It is with much sadness that we record the passing of yet another longstanding member of our amateur community.    Jim Donaldson (ex VK6KGB) took a final break from his battle with cancer and went QRT for the last time on the 14th of December 2000.

I first met Jim more than 30 years ago when we worked together as technicians at the PMG Radio Depot in Osborne Park. Jim had  high technical knowledge and abilities and I can proudly say that 
I learned much from him.   Not just in the technical sense but in many aspects of life. 

Although Jim had piloted a wheelchair all his life, he never let it be a handicap and was always there to help anyone in need.  Jim had a wicked dry sense of humour and was a true master of the quick and witty response.

Jim then held the callsign VK6ZKP, which he said was apt because his wife Bobbie always had him on kitchen duties (KP).  When the Novice licence was created Jim overcame difficulties presented by his childhood association with polio and passed the 5wpm morse exams.   Naturally he looked for another meaningful callsign suffix, so he became the first holder of VK6NBG.   He laughed that he had always been NBG, so now he had a piece of paper to prove it:
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When the Combined licence came into being Jim saw a chance for another iinteresting suffix and so traded "ZKP" and "NBG" for  "KGB".    While Jim's disability restricted his ability to tackle the 10wpm test, he always had his sights set on a full call and had already picked out another interesting
callsign, VK6VD. He always joked that it was his ambition to "get VD by Christmas". 

At one time friends suggested an approach to the authorities regarding a special disabled persons morse test, but Jim strongly rejected the idea saying that he would either pass by attending the same test as everyone else or not pass at all.   Such was the strength of character of this man. 

Jim's career moved into the digital field and he worked in that area until he and Telstra eventually parted.   This gave him the chance to focus on another area of interest, the environment.   A degree in environmental science opened new horizons for Jim, but he still maintained his active interest in
computing, electronics and radio. 

Jim's battle with cancer meant that many of his activities were limited and amateur radio eventually fell by the wayside.   Recently he said that he was keen to reactivate "KGB", especially now that it gave him full call privileges.   As usual he still joked about his old "VD by Christmas" line.
Unfortunately, this time Jim wasn't even able to have "KGB by Christmas".

When we first met I was very active working JA's on 15 Metres, so I parted with the automatic comment "Sayonara Jim".    Jim's humour showed when he iinstantly responded, with a very large and emphasised sigh, "Oh Nara!!".

This became Jim's trademark parting comment, so I close with these words from the heart -