His name was Don Lambert, N0JOU. When I was about 15 I walked up to his house because I saw all the antennas. I talked with him a lot, he gave me a CB and a D104 Silver eagle. I have no idea what happened to the CB. It was an old Midland 40 channel, AM/SSB, upper and lower channels. He really wanted me to get my ticket. I was planning to take the Tech and General tests next month. However today I called him and left a message, I was hoping to ask him to mentor me on Amateur radio. However his wife informed me that he had passed away on the 7th of Feb. Either way he planted a seed, and honestly that is more than most men do these days with the younger generations. I feel that he truly made a difference in my life just by taking some time out of his day to talk with me about radios. I still have fond memories of the smell of his pipe tobacco.
I spent about 30 mins talking with his wife. I just wanted to let her know that her husband had really made a difference in my life. I asked her if it would be possible for me to visit his grave site. She was more than happy to tell me where to go and how to get there.
I was really hoping to get my ticket before he passed just so he could see that I had done it. When I last talked with him I told him I planned to take the test for the Tech after I studied up on it, he said, "Have you even looked at the test?" .I replied, " Honestly, No." He then said, "I know you, the tech is not going to be a challenge for you. You need to take at LEAST the General, maybe even the Extra, Otherwise you might find it more boring than CB." I also took the time to thank him for taking his time with me when I was a young man, and I let him know that he really made a difference in my life. I also told him that I still had the d104 he had given my so many years ago. He was glad to hear it.
I really wish I had went and visited him over the years. There where many times I was less than a block from his house while visiting friends or buying something from a person off Craigslist. But I guess I always thought I had more time to see him later and not enough time to do what I needed to do NOW (or rather then)
When I go to pay my respects I plan to leave something radio related on his grave (I assume that is allowed in a National Cemetary?)
Anyway. If any of you knew him I am sure you can remember how good of a man he was. I know he will be missed
