In Memoriam

We remember the members of the Loyal Order of the 704 who have passed. Where a public obituary or tribute is available, it is linked beneath their name. Their friendship and their contributions to the cable and broadband industry are not forgotten.

• Jim BaileyJames J. Bailey, Aug. 29, 1941 – Mar. 24, 2018. Joined Jerrold Electronics in 1964 as a Sales Engineer, was inducted into the Pennsylvania and National Cable Pioneers, and co-founded the Delaware Valley Chapter of the SCTE.Obituary (Donohue Funeral Homes)
• Tom Colegrove
• Pete Collins
• Keith CooganSpent more than forty years in telecommunications with Cox, Time Warner, Adelphia, Jones, Bright House and Charter. Services were held March 3, 2023 in Land O’ Lakes, Florida.Memorial notice (LinkedIn)
• Richard CovellDied Aug. 16, 2016, at 81. Cable engineer and pioneer: SCTE Member of the Year (1990), Cable TV Pioneer (2002), member of the SCTE Circle of Eagles, and Cable Hall of Fame inductee (1998).Memorial notice (Multichannel News)
• Bob Dickinson
• Jim Emerson
• Bob Garner
• Jim George
• Ted HartsonTed Elliott Hartson, May 4, 1943 – Oct. 3, 2021. Began his career at Wolverine Cable in Battle Creek, Michigan, and later opened Scottsdale Television Labs.Obituary (Lansing State Journal)
• Rick JubeckRichard “Rick” Mark Jubeck, Sept. 7, 1954 – Oct. 31, 2017, of Augusta, Georgia.Obituary (Thomas Poteet & Son) · Memorial service notice (Multichannel News)
• Julian Kelly
• Sally KinsmanRemembered by the SCTE Foundation through the Sally Kinsman Scholarship.Tribute (SCTE Foundation)
• Nick MekoNicholas “Nick” Meko, president of Coast CATV Supply. Died Oct. 15, 2007, at 62. A lineman from 1962, he worked for Jerrold, Buckeye and Texscan before founding Coast CATV Supply in 1990. A member of the SCTE and the Loyal Order of the 704.Memorial notice (CED)
• Bob MunroeRemembered by colleague Allyn Farley as a long-time friend, co-worker and boss in the cable television industry.Tribute (LinkedIn)
• Harold NullHarold R. Null, Sr., Oct. 9, 1935 – Dec. 23, 2022, of Port Charlotte, Florida. Remembered by colleagues as a Cable Pioneer who led groundbreaking technical initiatives at Storer Cable.Obituary (Baldwin Brothers) · Tribute (LinkedIn)
• Karl Poirier
• Rex PorterKnown as “TVRex.” A cable-industry pioneer, SCTE charter member and Hall of Fame inductee, and a longtime member of the Loyal Order of the 704. Died September 2024.Tribute from the Loyal Order of the 704 (LinkedIn) · Tribute (LinkedIn) · Profile (Cablefax)
• Les ReadLeslie “Les” H. Read, longtime HBO executive, executive director of the Cable Pioneers and the first honorary member of the SCTE Circle of Eagles. Died June 28 at 82.Obituary (Broadcasting & Cable)
• Scott SampselLongtime member and cable broadband technical professional.Read our tribute
• Ken SimonsKeneth Alden Simons, Mar. 10, 1913 – June 11, 2004. Chief engineer at Jerrold Electronics who designed the Model 704 Field Strength Meter, the instrument our Order is named for, and author of the Technical Handbook for CATV Systems.Biography (Wikipedia) · Biography (Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia)
• Richard Snyder
• Sruki SwitzerIsrael “Sruki” Switzer, June 29, 1929 – Nov. 16, 2016. Canadian cable pioneer who built and consulted on cable systems from the U.S. to Hong Kong and New Zealand, and co-founded Toronto’s City-TV with his first wife Phyllis.Obituary (The Hollywood Reporter)
• Jack Trower
• Wendell WoodyWendell D. Woody, Sept. 18, 1934 – Apr. 8, 2015. A 49-year career in CATV; past president of the SCTE, founder of the SCTE Heart of America Chapter, and SCTE Hall of Fame inductee (2001).Obituary (Roberson-Polley Chapel)

If you know of a public obituary or tribute for any of our members, or someone we should remember here, please let us know via the Contact page.