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Lee D. Kirwan Leawood, KS QCWA #33367 Chapter 35 |
Don Kirwan, 58, of Leawood, KS, passed away on Tuesday, April 1, 2008, at his home from a long battle with cancer. Funeral services will be 1 p.m. Saturday, April 5, at Trinity Anglican Church, 3920 W. 63rd Street, Prairie Village, KS 66208. Burial in Forest Hill Cemetery, Kansas City, Mo. Visitation will be 6 to 8 pm Friday, April 4, at D.W. Newcomer's Sons Overland Park Chapel, 8201 Metcalf, Overland Park, Kan.
In lieu of flowers the family suggests memorial contributions to KC Hospice, Sisters Servants of Mary or Trinity Anglican Church.
Don was born Oct. 8, 1949, in Topeka, KS. He was a life member of the VFW and the NRA. He served in the US Army (ASA). Don was a Professional Engineer at Black and Veatch for 30 years. He was a scuba instructor. Don was currently a student at UMKC.
Survivors include his wife, Margaret "Magoo" Kirwan of the home; his daughters, Christel Parsons, Overland Park, and Erin Wyse, Rayville, Mo.; his parents, Lee and Frances Kirwan, Topeka; his sisters, Kathleen Bayless, Kirkwood, Mo., and Denise Bandy, Topeka; and seven grandchildren.
Arr.: D.W. Newcomer's Sons Overland Park Chapel, (913) 648- 6224. Fond memories and condolences may be left at www.dwnewcomers.com.
Published in the Kansas City Star on 4/2/2008.
Greetings from Leawood Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City Missouri. I was first licensed as a 12 year old Novice in 1962 with the call WNØAVA. I became a General in 1963 as WAØAVA but I let my license expire in 1968. I was off the air until I became licensed again in 2005. I was able to get my old call back and have been active ever since. I operate mostly 40M and 30M CW with 100 watts to a 15 foot high 40M/30M/20M fan dipole mounted in my attic. ARRL, FISTS #12773, SKCC #2772, QCWA #33367.
In 1968 I obtained my First Class Radiotelephone License and worked at a Topeka, Kansas AM radio station (KEWI) and PBS television station (KTWU) as a broadcast engineer before enlisting in the US Army in 1969. I was in the Army Security Agency until 1972 when I returned to school on the G.I. Bill. I have been working as an electrical engineer since graduation.
I'd love to hear from any SCUBA diving hams. My wife and I are instructors and teach SCUBA diving on weekends.
Hope to meet you on CW (or see you in the water!)..Don, WAØAVA
Don and I recently renewed our friendship after 40 years of going different paths. We found each other thanks to an article in eham.com I wrote. We used to enjoy amateur radio as teens when growing up in Topeka Kansas. Don was a true CW operator. And he could pull out DX using the most modest of antenna and no amp. A couple of years ago we worked each other on CW for the first time in 43 years. In fact Don used the same J-38 Key he used back then. Don had been away from ham radio since 1970 and got his extra class license and his original call WA0AVA back just before we reconnected. Its like his call was just waiting for him to reclaim it. I am thankful for Don and his family. A silent Key, but in our memories never silent..
Terry Reim - WAØDTH