Well-known contester and World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC) competitor, official, and supporter Walter Skudlarek, DJ6QT, of Hirzenhain, Germany, died on July 5. He was 77 and had been a radio amateur since 1958.

Skudlarek was a member of the CQ Contest Hall of Fame as well as a founding member of the Rhein-Ruhr DX Association and active member for more than 50 years, serving at various times as president. He was a member of the RRDXA Hall of Fame.

Skudlarek was a competitor at the very first WRTC in 1990 in Seattle, as well as in 1996 in San Francisco, and 2002 in Helsinki. He served as a referee at the WRTCs in 2000 (Slovenia) and in 2006 (Brazil) and was looking forward to WRTC 2018 in Germany.

His history of DXpedition operations dates from 1979, and he operated frequently from Madeira. A frequent Dayton Hamvention® visitor, Skudlarek also was an honorary member of the Frankfort Radio Club, the North Jersey DX Association, and the Araucaria DX Group. 

“The RRDXA has lost an engaged competitor and internationally recognized contester and Dxpeditioner,” said an announcement on the RRDXA website. “Our thoughts are with his family. We will always honor his memory.”