Wayne Williams, K4MOB

IN MEMORIAM

March 14, 1936   -   February 12, 2002

Repeater Journal Advertising   2002
Repeater Database Operations   1999 - 2002
Repeater Journal Editor Emeritus   1978 - 2001
CVRA North Carolina Piedmont District Director   1976

THE driving force behind SERA

Wayne Williams, K4MOB - SERA Repeater Journal Editor - Silent Key

by: Gary Pearce, KN4AQ

Wayne Crosby Williams, Sr., K4MOB, editor of the SouthEastern Repeater Association magazine "The SERA Repeater Journal", died at home early Tuesday morning, February 12, 2002, of complications from cancer.  He was 65 years old.  Wayne is survived by his wife Gerry, KB4SER, and two sons, Wayne Jr. and Chris.  A third son, Greg, died in 2000.

Wayne's passion in Amateur Radio was FM and repeaters.  He became active in SERA's predecessor, the Carolinas-Virginia Repeater Association (CVRA), in the early 70's, when two meter FM was just beginning its booming popularity.  In 1977 he became the editor for the group's magazine, the Repeater Journal.  The Journal was already a respectable 44 page booklet, with regional advertising from local dealers and hamfests, but over the next 23 years, Wayne built it into a real quarterly magazine, featuring full-color covers and both national and regional advertising.  The heart of the Journal was the Repeater Index, a list of all repeaters in the eight SERA states, but the magazine also included news and feature articles, and regular columns from correspondents in each state.

The story of the growth of FM and repeaters in Amateur Radio is a remarkable one.  Hams "discovered" the mode in the late 1960's.  In the 70's band plans were developed and frequency coordinating bodies were formed that lead to the kind of organized effort that repeaters demanded to prevent interference and chaos.  Wayne Williams chronicled that development from its earliest days to the present, and helped SERA grow into one of the nations largest, most effective coordination bodies.

In parallel with his SERA activity, Wayne also established Williams Radio.  He started the business by amassing a huge inventory of crystals.  In that pre-synthesizer era, two meter FM radios required a pair of crystals for each frequency used.  Williams was one of the few "instant" sources of crystals for almost every frequency, and for almost every radio.  Other crystal sources made hams wait days or weeks before they got the crystals needed to operate a new radio.  Soon, the business added accessories and several lines of radios.  It was a family affair, with Wayne's wife, brother and sons pitching in at hamfests across the region.  Wayne "retired" from Williams Radio in 1997.

In 1999, Wayne was diagnosed with cancer.  In late 2000, he described the experience in an editorial titled "Superman Got Shot Down," in which he warned readers not to ignore symptoms the way he did.  By that time, several surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation treatments had eradicated the cancer.  But the experience left Wayne feeling mortal, and he realized that he was putting SERA and the Repeater Journal, his pride and joy, at risk.  The Repeater Journal had many contributors, but the job of editing and publishing fell to Wayne alone.

Who could keep the Journal going, matching Wayne's quality and maybe even adding a touch or two?  Wayne watched the next lower tier of ham radio journalism, club newsletters.  In early 2000, he was impressed by an editor who was turning out a newsletter with good graphics and content.  The newsletter was the Raleigh Amateur Radio Society "Exciter", and I was that editor.  I was familiar with graphics professionally, and I had been writing articles for the Exciter, and a column for the Repeater Journal, for several years.  I had hoped to edit the Exciter for a long time, but when Wayne explained the situation, I agreed to step up to the Journal.

During 2001, Wayne began teaching me the details of the Repeater Journal.  I produced a few pages for the August issue, and about a quarter of the November issue.  During that time, Wayne received more bad news.  The cancer had returned.  The doctor couldn't operate again - Wayne hadn't fully healed from the first round of surgery.  Chemotherapy kept the cancer at bay, but there was an unspoken feeling that we may now be racing the clock.

The plan called for me to assume the title of editor and produce the February, 2002, book myself, though Wayne prepared most of the advertising.  Wayne planned to keep handling advertising for the next year or two.  It took a lot more work to produce the magazine than I expected, but by late January it was finished, and headed to the printer.  About that time, Wayne began feeling worse, and went to see his doctor.  He got the news everyone was dreading.  The cancer had spread, and was inoperable.  The doctor predicted that Wayne had days, maybe weeks... but not a month... to live.

The issue I produced was designed to be a tribute to Wayne's 23 years as Editor and prime motivator in SERA.  The cover featured a "passing the torch" picture of the two of us examining film negatives (it was the first and only time Wayne appeared on a cover).  That picture was surrounded by small reproductions of some of the many issues Wayne created over the years, along with a plaque honoring his service that SERA had presented to him a few weeks earlier.  Inside were testimonials written by SERA officers spanning the organizations 30 years.   As the magazine was completed, I realized that it could become a memorial more than a tribute, although articles inside said that Wayne was planning on continuing to work with SERA in a more behind-the-scenes role.

When the first two "proof" copies came off the press, the printer rushed them to Wayne's house personally to make sure Wayne had a chance to see them before it was too late.  That effort was only a little premature.  Wayne lived another two weeks.  He died as the magazine was in the mail to several thousand SERA members.

In his last weeks, Wayne maintained a remarkably positive attitude.  He accepted his fate, and, while family, friends and his SERA colleagues prayed for a miracle, he said he had already received one.  He had the time to take care of his affairs, spend time with his family and say goodbye to his many friends.  The doctor stopped the chemotherapy that could now only slow the disease slightly, and concentrated on pain relief.  Though Wayne grew weaker each day, he was able to sit up and visit with company, take phone calls, and continue to advise me on the Journal, up to the end.

We miss him.

A note from the SERA Secretary:

It’s been six years now since Wayne passed away.  I celebrate life in two ways on February 12th, because it is my son's birthday as well as the date of Wayne's passing.  Time will not erase the fond memories of our friendship.

As stated in the credits at the top of this page, under his picture, he was and still is the driving force behind the SERA.  The current staff of the SERA continues Wayne's commitment to “keep the SERA mission in focus”.  As an all volunteer staff we watch over 3,000 database listings for existing FM amateur repeaters and members in eight states and we continue to work, hopefully, as tirelessly as Wayne did.

I miss you friend,
H. Alex Hedrick, Jr.  N8FWL
SERA Secretary & West Virginia Director

  since 11/15/02