[BC] Hilmer Swanson has passed away

[Dan Dickey]

This one is hard for many of us.  Hilmer was my mentor right after I
graduated from engineering school.  As I look back now I cannot believe the
good fortune it was to work for him every day for several years.  Many
watched him work and were awed by his continuous output of cutting edge
ideas and designs year after year.  At the time it seemed daunting to try to
live up to the standard that he set for other engineers until I finally
realized that the task was beyond me.  His influence on radio technology and
business would be difficult to overestimate.  In my humble view Hilmer's
contributions to radio are on a par with the likes of Armstrong but then I'm
probably biased because I worked with and for Hilmer.

Hilmer had a really interesting sense of humor.  He did not suffer fools
easily.  He worked on those things that interested him most.  He had a life
outside of engineering on his farm.  He had a wonderful family.  All in all
he enjoyed an exceptional and gifted life that would have been easy to envy.
Radio is operating with less power and we must wonder whether the huge void
left can ever really be filled.

Dan Dickey
V.P. Engineering, Continental Electronics Corp.