W4PRO, SK

From Dino KL0S and John AI4QQ:

I’m sure many of you knew Jim W4PRO, he was an amazing man and an exceptional ham radio operator, most especially as a DXer.

His one-man DXpeditions were memorable and the QSL card I received from his A52PRO operation in 2004 was the only one mailed directly from The Kingdom of Bhutan during the operation.  I also worked Jim as 7Q7PRO when he was in Malawi in 2012.

Toby and I always looked forward to getting together with Jim at SPARK and VADXC meetings, local hamfests and at Dayton.  We will miss him a lot – his key is now silent but we’ll always remember him fondly.

Obituary from Daily Press January 8, 2015:

Marion Arthur (Jim) Wise passed away December 31, 2014. He was a resident of Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Marion was preceded in death by his mother Emma Shoemaker Wise, father Maynard Marion Wise, wife Mildred of forty-nine years, brother Larry, and sister Bernadine.

Left to cherish his memory is his wife Linda, a son Gary, daughter-in-law Pamela and granddaughter Amanda. He is also survived by a brother Jan Franklin, a sister-in-law Patricia, nephews Michael, Greg and Brian and many great-nieces and great-nephews. His extended family includes a stepdaughter Kelly Schuellein, her husband Paul and their children, James, Brian and Heidi, a step-son Neal Insley, his wife Madelyn and sons Ross and Grady.

Marion was born in Fostoria, Ohio and served in the USAF 13 Bomb Squadron as a gunner in the Korean War. He retired from NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton Virginia where he was involved in the space program. In later years he served as a docent at the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, VA and worked with Habitat for Humanity Smithfield, Va. He was a member of many organizations, but HAM Radio was his passion.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 10 at 11 a.m. at the West Neck Village Hall, 2580 Signature Drive, Virginia Beach, VA.

A graveside service will be held at Arlington Memorial Cemetery at a later date.