Yesterday, Paul Maciel sent me an email that I knew was coming, but it was still a shock to receive. Bob Okas, W3CD, is a silent key. Bob fought cancer hard, but the fight ended Sunday morning.

Bob was one of the "good guys" that I have met through amateur radio. He was extremely bright and was a fountain of information. Plus, he was very approachable, and never, ever made you feel bad about asking a question. He gave you straight answers, and did it in terms that you could understand.

He was an extremely talented guitar and mandolin player, and I was fortunate to have played with him several times at qrp events. He was the same way in music as in ham radio. If he was in a group with beginners, he made sure that he kept the music at a level that they could enjoy and participate too. But if he was with a higher level of talent, just like in ham radio, he could "compete" with the best of them. I remember one time at Pacificon watching him play with Jim Kortge, and it was a treat.

He was a big supporter of NorCal, and did a lot of design work for the club. His legacy will surely be the FCC-1 and FCC-2 kits, which were a marvel because of their performance for the price. The FCC-1 was the kit that helped NorCal get back on its feet after the split with the American QRP Club, much as the NorCal 40 transceiver put the club on the map originally and helped to kickstart the club kits. His talk at Pacificon was one of the best that we have ever had, those in attendance were glued to the presentation.

Bob was at just about every NorCal meeting, and was always willing to help anyone with any type of radio problem. He and Bill Phillips were good friends much like Jim Cates and myself. You always saw them together until Bill moved back east after he retired. Bill, I know how you feel today, and there is nothing that I can say that makes it any easier to lose a friend like Bob. Time will help, but you will always miss Bob.