Roger WB0CMZ

Don N5LZ in Utah has called me on 20m this afternoon. He was glad to have a brand new KX3 running 10W into the 3 element SteppIR. His call sounded so familiar that I was sure we had met before. When he introduced himself as a good friend of Roger WB0CMZ who passed away 4 years ago, I remembered everything. Don used to be a dentsit in New Mexico near to Roger in 1980s. Don was KI3L those days. We have had good ragchews.

In 2008, when I got the sad news from rich KL7RG, I have written the following post in my japanese blog. I woud quote it here;

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Tonight, I got another e mail from Rich KL7RG, who had told about some friends of Roger's having found this blog. I would like to translate this entry into English. Any comments would be accepted without the image password system for a while I would expect comments from overseas, possibly from Roger's friends.

I am surely missing him.

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This morning, Rich KL7RG has asked me by an e mail if the mail address belongs to me or not. My answer was immediately followed by a sad news that Roger WB0CMZ had killed by an accident. The local net news site reporting his death is here.

He was only 53 years old at his tragic death. It was the age an experienced pediatrician like him could work most actively. We used to talk a lot on many things whenever we met on the radio. As I have written elsewhere, it was early 80s when we met first on the air.He was working as a pediatrician at a native residential area in New Mexico. I wa working at a med school hospital. He used to help me correcting my medical papers.

Thereafter, he has moved to CDC in Georgia, where he made some research work in epidemiology. Was it around 2000 when we ran across again on the air? It was a contact after absence for a decade or so. Both of us were so pleased with much surprise. He told me he had moved to Alaska and had been serving for the native children there. In a QSO several years ago, he used to tell me delightedly that his daughter was going to a unversity in the east coast. According to my last entry in this blog regarding him, he was thinking to retire and go on research career. However, he still looked to be enthusiastic for his present work.

The net news reporting his death tells us that he was supposed to see a lot of patients at a clinic on the day of his passsing. A pediatrician serving hard for the native children like him is forced to put an end to his life at so young age. How could I accept the fact?

Rich told me in the end of his mail that whenever he met me on the radio, he used to pleasantly tell him on it. That may be why he let me know on his death.

I would like to write a mail of condolence to his family

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I have sent a letter of condolence to his wife. No reply from her. She and her family must have had a very hard time then. I would appreciate any update on his family if you have anything.

Don has already retired 8 years ago. He said he had been having good retirement there.

I surely miss my good friend Roger again.