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[CQ-Contest] W1ZM-SK

To: cq-contest@contesting.com
Subject: [CQ-Contest] W1ZM-SK
From: "k0ej@juno.com" <k0ej@juno.com>
Date: Mon, 9 May 2011 00:51:43 GMT
List-post: <cq-contest@contesting.com">mailto:cq-contest@contesting.com>
It is with great sadness that I inform the contesting community of the passing 
of Gerard J. Scarano (AKA Jerry W1ZM). He passed away this morning in his sleep 
after a brief illness. He was 96. A contesting powerhouse in the 60's as W3MVB, 
he was a member and past president of PVRC. He moved back home to CT in the 
very early 1970's after retiring from federal service (DoD) and started his own 
engineering consulting firm. He built an incredible station on a hill 
overlooking the Thames River in Gales Ferry. He was given the call of W1ZM and 
altho a host of several multi-multi's, the station piloted by Jeff/K1ZM as 
single-op ruled the contest standings until the mid-1980's. YCCC got more than 
a few club points courtesy of Jerry.I first met Jerry in 1979 as a navy ensign 
attending basic submarine school. Jerry was the trustee of the sub-base club, 
K1SSN, and after speaking to him about joining the club, he invited me to his 
place. I still remember driving to see him on a Saturday 
 morning. As I drove up, I saw a tower with a 4L 20M yagi (what's the big 
deal??) but when I pulled into the driveway, I saw the other 4 towers. Wow!! 
The shack had a big bank of homebrew 4-1000 amps - one affectionately called 
"The Blue Goose" and a pair of 6C21's (the Rock Crusher)running class-C on 40M. 
Most of the gear was Collins with a few Kenwoods, Drakes, and EF Johnson. You 
changed bands by changing seats - quite a sight.We became quite close, and 
stayed in contact ever since. He was like my adopted father as my dad died when 
I was in college. Jeff and I did the final removal of the towers a few years 
ago when Jerry and his bride Ellie decided to live full-time at their winter 
home in New Port Richey, FL. He remained active on the air almost daily running 
a KW to a rooftop 20M vertical and a few dipoles. That vertical really worked! 
Ellie passed away a few years ago after a lingering illness. He travelled a 
good bit after she died and one of his recent highlights was
  finally travelling to VY2ZM and giving his stamp of approval to Jeff's modest 
station on PEI.I would normally schedule my FL visits to coincide with some 
sort of contest. I remember several phone SS tests, a PVRC reunion-on-the-air, 
and last years FQP. Always a few folks who had played at his CT QTH would stop 
to say Hi - he was normally in his chair watching me operate - but he heard 
you!!Lots more stories could be told - if you have any special memories, please 
pass them along - his daughters will enjoy hearing them. Arrangements are not 
final but I will be heading down there in a day or 2. Post them to the 
reflector or e-mail to me (K0EJ at juno.com) sadly, vy 73, Mark K0EJ
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