Nortex Electronics
In Memory of Lewis E. Cearly Jr., Proprietor
Lewis Cearley, 84, passed away Friday, Oct. 5, 2007, at a local
hospital. Funeral: 1:30 p.m. Tuesday in Greenwood Chapel. Interment:
Greenwood Memorial Park. Visitation: 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at Greenwood
Funeral Home. Pallbearers: Gordon Callaway, Ed Forrester, Bob Martin,
Ken McAllister, Mike Stroud, Jimmy Waters. Honorary pallbearers: Bob
Carr, Bryan Goulette, Perry Hale, Steve Haney, Jerry McKinney, Robert
Plum, Pete Pratt, Mark Rosso. Lewis was born July 21, 1923, to Lewis E.
Cearley and Ina Carson Cearley in Childress. His family moved to Fort
Worth in 1936. He graduated from Tech High School and joined the Navy in
1942. He served on the aircraft carrier, Tulagi, in the South Pacific,
participating in three invasions, plus always dodging the kamikaze.
Lewis enjoyed participating in squadron reunions. Lewis developed an
intense interest in electronics at an early age; for example, he wired
an entire house when he was 14. He started the Cearley Co. on
Pennsylvania Avenue in 1954. In 1976, he established Nortex Electronics
on West Vickery Boulevard, passing out advice, spare parts and good
cheer until a month before his death. Lewis and Joy Cearley were married
in 1967, putting an end to his happy bachelor days. They celebrated
their 40th anniversary on Aug. 12, 2007. His stepson, John Watson, died
in 2001. Survivors: Wife, Joy; sister, Sylvia Cearley of Fort Worth;
stepdaughter, Kay Haddaway and husband, Richard of Santa Fe;
stepdaughter-in-law, Brenda Watson of College Station; stepgrandsons,
James Haddaway and wife, Shannon of Fort Worth, Keith Watson of College
Station; stepgranddaughter, Dr. Kimberly Hill and husband, Jeff of
Georgetown; and stepgreat-grandchildren, George Haddaway, Vivian
Haddaway, Ethan Hill and Avery Hill. Published in the Star-Telegram on
10/7/2007.
Lewis was a great friend to many electroncs and photography enthusiasts
and is sorely missed. Lewis was my very good friend. During the week of
Monday OCT 15 through Saturday OCT 20, 2007, the store will be open to
the public to make any final purchases.
It is strongly recommended to do so, as after this, the store will be
closed and all goods will be recycled.
NOTE: Thursday-Saturday of the above week is a special and very final
"garage sale" also open to the public.

http://www.montagar.com/~PATJ/nortex.htm
http://www.bunkerofdoom.com/nortex/index.html

On Sun, 14 Oct 2007 14:09:20 -0400, iam acat wrote:

Nortex Electronics
In Memory of Lewis E. Cearly Jr., Proprietor
Lewis Cearley, 84, passed away Friday, Oct. 5, 2007, at a local
hospital. Funeral: 1:30 p.m. Tuesday in Greenwood Chapel. Interment:
Greenwood Memorial Park.

I'm very sorry to read this sad news.I had the pleasure of meeting
Lewis a few years ago when I came over to Dallas, with some other
Brits, for the Microwave Update convention. Kent Britain, WA5VJB,
drove a few of us around the area all day, calling in at various
surplus stores, one of them being Nortex. I was really amazed at the
stuff Lewis had there! There's nothing like it over here in the UK.

At that time Lewis told me he was considerng selling the business but
I guess he didn't after all.

If anyone over there in in contact with his family please pass along
our sincere condolences, not only from myself but from the other Gs
who met him that day... ie G6GXK, G3PYB, G4DDK, G8UBN and myself,
G3PHO

73 from Peter, G3PHO

Every ham should have the chance to browse through a store like Nortex. It
was literally one of those hole-in-the-wall places; it was off the beaten
track just enough that you'd never find it by chance. I don't know if he
ever advertised the place, but if you tinkered with electronics in Fort
Worth long enough you were bound to hear of the place. I worked at the Fort
Worth Museum of Science and History during the 1980s and I have absolutely
no doubt in my mind that we bought some stuff from Nortex; a lot of the
equipment and parts for sale there simply could not be found anyplace else.

One ENTIRE WALL was filled with vacuum tubes. Most of them were still in
the little cardboard boxes. I don't think he had anything in there younger
than 10 years old bare minimum; much of it no doubt older than me. Lots and
lots of Tektronix oscilloscope modules and microwave stuff; carbon-comp
resistors; old VTRs from local TV stations; 16mm film projectors; plenty of
old books and magazines. Plenty of sockets, connectors, plugs, cables. And
let us not forget panel meters! Plenty of knobs, transformers, inductors.

And probably more junk video monitors of various types in one place, at
least above the surface of the ground.

Yes, indeed, it was great fun to prowl through. I'm gonna miss it. Last
time I was there was about eight months ago and the poor gentleman looked to
be in very sad shape even then. My thanks to him for supplying local hams
with a fun place to hunt for parts and whatnot.

73,

Matt J. McCullar, KJ5BA
Arlington, TX

"Matt J. McCullar" ) writes:
Every ham should have the chance to browse through a store like Nortex. It
was literally one of those hole-in-the-wall places; it was off the beaten
track just enough that you'd never find it by chance. I don't know if he
ever advertised the place, but if you tinkered with electronics in Fort
Worth long enough you were bound to hear of the place.

I wonder how common that experience was?

When I was a kid, about 1974, about three years after I first went into
an electronic store (it was Etco Electronics here in Montreal, which did
mail order so maybe some remember it), I heard from two very different
people about some store where "you can buy a handful of resistors for
5cents" or words to that effect. Both people spoke of it in legendary
terms, and had yet to visit it so they'd heard of it from someone else.

I went with one of them, and it was like a supermarket, complete with baskets
at the door. A mixture of industrial surplus and components for tv
and radio repair.

It's also the only local place remaining from back then, the only place
still with wooden floors and like the old school of electronic store.

And any time someone asks about getting components in the local newsgroup,
invariably someone mentions the place, far ahead of the fancier electronic
distributors that have risen up in more recent years (and actually which
have been around for decades at this point, but never match the feel
of those old stores).

Michael VE2BVW

Michael Black wrote:
Matt J. McCullar writes:
Every ham should have the chance to browse through a store like Nortex.
It
was literally one of those hole-in-the-wall places; it was off the
beaten
track just enough that you'd never find it by chance. I don't know if
he
ever advertised the place, but if you tinkered with electronics in Fort
Worth long enough you were bound to hear of the place.

I wonder how common that experience was?

When I was a kid, about 1974, about three years after I first went into
an electronic store (it was Etco Electronics here in Montreal, which did
mail order so maybe some remember it), I heard from two very different
people about some store where "you can buy a handful of resistors for
5cents" or words to that effect. Both people spoke of it in legendary
terms, and had yet to visit it so they'd heard of it from someone else.

I went with one of them, and it was like a supermarket, complete with
baskets
at the door. A mixture of industrial surplus and components for tv
and radio repair.

It's also the only local place remaining from back then, the only place
still with wooden floors and like the old school of electronic store.

And any time someone asks about getting components in the local newsgroup,
invariably someone mentions the place, far ahead of the fancier electronic
distributors that have risen up in more recent years (and actually which
have been around for decades at this point, but never match the feel
of those old stores).

Michael VE2BVW

In Seattle, it was Nuclear Electronics, run by Jeff Atwood... with LOTS of
neat-o antique/surplus "junque". It was worth the long bicycle ride for
this teenage kid who was a new ham!
Bryan WA7PRC

Dear friends of the Iron, Glass, and Oil:

Nortex Electronics is being 'reconstituted'.

No more info is available now.

Latest news will be posted to this web page as it is made available:

http://www.bunkerofdoom.com/nortex/index.html

wish for the best..

On Oct 21, 9:49 pm, patrick jankowiak wrote:
Dear friends of the Iron, Glass, and Oil:

Nortex Electronics is being 'reconstituted'.

No more info is available now.

Latest news will be posted to this web page as it is made available:

http://www.bunkerofdoom.com/nortex/index.html

wish for the best..

Sorry to hear about the prop. and Wow all in the same sentence. That's
amazing!