DX RXThe Doctor of DX prescribes the |  |
DX RXThe Doctor of DX prescribes the | |
Buzz was a devoted family man, loving
spouse, father and grandfather. He was well
known and highly respected in the town of
Hollis. He was a volunteer fireman for the
town of Hollis, a member of the VFW, Fleet
Reserve Association, and the United States
Marine Corps League. With all of that said,
most of us probably were not aware of this;
but every single one of us who belong to the
Nashua Area Radio Club were very aware
that he was also a member of our club. And
we members were never more aware of
Buzz's relationship with NARC than each
year during the month of June, when more
than one hundred hams, family members and
friends would gather at his fruit orchard in
Hollis for the annual rite of Field Day. For
nine years he was host, official tow vehicle
operator, grounds keeper, and provider of
lots of unusual "stuff", most of which
magically appeared out of his famous hen
house, dubbed the "Hollis Hilton". And woe
to the person who called it a "chicken coop"!As the old saying goes, Buzz was the salt of the earth. While not wealthy in terms of cash in the bank, he was rich beyond words in spirit, in his love for his fellow folk, and in his concern for the welfare of the downtrodden. A lady who once fit that latter category, and who I now know personally, told me that there wasn't anything that Buzz wouldn't do for a person in need, if he had the means to assist. Many the time he helped this lady, and he was always there for her when her personal life got very tough.
Gene Balinski, K1NR/3, said of Buzz, "What struck me about Buzz, aside from the fact that he could have been a caricature for a 'typical' New Englander, is that he spent most of his life in service to others, first as a Marine, reaching the rank of Gunnery Sergeant, and then as a volunteer fire fighter in Hollis. Buzz also struck me as a very genuine type person - what you see is what you get - no hidden agendas. I truly enjoyed seeing him at Field Day. I enjoyed his stories. He will honestly be missed."
Al Simons, WA1TYB, former Field Day Incident Commander, related, "When I agreed to take over FD, I had never been to his orchard and had never met Buzz. He made me feel welcome almost immediately. In a time when so many people have a 'No' attitude, he had a 'Yes' attitude. He made you feel like anything could be arranged, and it wasn't any big deal. He was happy to scrounge whatever was needed out of that fantastic barn. Whatever wasn't ready to be found in there, he could make out of what 'was' there. I remember his grin and laugh; such a dry sense of humor. Are all the *real* Yankees like that?" To be honest, Al, as a transplant like yourself, I don't think so.
Ed Deichler, K2TE, also a former Field Day Incident Commander, shared a beauty of a tidbit with me about Buzz and a very new, young, impressionable, and to hear it, super wide-eyed ham at his first Field Day. The original email from Ed was garbled in the forwarding from work, so I hope I get the sense of it correct. Ed told me that the first Field Day that Chris Garon, K1SI, attended at the site was a bit harrowing for him. He was completely taken aback by the presence of a .38 caliber pistol (ever present, mind you) that Buzz always packed around in his hip pocket. As everyone knows, Buzz's arch-enemies are the ever-present woodchucks, and Buzz was known to have an "eagle eye" and steady aim that accounted for many of them experiencing a premature demise. By the following year, Chris was right at home, as we all were, with Buzz. Ed also told me that he could never remember a time when Buzz wasn't right there during Field Day to help out where he could.
I personally spent many an enjoyable hour, jawboning with Buzz about our days in the service. What was particularly noteworthy was his humility about his Vietnam service, which he seldom spoke of and never bragged about. He much preferred to talk about the funny things that happened while he served his country. And brother, he had some whopper stories to tell too! Because of a very special relationship, my wife Chris and I asked Buzz and Evelyn to be our Best Man and Bride's Maid when Chris and I married in June, 1997. The only thing Buzz wanted to know was if he had to wear a tie! The picture at left tells the story. Now, that was real friendship for you.
Buzz, we know you would not want us being sorrowful over your passing. I sense that you'd rather we remember the good times, the fun, the joy we all experienced when we were around you. But mourning is a part of the process we go through when a loved one dies. We mourn your passing, Buzz. Also rest assured that 180+ members of NARC will always be there to assist Evelyn and all your family, should the need ever arise, in the same spirit and with the same enthusiasm as when you helped all of us. We also smile at the memory of you. We pray earnestly that God has provided you with a great orchard to mow and care for, a brand new tractor with a constantly- full gas tank and which requires no maintenance, with a razor-sharp bush hog that never needs sharpening, a whiz-bang 2- Meter hand-held with a power source that never requires recharging, a beautiful new hen house crammed full of all sorts of neat "stuff", and lots of Marines and Fire Fighters with whom you can kibitz.
Amen.
