If memory serves me correctly, I think Den Connors was the person who set us up with Telemail through the University. It cost about $18,000 a year! On Sat, Aug 22, 2009 at 12:35 AM, Tom Clark, K3IO tom.k3io@gmail.comwrote:

I'm sure that many early TAPRites remember TAPR's first President, Den Connors, KD2S. Den was active in Tucson circa 1982-83 at the formation of TAPR, during the TNC-1 days. Some info on Den can be seen at http://www.tapr.org/history.html, as documented in the first PSR ( http://www.tapr.org/pub_psr1.html). The early TAPR PSRs can be read at http://www.ka9q.net/newsletters.html. In 1982 (in PSR #2), Den and I made the first proposal for an amateur radio packet satellite. Around 1984, Den moved east to take a job at Wang Computers in Lowell, MA.

Den's story can be read at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/denconnors. I lost touch with him in ~1986. Just tonite, I got this sad note from Ralph, KD1SM that I want to share with you:

I don't know if you or other TAPR/AMSAT old-timers are still in contact with Den Connors KD2S. I know you two worked together a lot in early packet days.

If you have not kept in touch with Den, then I'm sorry to tell you that he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma two years ago. I'm even sorrier to tell you that a bone marrow transplant that had been scheduled for this week has been canceled. The message circulated among his colleagues reads:

"Den was simply too ill to proceed. A PET scan was done yesterday and it found that the cancer has spread through out his whole body. He will come home tomorrow and be attended to by the Hospice folks. Doctors estimate approx 5 weeks. I can t tell you how truly Den will be missed by all who knew him. If any of you have read his Caring Bridge I m sure you can understand what incredible spirit Den has. "

Regards, Ralph Swick KD1SM Nashoba Valley Amateur Radio Club http://www.n1nc.org Friend of Den's for ~15 years.

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Via the Senior-officers mailing list at AMSAT.ORG courtesy of AMSAT-NA http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/senior-officers