The man behind the camera...

As you look through the pictures you see on this blog one thing you might notice is the words:

“Picture courtesy VE3WEH“

Larry Wilcox VE3WEH has been my “unofficial/official blog photographer” almost since the beginning and if you go back further there are several pictures on my old website (va3rcs.tripod.com) that also have credit going to Larry’s skill as a photographer.

I first met Larry back in 1992 when we both suddenly got our amateur licences, Larry as VE3WEH and I as VE3YBC.  We were both “no coders” and as most of the old group did not take to us nicely at the beginning, a lot of us newbies became good friends fairly easily cause no one else would talk to us…  The above statement is open to debate…  but it did seem like that…

For a good deal of my amateur life Larry seemed always to be there…  During my ill fated 1st attempt of being President of the OVMRC Larry was my Vice-President.  Larry got to pick up the pieces when I resigned mid term…

Whenever as  a NCS I was calling for checkins on a VHF Net (Back then I used to Control the Wise Owl Net and several Sessions of the Kingsmere Traffic Net) even on a slow night Larry was there…

In the later years when I returned to the hobby (after taking 5 years or so off for good behaviour) on of the first people to welcome me back was Larry and it was Larry’s fault I came back as President of the OVMRC for a more successful term.

I had agreed to cover Larry’s NCS  position for a few weeks on the Wise Owl Net while he was on holidays.  During that time he took ill with a heart issue and needed bypass surgury so I kept on with the duties of NCS while he was on the mend.

During that time I was at an executive meeting and somehow ended up becoming the elections chairperson.  At the June meeting as all of the executive positions were filled with the exception of Pres and Vice Pres I was getting nervous.  Standing on the stage conducting the elections actually begging for someone to take the Presidents position.  Suddenly a voice from the back comes out “I nominate Bob Sharp”….  Well it was NOT Larry but…. indirectly if he had not gone on holidays I would not of been filling in for him and therefore at the executive meeting and therefore running the elections and not on the stage to be vocal and nominated so…  It was his fault…

The one year I spent as president was a great deal of fun…  We did a DXPedition to Maple Island for a first time activation (CISA ON 277) and if you look at the pictures most of them came from Larry.  Raining like heck and there he is smiling as he took pictures…  Didn’t want to play radio…  Just taking pictures…

To be honest I don’t know who took this one…  I believe it was taken just after we had made the correct number of contacts for the Islands activation…

We did lots of things and Larry was normally there and behind the camera so when you look at the Club’s history and you don’t see him there its usually because he took the pictures…

He happily froze with us back in 2006 for the Bate Island DXPedition when we operated CF3RCS for the Canada Winter Contest.  This was a very successful first activation of CISA ON283 and Larrys camera was there for most of the 27 hours we spent outdoors in December.

“When we operated for the Ontario QSO Party in 2006 he was there as the photographer and a station operator…  VE3RAM came in first for Ottawa that year with his help and efforts…

Recently he drove to Foymount Ontario for the Polar Bear QRP Event which was a favourite of Larrys as he had been stationed at the Foymount Ontario Radar Base during the Cold War…

Picture courtesy VA3SIE

Picture courtesy VA3SIE

I don’t think Larry ever missed a Field Day from his start in 1992.   Always there with the camera and helping out where he could…

It came as a shock to us all to find out that Larry will not be with us this field day.   On Friday May 28th ( one month before Field Day) in the morning Larry suffered what we have been told was a “Massive Heart Attack”  and became a Silent Key.  He leaves behind his wife, their children and grandchildren and our condolences go out to them.  He also leaves behind a local amateur radio community who will miss him greatly…

At this time Funeral Arrangements have not been published and the family is asking for privacy as they deal with what has happened

Here are a couple of “Rare Pictues” as they show Larry which means someone else was taking the pictures…

Larry VE3WEH <SK>

To be honest I am not sure who took these pictures…  I found them around the web…

73 old friend… you will be missed…

73bob

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Tags: amateur radio, VE3WEH