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Silent Keys contents

Silent Keys

My chair is sitting empty. My call's no longer heard.
My radio rests quietly. From it comes no word.
On my shack door is a message, that reads "From Me to Thee."
My frequency's much higher now. I've become a Silent Key.

Judy Hudson KC9CCJ



(SK) is short for Silent Key , which in Amateur Radio culture connotes a ham whose radiotelegraph key is silenced and will never again be heard over the air because he or she has passed away. And although the use of radiotelegraph keys is not as common as it once was, the tradition continues for all ham radio operators. Whenever you see someone’s name or callsign with (SK) following, it means that ham has died.

Although not all Blackberry REACT members have been amateur radio licensees, all have followed the tradition of service to their community. On this page, we remember and honor those members who have passed away.

  • Jim Galbreath, (SK)
  • Barbara Lugn, (SK)
  • Tomas Jones, (SK)
  • William Smith, Sr., KE6CHQ, (SK)
  • Ken Della Santina, KAE8139, (SK)
  • Gerald 'Jerry' Haag, K6GAC, (SK)