a decade ago, Rob was an active member of the Guildford & District Radio Association (GDRS; http://gdrs.org.uk).

"When Rob was living here in the UK, a few years back, he joined our club 'Guildford and District Radio Society' and was fully involved in all aspects of our activities. He was not frightened to roll his sleeves up and get stuck into the more physical sides of the hobby, such as helping pour concrete for the club mast, as well as being involved with sharing his technical and other world knowledge with us. He was missed when he left our country and this latest news has heightened that loss. Many of us regarded him as a friend and are very grateful for your contact and tribute to him on your club's website."
-- 73 de Clive M0IAM, GDRS President

"We at the Guildford Radio Society were very sad to learn from you of Rob's death. He was a larger than life character who was a great asset to the club and we will miss him very much. Please would you give our deepest condolences to his family upon their sad loss."
-- Regards, Timothy Dabbs, G7JYQ, Honorary Secretary, Guildford & District Radio Society

Peter Norman, N6YIF - SK

I just received this message about Peter Norman (N6YIF/SK). Our rector, Rev. Lori Walton, just sent an announcement about Peter Norman's passing. He had moved into an assisted living facility in Fremont, Ca. during the beginning of the year.-- Greg Miller, Elaine Vallecilio Miller...

I'm so sorry to hear of this death, he was at the fox hunts when Rob and I went to them. Very nice guy, indeed! - Charles Winegarden

I'll miss Pete. He was an avid fox hunter; he often went with Don Safer (I will forward the information to him). And he was a really nice guy - Bernhard Hailer

Mike Fung, WA6AWI - SK

Mike Fung WA6AWI passed away recently. Mike was an enthusiastic supporter of amateur radio in the East Bay area, in many ways. He was the organizer of SBARA's team of radio volunteers at the Zucchini Festival, and many of us had fun with that activity. He was a member of the Fremont Communication Volunteers, a regular contributor to Tuesday's Tri-City Net, and he worked on the volunteer group's radio equipment and packet stations. He was also a long-time radio operator at Washington Hospital.

Mike was always fun to be around, and we will miss him enormously!