Greetings, All.

I liked to call SANDY DONAHUE, W4RU, "our favorite Director of Vice", mostly because it made him laugh. We'll have many more Vice Directors in the years to come, but there will never be another "Director of Vice", and there will never be another Sandy. As I'm sure you all know by now, Sandy became an SK on Monday. It's been a rough couple of days, but thank you all for the kind phone calls and emails. He was a good friend, and I know a lot of us will miss him fiercely.

This message is a tad early for the mid-monthly summary, but there are some things I wanted to let you know. In typical Sandy fashion, it was his intention to donate his body to Emory University. But unfortunately, we encountered some insurmountable difficulties with that, and after pursuing other possibilities, were left with no other option but to bury him. The burial, along with a small memorial service, will take place in Dothan, AL, this coming Saturday. Sincere thanks go out to JEFF BEALS, WA4AW, for taking care of those arrangements.

There's one last thing we can all do for Sandy. I'm asking you to please consider making a donation to help cover the funeral costs. Sandy didn't have any family left.... WE, his amateur radio friends, were his true family. Any donations, whether from a club or an individual, would be very much appreciated. Once the funeral expenses are covered, our intention is to set up an ARRL memorial scholarship in Sandy's name. Checks can be sent directly to me, but made out to Jeff. In advance, thank you.

There will also be a remembrance service held for Sandy at the June 6 Atlanta Hamfest. Sandy was a long-time member of that club, and I think he'd really get a kick out of the idea of his ham friends gathering there to remember him. The tentative time for this service is 1PM. WARNING: Be prepared to give Sandy a rousing "Gator" salute.

Also, I've seen a lot of nice emails about Sandy on various reflectors, so I know a lot of you have things to say about him, whether you'll be able to attend the services or not. So what I'd like to do is make a compilation of your written remembrances, which can then be placed in a notebook and carried to the Hamfest, as well as posted via a section-wide email. So, please, if you would, take a few minutes to send me a note. Share you memories. One of our ham friends, now living in AZ, called last night and said that she can picture Sandy standing at the pearly gates, demanding of St. Peter, "Are you a member of the ARRL?!" A nice thought.