Tribute to John S. Comella

Tribute to John S. Comella W8QXQ / N8AA
Sept. 5, 1939 - Sept. 16, 2025

N8AA, John S. Comella, passed away September 16 at the age of 86. He was at home, after a brief illness. John was born in Cleveland, Ohio September 5, 1939. He got a business degree from the University of Dayton in 1961 and joined the US Navy that year. He was an officer aboard the USS Tulare and then the USS Rupertus. He retired from the Navy in 1965 and then went to law school, becoming a government attorney for 20 years. He started into amateur radio at the age of 14 when he built his own radio in his parents' basement. An early callsign of his was W8QXQ. He went on a DXpedition to the Cayman Islands in 1977, and St. Paul Island in 2016 (See photo below).

John was a good natured guy. He was always glad to see you and had a smile on his face. He was a very good contester and DXer. John was a member of our contest club, North Coast Contesters. He was a contester at super station K8AZ. He also contested at super station K3LR. He also turned in big scores from home. It was always great to see him at our meetings. John had many friends and will be missed. RIP my friend!
Tom K8CX

John helped me advise my CW Academy Intermediate classes for the last few years. Our students affectionately nicknamed him Ohio John (to distinguish him from me, just plain John). He cared for our students and they reciprocated his feelings. He was a quiet guy, but when he spoke, what came out was solid gold.
I will miss him very much but count myself lucky to have shared his orbit for the last few years.
RIP, my friend.
73 de John AJ1DM

I'm not privy to John's final days, but he was active on the radio until pretty close to the end. He had 400 QSOs in the 2025 Ohio QSO Party on August 23.
My first eyeball QSO with John was a memorable one. It was at the Federal Building in downtown Cleveland, where we were taking our amateur extra class exams in September 1967.
73 - Jim K8MR

John was just an awesome human being and friend. He will be missed. RIP.
Scott N3RA

Sorry to hear this bad news. I knew John for a long time from my days in Ohio. I always saw him at the annual K8MR Mad River Radio Club New Years party when Jim still lived in Ohio. It was always a nice treat to work John in CW contests. Last time I saw him was probably 10 years ago during a trip to Ohio, when I went over to his station in Oxford, Ohio for lunch and a station tour. He lived in Euclid, OH for many years. Later he move to the Cincinnati area, I think when he was retired - first Oxford,OH and then Fairfield, OH. which was his current station.
An interesting fact is both of us attended Euclid High School in the Cleveland area. He was there many years before I was. Ron, K8NZ is also an alumni of that high school. We had a nice club station - WA8ZGE - that I was a member of during my time there. I had permission to go to the radio room, instead of study hall when I was in high school which was cool. I looked on QRZ.com and appears the station is no longer there. RIP OM.
Jeff KU8E

Taken from John's QRZ.com page.

I was first licensed in 1954 as WN8QXQ, then W8QXQ. N8AA in January, 1977.
I enjoy contesting and DXing.

Awarded 5BWAS (#122) and 5BDXCC (#191) in July 1972 and currently hold Top of the Honor Roll. All earned while living on a small lot in Euclid, Ohio a Cleveland suburb on Lake Erie. Antennas were a tri-band Yagi and an inverted Vee. And for several years I shunt fed the 60' Universal tower for 160 and 80 meters. Also earned 9BDXCC and 6BWAS at this QTH. Missing zone 23 on 80 meters for 5BWAZ (all CW).

The Euclid, Ohio QTH, 1965 - 2005:

Moved to southwest Ohio (about 5 miles east of Oxford, Ohio) and had a wonderful radio QTH and antenna farm, 2008-2015:

Then back to the city QTH - Fairfield, Ohio 2015 to present.
Antenna is a 43' vertical with 60 radials (52X40' and 8X80') and a remote tuner located at base of vertical. Sometimes a Hex beam at 20' during the winter months.