[karc] SAREX Pioneer - Dr. Ronald A. Parise, WA4SIR, SK
- From: David Aitcheson - KB3EFS <kb3efs@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: karc@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 10 May 2008 14:10:26 -0700 (PDT)
With a very heavy heart I pass along this very sad news of the passing
of a valued mentor and elmer.
Dave Aitcheson - KB3EFS
------- begin FWD message --------
from wmt9b <n3dci@xxxxxxxxx>
reply-to LARCMD@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
to LARCMD@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
date Sat, May 10, 2008 at 3:06 PM
subject [LARCMD] Dr. Ronald A. Parise, WA4SIR, SK
mailing list <LARCMD.yahoogroups.com> Filter messages from this mailing
list
mailed-by returns.groups.yahoo.com
signed-by yahoogroups.com
Relaying the passing of a good friend:
..............................
It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of a great friend,
colleague and fellow ham radio operator. Dr. Ronald A. Parise, WA4SIR,
left this Earth today, Friday May 9, 2008 after a very long and
courageous battle with cancer.
Ron Parise was--and continues to be--an inspiration to countless
students, ham radio operators, and friends the world over. His
accomplishments were many, including: space explorer, pioneer,
astrophysicist, pilot, ham radio operator, avionics and software
expert, inspirational speaker and motivator, student satellite mentor,
husband, father, and friend. While he certainly did some truly
extraordinary things in his lifetime, Ron Parise is best known and
cherished for keeping family and friends first.and for this, we will
miss him most.
Ron flew as a payload specialist on two Space Shuttle missions: STS-35
on the Space Shuttle Columbia in December 1990 and STS-67 on the Space
Shuttle Endeavour in March 1995. These two missions, called ASTRO-1 &
2 respectively, carried out Ultraviolet and X-ray astronomy
observations. He logged over 614 hours and 10.6 million miles in
space. Ron and his crew members on ASTRO-1 became the first
astronomers to operate a telescope from space, making hundreds of
observations during the mission. His personal contributions to these
two missions have provided scientists with an unprecedented view of our
universe, expanding our understanding of the birth, life and death of
stars and galaxies.
Ron was also the ultimate ham radio operator-in space and on the
ground. First licensed when he was 11, Ron kept the amateur radio
hobby at the forefront of everything he did-including his operations
from space. During his two Space Shuttle flights, he talked to
hundreds of hams on the ground, giving new meaning to the phrase the
"ultimate DX-pedition". He was instrumental in guiding the development
of a simple ham radio system that could be used in multiple
configurations on the Space Shuttle. As a result, his first flight on
STS-35 ushered in the "frequent flyer" era of the Shuttle Amateur Radio
Experiment (SAREX) payload. He was the first ham in space to operate
packet radio. And his flight pioneered the telebridge ground station
concept to enable more schools to talk to Shuttle crew members despite
time and orbit constraints. In his two shuttle flights, he inspired
countless students to seek technical careers and he created memories at
the schools and communities that will never be forgotten.
Ron's love for the amateur radio hobby and his love of inspiring
students continued well beyond his two Shuttle flights. During the
formation of the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station
(ARISS) program, Ron was a tremendous resource to the newly forming
international team. I know of many instances where Ron's wisdom and
sage advice was instrumental in helping our international team resolve
issues when we reached critical technical or political roadblocks. And
he was a key volunteer in the development of the ham radio hardware
systems that are now on-board ISS. The ARISS team is deeply indebted
to WA4SIR for his leadership, technical advice and tremendous vision.
Ron worked hand-in-hand with the students at the Naval Academy and
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University on the development of their
student satellites. He helped develop Radio Jove-a student educational
project to listen to the radio signals emanating from Jupiter. And he
spoke at numerous schools over the years, inspiring them to pursue
careers in science, math and technology.
I feel blessed to have had Ron as a friend, colleague, ham buddy and
mentor. He gave so much, cheerfully, to our collective hobby and was
always there with the right answer no matter the topic. I will miss
him dearly.
In an effort to continue Ron's tireless work to inspire the next
generation, the Parise family has set up a scholarship fund in Ron's
honor. The scholarship is for students pursuing technical degrees at
Youngtown State University, where Ron received his Bachelors of Science
degree. In lieu of flowers, those interested are welcome to send
donations to the Dr. Ronald A. Parise Scholarship Fund, Youngstown
State University, One University Plaza, Youngstown, Ohio 44555.
On behalf of AMSAT and the ARISS International team, I would like to
extend our collective condolences to the Parise family and to all Ron's
friends. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
And to Ron Parise, WA4SIR SK: Our sincerest 73's and 88's.may your
exploration spirit live on in us all!!
Frank H. Bauer, KA3HDO
AMSAT-NA V.P. for Human Spaceflight Programs
Chairman, ARISS International
------- end FWD message --------
____________________________________________________________________________________
Be a better friend, newshound, and
know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now.
http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ
Other related posts:
- » [karc] SAREX Pioneer - Dr. Ronald A. Parise, WA4SIR, SK
