Tuesday, October 9, 2018

Milestones: Radio City Closes; Lighthouse Society Founder and "Peggy Sue" are Silent Keys

"Good Buy" party on October 6 at Radio City in Minnesota.
Owners Dan (KB0XC) and Maline Fish decided to retire and
closed the store after 36 years in business. (Photo from Radio
City Facebook page)
Radio City, the primary ham radio equipment source for amateurs in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area and a major mail-order supplier for nearly 40 years, closed its doors in early October. Newsline reports that co-owners Dan Fish, KB0XC, and his wife, Maline, decided it was time to retire after 36 years in business. 
 
Jim Weidner K2JXW, became a Silent Key in September. Weidner founded the Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society and was a major promoter of "activating" lighthouses with amateur radio operations and of organizing lighthouse and lightship weekends. Newsline reports that Weidner, who lived in New Jersey, was a ham since 1954. He passed away at age 77.

And you might remember Peggy Sue Gerron less as a ham than the namesake of the Buddy Holly hit, Peggy Sue, but Gerron – who was married to Holly's drummer, J.I. Allison, passed away in October, according to local media reports. Attending a Buddy Holly tribute that included a special event station some 15 years ago prompted Gerron to get a ham license – she became K5PSG – and she was a regular participant in the special event for several years. She did not renew her license when it expired in 2014. According to a GateHouse Media article, the Lubbock, Texas native died in her hometown on October 1 at age 78.