Bill was a ham's ham. He administered the Novice test to a friend and me (KA6DBB and KA6DBY), and forever sparked my interest in radio. Bill had been a Morse instructor in the Navy during WWII and gave much of himself to public service after the war. He checked into the Maritime Mobile net on 15m daily and helped many mariners in distress. He had quite an impressive station, which included a Kenwood TS-820S and a Johnson Thunderbolt amplifier. He was quite the mentor and well respected in the San Francisco ham community. But he suffered from emphysema and eventually died from it. Knowing him inspired me to give to other newcomers and the hobby is still of keen interest to me. I am active and in my 25th year of ham radio.
This is a tribute to you, Bill! W6BYS de NI6S SK.