Former long-time ARRL Southern Florida Section Emergency Coordinator,
Emmanuel G. " Manny " Papandreas, W4SS,
of Lake Worth, passed away, Friday, December 26. Manny was 80, born on
May 25, 1923. Manny was SFL SEC for
20 years, longer than any of his predecessors. He oversaw the amateur
emergency communications effort following
Hurricane Andrew in Dade County in 1992 including the staging area at the
South Florida Fairgrounds in Palm
Beach County. Manny was also an Assistant Director for the SE Division since 1986.
An ARRL & QCWA Life Member, Manny was first licensed in Pittsburgh, PA in
1941 as W8VKS. He served with the 63rd Infantry Div., US Army , during
WWII. After a career in appliance sales &
service, he joined the Palm Beach County Division of Emergency Management
as Operations
Coordinator. Manny assisted in the design of the new County Emergency
Operations Center. Manny founded & was
President of the Palm Beach Amateur Radio Council, which coordinated
ARES/RACES activities in the county. He was a founding member of QCWA
Palm Beach Chapter 111.
He was many times President of the West Palm Beach Amateur Radio Club of
which he was a Life Member , taught amateur radio classes & was an
ARRL VE for many years in Palm Beach county.
Manny was the recipient of many awards & honors
from the agencies we serve as well as his peers in his nearly 50 years of
service to amateur radio
in South Florida.
Personally, Manny was a good friend & mentor to me for over 20 years. He
encouraged my volunteering in the
ARRL Field Organization & going up the ranks as he was a staunch
supporter of the League & it's programs.
73, Manny, we'll all miss you !!!