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Robert D. 'Bob' Nielsen Santa Monica, CA Canoga Park, CA Tucson, AZ Bainbridge Island, WA QCWA # 15287 Chapter 7 |
Robert (Bob) D. Nielsen, 81, passed away unexpectedly due to cardiac arrest and complications from COVID-19 on October 9, 2020 on Bainbridge Island. Born in Santa Monica, California, he was the son of Myra (Noel) and Air Force Brigadier General Charles F. Nielsen. Bob was preceded in death by his wife and the love of his life, Josette, after 58 years of marriage. Bob is survived by his brother, John Nielsen (Connie) of Huntington Beach, California, his four children, Julie Pazoff (Gary), Peter (Jodi), Mark (Barbara) and Susan, his nine grandchildren Miles, Hannah, Simone, Emma, Alyssa, Ian, Joelle, Erika and Charlie and two great-grandchildren, Sophia and Stella.
Bob and Josette met while attending Santa Monica High School, and they married in 1958. Even though Bob was 6'7", science and technology was his true calling, not basketball. After studying at Caltech (where he got to study with Richard Feynman and Linus Pauling), Bob moved to UCLA where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in applied physics. Bob spent most of his career at Hughes Aircraft working as an aerospace engineer at their Southern California location before relocating to the Tucson facility. As a young engineer, he helped build the multiplier and filter for the Syncom satellite. After 17 years of living in the desert, Bob and Josette packed up the car and moved north to Bainbridge Island.
Staying extremely sharp to the very end, Bob was a life-long HAM radio operator and made many friends throughout the US and around the world with his call letters W6SWE and later N7XY. Bob's brilliant mind stayed alive and active his entire life and before he passed, he had the latest iPhone, Apple Watch, at least 7 computers, and a ton of Ham Radio equipment. He loved learning, and his interests included bible study, watching foreign TV shows and movies, reading mystery novels, online shopping and traveling with Josette throughout the world. He was a wonderful father, a great friend to so many and truly a living example of kindness and decency.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts in Bob's name may be made to the Alzheimer's Association or the Bainbridge Island Amateur Radio Club.
Arrangements are entrusted to Cook Family Funeral Home of Bainbridge Island, WA
from: https://dxnews.com/forum/forum/silent-keys/29771-n7xy-robert-nielsen-bainbridge-island-washington-usa
N7XY - Robert Nielsen - Bainbridge Island - Washington - USA
10-20-2020, 03:03 PM
Robert D Nielsen, N7XY ex WB6SWE, W6SWE from Bainbridge Island, Washington, USA, passed away 9 October 2020.
I was first licensed in 1952 as WN6SWE in Santa Monica, CA. I had the call W6SWE from 1953-1999 and operated from Canoga Park, CA from 1963 to 1984. I moved to Tucson, AZ in 1984 and changed my call to N7XY in 2000. I moved to Bainbridge Island, WA in 2000. Short vacation operations were as G5EPI (1982) and F/N7XY (2004).
I am what I guess could be called a casual (i.e., non-rabid) dx'er. I have DXCC on phone and cw and on 10, 15 and 20 meters and a total of 309 entities worked as of 2015. I need to work more on digital and the other bands but have limited room for antennas. I operate QRP much of the time and have worked over 100 countries using 5 watts or less and simple antennas.
I have also worked digital modes (somewhat intermittently) and was president of TAPR between 1991 and 1993.
I moved to an assisted living apartment in August 2017 and have set up a K3S and a KPA500 amplifier and a SteppIR SmallIR vertical antenna (life is full of compromises).
