Obtiuary: BAR HARBOR - George W. Kidder III, PHD., died January 22, 2021, at the Mt. Desert Island Hospital, following a fall at his home. He was immediately transported to the hospital, where he was expected to recuperate. He never did. It turns out that he had broken his spine, and also had lung cancer. He was kept comfortable by the caring hospital staff, to whom his wife, Elizabeth, is most grateful. They married in June 1957, in Wilkinsburg, PA, and have never been apart since. They had two children, Marjorie Grace Kidder (now Mrs. Claude C. Curtis) of Greenfield, MA; and Douglas George Kidder of Berkeley, CA; 5 grandchildren who do not live in Maine; and a great-granddaughter, born in June of this year. George was a graduate of Amherst College, class of 1956, and earned his PHD at the University of Pennsylvania, in 1961. He taught Biology at Wesleyan University, in Middletown, CT; at The University of Maryland at Baltimore; and at Illinois State University, from which he retired to live year round near the M.D.I. Biological Laboratory, which is in Salisbury Cove, at which he had been a summer researcher starting in 1974.

The widow asks that donations in his memory be made to: M.D.I.B.L P.O. Box 35 Salisbury Cove, ME, 04672; or to the M.D.I Hospital, P.O. Box 8, Bar Harbor, ME, 04609.

There will be no memorial service or viewing of the body. Just think of him and remember what a kind, caring person he was. And how much he enjoyed living and being acquainted with the people of Mt. Desert Island.

Published on January 29, 2021

For April 2021 Journal Chapter 134, Pine Tree (ME):

It is with great sadness that we must relate that one of our net controls, George Kidder, W3HBM, of Bar Harbor ME, became an SK in January. George was a stalwart on our net and was a great ragchewer.

Submitted by: Larry Banks, W1DYJ

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George Kidder III, W3HBM SK

Contribution By Phil Duggan (N1EP) ASM District 3

One of Maine's more prolific amateur radio operators has passed away. George Kidder III, W3HBM, became a silent key on January 22 after being hospitalized because of a fall. George was born in NYC in 1934 and first became licensed in 1954 as WN1BKI while a sophomore in college. He also held the call W1BKI before receiving W3HBM callsign when he lived in Baltimore, MD. He had a career in plant and animal physiology and worked for many years at MDI Biological lab here in Maine where he enjoyed experimenting, including combining his ham radio hobby with his scientific endeavors. He used APRS with GPS to track eel grass seeds as they floated with the current. He also discovered previously unknown currents in Eastern Bay and other parts of Frenchmen's Bay with the help of ham radio technology.

George loved playing with many ham radio modes, with CW being his obvious favorite, but he could be found around the bands on voice and digital as well, and for many years the W3HBM and MDI packet radio node has been on the air Downeast. For many years he loved participating in Field Day with the Ellsworth Amateur Wireless Society. Oftentimes, I would be chatting with other hams on 2-meter simplex 146.595 MHz about "QSYing" to other bands or modes, and when we did, there was W3HBM waiting for us. George kept many "mobile" hams company as they commuted, chatting with them on the Hulls Cove or Hancock County EMCOMM repeaters. His favorite rig was his Elecraft K3 he purchased a few years ago. At that time, he told me that he wanted a really good rig for once.

George was a key member of many nets and other ham radio groups. He not only served as net control for the Pine Tree Net (a CW Traffic Net), he checked into the net nearly 2,800 times. PTN Net Manager Bill Mann, W1KX wrote to PTN members: "We certainly miss George and share our grief with the Maine Public Service, where he was Manager and NCS for many years, and with the Quarter Century Wireless Association, where George was a member and usual NCS for the Pine Cone Net. George was a very active Ham and a friend to many. We are all saddened at his passing."

If you would like to send a card to George's wife, Beth, the address is: Elizabeth Kidder, 509 Norway Drive, Bar Harbor, ME 04609

Published on February 12, 2021