In Memoriam: Brenda Bangel and Mike Thaw

Brenda ("Brenny") Bangel, 45, died peacefully in her home the evening of Dec. 20, 2004. She was a regional sales representative for the former R. Alan Communications. She was a longtime member of the SCTE, and was loyal and dedicated veteran of the cable industry for more than 20 years. Brenda started her career in cable as an inside sales assistant for the former Texscan Instruments in the 1980s. She went on to be the marketing and marcom manager at Texscan. She was instrumental in producing many of the company’s original technical application notes on leakage testing used during this time period and for many years beyond. Brenda then moved to R. Alan Communications where she spent the rest of her career as regional sales representative in the Midwest covering Indiana, Illinois and Missouri. She is survived by her parents, Glenn and Betty (Parker) Bangel, and sister, Vicki Pompa. Donations can be made to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, P.O. Box 650309, Dallas, TX 75265-0309; http://www.komen.org. Radiant Communications announced the passing of its co-founder and president, Mike Thaw, who died suddenly of a heart attack on Christmas Eve at the age of 61. The industry veteran launched Radiant in early 1985 with his brother, Gene Thaw. Gene, Radiant’s chairman of the board, has assumed Mike’s responsibilities within the organization. "Through Mike Thaw’s vision and determination, Radiant grew to become a premier manufacturer producing the industry’s largest selection of fiber optic products. The Radiant Communications team is dedicated to continuing the success of the company in his honor," Lou Nagorsky, Radiant’s national sales manager, says. Mike, a long-time member of the SCTE, was involved in philanthropic activities throughout his community. He was also an avid golfer who was very active in his golf club. Donations in his memory can be made to the American Heart Association (http://www.americanheart.org).