W6SZ PA0ZN Rein Smit

On June 4, 2024, Rein Smit, W6SZ / PA0ZN, passed away comfortably at home in the presence of his wife of 58 years, Ria, and his daughter.

Rein, originally from The Netherlands, became interested in everything radio-related as a young boy. He built a crystal radio from a set his father purchased for him after WWII and he was off to the races. Professionally he was an electrical engineer who traveled the world as the field rep / service tech working in gas chromatography / time-of-flight instrumentation.

Back at home, he had a radio room, built antennas and was obsessed with moon-bounce. The neighbors were initially suspicious of his huge home-made antenna that ended up being destroyed by an unusually fierce Santa Ana wind. Over the years, Rein built more antennas and kept up with computer technology, web design, Linux and Arduino.

With grandchildren and a wide range of interests he had much to keep him busy and his mind active. He was constantly designing, engineering, planning, dreaming. One of his dreams was to make it to Arecibo, but unfortunately, that never happened. In December 2023, he finally bought the radio (IC-9700) of his dreams and had begun setting it up. Doug Millar, K6JEY, and wife Helen, KI6LQV, hosted him for the day and Doug showed him his set-up they anticipated the next Owens Valley meeting and in May 2024, Brian Thorson, AF6NA, came over for lunch and reminisced.

For Rein life really was too short, at the age of 89 he still had so much to do. The friends he made and the people he met through his technical hobbies fulfilled him completely.

His generosity in hosting the 432MHz and above Newsletter for the EME community for many years is so much appreciated as is the help provided by his daughter, Agnes Smit Morales, as it became too much for him to handle.

Thank you, Rein, may you rest in peace.