The greater Rochester Amateur Radio Community lost a legend this month with the passing of twice RaRa President Edwin J. Holdsworth, N2EH.  Ed's contribution to RaRa was broad in coverage and encompassed some 35 years of tireless effort on behalf of the membership.  He was a product of what would become one of his proudest contributions, that of Director of RaRa's Licensing classes.  Ed graduated from the 1969 RaRa license course, then headed by someone who would become a life long friend, Robert Lauzon, K2RL.  Now, as WN2EKR, he started what would become a trade mark in his amateur career.  He thought if you got something, give something back.  And he did.  The very next year he became the assistant Licensing Course Director and promply improved the cadré of instructors, moved the classes to Westfall Road, and answered the emerging changes in FCC licensing Requirements.

In 1970 he was elected to the RaRa Board of Directors, a position he would hold for the next 33 years!  In 1972 he was elected President of RaRa.  Also in 1972, there was a large storm in Western New York called Huricane Agnes that resulted in major flooding in the Southern Tier.  Answering the call for help for amateur communicators, Ed immediately formed a team of volunteers who left for the stricken area to render assistance where needed.  That, then, became the second phase of Ed's life long contribution to the community; public service and emergency communications.

One of the first tests would be when Ed took on the task of providing communications for automobile road rallies.  The culmination of which was the huge task of pulling together communications for the STPR Rally in Wellsboro, PA.  Early on Ed realized the need for a dedicated RaRa Club station that would also serve as a focus point for emergency training of operators for RACES and ARES.

Through his hard work and dedication he assembled a team of similar visionaries who brought to life the first K2JD club station at 350 E. Henrietta Road, the old Iola site.  The station was dedicated in April, 1978.  Recognized for his initiative and can-do attutude, Ed Holdsworth was appointed Emergency Coordinator for Monroe County RACES and thus began phase three of his life long dedication to RaRa.  In December of 1981, Ed and his team led the move of K2JD, now club station and official NCS station for RACES and ARES, to the new Monroe County Emergency Operations Center at 111 Westfall Road.

You would think this would be enough dedication to RaRa, but no, let's look at other work going on simultaneously to the public service/emergency leadership.  In the early 1980's Ed organized a wonderful team of workers, still going today, who took joy in calling themselves Holdsworth's Coolies. It was this group who arrived early at the Dome Arena, facing a huge and very empty building, and converted it into the wonderful Rochester Hamfest site that we have all enjoyed so much over the years.  And let us not forget the wonderful RaRa camping trips that Ed organized and enjoyed so much, especially because he could involve his wonderful family, his ever tolerant and loving wife, Joyce, and his children of which he did proudly brag about at any opportunity.  This writer fondly remembers lugging big machines and seemingly tons of supplies to area hamfests where Ed would lead the K2JD Engraving Team.  This variation on the Coolies theme volunteered their time, paid their way and made lots of plastic dust while grinding callsign badges with profits going to RaRa.

Along the way Ed was also appointed as Assistant Section Manager for the ARRL Western NY Section.  Seeing the need during a difficult time in RaRa's history, in 1982, Ed accepted the nomination for President for the second time.  The last official task for Ed, on behalf of RaRa and OEP, was the 2002/2003 move of the OEP from 111 Westfall Road to the current location on Scottsville Road.

It is regrettable that the advancing years were not kind to Ed.  Nobody, even those who knew him well, were fully aware of how debilitating his awful illness was and how it affected his decision-making process.  Ed finally had to relinquish all of his duties and retire to his much loved, hand built home in Honeoye Falls.  It is a credit to Ed, and to RaRa, that he left an organization capable of continuing his work and his spirit.  Edwin J. Holdsworth, N2EH, may you rest in peace.

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