Dave K3ZRF - Silent Key

[W2INR]

It is with great sadness that I must report the loss of a good friend and a brother in the AM community.

Dave Wenger K3ZRF moved on into the ether at 6:08 this morning.

God bless Dave and his wonderful wife Pam. My heart is saddened and hurts for her loss.

Gary/W2INR

[W2JTD]

Dave was one of the funniest, most intelligent and generous people I have ever met. His passing leaves a great big empty in our lives that cannot be filled. It is an honor to have been allowed into his life.

- Paul and Maggie, W2JTD

[WA3VJB]

Very sad to hear.

Been torn up since I got word.

I'm very lucky to have known you these many years.

I will be thinking about you.

[W3FJJ]

I'm shocked, I didn't know Dave was sick. but been wondering where's been.
Will miss him, my condolences to Pam, and the family..   

Chuck-W3FJJ

[The Slab Bacon]

I cant say it any better than it has allready been said. I have been torn up since getting the news the other day.

Dave was someone that you could'nt not like! ! ! He was always happy and always had kind words and something funny to say.

Dave, you will be SEVERELY missed. God bless and Godspeed. We love you both.

                                                       Frank & Carol
                                                    KB3AHE & KB3OMT

[w3jn]

...and how.

We've lost a hugely generous, funny, and intelligent friend.

Last time I saw him was my going away pharty before I left for Greece, at Fells' Point in Baltimore.  What a lot of fun.

 

[WD8BIL]

Wow......... 

All my best to Pam.

I'm speechless............

[Steve - K4HX]

We've lost one if the best. He will always be with us though - lots of good memories.

My thoughts and prayers are with Pam and the family.

[W3SLK]

I'm truly shocked by this! Buddly said it correctly! I am completely dumbfounded and at a loss for words. My sincere condolences to Pam and his family. This is extremely stunning!

[W3GMS]

I go way back to 1967 with Dave.  When I was a new Ham, he would come over and visit.  I was just a kid trying to get a big signal with good audio on the air.  He always called my mother, “Mrs. Fell” and she liked the respect and gentlemanly manner he showed.  She told me after he left during the first visit, “Dave is a nice polite boy and he is welcome back here anytime”.  I relayed what she said to Dave many times and he always got a kick out of it.   

Back when I was a kid and first met Dave, he was using his original Valiant with modified audio and sounded great on AM.  I think his receiver was from Lafayette.  Latter, he followed Bill’s, W3DUQ footsteps and put an upside down final circuit in a Valiant to allow for extended positive peak modulation.  His QSO’s were commonly heard with, Bill-W3DUQ,  Mark-K3VVG (SK), Roger-WA3FLE (SK), George-W3YAM  / W3OW (SK), Harry-W3FDY(SK) and of coarse many others. 

During the notorious Thomas Point Lighthouse radio event that Paul, WA3VJB organized, it was great to spend a weekend out at TPL with Dave.  We had a blast and the memories are lasting.  That is where I introduced Dave to my Dad’s hot pepper recipe by bringing some cooked jalapeno peppers with me.  Dave was hooked on that recipe from that day on!   

Bert –WA3JYU along with his wife Pat came along with Martha and me during our visit to see Dave at the Hospice Center in Lancaster on April 16th.   We had a short but good visit with him and it was evident that for Dave, the end on this earth was near.  Rather than take flowers, I wanted to do something a little bit different for him as a gift.  I bought a flower pot and planted an Eimac 1000T tube in it.  Around the base I put some Jalapeno peppers which Dave and I talked about often over the years. Even though he was very ill, when I walked into his room with that it got a smile out of him. 

Dave was a very accomplished individual and I am glad that we were friends and I will really miss him and I know those others that got to know him will sorely miss him as well. 

Pam, Dave’s wife who was always in the background when he was on the air will need lots of support to endure the difficult days ahead.   

Joe, W3GMS             

[WB2CAU]

This is sad news indeed.  I have talked to Dave dozens of times but only met him face to face once 18 years ago.

Dave was such a long time part of the AM group, it's hard to comprehend that he's gone now.  He will be missed.

My condolences to his family.

Eric

[Ralph W3GL]

  
   RIP old friend, I missed you on the WFD afternoons with "Things" 15000
   watts boosting your AM from the speakers attached to the R4B, SX 28
   or TS 440 in the shack here.   I'll be seeing you on my trip out there one
   of these days, I'm sure...

   Pam, what can I say other than my deepest heartfelt condolences... I'm
   sure it was a great trip so remember; this load of heavy grief will soon lift
   a bit and you will hold on to the good times you two shared...


    

[K1DEU]

      Hang in there Pam. Sure miss both of you getting on the air together in the early 70's.

73 & 88 John, K1DEU

[N3WWL]

Dave Wenger was a true gentlemen.  He will be in my heart and my mind forever.   My heartfelt condolences to Pam and the rest of the family.

[Paul, K2ORC]

Dave and I stayed in touch after my move to Virginia Beach and my exile from the airwaves.  We talked on the phone and exchanged emails about birds, food, bugs, our grownup kids, and a lot of other stuff that was both interesting and funny.  Truly a gentleman and a joy to know and when I learned recently from Pam of his illness I was floored.  Dave was such a force of nature and so full of life that it just didn't seem possible.  

I didn't have the pleasure of knowing Dave as long as some of you, but I can honestly say I enjoyed every moment that I got to share his company.  Pam is very much in my thoughts and I hope that she will gain some comfort from knowing that the man she loved was so well liked and so highly respected by his friends.  

[WA1GFZ]

I'm in Shock reading this. Does anyone know what happened to him.
I saw him at Deerfield last.

[W2INR]

Frank,

Dave has always been a very private person and the details are not being offered for public discussion. This was one of Dave's wishes and we are honoring his wishes.

I have answered your question in a PM.

Gary/W2INR

[K1JJ]

My condolences to Pam and the family.  Dave was a class act. Always enjoyed his company on the air and at the fests.

R.I.P. Dave.

Tom, K1JJ

[W1AEX]

Like many people here, I'm completely blind-sided by this news. I had no clue that Dave was ill. A few months ago he mentioned to me that "We're all in the 4th quarter of the game, so you've got to make sure you enjoy yourself now and then." Those words have echoed in my head a few times, and now they have even more meaning. Dave has always been one of my favorite people to hook up with on the air. His sense of humor and straight talk have always made it pleasant to share a frequency with him.

My condolences to his family. Dave's friendship will always be remembered.

Gary, thank you for informing us.

Rob W1AEX

[k4kyv]

Wow! That was an unexpected shock.  I first started working Dave over the air when I used to live in Cambridge, in the mid 1970s. If he was recently ailing, I wasn't aware, but then it might have been something unforeseen. None of us is even guaranteed to-morrow. Don't recall if I ever met him in person, but talked to him on the radio many times over the years.

R.I.P.

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

Hard to comprehend, much less accept. Dave was one of the nicest, most genuine folks you could ever hope to meet. Very laid back, great sense of humor, a big part of the crew who leaves a massive hole in our lives.

I don't think I'd seen Dave since your party either, Johnny. Maybe at NEAR-Fest once, can't recall. But he was in typical 'ZRF form at Fell's Point that August, like all the rest of the gatherings.

My thoughts and prayers too are with Pam, as well as Paul & Maggie, Gary, Steve, Johnny and the rest of that extended family. What a great bunch of memories he leaves us with....

[wb2fof]

My thoughts to Pam and all his buddies !
I remember the Elmira and Nearfest shows chatting with him, K2ORC and the gang ! Plenty on the AIR too !
Rest in peace my friend.
Bob
WB2FOF

[Good-Dog]

I am shocked and broken hearted. I remember when I meet Dave and Pam at their house in Denver. He was such a funny guy and a great story teller! I will always remember the good times we had on the WFD net.
73 Dave, we will miss you!

Al/W3GD

[KA8WTK]

I can't seem to add anything to what has been said about Dave in the previous posts except that this leaves a big hole in the world where he used to be.
My prayers are with Pam and the rest of his family, related by blood or by radio waves.

RIP my friend.

Bill KA8WTK

[KD3CN]

Dave was one of the first AM'ers I ever met.  We joked at Hosstraders that we met there in NH and we only lived up the road from each other in PA.  He's been a great friend, and a great AM elmer.  He seemed the most excited about radio when he was helping someone else out, improving an antenna, rewinding a choke, or giving expert audio advice, etc.

Dave was a very genuine guy and a great ham.  He looked at you and smiled and you knew you had a new ham buddy.  There was also mischief in that smile  We're a lesser community with his loss.

That's one 15,000 watt signal that I will never forget, and will very sorely miss.

Karl, KD3CN