Ric Janssen became a silent key on Friday, April 14, 2000, after a long illness
with kidney disease. He was 59 years old and had resided in Bucks County for over 30 years.
Ric was an active member of the Warminster Amateur Radio Club who liked to help in providing communications for
community service activities. He had a special interest for the annual Middletown Grange Fair, where he introduced
visitors- young and old- to the amateur radio hobby. Although he didn’t consider himself a “contester”, Ric enjoyed
working the January VHF event- often as a “mobile” from the top of the highest hill in his development, and once
from his hospital room when he was undergoing kidney dialysis treatment. He had a passion for designing and building
homebrew antennas. Despite his failing health, he attended most of the club’s general meetings, including the April
meeting the week before he passed away. He was also active in the Bucks County RACES, and was a former member of
The Mt. Airy VHF Club (Packrats), where his Elmer was Dick Huntzinger, W3FQD. Ric was originally licensed as a
Novice with the call WA3UDS.
As a teenager living in New Jersey, he raised puppies for The Seeing Eye of Moorestown, NJ. As his sons grew up,
he shared this interest with them. Ric and his family continued his childhood commitment to the guide dog program
through the Bucks County 4-H Seeing Eye Puppy-Raising Club, where they raised and sat for some 90 puppies. He encouraged
WARC club members to attend the Seeing Eye Puppy demonstration held at the Middletown Grange Fair.
Ric received a B.S. in Pharmacy from the Ferris Institute in Michigan, and earned an M.S. in Analytical Chemistry
from the Department of Pharmaceutical Science at Rutgers University. He also received a Ph.D. from Rutgers, where
he was the recipient of the E. Mead Johnson Memorial Fellowship from the American Foundation for Pharmaceutical
Education. Since 1987, Ric was employed at Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceutical Company, New Brunswick, N.J. in
Analytical Research and Development, where he gathered and reviewed data to support the filing of new drug applications
with the Food and Drug Administration for approval in bringing new medications to market.
Ric is survived by his wife Patricia (N3JBS) and two sons, William (N3HGU) and Jonathan (N3HKS). They have invited
those in the amateur radio community who knew Ric to attend a “Celebration
of Life” for Ric on Thursday, June 22, 2000 –
from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm- at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Street and Churchville Roads, Southampton, Pa. There will be a brief service in the Sanctuary followed by refreshments in the Fellowship
Hall. Please RSVP by June 19 through George Brechmann, N3HBT, by e-mail at n3hbt@juno.com or telephone at (215)
443-5656.
Contributions in Ric’s memory may be made to the Polycystic Kidney Research Foundation (www.pkdcure.org) at 4901 Main Street, Suite 200,
Kansas City, MO 64112-2634