Warren Elly, W1GUD SK

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

Warren has lost his battle with cancer and moved on to a better place, where many of our other AM brothers have gone recently.

For those who didn't know Warren, he was a news reporter for the local Fox affiliate in Tampa until retiring recently. He was originally from the northeast but had lived in Florida for several decades. He could often be heard on 80m or 40m putting out a good signal with his BC-610.

Warren had joined the NEARFest team a year or so back as our Public Relations Liaison and did a wonderful job promoting the event and getting us plenty of good media.

He will be greatly missed by many of us as well as his family. Warren was only 64. Gone way too soon, like so many others.

Rest in peace.

[w1vtp]

Warren and I have been friends since way back when he was selling Dentrons.  I just sent him an email last Wednesday 'cause I hadn't heard from him in a while.  I'm attaching my email to him and his reply - his time stamp was just minutes from mine.

I'll miss him.

Rest in peace, Warren, Al

PS: I attached our exchange for this reason: reach out to your friends when you haven't heard from in a while. It may matter a lot

[flintstone mop]

Thanks Al,
This cancer thing is really serious lately. The list keeps growing!!
I got through it, by the grace of God. The Chemo is really nasty stuff.
Fred

[KB5MD]

I worked Warren a couple of times and heard him on quite a few more times.  Always enjoyed that booming signal
he put into south Arkansas.  R.I.P. Warren

[w4bfs]

Radio Free Tampa .... will miss you on SAMRC swap net, Warren ....73 John

[W2NBC]

  Warren, W1GUD in "Flori..DAAAH!"

Always fun to work him on 75 with his BC-610, BIG signal, and great voice.. Interesting guy, and had much in common working in broadcasting..

 R.I.P. my friend..

[Steve - K4HX]

So sorry to hear this. I remember hearing Warren way back in the 70s when I was a SWL. He was still in New England then. It was a pleasure to talk to him on the air many years later from his Tampa QTH. Finally, I was happy to meet him in person at the NEARFest several years ago. I never once thought he would so soon be gone.

Rest in Peace Warren.

[KX5JT]

RIP Warren.  Your Florida signal was always strapping down the Gulf Coast into Louisiana.  Your broadcast voice sounded great on that Timtronic Ranger and never to be forgotten.

[w1vtp]

http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/story/28730452/remembering-warren-elly-a-colleague-mentor-and-friend

[KX5JT]

Very nice video and article on Warren, Thanks.

[ka4koe]

Last time I spoke with Warren was shortly after his visit with Tron back last October. Tron and Warren were drinking a microbrew from Tampa, I believe it was called "Pirate Invasion". I think we talked up on 20m for over an hour.

Class act and he will be missed.

Philip

[AJ1G]

So sorry to hear about Warren's passing.  I first worked Warren when we were novices back in 1967.  RIP OM, glad I was able to meet you at NEARFEST over the last few years.

[W2INR]

73's Warren

Peace out
G

[W3GMS]

I first met Warren, then WA1GUD back in early 67 after upgrading from Novice.   We would get on after school and have a blast chatting on 75M AM.   When I was looking to upgrade my Heath GR-64, Warren had available an HR-10 for sale.  The price must have been right, since I had little money.  We continued those almost daily on the air chats until he went off to College.  After relocating to Florida,  our paths would usually cross during one of the AM operating events.  Most recently, during on of the AM events a few months ago, I was working a station in Tampa who knew Warren.  So he sent out a text to him and within seconds a nice message comes back to me from Warren and I will never forget that message.  I had never met Warren in person until 2 years ago at NEAR-Fest and it was during that event that I got to shake his hand.  Little did I know that it would be the last time that would occur.  Until we meet again, Peace be with you my friend.   

Joe - W3GMS
         

[WD8BIL]

WOW........... Bobby K1KBW told me about this last night.

I worked with Warren when he was at Dentron in the mid to late 70's. Our first meeting he had me digging a muddy hole for his tower install. Over the few years we had fun doing the show circuit and cuttin' up.

I remember his apartment here in Twinsburg. He had Drake twins driving an MLA amp and was using parallel RG8s to gutter downspouts tuning them with a MT3000A. Where there's a will...........

I just talked with him in February on 21.430MHz........ AM, of course.

He was greatly missed when he moved to Flori-DAH and will now be in our hearts.

[Opcom]

R.I.P. sir.

[KC2FXE]

 R I P warren  73

[n1exi]

always sad to hear about a loss in the ranks - GUD was always good copy
greg - n1exi

[W1JS]

My first QSO with Warren was in July of 1967.  Our paths crossed many times throughout those 48 years, particularly when he lived here in New Hampshire during the mid seventies.  He was a true friend and gentleman.

I will miss you, Warren.

73 "My Friend",

Jack
W1JS

[Tim WA1HnyLR]

 I learned about Warrens' passing from Mr. Mike who called me within hours after it happened . The new hit me and my Wife Marce like a ton of brick. He was one of her favorite ham radio buds of mine. My association with Warren goes back to September of 1967 when I upgraded to my General. I would catch him on after school. I can remember listening to Warren before I got my General . He would be on with Bacon WB2YPE later WA3WDR. Bacon would lament about the shoddy treatment he got from high school bullies and how the girls would snub him. Warren  took Bacon under his wing. I listened to many a confidence building QSO in the night when it was a school night and you should be in bed,,,,,NOT on the radio. I always regarded Warren as one of the coolest of the cool along with Dave K3ZRF and Bill (Uncle Willie) W3DUQ. There are many others that have passed as well. Each one of them added something to my life. With the passing of each person I begin to feel more alone . I guess they say" That's Life"  That does not assuage how I feel .
I have seen Warren through the different lines of employment through his life. He even did a short stint at WCSH in Portland Me. He dropped by to visit me in Mechanic Falls after moving to Maine a short time earlier. The last time I saw him was when he came up to Nearfest  last October . I upgraded the mod I had done to his Ranger many years earlier. We hung out for 2 days . He returned to Floriduhh. About 2-3 weeks later he calls me to tell me he had cancer. It was a real blow. I was hoping that it was curable . Alas it wasn't.The chemo treatments were devastating . He elected to stop treatment. I honestly thought he would be around for a while. We talked about him coming up to Nearfest in the Spring. I was hopefull that he would be able to make the journey. 64 may b e a long life to some people .  In this day and age of octogenarians running around, real honest to goodness Old Buzzards I would say his   life was cut short. He will be missed,
Tim WA1HnyLR
 

[k3msb]

I'm sorry to hear about this.  I've worked Warren several times on 6 and 10M AM over the years.   

64 Years old is way to young to pass on.   

73 Mark K3MSB

[Chuck...K1KW]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1z_7G-RE-Q&feature=youtu.be

Had a nice QSO with Warren just a couple of weeks ago on 15 M AM.  I knew Warren since high school.

Rest in peace, my friend.

[W1RC]

I, along with the entire NEAR-Fest team are devastated by the loss of our brother Warren, W1GUD.  Both NEAR-Fest XVII amd XVIII will be dedicated to his memory. We are producing a W1GUD memorial button that will be work by all staff and management at NEARFest this year and pretty much anyone that knew him.  If you are coming to the fester just feel free to ask me for one.  This is the photo that will appear on the memorial button:

Warren was Director of Media and Public Relations for the last four years.  He was also a member of the Board of Directors.  He got us coverage by the major media outlets in the area; WMUR-TV, The UNION-LEADER and NH Public Radio all did wonderful features that were orchestrated by Warren.  

Before he retired Warren could only attend the Fester in October because the May event coincided with the rating "sweeps" and no one got time off during that period. However after he retired he never missed one.  One time I ran into him at the CVRC Field Day in Henniker NH.  

Warren LOVED NEAR-Fest and became especially close with Paulie, W1PRA.  I have many memories of seeing Warren and Paulie tooling around the grounds on a golf cart, Paulie on patrol looking for miscreants.

I spoke with him on the Saturday before he passed away. He knew his time was very short.  We said our goodbyes.  It was very sad tears forming and it was hard but I am privileged to have had the opportunity to tell him how much knowing him meant to me personally and the rest of the hamfest Gang and they we would miss him for the rest of our days.

73 old friend,

MrMike, W1RC