Barry using a bow and arrow to get an aerial up into a tree at Te Araroa, Dene Lynneberg and Jack Searle look on. Circa mid 70s
Dear DX colleagues,
It is with great sadness that I advise you of the passing of DX League Life Member BARRY WILLIAMS earlier today. Barry had been battling health issues for some time. As a club member for some 65 years, Auckland branch activist and past National President of the DX League, Barry’s contribution to the hobby and club was very significant.
Please post your tributes and memories of Barry on the DX Dialog.
Funeral details will be advised as soon as known.
Bryan
Some of Barry’s articles:
http://www.radiodx.com/articles/dxer-profiles-u-z/barry-williams/
http://www.radiodx.com/history/nz-dx-history/origins-of-dxing-in-new-zealand/
http://www.radiodx.com/history/some-old-interesting-qsl-cards/
http://www.radiodx.com/introduction-to-dxing/ham-swl-dx-introduction/
David Norrie and Barry (right)
I was saddened to hear that Barry had passed away. His health had
deteriorated over the last couple of weeks and it was no longer the
usual cheery Barry who answered the phone. Barry was one of the
preeminent DXers of his era and chased Africans all over the shortwave
bands. Barry was born in Australia and a printer by trade.
He was very keen on radio history and produced numerous competently
written articles, many of which grace the pages at radiodx.com.
Barry and his wife Alice were frequent visitors to League conventions,
in fact Barry took them to a league convention in Taranaki(?) for their
honeymoon, not that Alice knew until she started to see familiar faces
where they were staying!
Barry was also an accomplished ham radio operator and held the call
ZL1ACZ. He very patiently helped me make my first and painfully slow
Morse code contact
I’ll miss Barry and his ever-friendly manner.
Regards,
Paul Ormandy, Oamaru
Arthur Williams, Barry and Michael Pollard at Camp Iona 1998
What a sad piece of news to hear about Barry. I’ve always been somewhat of awe of Barry’s standing in the NZRDXL, his experience, his stature, his practical manner. Over the years we’ve met all over the country, at conventions, DXpeditions, AGMs and I’ve always considered it a priviledge. To steal a line from the Queen, it has been an annus horribilus for the club to see member after member leave us this past 12 months or so. Barry was a good bloke. He’ll be missed.
Dave Ricquish, Wellington
I’m sad to hear that another of Our Greats has passed away. Although I never met Barry in my main activity years, I’m sure he was the inspiration for my ending up chasing 60 and 90m Africans back in the mid-60’s. We met at the Motu Moana/Auckland convention in 1980, and then spent several nights as room-mates with Frank Glen at Sandy and Bryan’s gathering at Mangawhai to mark the League’s 65th anniversary. That was a treat to have them exchanging tales way into the night. RIP, Barry.
Theo Donnelly, Vancouver
I was very saddened to hear the news that Barry had passed away. My association with Barry goes back many years to when he and Tony Marr used to visit our Lake Taupo holiday home at Motutere Point, Mission Bay. It wasn’t long after that that we combined on numerous dxpeditions to Te Araroa and later to Tony Marr’s holiday home at Pauanui. Barry was a true friend and very easy to get along with and his company on those dx trips always made them more enjoyable. His friendship will be greatly missed.
Dene Lynneberg, Pukerua Bay
Every now and then while pursuing life in general and our listening
hobby in particular most of us encounter a refreshing personality, a
person who is able to instill enthusiasm and put a smile on our faces.
The late Barry Williams was one such person. A Shortwave DXer of note,
all round good guy, and a supplier of enough jokes to set a room of
meeting attendees in high spirits! That was Barry, but alas in my time
as a DXer I was only in his company about three times that I can
remember. Once each at Riverton & New Plymouth Conventions and the
Mangawhai 65th Birthday Celebration/Convention. In the early years when
interbranch competitions were the norm, Southland Branch members would
scour the ‘DX Times’ for news of catches that Barry had made so as to
help estimate the possible Auckland Branch score. At our meetings a call
would go out “did you see what Barry Williams has got back?” During his
radio life Barry became a ham radio operator as did I but by then I was
living in the North Island and the skip distance on some bands between
Hamilton and Auckland is not conducive to good contact conditions.
In Barry we have had another of our stalwarts taken and our numbers have
reduced quite considerably during the past several months.
Barry you had a goal which unfortunately you were unable to reach but
you did reach out to us. Thankyou for your company in our circle.
R.I.P.
Sutton Burtenshaw
Hamilton
