02/12/2025

Bob Naumann, W5OV, passed away at his home in Texas on February 10, 2025.
Naumann was a mentor to many in the Amateur Radio Service, and well known in
the ham radio contesting and DX community. He served on the headquarters staff
of ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio as Director of Operations
from 2021 to 2024. He was an ARRL Life Member and a member of the ARRL Diamond
Club.

ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Minster, NA2AA, has known Naumann for
decades. "Bob was a very passionate supporter of amateur radio, and especially
ARRL. He said on many occasions that working at HQ was a dream come true,"
wrote Minster in a message to ARRL staff.

In his writings, Naumann recounted that he earned his Amateur Radio License as
a teenager in 1973 as WN2OVE, but his fascination and exploration with radio
began even earlier. "Those GE walkie talkies I received as a Christmas gift
from my parents when I was about 9 years old, was what really lured me in. I
was fascinated about how one could communicate through the air using these
simple, 9-volt battery powered devices," he wrote.

Naumann had many friends around the world through amateur radio. He achieved
ARRL DXCC Honor Roll, and was a long-serving member of the CQ World Wide DX
Contest Committee. He operated from several Caribbean islands, including
Antigua, where he held the call sign V26O and previously V26RN; and Bonaire,
where he operated as PJ4/W5OV. In the United States, he noted on his QRZ
profile that he has operated from the Smithsonian Institution station, NN3SI;
the United Nations Headquarters station, 4U1UN, and the station aboard the
Queen Mary, W6RO. Naumann enjoyed trips to the HAM RADIO exposition in
Friedrichshafen, Germany.

Throughout his professional career, he worked for Electronic Data Systems
(EDS), Citigroup Financial, and held positions in the amateur radio industry.

Outpourings of support and remembrance for Naumann have been seen on social
media pages, ham club e-mail reflectors, and online message boards. "Bob was
only 66 years old and has left us far too early in life," continued the message
from Minster.

Information about services or other remembrances for Naumann will be added to
this story.

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