Bob Little, W1BAE - January 21, 1947 - June 27, 2016
Bob is survived by his wife Ellen, his daughter Karen Vaillancourt and her husband Peter, his son Robert and his wife Jill, Ellen’s children Robert Bishop and his wife Jessica, Kenneth Bishop and his wife Angela, Rebecca Bishop Abbott and her husband Christopher, and Carolyn Timm Hougland and her husband Matthew. Bob was a cherished grandfather to Matthew and Lindsey Vaillancourt, Ryan and Gavin Little, Isabel and Elena Bishop, and Samuel and Alivia Bishop. He is also survived by his brother Edward W. Little and wife Suzanne, and sister Linda Lee Patkus along with many nieces and nephews.
Bob was born on January 21, 1947 in Nashua, NH to Edward W.H. Little and Mary Geno Little. He graduated from Winchester High School in 1965. After attending the University of New Hampshire, Bob served in the US Coast Guard and then joined his father and brother at Winchester Corporation, the family’s packaging and specialty paper company.
Bob was married to his high school sweetheart Adelle for 36 years, with whom he raised his family in Acton, MA. After Adelle’s untimely passing, Bob met Ellen Bishop and the two connected over the recent loss of their spouses. They were married in 2004 and have spent the last twelve years together, working, playing, traveling, and enjoying time with their combined family.
He fulfilled a lifelong dream in 2015 by earning his Amateur Radio License, and in the past year has spent much of his time volunteering at large events and trainings. He was also one of the founders of the Children’s Discovery Museum in Acton, MA, an accomplished photographer, a talented musician, a Master Scuba Diver, and highly skilled in computer design. Above all, Bob was a devoted husband, a dedicated father, and a doting grandfather who prioritized his family and delighted in their happiness.
Gustave “Gus” Fallgren, W1OG
Gustave H.N. “Gus” Fallgren, age 91, a longtime resident of Chelmsford passed away Monday, September 28, 2015 at Lowell General Hospital. He was the beloved husband of the late G. Barbara (Johnson) Fallgren who died in 2000.
He was born in Somerville on January 21, 1924, and was the son of the late Sven and Elisabeth (Larson) Fallgren.
Gus served his country In the United States Army during World War II, having fought in the Battle of the Bulge.
Prior to his retirement, he was employed for many years by Raytheon Company and he served on the Chelmsford Board of Appeals for 24 years.
Gus was an avid Ham Radio operator and went by the call W1OG, and was well known on the air as “Old Gus”. He enjoyed antique gasoline engines, sled dog racing, mowing his and neighbors lawns on his John Deer tractor, and mountain climbing with his daughter when she was younger. He was also a very talented builder, having built his home and the furniture in it.
He is survived by his daughter, Lisa B. Fallgren of Fairbanks, AK and his companion of 13 years, Mary Lane of Chelmsford.
Earl D. “Russ” Russell, WR1Y
Earl David Russell passed away on March 24, 2014 in Groton, MA. Russ was the beloved husband of Margaret (Peggy Connors) Russell, to whom he was married for over 58 years. He was the son of David C. Russell and Corrine Russell and grew up in Chelmsford, MA, graduating from CHS with the Class of 1946.
Following service in the Air Force during the Korean War, he completed his Electrical Engineering degree at UNH, Class of 1957 and was President of Tau Beta Phi, the Engineering Honor Society.
Professionally, he was employed by Adams Russell Corp, Sanders Associates, MA/COM and was President and Founder of Russell Engineering Services (Lowell and Waltham, MA) for 25 years.
In retirement, Russ was actively involved with the CHS Alumni organization, aviation, antique cars, Town of Groton audio/communications events, the Groton Emergency Management Team and the Groton Senior Center. He founded the Nashoba Valley Amateur Radio Club.
The Russells enjoyed many years of Square and Round dancing. Ballroom dancing was their special "sport", Big Band was their era and they shared their love of dance with many wonderful friends and fellow dancing enthusiasts.
Charles “John” Beanland, G3BVU
Charles "John" Beanland, born in Witney, England passed away on September 21, 2012 after a long illness, age 85. John enlisted in the Royal Navy during WWII. He was first licensed as G3BVU in 1947. He worked for the General Post Office (GPO) in Engineering and the English Electrical Valve Company (later known as EEV / e2v) where he worked on Guided Weapons. He later joined Texas Instruments and finally Microwave Associates, UK where he developed VHF solid state power amplifiers all while attending and receiving BS degrees in Electrical Engineering, Radio and Telecommunications.
Microwave Associates transferred him from the UK to Burlington, Massachusetts in 1963. In 1966 he joined the MITRE Corporation in Bedford as a Member of the Technical Staff working on microwave systems and Over The Horizon Radar (OTHR) HF direction finding systems until his retirement in 1993. During that time he received his Masters Degree in Electrical Engineering from Northeastern University. In 1972 he acquired Spectrum International, specializing in antennas, filters, VHF transverters and satellite tracking systems which he operated until his passing. He later received his US call sign, AA1YE and taught Amateur Radio licensing courses and HF radio propagation at local radio clubs. As well as AMSAT he was a longtime member of the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB), the Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL) and most recently the PART of Westford Amateur Radio Club.
John was married to Dorothy Beanland for over 57 years. They have 3 children and 3 grandchildren and he resided in West Acton, Massachusetts.
Bill Carney, W1BXM
Many knew Bill as N1RKB who was on the air on the 955 repeater for many years during the commute hours... a staple in the afternoons. For years Bill would operate from his "bus" carrying special needs children to and from school throughout the region. Years before that he worked as a draftsman.
Bill was always on the air talking about his interest in the sciences and was working very hard at earning the Amateur Extra Class license. He had recently changed his callsign to take on the vanity callsign of his "elmer" Guy Bowden, W1BXM. Bill was interested in many aspect of the hobby as well as exploring the internet on his computer and looking at the alternative OS's like Linux. Bill also was part of the "scanner" sub-group at PART and had attended the scanner gatherings we held in the past.
Bill was instrumental in starting the monthly Saturday PART breakfast which for years met at the old Bickford's on Drum Hill in Chelmsford and then moved on to the Westford Regency.
James T. Silva, KB1NEW
James was born on August 28, 1953 the son of Betty L. Silva who survives him and resides in Chelmsford. James was a member of the Lowell First Church of the Nazarene. He received an Associate’s Degree in Culinary Arts from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. He was an active member of the Red Cross and on the disaster recovery team. He was also a liaison for the Mass Bay Council. He enjoyed cooking and was a history buff who enjoyed reading about the Civil War. Jim became a Ham in 2006 and joined PART soon afterwards. In addition to his mother, James is survived by his wife Bonnie M. (Smith), his second mother Eleanor Wheeler of Chelmsford, mother-in-law Theora B. Smith of Nashua, sister-in-law Shirley Jean Smith of Nashua, brother-in-law John M. Smith of Pepperell and many cousins, nieces and nephews. He also leaves behind his beloved dog Buddy.
Thomas Hughes, AG1I
Tom was one of the original founders of PART back in the early 1970’s and was a constant supporter of PART over the years.
Tom has had many interests during his life… fly tying, bridge, photograph and ham radio to mention only a few. I think his fondest interest was ham radio and in particular chasing DX. Tom is listed in the ARRL DXCC Honor roll with 343 countries confirmed. That is quite an accomplishment! You could always find Tom at the CW tent on Field Day making contacts right and left.
Tom will definitely be missed.
Bo Budinger
WA1QYM
President, PART of Westford
From the Lowell Sun:
Thomas Alfred Hughes, Jr. lifelong resident of Westford, WWII Vet.;
Thomas Alfred Hughes, Jr., age 82, a lifelong resident of Westford, died on Sunday January 13, 2008 at Palm Manor Nursing Home in Chelmsford, following a brief illness. He was the husband of the late Phyllis (Harnden) Hughes. He was born Feb. 25, 1925, and raised in Westford, son of the late Thomas A. Hughes, Sr. & Gertrude (Saucier) Hughes. He attended local public schools and was a long time communicant of St. Catherine of Alexandria Church in Westford. At age 15, he became the youngest amateur radio operator in Westford. His ability prompted the Navy to assign him to be the radio operator on a Naval Repair Ship in the Navy during World War II. It was during his time in the service, his parents accepted his diploma upon graduation since he was serving in the Pacific. He graduated from the RCA Institute in New York City after World War II. His training in, and interest in electronic engineering and his natural ability in mathematics provided him a lifetime of professional achievements and personal enjoyment. Prior to his retirement, Mr. Hughes worked as an electrical engineer for many years. According to the family, Thomas was a man of many interests and talents, and was very active in the community. In recent years, he was an avid duplicate bridge player and regularly participated in bridge tournaments locally and throughout New England. He loved the outdoors and enjoyed fishing with many lifelong friends in New England and Canada. His love of nature was also exhibited in his love for dogs. He even kept a supply of dog biscuits for his neighbor's dogs when they visited. He was also loved photography and learned to develop his own film. He created a collection of photographs from fishing expeditions and community events, which he loved to share with others. An avid Ham-Radio Operator, he enjoyed contacting fellow operators around the world, and was on the AARL DXCC Honor Roll for having contacted over 340 countries He was a charter member of the Police Amateur Radio Team (PART). He was also a member of the Knights of Columbus, he was past commander of the VFW, member of the Westford Sportsmen's Club, and member of the local camera club. Mr Hughes also attended many lectures given by local historical societies, took a memorable trip to Alaska, and had attended several annual reunions of his WWII Naval Ship. He is survived by his daughter, Phyllis, of Washington, DC, and numerous friends and acquaintances.