03/11/2025

Gerald E. "Gerry" Murphy, K8YUW, passed away on February 25, 2025. He was 88
years old, and the founder of the Hurricane Watch Net (HWN).ÿ

According to a statement released by current HWN manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV,
Murphy, then 28 years old, was stationed at the U.S. Naval Mobile Construction
Battalion Center in Davisville, Rhode Island, in 1965. During his time off, he
handled countless phone patches and messages to and from military-deployed
personnel as a member of the Intercontinental Amateur Radio Net (IARN) on
14.320 MHz.ÿ

On Labor Day Weekend that year, Hurricane Betsy was moving through the Bahamas,
and many people were asking about this storm. Back then, hurricane forecasting
was still in its infancy and the public didn't have access to 24-hour news and
weather. "There was so much interest in what the storm was doing that it
created a major disruption in IARN activities," said Graves. "Murphy suggested
to the Net Manager to move those interested in the storm up 5 kHz to get them
off the net, and the Net Manager agreed. Marcy Rice, KZ5MM, located in the
Canal Zone (Panama), followed Murphy, and together they established the first
Hurricane Watch Net on 14.325 MHz."

Graves issued a personal message on Murphy's passing: "Gerry, thank you for
creating this great organization. Your vision, care, and compassion, without a
doubt, have helped many before, during, and after these dangerous tropical
cyclone events. I am thrilled your legacy of the HWN lives on! Rest in peace,
my friend."

ARRL Great Lakes Division Director Scott Yonally, N8SY, has known Murphy for
decades.ÿ

"Murphy was a long-time resident of Lakewood, Ohio, and I've known him for
almost as long as I've been a ham. He was always a talented guy with a strong
military background that made you feel just like you had enlisted into the
Marines," said Yonally. "But, in most cases he was just looking out for you and
amateur radio. The Northeast Ohio SKYWARN¨ program was born directly to the
work that he did, and as a testament to the devotion that he gave to it, still
shows strongly in that the Northeastern Ohio SKYWARN program is still going on
today."

Murphy managed the Hurricane Watch Net until February 1988, and continued to
serve as Assistant Net Manager until he retired in March 1991. You can read his
full obituary at
www.tributearchive.com/obituaries/37994045/gerald-e.-"gerry"-murphy[1].


[1] https://arrl.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT0zMjc0MjQxJnA9MSZ1PTUyNTgxODI4NCZsaT0zNzE3NzExNQ/index.html


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