Huntsville Hamfest Association President Charles “Charlie” Emerson, N4OKL, of Huntsville, Alabama, died on January 14. An ARRL member, he was 71.

“Charlie had come to be the face and voice of Huntsville Hamfest,” said a statement issued by the Huntsville Hamfest Board of Directors. “Huntsville Hamfest was Charlie's pride and joy, and he never missed an opportunity to promote the show or ham radio as a hobby. We look forward to honoring Charlie’s memory in August at the 2017 Huntsville Hamfest.”

Licensed for about 10 years, Emerson also enjoyed bass fishing and took part in many tournaments over the years, “with very mixed results,” he explained on his QRZ.com profile. He was also involved with The Internet Radio Linking Project (IRLP).

Emerson had retired after nearly 30 years with PPG Industries, where he’d been involved in the production of aircraft windshields.