Dick K3ITH
ROOSTER number 465 had his musical career as an accordionist cut short by growing up and changing his interests. This ROOSTER, Richard Stewart, or as referred to in the diminutive as Dick was born July 23rd 1945, in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Dick is a graduate of Haverford High School in Delaware County, the Philadelphia Wireless Technical Institute, and Widener University with a BS in Engineering. He originally planned to go into radio and television broadcasting. During his High School years he received excellent experience with WHHS-FM radio station as Chief Engineer. Then again with Channel 48, WKBS-TV, as a Transmitter Engineer in late 1965. After several recruitment calls, he became affiliated with the Aerospace Division of General Electric Company in February, 1966. Over the years Dick moved around like going to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as a lead Engineer and Chief Operator of the Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) research power plant; and to Detroit, Michigan, as a lead Quality/Marketing Engineer. Trying to move south after getting further north he transferred back to Valley Forge. GE Aerospace was brought and sold several times and Dick now works for Lockheed Martin, Management & Data Systems as a Senior Staff Engineer. Dick met his wife Cathy (Widmer) while working in Pittsburgh. After moving to Detroit they were married in Wheeling, West Virginia. They have four children and two Grandchildren. Cathy also has two BS Degrees, one in Physics and one in Mathematics. By the way, Walt WA3PPW Rooster number 315 was "Best Man" at their wedding. Dick has been active with the Philadelphia Area Repeater Association (PARA) since 1972; he recently completed five two-year terms (ten years total) as President. He still devotes time to PARA. With his computer, he stays actively involved in current activities. Dick still holds an FCC Commercial Radiotelephone license and is active with the Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, RACES. He is very interested in tracking and listening to Satellites such as the Shuttle. Hal W3HFY Rooster number 206, introduced Dick to Emergency Communications during 1959 via the Haverford Township Emergency Civil Defense Net. Dick is a Life member of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), Amateur Radio Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), and PARA. As a Volunteer examiner Dick may be one of the senior members with certificate # 100. The Dayton Amateur radio Association(DARA) was the first group approved by the FCC for hams to give the FCC type exams, at that time W5YI and ARRL had not been approved and Dick passed the DARA Examiner.s test which was administered in person while he lived in Detroit. Dick.s amateur license, K3ITH, was obtained in June of 1959 and he has been continuously licensed ever since; next year will be 40 years. He holds an Amateur Radio Extra Class license. It was eight years of low band CW before he got on SSB phone; and now operates all bands plus 2 meters, 220 and 440 MHz. His HF gear is a Kenwood TS-430S with a trap dipole covering 10, 15, 20, 40 and 75 meters. Dick has been active with the Roosters since 10/15/81, and was Rooster Picnic Chairman in 1988 and received the Admiral.s award in 1992 for his involvement in Amateur Radio. That is the story about K3ITH Rooster #465