Bob Naumann, W5OV, passed away at his home in Texas on February 10, 2025. Naumann was a mentor to many in the Amateur Radio Service, and well known in the ham radio contesting and DX community. He served on the headquarters staff of ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio as Director of Operations from 2021 to 2024. He was an ARRL Life Member and a member of the ARRL Diamond Club.

ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Minster, NA2AA, has known Naumann for decades. “Bob was a very passionate supporter of amateur radio, and especially ARRL. He said on many occasions that working at HQ was a dream come true,” wrote Minster in a message to ARRL staff.

In his writings, Naumann recounted that he earned his Amateur Radio License as a teenager in 1973 as WN2OVE, but his fascination and exploration with radio began even earlier. “Those GE walkie talkies I received as a Christmas gift from my parents when I was about 9 years old, was what really lured me in. I was fascinated about how one could communicate through the air using these simple, 9-volt battery powered devices,” he wrote.

Naumann had many friends around the world through amateur radio. He achieved ARRL DXCC Honor Roll, and was a long-serving member of the CQ World Wide DX Contest Committee. He operated from several Caribbean islands, including Antigua, where he held the call sign V26O and previously V26RN; and Bonaire, where he operated as PJ4/W5OV. In the United States, he noted on his QRZ profile that he has operated from the Smithsonian Institution station, NN3SI; the United Nations Headquarters station, 4U1UN, and the station aboard the Queen Mary, W6RO. Naumann enjoyed trips to the HAM RADIO exposition in Friedrichshafen, Germany.

Throughout his professional career, he worked for Electronic Data Systems (EDS), Citigroup Financial, and held positions in the amateur radio industry.

Outpourings of support and remembrance for Naumann have been seen on social media pages, ham club e-mail reflectors, and online message boards. “Bob was only 66 years old and has left us far too early in life,” continued the message from Minster.

Information about services or other remembrances for Naumann will be added to this story.