John F Fleming (K8UP)

July 8th 1943 – June 27th 2011

John F. Fleming, K8UP (ex WN8UYM, WA8UYM), of Oak Park, Michigan Age 67, of Oak Park, died June 27, 2011. An Electrical Engineer He got his start in broadcasting in 1963 at WAKR-TV in Akron, Ohio. Throughout his career he worked at WKYC-TV and WJW-TV in Cleveland, Ohio and WEYI-TV in Clio, Michigan. In 1974, he joined the staff of the then ABC-owned WXYZ-TV. John continued working there after Scripps Howard purchased the station in 1986. His experience in land mobile radio includes: two-way radio technician for the City of Akron, Ohio; owner and President of Akron Telecom, Inc.; and Service Representative for Motorola Communications and Electronics, Inc. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Lawrence Technological University where he graduated Cum Laude in 1990. While at Lawrence, he was inducted into Tau Beta Pi, the National Engineering Honor Society, and Eta Kappa Nu, the National Electrical Engineering Honor Society. John Fleming is an Engineer in Training in the state of Michigan. He holds an FCC first-class radiotelephone operator’s license with a ship radar endorsement and an extra class amateur radio license – call sign WA8UYM. He is active in the Detroit Section of the SMPTE, IEEE, Engineering Society of Detroit (ESD), and the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE). He’s active in amateur radio and belongs to the ARRL member of the Southfield Emergency Management Group, the Society of Motion Picture Television Engineers, the Israeli Stamp Society and the Detroit Theater Organ Society. As a Ham Radio Operator, he was active with The American Radio Relay League, the Hazel Park Radio Club, the Southeast Michigan DX Association and the Mad River Radio Club was a member of the Southeast Michigan DX Association (SEMDXA), the Mad River Radio Club, the Hazel Park Radio Club and the ARRL. He also gave back to the hobby as “an ARRL Technical Specialist for the Michigan Section, an ARRL mentor for the EMCOMM classes, and is active in teaching amateur radio at the local level”. John was both an active contester and DXer with 212 confirmed in the ARRL DXCC standings. (Used with permission of the Daily DX) Professional Background

John Loved Music. He was a season ticket holder to the Detroit Orchestra and was a collector of Jazz Music. He also played the Organ, Piano, Upright Bass, Baritone Horn, and the Guitar. In the photo above he was at Thanksgiving Dinner at my aunt Susan’s home he was showing Aliyah the piano.

John and I went to hamvention from 2001 to 2010. It was great to meet DX and hang around with him. Here in this photo he is with some German Amateur radio Operators. John had worked DLD 100 and he loved meeting Germans. One of his best friends was Kurt Schmeiser a ham radio operator from Germany.