Subj : ARRL Philanthropist, Radar Detector Pioneer, Michael Valentine, W8MM, Silent Key
To   : QST
From : ARRL de WD1CKS
Date : Thu Sep 19 2024 08:09 pm

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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