Tribute to Robert R. Ballantine -W8SU

Tribute to Robert R. Ballantine - W2RIE / W8ISU / W8SU
April 27, 1941 - August 2, 2023

A tribute courtesy of Bob's wife Pat KK8W

Bob was first licensed in 1957 as WN2RIE in Trenton, NJ. Bob was a very good friend of mine. We go back many years. We went to many hamfests together. We visited each others shacks several times. Bob was very well known in the ham radio community. Bob was a big contributor to Hamgallery.com. His research ability was top notch. He helped me with many hamgallery projects thru the years. Bob and his wife Pat KK8W traveled to Cincinnti, Ohio to pick up a rare QSL collection of a big gun DXer from the 1950's Jim Ringland W8JIN. Bob gave me this collection. Many of the W8JIN QSL cards are now on hamgallery. Bob also contacted a relative of Don Chesser W4KVX to get a collection of the W4KVX DX Magazines from the 1950's and 1960's. These magazines filled in the gaps to both of our collections. Bob suggested that we try to get W4KVX Don Chesser into the DX Hall of Fame. With the help of W8SU, K8MFO, KB8NW, K8ME, K8CX, N8DE, and W4QM, we succeeded to get W4KVX into the CQ DX Hall of Fame in 2012. We received the plaque at the DX Dinner in Dayton and passed the palque around for a while. Bob W8SU suggested that Don K8MFO be the keeper of the plaque. We all agreed. When I would receive an old collection of QSL cards, I would take them to Bob and he would go thru them, find some interesting ones and do research for Hamgallery. If you type W8SU into the search engine on the hamgallery home page, you will see how much Bob contributed. Bob lost a battle to cancer. When Bob was home toward the end, he could barely talk. He communicated with CW to his wife Pat KK8W. CW was Bob's main mode. He was in the US Coast Guard as a radio operator and also the Ohio State Patrol. His CW skill on ship and at the OSP was very useful. Bob was laid to rest on August 4, 2023 at the Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery for veteran's near Seville, Ohio. Bob's wife Pat, sister Linda, and myself attended this very nice ceremony at this very nice location. I will surely miss you my dear friend. RIP. Tom K8CX

I am really said to hear this! Bob and I had many common interests, and our friendship went back many years. His original call was W8ISU, and we both participated in a 2M FM simplex DX spotting network in the 70's. It was a long haul from west of Wooster to Warren, Ohio, but we managed to do it!
Bob was a FB DXer. He also told me that he had worked all USA counties years ago, but never bothered to apply for the award. Just doing it was satisfaction enough for.him! Bob and I were also interested in keys and boatanchor radios, but our common interest in ham radio history was what accounted for countless emails. When Bob was in the Coast Guard, he was stationed for quite some time in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and he got to know many of the hams that I grew up with in the 1950's. His love for that area made him an "honorary" Yooper! (He also me his wife Pat there). The most recent "K9YA Telegraph" on line magazine featured an article by Bob about ham radio on Drummond Island, Michigan. I had intended to send a note to Bob telling how great the article was. Sadly I never got around to doing that. He and his XYL, also a ham, took a special trip to Drummond to inspect the location of Walter Pidgeon, 8FH, the only ham on the island in the 20's and 30's.
I will truly miss Bob. Tom K8CX, you know how much I enjoyed the visit you and Bob paid to me some years back. There surely was no problem in keeping a conversation going! It was also a pleasure working with you two on the succesful nomination we submitted on DX Hall of Fame membership for Don Chesser - W4KVX. The plaque hangs proudly in my key museum.
Rich - K8ZH also knew Bob, and I'm going to copy him on this email.
RIP Bob -- there's no way you can be replaced --
73, Don K8MFO

Very sad for his passing. He was a a close friend to so many and a wonderful radio man who enjoyed CW and everything radio related. I know he was close to end and his strong faith sustained him fighting this terrible illness. Final 73 to W2RIE/W8SU. Peace be with you Bob. God Bless Pat for her wonderful care and comfort. She was his rock and strength and true love. May God help her in days ahead with grieving process. Hope we can keep in touch from time to time In memory of a dear friend who is dearly missed Marjorie. K2UTS

W8SU was a great guy! Tim K3LR

So sorry to hear about Bob. Pat and the family are in my prayers. Bob W8JYZ

W8ISU QSL Card from 1970.

W8ISU QSL Card from 1995.

Bob designed his own W8SU QSL cards.
This card was around 2009.

Another one of Bob's W8SU QSL designs.
This card was around 2010.

From my Coast Guard Days 1958-1967 - our icebreaker AGB-2 Cutter Edisto, home ported out of Boston.
We used CW and eventually progress came along and the circuits changed to RTTY, it was time to say Goodbye and look for other circuits to work!
One would think this was a floating hotel, not so - the slightest amount of chop would make the old girl dance.
Her 5 inch gun finally would not elevate or turn, it was removed.
Semper Paratus out there to the old crew! W8SU

Bob W8SU, Pat KK8W, and Mike W8MTC made a trip in 1991 to Canonsburg, PA to visit the remains of the site of Mr. DX, Frank Lucas W3CRA.

Bob in front of the shack of W3CRA.

Young Bob
Year unknown!

W8SU visiting the shack of K8CX in 2009.

W8SU, K8CX, W8SHR at the Boat Anchor Hamfest near Cleveland, Ohio in 2010.

K2UTS, K8CX, KK8W, W8SU at the shack of K8CX in 2012.

W8SU in his hamshack 2012.

W8SU, K8MFO.
A visit to Don K8MFO in 2014.

W8SU, K8CX.
A visit to Don K8MFO in 2014.

Tribute comments by KK8W, K8CX, K8MFO, K2UTS, K3LR, W8JYZ
Photos by W8SU, K8CX