This morning I attended Wade Walstrom’s memorial service at St. Marks Lutheran Church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with Directors Bruce Frahm, Dick Isely and Jay Bellows, Vice Director Twila Greenheck, Iowa SM Jim Lasley, N0JL and past Midwest Division DXAC rep Jim Spencer, W0SR. Also attending was a large group of radio amateurs from the area and from Rockwell Collins that included Rod Blocksome, K0DAS.

Of the many trips I have taken since becoming President it should come as no surprise this was one I wish I did not have to make. Wade was an excellent example of so many things that are right, and his Pastor’s message today was one I wish every radio amateur could hear. It would not only have made you proud to be a ham but to also know amateur radio and our country is better because Wade was a part of it.

Wade had not been feeling very well the past few days leading up to last week, but there was no imminent concern about was about to happen. In fact, on Thursday morning Wade drove himself to the hospital for the lung biopsy procedure, expected to take a couple of hours in outpatient and Solveig went to work at Rockwell Collins. During the procedure, some uncontrolled bleeding developed and sadly nothing could be done even right there in a medical facility.

For those that may be interested, I have attached a scanned copy of the program from Wade’s service.

73 Joel W5ZN