Henry 19DX348 passed me the most heart wrenching news today. Johan Papa X-ray (19PX) has passed away. A pioneer on U.K. FM since the early 1980s his silky smooth speech and love of CB was incredible. He used the UK FM and had thousands of hours of DX recorded. Myself since 1982 I remember his words which still I can hear in my mind “UK This is Papa X-ray Holland listening”

The news directly I heard from Henry below:

Sadly, last Friday….

My (our) friend Johan 19PX001 has passed away.

Although we already were aware of his unbeatable illness, the last weeks it looked like there was improvement and we still had plans to update his station…His illness wouldn’t allow more time and the efforts and hope won’t come true.

 From a selfish personal perspective I consider him my teacher through the years.

Obvious he was much more than that.

Every day he was active, his heart went out to the Sporadic E seasons on CB, if anything other it must have been his love for the (pirate) music stations on the Shortwave.

When he spoke about his contacts you could see the passion in his eyes.

 He was so grateful for all the QSO’s , all the QSL cards, all those who allowed him to stay at their homes while he visited his “radio friends” all across Europa.

 The last period he stayed at a nursering home, but not once did we spoke about anything else…then radio..

His mind lived for it, and from his bed he still was able to be a active.

Propagation was terrible, but the stories were great !

There just are too many stories to tell and I realise many would have one about him.

 Johan perhaps wasn’t a “big gun”….but he was a big personality and from that perspective:

The community has lost perhaps the biggest station of all, a beacon a anchor for many…

I can’t express the respect or gratitude….Thank you Johan..for all..

No more…”this is Papa X-ray calling”…..

Turning the radio on will never be the same….we will miss you.

Henry 19DX348

It’s with incredible sadness I write this, Johan shared tapes with me of QSO he’d made across the years and we spoke from Ruegen and I remember how he was shocked that the little kid I was back in those days remembered his voice and the conversations we’d had.

Saddest news! Johan was my first QSO to Holland running FM when it became legal and no matter a kid bugging him for a QSL card he was great, sent the card, post cards, cassettes of the audio and contact. I just truly can’t believe it! I’ve hot on video a QSO we made when I was on Ruegen island some years back.. Just top class, top quality operator on air!

19PX Your going to be missed. Legends like you’d don’t come along that often..

Sleep tight Johan…

Thank you so much Henry for the photos

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