By Mike Cizek, WØVTT

Alfred A. “Fred” Laun III was a true giant in the Amateur Radio world and we all suffered a great loss at his passing. Even though I had known Fred for over 30 years, I feel woefully inadequate to write a tribute to a man whom I held in such high regard. Rather than trying to tell his story myself, I will point the reader to an interview where Fred tells his story in his own words, a few interesting tributes by others, then include a few of my favorite memories.

Fred tells his own story in a 2015 interview in the National Contest Journal by fellow FOC member K1AR. While the article focuses primarily on contesting, Fred tells how he got his start in Amateur Radio and how it influenced his career choice. The article is available online here: https://ncjweb.com/features/sepoct15feat.pdf.

The K8CX Hamgallery has a nice tribute to Fred that includes some pictures, his old QSL cards, and links to other stories by and about him: http://hamgallery.com/Tribute/K3ZO/.

Fred had a real love for Thailand, for his Thai wife Somporn, and for Amateur Radio in Thailand. An interesting tribute by Champ, E21EIC focuses on Fred’s considerable contributions to Amateur Radio in Thailand. Part I is at: https://www.fbnews.jp/202303/w_reportfromthailand/ and Part II is at: https://www.fbnews.jp/202304/w_reportfromthailand/ .

I first met Fred in 1989 or 1990 when going to do some work on his antennas with W3GRF. As we pulled up, I was looking at the largest ham radio antennas I had ever seen, all crammed into a suburban back yard. It took me quite some time to get over the shock of seeing a 3 element 80 meter beam on top of a 140 foot tower. The station inside was spartan, with no frills at all. A Kenwood TS-830s, an amplifier, a BIG coax switch, and a paper log book. That was it. A table on the other side of the room held a few spare radios and amplifiers. Fred was on the air so much that he literally wore out the VFO tuning mechanism on one of his TS-830s; the gear train fell apart spilling pieces on the desk.

Fred used to hold a big open house twice a year: the PVRC (contest club) “Fowl Fest” in the summer, and an FOC gathering on the day after the North American Dinner in May. My first introduction to FOC fellowship was at one of those Sunday morning gatherings in Fred’s back yard, years before I became an FOC member. Fred would be parked in a lawn chair under a tree where he would “hold court”, with a continuous group of folks listening while he told stories.

Fred had a real passion for QSL cards. I remember seeing his QSL file; it looked like the old card catalogue at a major university library. The old wooden file cabinets filled an entire wall in a spare bedroom. In later years, he took over management of the entire ARRL W3 Incoming QSL Bureau.

I thought I was a late bloomer, not getting married until age 32, but Fred had me beat by about 20 years. It took until he was in his 50’s before he met the right girl. He and Somporn met while Fred was stationed in Thailand and they were married for nearly 25 years when Somporn passed away from a serious illness. Fred often remarked how much he missed her in his later years. A reminder to us all that there is more to life than ham radio.

Fred truly was larger than life; both on the air and in person. His passing leaves a void that can never be filled.