We will remember John as a radio amateur in heart and soul. He was also a special man. It is an incredibly difficult task to put the merits of this man down on paper in a few lines. The various contributions in CQ-QSO on antennas and the various books on Low-band DX-ing will stay with us. It goes without saying that John enjoyed great fame beyond our borders. We are grateful for his contribution to radio amateurism and for his efforts within the UBA. In gratitude for all his work, he was appointed Honorary President of the UBA in 2009.

Within our association John ON4UN was very active. Between 1963 and 1965 he was active as Traffic Manager. John ON4UN was a member of the HF Committee from 1983 to 2016. In 1994 he became Provincial President of East Flanders. Two years later he joined the national board of the UBA. From 1998 to 2007 he became chairman of the UBA. He was at the basis of many reforms within the UBA. After a long career within the UBA, he retired in 2016. However, he was always prepared for good advice. A lot of what we take for granted today would never have been achieved without the help of John ON4UN.

These difficult times do not allow us to attend the funeral service. Marleen Devoldere, John’s daughter, informed us that she is planning a digital farewell ceremony on Saturday 21 November. She will keep us informed about the practical matters. If you would like to send a message, please email ON4UN [dot] SK [at] gmail [dot] com — John’s old email account is no longer in use. You can also pay John a visit to QRZ.com where he always kept his CV.

Here is the text drafted by Marleen, his daughter.

On behalf of UBA, we offer our sincere condolences to his family and friends.

Claude – ON7TK
President of the UBA