Amateur Radio Suffers a Tremendous Loss
It is with great sadness and a tremendous sense of loss that I report the passing of a fellow Ham and long-time trusted friend.
Arnold Russell Worthington "Russ" (WA4POD) age 57, passed away in his sleep Sunday night, February 20, 2005 after years of debilitation illnesses. Although he was a small man in statue, his influence and presence in the Amateur community made him a giant among giants. Russ had been a ham since his teenage years and was active in many aspects of the hobby and could frequently be hear on the 40 and 75 meter bands as well as the local VHF and UHF repeaters. He held an Extra Class Amateur license and a First Class Phone License.
Currently serving as the Trustee of the ENC (Grifton) Repeater W4NBR, he was also its builder and designer. He was also instrumental in the building and maintenance of the W4OIX repeater and several UHF repeaters in the surrounding area.
Russ was a member of the Kinston Amateur Radio Society (KARS) since the late 1950's which he has served as its President and has received the Ham of the Year Award on several occasions. Russ was also well known on the Coastal Carolina Emergency Net in earlier years. Russ retired from ITT in 1986 after a long career as a microwave designer and technician. In recent years he was mostly occupied with Ham Radio and supporting volunteer firefighting in Snow Hill, NC, where he maintained the communications equipment for the department as well as Greene County Sheriff’s Department’s equipment.
On a personal note, a deep void has appeared in my life as my “teacher” and my friend has passed. He touched the lives of many individuals in this area, and for that, Russ will be in our hearts forever. I know I speak for many Hams, Firefighters, and friends in saying that his compelling presence will always be remembered.
Submitted by
Doug Blizzard N4HAJ
Kinston, NC