Topic: Hosstrader Joe Demaso, K1RQG, SK

[W1RC]

Just received this sad e-mail message from Hosstrader Bob Tiffany, W1GWU:

>Sadly I bear news of the passing of Joe DeMaso, yesterday 6/19/11.

Joe was one of the only three gentlemen on this planet who could legitimately call himself a "Hosstrader".    Since retiring from the hamfest business in 2006 Joe concentrated his amateur radio efforts on software-defined radios (SDR) and EME, aka moonbounce communications.  He was very accomplished in that field.  He was also seriously into Software-Defined Radio experimentation.  For the last several years since his retirement Joe was a "dedicated" volunteer at the Owl's Head Transportation Museum in Maine.  He literally spent "thousands of hours" restoring vintage aircraft.

Here's Joe officiating at the prize drawing at Hosstraders, Hopkinton NH sometime around 2004

This is the 32 foot dish that Joe built from scratch! He also designed and built a hydraulic positioning system for it.

R.I.P., Joe.  You will be sadly missed.

73,

MrMike

[W1RC]

The eHam.com "Friends Remembered" posting.

This was sent to me by Joe's long-time friend and fellow "Hosstrader" Norm Blake, W1ITT:

BANGOR DAILY NEWS, June 24th 2011.

BUCKSPORT ? Joe Demaso, 66, died Sunday, June 19, 2011, in Bucksport. He was born in Bangor, to Louis and Rose Demaso

Following graduation from Bangor High, Joe enlisted in the US Navy, continuing the education in electronics that he had begun as a radio amateur (K1RQG). Joe was posted to many overseas locations, of which his most fortuitous was an assignment to the US Embassy in London where he managed to catch the attention of Pearl, his wife to be.  Joe and Pearl raised Anthony (Tony) and Kristine in Bangor and Bucksport while he worked for the telephone company in microwave communications, for Measurex and Accuray in paper mill process control, and finally for GE Medical where Joe installed and maintained MRI and CAT scanners throughout Maine.  In retirement, his lifelong hobby of amateur radio took much of his attention.  He did pioneering work in moonbounce communications, and was most recently involved with cutting edge signal processing development.  Joe was a volunteer docent and biplane mechanic for the Owl?s Head Transportation Museum in Rockland, and a rider and collector of modern motorcycles. An amateur radio charitable organization that he founded raised and donated 1.3 million dollars to benefit Shriners? Hospitals, all in Joe?s ?spare time?.

Joe is survived by his loving wife Pearl, children, Anthony Demaso and his wife Emily Gibb of Toronto, ON and Kristine Rick and her husband Arne and adored granddaughter, Natasha Ellianna of Walled Lake, MI, his siblings William Demaso and wife Marie of Veazie, ME, Loretta Kearns and her husband Jack of Orrington, ME, Susan Demaso of Roswell, GA, John Demaso and his wife Jane of Hancock, ME and Teresa Scott and her husband Dana of Matthews, NC.  Joe is also survived by many nieces, nephews, cousins,  his uncle Edward Demaso of Revere, MA, and his faithful dog Jed who was with him to the end.  In accordance with Joe?s wishes, there will be no public memorial services held.  Joe?s wife and children are greatly appreciative of the love and support that friends and family are showing them during this time.

[N1IPA]

He will be missed by many, those of us that remember him Hosstraders and once in awhile seeing his call back when Packet radio was big in the state of Maine.
Rest in piece and have at the never ending radio from above.

Jim, N1IPA