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Lloyd D. Colvin New York, NY Richmond, CA QCWA # 998 |
First Call: W7KG in 1929
Other Call(s): W7YA, W6AHI, W6IPF, W6ANS, W6IKM, W6KFD, KL7KG, J2AHI, J2USA, JA2KG, J2US & W2US
Lloyd Dayton Colvin, W6KG, who with his wife Iris, W6QL, visited and operated from hundreds of DX locations all over the world, is a Silent Key [on December 14, 1993]. He was 78. After initially rallying, Lloyd succumbed to the effects of a stroke suffered in early December during a visit to Istanbul, Turkey with his wife. His death there was attributed to cardiac arrest.
First licensed in 1929 at age 12, Lloyd earned an electrical engineering degree from U.C. Berkeley. After graduation, he embarked upon a 23-year army career [including serving in the U.S. Army Signal Corps in Alaska during WWII] retiring in 1961 as a lieutenant colonel. His service years had provided the opportunity to operate from many foreign countries, establishing the penchant for DX globetrotting that marked his later years. Issued WPX #1, he was featured on the cover of CQ in 1957.
Lloyd and Iris married in 1938, and Iris obtained her license in 1945, as W6DOD. By the mid-sixties, their successful real estate investments and contracting business in Alaska and California had ensured financial independence for the Colvins. DX history was about to be made.
The Yasme Foundation had been established in 1961 to aid the worldwide sailboat DX-peditioning of Danny Wei!, VP2VB, a young Englishman. By 1964, Wei! had married, lost the last of five boats and abandoned his odyssey. The foundation had also sponsored several other DXpeditioners. Although it now had no funds, Yasme could provide licensing and QSL assistance to DXers who could pay their own way -- as the Colvins could. Thus Yasme and the Colvins began a 30-year association.
The Colvins´ Yasme saga began in the fall of 1965 on Saipan; the last completed trip -- to Southeast Asia -- was in 1992. They traveled to 221 DXCC countries, operating in about two thirds of them, and generated over one million QSO´ s. Yasme volunteers answered over 750,000 QSL´s, which are cataloged and stored in the Colvin home -- the world´s largest QSL collection.
Lloyd and Iris frequently operated from countries -- such as Abu Ail in 1982 and Burundi in 1991 -- which had seen no amateur operation for many years. In 1989, glasnost brought the opportunity to tour all 15 Soviet republics, and to operate in all but Armenia.
Both Colvins were Life Members of the Northern California DX Club, and honorary members of many other DX organizations. On average, they were abroad for six months each year, and were rarely home for Christmas. When at home, they frequently entertained traveling DXers they had met on their sojourns; their annual Fourth of July party was well- attended by local and visiting DXers. In addition to Iris [who later passed away on February 18, 1998], Lloyd is survived by a daughter, Joy Gilcrease, formerly W4ZEW, and granddaughters Justine and Vanessa Gilcrease. His ashes have been scattered at sea.
CREDITS
Obituary/biography: Northern California DX Club
Photo #1: KA2BZS
