• ARRL Philanthropist, Radar Detector Pioneer, Michael Valentine, W8MM, Silent Key

    From ARRL de WD1CKS@VERT/WLARB to QST on Thursday, September 19, 2024 20:09:01
    09/19/2024

    Michael "Mike" D. Valentine, W8MM, of Cincinnati, Ohio, passed away on Monday,
    September 16, 2024. He was 74. Mike and his wife of 51 years, Margaret "Peg" K.
    Valentine, have been the most generous individual supporters of ARRL The
    National Association of Amateur Radio. Valentine earned his amateur radio
    license as a teenager. "I was first licensed as WN8MSF and WA8MSF,
    simultaneously in the spring of my freshman year in high school, 1964. I was a
    combo Novice and Technician, as was customary in those days for technically
    proficient beginners...," he wrote in his biography for the Quarter Century
    Wireless Association.

    His interests in amateur radio and electronics led Valentine to enter the
    electrical engineering program at the University of Cincinnati, where he met
    Peg. He was selected by the R. L. Drake Company as an engineering coop student.
    He would go on to work for Drake and Cincinnati Electronics after graduation in
    1973. He co-founded Cincinnati Microwave, maker of Escort radar detectors.

    Mike and Peg founded Valentine Research in 1983. The company designs,
    manufactures, and sells electronic devices directly to users. Their flagship
    model, the Valentine One¨, and the Valentine One Gen2, brought many innovations
    in that space, including being the first radar detector to indicate the
    direction of the radar device relative to the vehicle. Valentine and his
    products have been profiled many times in automotive enthusiast media.

    Together, the Valentines shared their success generously with many
    organizations including public television, higher education, the arts, and ARRL
    The National Association for Amateur Radio. The Valentines are the single
    biggest individual donors in ARRL history. They are Millennium Class members of
    the ARRL Maxim Society.

    Mike served on the ARRL Second Century Campaign Committee, which coincided with
    ARRL's Centennial in 2014. The campaign, including the Valentine Challenge Fund
    which matched the dollar-for-dollar contributions of other donors, established
    an endowment to ensure ARRL's ongoing commitment to amateur radio.

    In 2023, ARRL awarded the Valentines the inaugural Mary Hobart, K1MMH, Medal of
    Distinction during a donor recognition event held in Dayton, Ohio. "To say that
    the Valentines are great philanthropists is an understatement," said ARRL
    Director of Development Kevin Beal, K8EAL, in remarks he made during the award
    presentation. "Mike and Peg have invested significantly in supporting the
    future of amateur radio. They have set the example for all our donors with
    their philanthropic leadership."

    In addition to his successful business pursuits and exceptional generosity to
    many organizations, Valentine could often be found cheering at University of
    Cincinnati Bearcats games, operating ham radio, and driving sports cars.

    The Cincinnati Enquirer[1] has published a Life Story with these additional
    details: A visitation will be held on Tuesday, September 24, 2024, from 9:30 AM
    until time of funeral service at 11:00 AM, at the Covenant First Presbyterian
    Church, 717 Elm St., Cincinnati, OH 45202. A reception will immediately follow
    in the Parish Hall. Burial will be held privately at Spring Grove Cemetery. In
    lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Mike's memory to
    the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) or The Matthew Mangine Jr. One Shot
    Foundation.


    [1] https://www.cincinnati.com/obituaries/pwoo0946236


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