In Memoriam
Remembering the sysops and net managers who built this network and are no longer on the air.
Michael "Mike" Baugh, W8AKF
January 22, 1941 – December 25, 2007
Michael Lee Baugh, 66, of Thousand Oaks, CA, passed away on Christmas Day, 2007, at his residence. Born in Bloomington, Indiana, to Ralph and Louise (Matthew) Baugh, he graduated from Purdue University in 1962 with an engineering degree and went on to work for Texas Instruments as an electrical engineer before becoming self-employed. Mike was an avid ham radio operator under the call sign W8AKF.
Roger "Bill" W. Kurtti, WC0M
October 2, 1937 – May 17, 2010
Roger William Kurtti, 72, of Rock Lake, ND, died unexpectedly on May 17, 2010 at the Towner County Medical Center ER in Cando, ND. Born in Rolla, ND to Arvid and Alma (Peterson) Kurtti, Bill served in the U.S. Army before returning to a life of community service — the Armourdale Township Board, the Rock Lake Farmers Union Board, the Rock Lake volunteer fire department, and the National Farmers Organization among them.
His radio interest began on Citizens Band, where his handle was "Jackalope." He went on to serve as the North Dakota Section Manager for the ARRL for more than ten years and was active with the Navy-Marine Corps Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS).
Shelton McAnelly, KD5SL
Became a silent key Saturday, August 5, 1995, at age 74
Shelton B. McAnelly served as the ARRL Delta Division State Government Liaison and operated one of the nation's largest HF BBS gateways on the national packet system. He was an original member of the HF SkipNet group and one of the first BBS sysops granted unattended status by the FCC.
A Louisiana native, Shelton founded the Radio Amateurs Service Club of Baton Rouge and the Baton Rouge Digital Society, and served as a past president of the Baton Rouge Amateur Radio Club. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, held a chemical engineering degree, and worked as a retired patent attorney. At the time of his passing he was in his ham shack, surrounded by the world he loved. He was laid to rest in his hometown of Franklin, Louisiana, and his contributions to amateur radio carry on through this network.
73 — and thank you for keeping the network on the air.