Last July 17, 2021, in Miami, Florida, relatives of IARU-R2 former president Reinaldo Leandro received the “Michael J. Owen, VK3KI Memorial Award” from Ramón Santoyo, XE1KK, IARU-R2 current president. The award is granted by the IARU Administrative Committee as the highest distinction granted at the world level to acknowledge decades of service to IARU and to amateur radio.

The award had been programmed to be delivered for some time but diverse situations made it impossible, among them the pandemic and, later on, the illness and passing of Reinaldo, who was able to learn and enjoy that he was being presented with the award.

The family expressed their gratitude, indicating that besides them, radio amateurs were Reinaldo’s other family. The simple and emotional ceremony, shared virtually with a small group of his relatives and amateur radio friends, started on a sad note because of the loss of the relative and friend, but one of them mentioned that Reinaldo would have liked for this to be a happy ceremony, and it turned it into a celebration of his life, where some of the friends attending shared anecdotes of his life as a radio amateur.

Photo: Ramón Santoyo, XE1KK, presents in Miami, Florida, the recognition to Sara, Carolina and Ligia, niece, daughter and sister of Reinaldo.

Also available in Español (Spanish).