In Memoriam

This page is dedicated to SCTE members who recently have passed away in memory of their devotion and contributions to both the Society and the industry as a whole. If you know of any SCTE members who recently have passed away and should be listed on this page, please send the information to Joe Madagan, Manager, Publications, Marketing & Business Development at jmadagan@scte.org

Mr. Glenn R. Jones

SCTE mourns the loss of Mr. Glenn R. Jones, who passed away on Tuesday, July 7, 2015, at age 85. Mr. Jones was one of the most prominent entrepreneurs and pioneers in the cable industry, having entered the industry in 1961. One of his more notable achievements was his establishment of his cable operations company, Jones Intercable, which he developed into one of the 10 largest cable operators in the United States. Comcast bought the company in 1999. Mr. Jones also founded what would become the first online university to receive accreditation, Jones International University. Additionally, Mr. Jones’s keen interest in technology and education prompted his purchase of NCTI in 2005. Jones/NCTI, in Centennial, Colo., is a cable training organization. “Glenn Jones was a man of vigor and business acumen who saw the social value that our industry could create and shared SCTE’s passion for education and distance learning,” said SCTE President and CEO Mark Dzuban. “His relentless pursuit of growth and innovation played a central role in accelerating cable’s growth curve during his five decades in the industry.” Author of several editions of the outstanding resource Jones Dictionary of Cable Television Terminology, Mr. Jones was inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame in 2005.

Credits: The Denver Post was a source for this memorial piece.

Mr. Ralph Roberts: 1920–2015

SCTE mourns the loss of Mr. Ralph Roberts, Comcast founder and chairman emeritus, who died Thursday, June 18, 2015, of natural causes in Philadelphia at the age of 95. Upon his death, Comcast stated, “During his more than five decades at Comcast, Ralph became one of the most well-regarded executives in America. He was widely respected and admired for his visionary leadership and spirit, his passion for the business, and his deep sense of integrity and courtesy. Ralph was a born entrepreneur, a visionary businessman, a philanthropist, and a wonderful human being. Ralph built Comcast into one of America’s greatest companies, and his vision and spirit have been at the heart of Comcast and our culture for 50 years. He will be truly missed. Ralph’s greatest love was his family, and our deepest sympathies go to his wife, Suzanne, and the entire Roberts family.” Among his myriad, distinguished contributions to society, Roberts was committed to the fight against cancer and, in 2006, along with his wife, Suzanne, and his family, helped establish the Roberts Proton Therapy Center at Penn Medicine. In tribute to Mr. Roberts, SCTE President and CEO Mark Dzuban said, “Ralph Roberts had the foresight to recognize the potential of cable and the work ethic to bring his vision to life, but what truly set him apart were his integrity, his gentlemanly manner, and the value he placed on giving back to the industry and the community. All of us are better off for having had Ralph in our midst. Our hearts are with those he loved so much: his family, his friends, and, of course, his Comcast ‘family.’”

Mr. Mike Richardson

SCTE mourns the loss of Mr. Mike Richardson, who passed away on Tuesday, June 30, 2015. Mr. Richardson, of Greenfield, Ind., and formerly with JDSU, was vice president of Solutions 5 Technologies. He died just two days before what would have been his 25th anniversary as an SCTE member, having joined the Society on July 2, 1990. Mr. Richardson was a member of the SCTE Badger State Chapter, was active with SCTE Cable-Tec Games, and had attended SCTE Chapter Leadership Conference (CLC) 2015 in April in St. Louis.

Mr. Wendell D. Woody: 1934–2015

SCTE mourns the loss of Mr. Wendell D. Woody, of Kansas City, Mo., a 49-year veteran of the cable industry. He passed away on April 8, 2015, at age 80. Mr. Woody, an SCTE member since 1986, was inducted into the SCTE Hall of Fame in 2001. He was SCTE Member of the Year in 1994, the same year he was inducted into the Cable TV Pioneers. An 11-year member of the SCTE Board of Directors, Mr. Woody served as the board’s chairman from 1990 to 1992. He co-founded the SCTE Heart of America Chapter. Additionally, Mr. Woody served on the SCTE Engineering Committee and as chairman of the SCTE Nominations Committee. He was a member of the distinguished SCTE Circle of Eagles. Mr. Woody held sales, management, and consulting positions with Jerrold Electronics, Catel, Antec, Sprint North Supply, and Monroe Electronics. He finished his career operating his consulting business, Wendell D. Woody & Associates. “All I can think about when I think of Wendell is how many people he helped in his career. It appears to me that his entire goal in life was to help people and make sure that they received the recognition they deserved. I know he helped me more than I can say, and I am forever grateful to Wendell,” said Rick Sullivan, a fellow SCTE Hall of Fame inductee.

Mr. Kevin A. Moore

SCTE mourns the sudden loss of Mr. Kevin A. Moore, who died as the result of an accident in early November 2014 in Colorado. An SCTE member since 2006, Mr. Moore held the title of senior director, engineering with Charter Communications in Riverside, Calif. During his time as an SCTE member, he was a registrant for several SCTE Cable-Tec Expo^® events as well as the 2008 SCTE Conference on Emerging Technologies^® (ET), which was conducted in Los Angeles.

Mr. Kenneth S. Gunter

SCTE mourns the midsummer 2014 loss of longtime member Mr. Kenneth S. Gunter. Mr. Gunter, who was an SCTE member from 1971 to 1997, and Ralph Haimowitz shared SCTE Member of the Year honors in 1979. Mr. Gunter was CEO of MT Associates in San Angelo, Texas, and a ham radio enthusiast.

Mr. Wayne Sudberry

SCTE mourns the loss of longtime member Mr. Wayne Sudberry, who passed away suddenly on Thursday, July 10, 2014. Mr. Sudberry was a system support engineer III with Cox Communications, his employer for more than 32 years, and resided in Fort Smith, Ark. He was an SCTE member since 1986, when he became and remained involved with the SCTE Ozark Mountain Chapter. The chapter’s president, Brandon Andrews, also of Cox Communications, said Mr. Sudberry’s commitment and service were “an integral part of our Cox community and how we’ve served our customers.”

Mr. Barry Kerr

SCTE mourns the loss of Mr. Barry Kerr, who passed away on March 23, 2014, after having been diagnosed with liver cancer a couple of months earlier. Mr. Kerr was vice president, technology with Advanced Cable Communications in Coral Springs, Fla. Mr. Kerr had been employed previously with Atlantic Broadband and was an SCTE member since 2005.

Mr. Daniel J. Warner

SCTE mourns the loss of Mr. Daniel J. Warner, who died at age 53 on Feb. 12, 2014, two days after suffering a stroke. Mr. Warner, who lived in Round Rock, Texas, was an SCTE member since 1996 and was a former treasurer of the SCTE Hill Country Chapter. He was senior director of network operations for Time Warner Cable in Austin, Texas. His employment with Time Warner Cable had started with the role of plant manager in Woodstock, Ga., in 1997. Mr. Warner had begun his career as an installer with American Cable in Indianapolis.

Mr. Archer S. Taylor

SCTE mourns the loss of Mr. Archer S. Taylor, who was born in 1916 and died on Nov. 22, 2013. Mr. Taylor, of Fairfax, Va., was a member of SCTE from 1975 to 2010, was honored as an SCTE Fellow Member, and was a member of the esteemed SCTE Circle of Eagles. Mr. Taylor’s vast impact on the cable industry included his work as an industry pioneer, electrical engineer, entrepreneur, author of two books, and prominent consultant. “He was a wonderful gentleman, someone whom everyone admired. I am glad to have called him my friend, and if you’re reading this and never met him, just know that you are richer in your career as a result of him and many like him,” wrote SCTE Hall of Fame member Tom Gorman.

Mr. Fred Hirt

SCTE mourns the loss of Mr. Fred Hirt, who passed away Feb. 12, 2014, at age 56. Mr. Hirt was a principal engineer at Cisco Systems in the Greater Chicago Area. He was co-chair of SCTE’s Energy Metrics and Benchmark SMS Project and was a strong advocate for the general SCTE mission. “Fred was a passionate supporter of SCTE on all fronts and a very bright engineer,” said SCTE’s Derek DiGiacomo. “Our community has lost an all-around great guy.”

Mr. William Karnes

SCTE mourns the loss of Mr. William (Bill) Karnes, who died Sunday, March 16, 2014, at age 84. He was retired from the cable telecommunications industry and living in Plano, Texas. Mr. Karnes was an SCTE Charter Member and Emeritus Member and enjoyed the unique distinction of being SCTE Member No. 00001. He also owned the distinction of having become the inaugural vice president of SCTE, in 1969, and thereafter the second SCTE president. The venerable Mr. Karnes was inducted into the SCTE Hall of Fame in 1997. It had been Mr. Karnes’s letter to the editor of Cablecasting magazine while as an employee of National Trans-Video that helped to galvanize support that led to SCTE being established in 1969. Mr. Karnes reflected on SCTE’s beginnings in a 2009 video that celebrated SCTE’s 40th anniversary. As a tribute to Mr. Karnes, an excerpt of the video is available at http://youtu.be/DlXUz0rJWjI.

Mr. Terry Cordell

SCTE mourns the loss of Mr. Terry Cordell, who had been retired from Time Warner Cable. He passed away on Dec. 21, 2013. Mr. Cordell was an SCTE member since 1985, and he served as treasurer, secretary, and, most recently, president for the SCTE Desert Chapter, which is based in Hemet, Calif. Mr. Cordell was a Vietnam War veteran and was awarded a Bronze Star. He is buried in Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, Calif.

Mr. Steven Johnson

SCTE mourns the death of Mr. Steven Johnson, who passed away suddenly on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2014. Mr. Johnson was a Technical Trainer II for Cox Communications in Oklahoma. He was treasurer for the SCTE Sooner State Chapter, active on the national level in Cable-Tec Games, and a past member of the SCTE Certification Subcommittee. Mr. Johnson was the 2005 SCTE Chapter Member of the Year, and he was a certified SCTE Broadband Premises Installer (BPI). A military veteran, Mr. Johnson was an SCTE member since 1995. “He was the cornerstone and backbone of the Sooner State Chapter,” said Dane Huston of Omega Broadband.

 

Mr. John Z. Yanick

Mr. John Z. Yanick, an SCTE member since 1975, died Sunday, Aug. 25, 2013, in Branford, Conn. Upon his honorable discharge as a U.S. Air Force sergeant, John went to work in the cable industry for more than 40 years. He worked for Jerrold Electronics as a field engineer, and he created and managed his own successful cable business for many years—United Cable and Maintenance.

Cathy Oakes: 1965–2013

Mr. Karl W. Poirier

Mr. Karl W. Poirier, an SCTE member since 1977 and an SCTE Senior Member, died suddenly on Friday, Aug. 23, 2013. Mr. Poirier is perhaps best remembered for being elected the inaugural Director-At-Large Canada, in SCTE Board of Directors Election 2002. He worked for CableServ at the time. He was quite active as a member of the SCTE Interface Practices Subcommittee (IPS), a component of the ANSI-accredited SCTE Standards Program. An instrumental part of the original SCTE Ontario Chapter in the ’70s, Mr. Poirier initiated re-establishing the Ontario Chapter, becoming one of its founding members.
 

Mr. Roger P. Gibson Jr.

Mr. Roger P. Gibson Jr., BPI, 54, of Barnegat, N.J., died June 15, 2013. An alumnus of the Admiral Farragut Naval Academy and the Hawthorne Caballeros Drum and Bugle Corps, Mr. Gibson worked as director of training and learning development at VM ComSource Corp., Wall, N.J. He was an SCTE member since 2006 and a founding member of SCTE’s award-winning South Jersey Chapter, where he served as president since 2008. Mr. Gibson was a member of SCTE’s BPx Working Group, he was an SCTE Certification proctor, and he was SCTE Broadband Premises Installer (BPI) certified.

Mr. Ron Hansen

SCTE was notified June 7, 2013, of the death of Mr. Ron E. Hansen of Oceanside, Calif. Mr. Hansen, a network engineer, was an SCTE member since 2005 and worked for Cox California. He was a board member of the SCTE San Diego Chapter, where he served as webmaster. Wrote Bob Weaver, the chapter’s president, “Ron Hansen was a strong contributor to the success of the San Diego Chapter as he managed and embraced with vigor the duties as our webmaster over the years. Ron’s attention to detail and tenacity were a perfect match for his assignment on the board, for which he volunteered with great pride and dedication.”

Mr. Brian Paul Blais: 1961–2013

Mr. Brian Paul Blais, 51, of Colchester, Vt., passed away peacefully at his home on May 12, 2013, following a brief and courageous battle with cancer. Mr. Blais worked in the telecommunications industry for many years, beginning his career at Eastern CT Cable Television in New London, Conn. Having moved to several states throughout his life, he shared his talents, passion, and knowledge of the industry with many valued colleagues. Most recently, Mr. Blais was employed by Comcast as the senior director of technical operations in Western New England. He was a longtime supporter of the SCTE New England Chapter, including having served as chapter president.

Mr. Christopher T. Seeber

Mr. Christopher T. Seeber, who was an SCTE member since 1986, passed away unexpectedly on May 13, 2013. Mr. Seeber was a longtime member of the SCTE New England Chapter. He was employed with Norwood Broadband in Norwood, Mass. Prior to working at Norwood, Mr. Seeber worked for Colony Communications in the corporate office in Providence, R.I.

Mr. John P. Weeks Sr.

Mr. John P. Weeks Sr. passed away Thursday, April 18, 2013, at the age of 87. He had started in the fledgling cable television industry in the early 1950s going to work for Jerrold as a field engineer building turnkey systems in the Southeast. He was involved in the industry as well as SCTE from its earliest days until his retirement in the late 1980s. He worked for a number of companies in the industry before founding John Weeks Enterprises in 1974. Mr. Weeks was a true believer in education and training prior to the founding of the Society and was active in several SCTE chapters throughout the Southeast. He is survived by four daughters and a son.

Mr. Robert Garner Jr.: 1933–2012

SCTE mourns the loss of Mr. Robert (Bob) Maxwell Garner Jr., who passed away Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2012, at St. Vincent Hospital in Birmingham, Ala. He was born Aug. 16, 1933, in Columbia, Tenn. In his professional career, Mr. Garner built the first cable system in Hartselle, Ala. He served as sales engineer for Vikoa Cable, sales engineer for Jerrold Electronics, salesman for General Cable, and regional manager for Bailey Cable. Later in his career, Mr. Garner was involved in building and operating more than 21 cable systems including Hartselle, Bessemer, and Gulf Shores, Ala., and Canton, Madison, Richland, Waverly, Bay St. Louis, and Lucedale, Miss. He was instrumental in his sons Bob Garner III and Bill Garner and stepson Ronnie Eades being in the cable industry. Mr. Garner was a member of the Tower Club and the Loyal Order of the 704 and took great pride in having earned his FCC First Class License.

Mr. Joseph S. Gans Sr.: Died July 31, 2012

Longtime SCTE member Mr. Joseph S. Gans Sr., 85, designed and built Hazleton, Pa.’s, cable television system in 1950 while working as an engineer for the local Mountain City Cable TV company. On evenings and weekends, Mr. Gans continued building cable systems of his own in Weatherly and, later, Berwick, Nuremberg, Benton, and other communities. Eventually, Mr. Gans owned and operated cable television system franchises in more than 50 communities in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Michigan, Delaware, and Arizona. For his contributions to the American Cancer Society, Mr. Gans received the organization’s highest award, the Lifetime Excalibur. A graduate of Hazleton High School, Class of 1944, Mr. Gans was drafted during World War II and served with the Army in Europe. “Not only was Joe Sr. a cable system/MSO operator-owner, he was a very knowledgeable engineer in his own right. I consider Joe a legend in the cable industry. We are losing more and more of our industry fathers from our midst,” wrote SCTE stalwart Rex Porter on the SCTE-List.
 

Mark D. Boone: 1957–2012
Mark D. Boone, 54, passed away Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012. He was born Aug. 6, 1957, in Franklin, Ind., to Larry Boone and Carolyn (Boone) Schroeder. He graduated from Shelbyville High School in 1975. He moved to California and worked at Viacom as a risk management supervisor for 20 years. After moving back to Indiana, he was then transferred to Charlotte, N.C., with Time Warner Cable, where he was corporate manager, safety and compliance. Mr. Boone served as a member of the SCTE Safety Awards Subcommittee.

Robert Bilodeau: 1933–2011
Mr. Robert (Bob) Bilodeau died Dec. 22 at his Massachusetts home. Mr. Bilodeau was an SCTE Hall of Fame inductee, an SCTE Charter Member, and an SCTE Emeritus Member. SCTE was started in 1969, and he served as its third president (the position now called chairman of the board), from 1973 to 1979.

Willie Battest Jr 1957-2011

Willie Battest Jr, a resident of Pinellas Park Fl. Passed away Thursday November 10, 2011 at his home. Willie grew up in Gainesville, Fl. as a diehard Gators fan. He served in the US Army from 1975 -1995 and retired in Columbus, Ga. where he hired on in early 1998 with Knology, Inc. In his professional career with Knology in Columbus, Ga., and in Pinellas County, Fla. he was a Maintenance Technician, then promoted to a Service Supervisor, then a Network Supervisor. Willie was a devoted family man. Willie was very dedicated to whatever he was doing  He loved to work. Willie was a member of the Central Florida Chapter of the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers. Willie loved sports, and there was no greater fan of the Florida Gators than Willie. He is survived by his sister, his two daughters, and a son.

David Jones: 1945 – 2011

David Lee Jone, 65, passed away Sunday, January 23, 2011 at his home in Pawhuska. Mr. Jones was born May 23, 1945 in Champaign, Illinois, the son of Delbert Kelsey and Amanda Bernice (Stewart) Jones. On February 21, 1970, he married the former Wanda Sue Malone in Pomona, California. A veteran of the U.S. Air Force, David worked as an applications engineer in technology telecommunications. He was a member of American Legion Post 198 in Pawhuska. In his spare time, he enjoyed sailing, flying ultralight airplanes, riding around on his motorized bicycle and his beloved Corvette. He also supported the SCTE Cable-Tec Games each year averaging 48 games judged. His approach was to grade fair with the hopes that each contestant would learn from the experience and become better technicians. In addition to the cable games, he spoke at many chapter technical training presentations and was a very significant part of establishing and developing the Drop Installation Fundamentals course promoting SCTE certification, membership and participation, and reducing truck rolls for system operators through excellence in training. Surviving are: his wife: Wanda Sue Jones; his daughters: Andre Dixon and Jenny Jones; his son: David Lee Jones, Jr.; a sister: Joyce Knupp; a brother: Delbert Jones; two grandchildren: Abigail Dixon and Rechael Dixon; and other family and friends. David was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Larry Jones.

Stephen Scott Painter: 1951 – 2011

Stephen Scott Painter died June 17, 2011, at Doylestown Hospital in Doylestown, PA. He was born August 17, 1951, in Rushville, Ind., to the late Harvey P. and Ruth (Edmundson) Painter. He was the husband of Marcia J. (McCoy) Painter. They shared 42 years of marriage together. Scott worked as a Principal Engineer for Comcast Eastern Division Business Services, as a Corporate Director of Engineering at Susquehanna Communications, and as a Technical Engineer at Cable TV of York. Scott designed and built the York headend data facility. Scott was certified in Business Management and Engineering courses at York College and the Pennsylvania State University. He was also certified in Novell, Cisco, Motorola Broadband, Cheetah Technologies, Jerrold, and Fiber Optics. Scott was professionally affiliated with the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) as Chairman of the Board and Past President of the Delaware Valley Appalachain Chapter; Past President of the Appalachian Mid-Atlanitc Chapter; and Past member of the Chesapeake Chapter. Scott published articles in Communications Engineering Digest, Communications Technology, Broadband Gear Report, and CT Pipeline. He also had speaking engagements with SCTE and Broadband Cable Association of Pennsylvania. Scott also served as a deacon for almost 20 years. Scott served in many ministries and committees: Van ministry, Men’s ministry, Sound ministry, Greeter, and Royal Ambassadors. Scott was a devoted and loving husband, father, and grandfather. Including his wife, Marcia, Scott is survived by his three daughters, Stephanie L. Lo and husband, Ray of Philadelphia, Jennifer C. Novitsky and husband, Dan of Gainesville, Va., and Danielle L. Musso and son-in-law, Tony Musso of Dallastown; five grandchildren, Nino, Daviana, and Dante Musso, and Janelle and Courtney Novitsky; three siblings, Kerry Painter of New York, Michelle Painter Kehr of Pennsylvania, and John Painter of Washington.

James D. Janis: 1946 – 2011

James D. Janis, “Jim”, a resident of Lexington, SC, died April 26 at the Agape Nursing and Rehab Center in West Columbia, SC. He was born Sept. 28, 1946, in New York, NY, to the late George and Domna Janis of Annapolis. He served as a volunteer firefighter for the Rescue Hose Fire Department in the mid-1960s in Annapolis. In 1968, Jim enlisted in the U.S. Navy and distinguished himself as a member of the honor guard. He served as a Sailor (Airman Group) on the USS John F. Kennedy aircraft carrier with numerous deployments to the Mediterranean until he was honorably discharged in 1972. Returning to Annapolis, he enrolled at the University of Maryland, where he received his B.S. in Education. Jim continued his education by receiving a Master’s degree in Adult Education and Distance Learning from the University of Phoenix. In his professional career, Jim was a Cable Telecommunications Professional with Time Warner Cable, Comcast Cable, and Cablevision Industries. He received his FCC General Radio Telephone Operator License, Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers Certifications, and numerous National Cable Television Institute Certifications. Jim loved music, movies, sports and education. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Patricia. He is survived by his sister, Catherine Teske of Edgewater; and brother, Philip Janis of Columbia.

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