A few old photos Sorting out old things

I am sorting out old mails/QSLs and discarding some of them. Most of the QSLs may be destined to be thrown into trashbox some time. They are meaningless to the others including my family membersw. Some of mine for rare DX have not been mailed and stored in a box. They would be discarded as well.

There are precious photos and letters found in that box. One of the photos is Steve WA6IVN and his family. When I came back on the radio in 1980, I ran across with Steve. We have met since '60s when we were crazy for DXing. I have known his father, Ray, WA6IVM, pretty well. From left to right, Karen;Steve's wife, Bob, Steve's 2nd son, Karen;Steve's mother and Steve himself. 

He seemed to rush his life then. It won't take me too long to know he had suffered from lymphoma since his young days. He has married twice and had 2 sons with his 2nd wife, Karen. In addition to ham radio, they have enjoyed a lot of outdoor life, especially, boating. 

In my first visit to the US early in '80s, I drove up to Manteca to see him and stayed at his home for a week end. It was a quiet suburb town. They had a modest size of lot with a big tower elected. TH6DX and a vertical for 40m were on the top. The radio was TS930 driving a Heath Kit amplifier. I was impressed at the paddle with very light and crisp touch. I can't recall its model name. I have never seen it before. That luxurious paddle has taught me ham radio started in the US and had a long history over there. They have brought me for sailing on a river nearby. 

As wrote elsewhere in this blog, he and his wife have come to see me at W6CYX in San Jose in 1984. Steve has sadly passed not too long since that meeting. So have his parents in several years.   

Memories including that of Steve those days, young days with enthusiasm in ham radio, have been depicted here.

The other photos are from Ron K5XK back in 1994. We have known each other since '80s. We had a mutual good friend, Stan, K5AS. We have talked about him a lot. Stan has cared for his wife with Alzheimer for years. Having lost her, he has suffered from diabetes, which forced him to undergo amputation of both legs. Even after he was confined to a mobile chair, he was quite active and has gone to a university to learn anthropology etc. We both were inspired by that great person. Stan has passed in 2010 if I remember it right, though. I have not met Ron too often for the last 20 years. But I knew he had been active at the local club as well as FOC. One of his sons have become an urologist and used to stay in Germany, I remember. Ron was very proud of him. We are still exchanging a word or two in facebook in a year. On the photo, he calls me as Sin, which I used to use for the handle until the late '80s. So it means Ron has been an old friend of mine.

Well, I am getting things arranged and sorted to discard. It is to prepare for the end of life even though I won't quit the world so soon yet. While losing good friends of mine for the past year or two, I could not help feeling I should do that for the family who should dispose of them. Until then, I would keep those important letters/photos in album etc. 

The next task is to find out someone who would take over the scores and parts of chamber music. I have collected almost all of the major kinds of scores, which I would make sound sometime. They have not been realized yet and won't be realized. Too sad if they would be disposed and burned. Even though the scores should be replaced to electrical ones very soon. The instrument? It might be owned by certain cellist for sure.