Mike Koss, W9SU, of Indianapolis, Indiana, passed away Monday, March 28. He was 57. According to his friend Brian Smith, W9IND, Koss was found on his workshop floor and paramedics were unable to revive him. Industrial Communication Engineers (ICE) is well known in the amateur community for surge protectors, line filters, RF switches and more.

“Besides being the heart and soul of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Amateur Radio Club, Mike was also the proprietor of ICE,” Smith told the ARRL. “He also owned, designed and maintained one of the best Amateur Radio stations in the Midwest -- the one responsible for cranking out the big signals of Indy 500 Special Event Station W9IMS. Mike was also the driving force behind Special Event Station W87PAX, which commemorated the 1987 Pan American Games in Indianapolis. The station logged more than 23,000 QSOs.”

Koss was also an accomplished DXer, with 326 confirmed entities. Smith called him a “first-rate contester,” saying that his 10 meter CQWW record for the 9th Call Area, set in 1989, remains unequalled.

Smith told the ARRL that Koss was also extremely involved in public service activities: "Just last year, Mike spearheaded a volunteer project that cleaned up and repainted the USS Indianapolis Memorial in downtown Indianapolis, just in time for the survivors’ reunion. The ship was torpedoed in 1945, and only 317 of the original 1196 crew members survived the sinking and subsequent shark attacks, exposure, extreme thirst and other problems associated with spending nearly five days in the Pacific Ocean.”

On March 31, ICE released the following statement concerning the company: "Industrial Communication Engineers (ICE), Ltd, its employees and the Indianapolis Amateur Radio community mourn the passing of company founder Mike Koss, W9SU, on March 28, 2011. Due to Mike’s sudden and unexpected death, ICE has temporarily suspended accepting new orders. We are in the process of reorganizing the company, as well as identifying and fulfilling current open orders and products returned for repair. Company updates may be found at www.icemfg.com. We appreciate your patience and understanding during this transition period. Questions may be directed to info@icemfg.com."

Funeral services are scheduled for 4 PM on Saturday, April 2 at Jessen Funeral Home in Whiteland, Indiana. Calling hours will be from 1-4 PM at the funeral home.