The year 2002 marks the unfortunate passing of many pioneers who brought so much energy, dedication and service to the credit union movement. The following list is by no means complete, and Credit Union Times regrets the omission of any notable deaths not highlighted here. *Former NCUA Administrator and lobbyist for the Illinois Credit Union League Austin Montgomery passed away in early March. *Bob Burns, former president/CEO, Point West CU, Portland, Ore. also passed away in November. In addition to working at PWCU, Burns also served on the board for CU Association of Oregon. He testified before the Senate Hearing Committee in Washington, D.C. on bankruptcy laws. *Serving as former president/CEO of The Summit Federal Credit Union for 24 years, John J. Bryson passed away at the age of 67. Bryson was recognized as a pioneer of mutiple common bond. *Seventy-year credit union veteran James Daus passed away at the age of 90. Daus has been credited with helping organize credit unions and establishing the first federal credit union in the United States. *Royal Credit Union Founder John Thompson passed away at the age of 82. Among his many accomplishments, Thompson is credited with offering the first shared draft account in 1976, opeining one of the first satellite branch in grocery stores and offering the first business loans in the area. *CDCU Pioneer James Gilliam, died on Nov. 19 at 78. Gilliam was in the forefront of the effort to bring credit union services to African-Americans. He was a co-founder of the St. Luke Credit Union, Windsor, N.C. and served as its treasurer/manager for many years. Gilliam was also a former board member of the National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions (NFCDCU), and was one of the founders and director of the North Carolina Minority Support Center, a nonprofit organization that serves 15 CDCU's through the state. *Longtime Teachers Credit Union CEO W.B. (Ben) Hawkins passed away Sept. 25. Hawkins, 80, served as president/CEO and treasurer of TCU for 25 years – from 1962 to 1987 – and was a member of the board of the credit union at the time of his death. During his tenure at TCU, Hawkins brought several new services to the credit unions including share drafts, a Visa credit card, CDs, IRAs, and a second mortgage program. *James Ray, president/CEO, Broward School CU here died unexpectedly on July 6. Ray was president/CEO of BSCU since 1996. Before that, he was Chief Operating Officer with Callahan & Associates in Washington, D.C., and before that Chief Operating Officer for credit union data processor XP Systems. He was also a member of the board of credit union EFT firm Credit Union 24. Credit Union 24 said Ray provided invaluable insight and leadership during his tenure on the board.