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Wendell O. Wales Richfield, MN QCWA # 11217 Chapter 8 |
Wales, Wendell O. Age 90 of Richfield, went to be with the Lord on Oct. 11, 2010. World War II veteran, served in the Army Signal Corps in the Pacific. Retired from Honeywell Aerospace Division after 35 years. He was an avid bowler and amateur radio operator. Preceded in death by brothers, James and Neil; sister, Marie; son-in-law, Tom Haddox; and grandson, Aaron Haddox. Survived by loving wife of 61 years, Louise; children, Linda Haddox and Alan (Mary); grandsons, Jamin (Jayneen) Haddox, Jonathan (Kimsoth) Haddox, Matthew Wales, and Corey Wales; great-granddaughter, Evelyn Haddox; siblings, Frances (Stanley) Markey, Marvin (Clarice), Bernice Zins, Roger, and Grant (Irene); numerous nieces and nephews.
Sonia and I attended Wendell's funeral last Thursday.
Wendell had been an Amateur Radio operator since the 1930's, and his last Ham Radio call sign was WØQI, a vanity call which Wendell obtained many years ago. In his active retirement days, before strokes took their physical toll, he was a very active Ham Radio operator, and was a long time active QCWA (Quarter Century Wireless Association) member. During this time he gave many different and very interesting technical talks to our QCWA Upper Midwest Chapter No 8 club, as well as to many other Ham Radio Clubs in the Twin Cities area and in outstste Minnesota. These talks included subjects such as Antennas, and High Speed CW (Morse code) operation.. Wendell was an accomplished CW operator, and he could copy Morse Code signals in his head, at speeds of up to 35 Words Per Minute, and write the words down with no errors.
During WW2, Wendell spent his time in the US Army Signal Corps overseas on Oahu in the Hawaiian Islands.. His task was to copy Japanese encoded CW radto signals, and forward them to US intellegance to be decoded. The task of this group resulted in our breaking the Japanese war coded messages so we could win many Naval and air battles and learn other Japanese Wartime Secrets.
Wendell was also an accomplished bowler, with a bowling average in the middle 190's, and his high single game score was 298 ( two pins less than a perfect 300 game), and he had several 700 plus series scores. Wendell and I bowled together with our wifes for maany years in Mixed Bowling Leagues, and he and I bowled together in several Mens leagues over the years until he became ill and indisposed.
Wendell and I worked togetherfrom the 1970's and on until we both retired,as fellow Engineers, in the Honeywell Avionics Division. We carpooled to work for many years. He was a very intellegant person, and was well liked and respected by his fellow Engineers and ham radio and bowling friends. We will all miss his quick wit and humor and intelligence!
Don Johnston, WØJBX