Spokane DX Association

DAN IN THE EARLY DAYS

AT THE BASE OF HIS MONSTER TOWER

DAN AT HIS 80TH BIRTHDAY PARTY IN OCTOBER, 2005

Dan was one of the original founders of the SDXA. During the many years in the SDXA, he presented us with programs on antennas, his favorite subject. He had the tallest amateur radio tower in the county and was a member of the Number One DXCC Honor Roll CLub where he communicated with every country in the world. He attended the 2017 Awards Banquet with his son Mike so we got to see him then. He was a great contributor to the organization and he will be missed.

His Obituary in the May 6 Spokesman Review:

A moment of silence, known as “the silent key” was heard by the amateur radio community on April 27, 2018. Daniel Hearn, N5AR, an amateur radio operator for over 75 years, passed away in his home, surrounded by his loving family. Dan was baptized and accepted Our Lord as his savior shortly before his passing. Dan was born on October 15, 1925 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He worked alongside his father, a small business owner, where a strong work ethic was established from a young age.

He was only sixteen when his love for HAM radio was found. His incredibly patient mother offered up her pantry as a “HAM shack” and would check with Dan before hanging clothes out on the clothesline to ensure it wasn’t “live” with electricity. Dan was on the air on December 7, 1941 and heard the announcement that amateur bands were closing and the United States was at war.

After high school, Dan started college at Oklahoma State University, but it wasn’t long before he was drafted into the Army and accepted into a pilot training program. Right away, he ended up in the flight line radio shack where his aptitude for electronics was quickly identified, and his skills were put to good use servicing airplanes. Before he was trained for flight, the war ended and Dan quickly jumped back into his pursuit of higher education and earned his undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering, followed later by a Master’s Degree in Antenna Theory and Design, both from OSU. Dan had a rewarding career as a Down Hole Analytical Oil Production Engineer. There are 22 patents held to his name.

Dan loved passing his knowledge on to others and was a mentor to many, especially in the amateur radio and DXing field. He co-founded the Spokane DX Association (SDXA) and took great effort to train others in disaster radio communication. Dan is preceded in death by his parents, Dempse and Irene, and his loving wife and golf partner, Virginia. He is survived by his son, Mike (Barbara) Hearn; daughter, Susan (Dirk) Paseman; sister, Dana Davis; brother, Jim (Geneva) Hearn; grandchildren: Carley (Matt) Sanchez, Luke (Catherine) Paseman, Silas Hearn, Nancy Hearn, Cody Paseman, and many nieces, nephews and great-grandchildren.