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Taft, Calif. —
Taft’s gentle and soft-spoken videographer who chronicled local events for more than three decades has died.
Don Gillaspie lost his battle with lung cancer when he died Sunday afternoon at the age of 71. He had been under hospice care at Glenwood Gardens in Bakersfield.
Services will be held Friday at 10 a.m. at Westside Believers Fellowship church, corner of Main Street and Taft Highway.
Gillaspie, who retired in 1990 after a career with the U.S. Postal Service, began chronicling local activities and public events in the ‘70s and airing them on the local public television Channel 11.
He never missed a parade or Memorial Day service or event at West Kern Oil Museum and could be seen at dance recitals, stage productions and concerts at Taft High, church services and countless events at local elementary schools.
Capturing activities at area schools was one of Gillaspie’s favorite activities. He even created a weekly kids news program at Roosevelt School that aired on Channel 11.
The depth of the void he leaves is just beginning to settle in.
“I truly don’t know how we’re going to replace him,” said Taft Mayor Randy Miller. “I think we all took him for granted because he was always there with his camera. He was just always there. We used him and now we’ve lost him. This is just a tremendous loss for our community.”
Councilman Paul Linder, who directed maintenance and operations at Taft High when Gillaspie taught television production classes, echoed the mayor’s sentiments.
“I am saddened by Don's passing,” he said. “I found him a very caring man and a person who always put others and his community first. He really enjoyed the work he did in the community and will be missed. He documented so much of the history of the Westside, and I will not forget his kind, quiet and always smiling personality.”
Gillaspie, a 1958 graduate of Taft High, often teamed up with his high school counselor and close friend Pete Gianopulos.
“Don was known by many people,” he said, “and even if they did not know him personally they did know what he did for the community by way of his photographic work. Don was an easy-going and likable person, always very calm and always a gentleman.”
Gianopulos said he remembers “the hundreds of ‘Taft Heritage’ programs that Don helped produce and were shown on local public television.”
He recalled times when Gillaspie contributed to the community in ways not associated with his video camera.
“He was a member of the Bakersfield Community Concert board and participated in the selections of those who where to appear at each concert. Don will be missed by those Taftians who attended the Bakersfield Community Concerts. He would arrange bus transportation to take them to Bakersfield.”
Gillaspie launched Chroma Teleproduction in 1984 with Bill Nelson, but even before that they collaborated on a project at Taft High where Nelson taught drama and speech.
“We created a video production studio in 1977 or ’78,” Nelson said. “That was the start for both of us.”
Nelson now owns and operates his own video production company in Bakersfield.
What he remembers most about his association with Gillaspie is his friend’s demeanor.
“There was never an agenda with Don,” he said. “He never raised his own flag. I was always taken by his positive approach to everything. That was his fingerprint on all our projects. He always enjoyed the experience, and that had a calming effect on me.
“Don could see things that others would miss. He always saw beauty in everything we did. Some people put up a Christmas tree and can’t see the tinsel, but Don could always see the tinsel.”
Nelson agreed with Mayor Miller that Gillaspie can’t be replaced.
“There’s nobody like him. Taft and the Westside have no idea how much he put into the community. He provided hundreds of thousands of dollars of professional-grade services for the community, and that just can’t be replaced.”
Taft’s gentle and soft-spoken videographer who chronicled local events for more than three decades has died.
Don Gillaspie lost his battle with lung cancer when he died Sunday afternoon at the age of 71. He had been under hospice care at Glenwood Gardens in Bakersfield.
Services will be held Friday at 10 a.m. at Westside Believers Fellowship church, corner of Main Street and Taft Highway.
Gillaspie, who retired in 1990 after a career with the U.S. Postal Service, began chronicling local activities and public events in the ‘70s and airing them on the local public television Channel 11.
He never missed a parade or Memorial Day service or event at West Kern Oil Museum and could be seen at dance recitals, stage productions and concerts at Taft High, church services and countless events at local elementary schools.
Capturing activities at area schools was one of Gillaspie’s favorite activities. He even created a weekly kids news program at Roosevelt School that aired on Channel 11.
The depth of the void he leaves is just beginning to settle in.
“I truly don’t know how we’re going to replace him,” said Taft Mayor Randy Miller. “I think we all took him for granted because he was always there with his camera. He was just always there. We used him and now we’ve lost him. This is just a tremendous loss for our community.”
Councilman Paul Linder, who directed maintenance and operations at Taft High when Gillaspie taught television production classes, echoed the mayor’s sentiments.
“I am saddened by Don's passing,” he said. “I found him a very caring man and a person who always put others and his community first. He really enjoyed the work he did in the community and will be missed. He documented so much of the history of the Westside, and I will not forget his kind, quiet and always smiling personality.”
Gillaspie, a 1958 graduate of Taft High, often teamed up with his high school counselor and close friend Pete Gianopulos.
“Don was known by many people,” he said, “and even if they did not know him personally they did know what he did for the community by way of his photographic work. Don was an easy-going and likable person, always very calm and always a gentleman.”
Gianopulos said he remembers “the hundreds of ‘Taft Heritage’ programs that Don helped produce and were shown on local public television.”
He recalled times when Gillaspie contributed to the community in ways not associated with his video camera.
“He was a member of the Bakersfield Community Concert board and participated in the selections of those who where to appear at each concert. Don will be missed by those Taftians who attended the Bakersfield Community Concerts. He would arrange bus transportation to take them to Bakersfield.”
Gillaspie launched Chroma Teleproduction in 1984 with Bill Nelson, but even before that they collaborated on a project at Taft High where Nelson taught drama and speech.
“We created a video production studio in 1977 or ’78,” Nelson said. “That was the start for both of us.”
Nelson now owns and operates his own video production company in Bakersfield.
What he remembers most about his association with Gillaspie is his friend’s demeanor.
“There was never an agenda with Don,” he said. “He never raised his own flag. I was always taken by his positive approach to everything. That was his fingerprint on all our projects. He always enjoyed the experience, and that had a calming effect on me.
“Don could see things that others would miss. He always saw beauty in everything we did. Some people put up a Christmas tree and can’t see the tinsel, but Don could always see the tinsel.”
Nelson agreed with Mayor Miller that Gillaspie can’t be replaced.
“There’s nobody like him. Taft and the Westside have no idea how much he put into the community. He provided hundreds of thousands of dollars of professional-grade services for the community, and that just can’t be replaced.”
