#111) You're Invited to the 2014 Librascope Reunion

You are invited to the 2014

Librascope Employee Reunion

A time to greet and enjoy your Librascope friends and colleagues

And view Librascope memorabilia.

Saturday, November 1, 2014

9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Angeles National Golf Club

9401 Foothill Blvd, Sunland, CA

(818) 951-8771

For directions please visit: http://angelesnational.com/directions.html

Buffet Luncheon - $42.00 per person

Coffee at 9 a.m., No Host Bar at 11:00 a.m., Lunch at 12:45 p.m.

Please RSVP to Georgine Archer by October 24, 2014:

By E-mail:  geoarcher@netzero.net           By phone:  (818) 848-5664

With confirmation by check payable to and sent to:

Georgine Archer

509 East Andover Drive

Burbank, CA  91504

No refunds after October 24, 2014.

WIVES, HUSBANDS, SIGNIFICANT OTHERS ARE INVITED

Please help us spread the word to all former Librascope employees and their guests.

Former associates of Librascope are, of course, welcome too.

Enjoy almost 300 scanned Librazettes from 1940 to 1999 and

Other Librascope documents at www.librascopememories.com

 

To share YOUR Librascope memorabilia at the reunion,

Contact Don Tubbs, 818-249-7242 (Pdtubbs@yahoo.com).

#110) In Memoriam - Jerry Deitz

Jerry Deitz, retired Vice President of Engineering, passed away at his home in Los Osos, CA on July 5, 2014. Jerry joined the Shipboard Engineering group at Librascope in 1956 and retired in 1989. Throughout those years, stories about Jerry's countless engineering activities and accomplishments at Librascope were published in dozens of Librazettes.

Jerry last attended the 2012 Librascope Reunion (Blog Post #82), and will certainly be missed at the 2014 Reunion on November 1st.

A Memorial/Celebration of Jerry's life will be held at 1:00 PM on Sunday, August 10, 2014 at the Morro Shores Mobile Home Park's Club House, located at 633 Ramona Avenue, Los Osos, CA 93402. 
Family Contact: Telephone 1-805-528-7136 or e-mail jerryelsie@aol.com.

Please visit the following link for driving information: 

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Morro+Shores+Mobile+Home+Park/@35.32028,-120.842004,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0xd44a343556f415b

Also, you may wish to sign the Guest Book for Jerry at:

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/sanluisobispo/obituary.aspx?n=jerry-deitz&pid=171712782

The following obituary was provided by Jerry's loving wife Elsie. 

Jerry Deitz a gentleman in every sense of the word died on July 5, 2014, just shy of his 89th birthday. He left peacefully and quietly in the afternoon, true to his character of never wanting to be a burden to anyone. Jerry was molded by his growing-up years in Brooklyn and enjoyed all the advantages of life in the big city. He liked the adventure of riding in the front subway car where, for just five cents, he was able to spend hours traveling wherever his imagination would take him. Museums, family outings to concerts in the parks, were all a part of his early history, as was his time spent as a volunteer with the fire department. Jerry's mother, Ray, impressed on him the value of education and he listened. He enjoyed learning and excelled in school. City College (now University) provided a splendid, almost free education, for an aspiring electrical engineer. His first choice would have been medicine, but entrance to medical schools was limited for Jews, and so he worked to become a valued contributor where he was able to make his mark. Like many other young men, he enlisted in the army to serve his country during WWII. Underage, and knowing his mother's distaste for the military implanted from an immigrant's experiences, he forged her signature and became a member of the United States Army assuming that it was better to volunteer than be drafted. He was one of the few who served in both the European and Asian campaigns. Jerry served with the 86th Blackhawk Division and continued to be an active part of the organization with involvement in their reunions over the years. The last one took place at Camp San Luis Obispo, where Jerry trained for a period of time and where the seed was planted to return to live in this area, which we did in 1988. A permanent memorial to the Division was dedicated at the time of the last reunion. Jerry and I met on a blind date in 1951 shortly after his return from Japan and Korea as a civilian who taught army personnel technical skills. We decided that getting married was a good idea, and so we tied the knot on April 6, 1952. A honeymoon trip to California made it clear that this would eventually be our permanent home. In 1956, it became reality with Jerry driving across country in five days, followed by our then two-year old daughter Carla and her seven-months' pregnant mother. Armed with a Master's Degree from NYU, Jerry joined the Librascope Corporation in Glendale. Over the years he rose to be the corporation's Senior Vice President of Engineering. Jerry always spoke of his relationships with the 200 or so employees he managed as being the most pleasurable part of his thirty-two year career with the company. His expectations regarding those he supervised were known. He had the ability to leave them alone to achieve these levels and they always strived to reach them. Music nourished his soul and sailing brought pleasure and release from the stress of the workplace, two lifelong passions in Jerry's life. Shortly after our move to Los Osos, we became involved in the Bud Laurent campaign for Supervisor where close bonds with friends were forged. This group went on, over a period of years, to make possible the acquisition of the Elfin Forest. Jerry's next involvement was with the Central Coast Veterans Museum as board member, treasurer and eventually head of the Library of Congress Oral History Project which recorded life experiences of Veterans of all wars. From all of these ongoing involvements, Jerry was often referred to as "Village treasurer". His leadership in volunteer activities spanned almost as long a period of time as his paid career. Jerry's primary concerns were focused on his family's wellbeing. It is with great pleasure that I see in Carla glimpses of his humor and sensitivity to others. Children are not supposed to precede their parents in death. The loss of our son Gary at age 50 was a dark time for us. Bud Laurent said it best: "Anyone who knew Jerry knows the truth that he towered over us in height and character as a kind, considerate and giving person. And, of course, when thinking about Jerry, the phrase is really Elsie and Jerry because they were together in everything. And I can't think of anything they gave themselves to that wasn't in the community's interest and welfare. Los Osos is immeasurably better because of Jerry - and Elsie". Jerry, and all that he was and stood for, will be sorely missed by all his friends and family. A Celebration of Life will be held shortly. Sign his guestbook at sanluisobispo.com/obituaries


Published in the San Luis Obispo Tribune on July 13, 2014

#109) My review of Disney's new book about a Libravet

My last post (#108) announced the publication of a new book about Herman Schultheis, an unusually talented Libravet that previously worked at Disney on their very early animated films. During Herman's time at Disney he, unknown to anyone else at the time, meticulously documented Disney's proprietary animation techniques in his private notebooks. These notebooks were not discovered until long after his death and are now treasured by Disney who has put them in their museum.  Disney also sponsored the publication of this book about these notebooks and Herman's life.

Following is my brief review of this "5 Star" book on Amazon:

It's not just about Disney - a potential documentary film?

By Son of Soren on June 14, 2014

This magnificent book by John Canemaker covers in captivating detail Herman Schultheis' life, including the period of time after he left Disney and worked for Librascope in Glendale, CA. It was while working at Librascope in the 1950's that Herman mysteriously disappeared in the Guatemalan jungle.

While doing his amazingly thorough research, the author discovered the Librascope Memories website, which fortunately included copies of all the Company's old newsletters (Librazettes). Over a year's time, the Librazettes reported on Herman's initial disappearance and the subsequent search. As the self-appointed Librascope historian and webmaster, I had the privilege of helping John Canemaker research Herman Schultheis' time at Librascope. However, this part of Herman's life is not described in unnecessary detail, and so it does not detract from the book's primary subject; i.e., his work at Disney.

Herman's work at Disney was fascinating, but I was also impressed with how each facet of his life reflected his intelligence, diverse interests, and overall curiosity about life. This book certainly provides the foundation for Disney to make a documentary film of Herman's life experiences.

#108) Disney Releases New Book About Former Libravet

The Walt Disney Family Foundation and Weldon Owen Press have released a spectacular new book about a former Librascope employee titled: "The Lost Notebook: Herman Schultheis and The Secrets of Walt Disney's Movie Magic". The book will be available May 27th on Amazon.

After working at Disney, Herman worked at Librascope from 1949 to 1955 when he mysteriously disappeared while on vacation in the Guatemalan jungle. At the time, stories of his disappearance were published in the Librazette. Eighteen months after he disappeared, his remains were discovered.

Three years ago, I posted on this Blog an e-mail from John Canemaker, a distinguished author and animation historian who was preparing to author this book about Herman. You may read John's original inquiry and my initial response on Blog Post #26: Click here. I researched the Librascope archives and Libravet rosters for John, and provided him with whatever information and Libravet contacts I thought would be helpful. John graciously acknowledged Librascope's help in his new book.

At Disney, Herman Schultheis worked in the Special Process/Effects and Camera Lab, where he was a Studio Effects Engineer. The book focuses on the meticulously documented notebooks he covertly kept while working on films utilizing the proprietary animation techniques Disney developed for the very early animation films they are famous for. Fifty years later, these secret notebooks were discovered in his widow's home after she died. That remarkable discovery resulted in the notebooks later being placed in the Walt Disney Family Museum and the publication of this magnificent book.

To read more about the distinguished author and Academy Award winner John Canemaker's work, please visit his website (Click here).

To read much more about the book on Amazon, click here.

#107) Update - A "Race for Hope" for Walt Picker

As planned, Walt's daughter Susan Picker Enriquez recently completed the run/walk for the “Cure Brain Tumors” organization in Washington DC. Her goal was to raise $200 for the fund raiser, but succeeded in raising over $1,600 thanks to several donors, including some of Walt's fellow Libravets. 

Along with her gracious thanks to everyone, Susan sent along some of the photos she took at the event.

If you somehow missed the first opportunity to donate to this very worthy cause in Walt's behalf, you can do it now by going to Susan's website at: Susan's "Cure Brain Cancer" Website. The original story is on Blog Post #104.

/

#106) Wow, 5 Years Of Librascope Memories!

Five years ago this month (April) the Librascope Memories website was first published on the Internet. Since that time, the website has grown considerably, and many Libravets, their family members, and countless others have enjoyed its historical content.

Currently, the Librascope Memories website includes:
- 301 Librazettes*
- 38 Librascope news items*
- 69 Librascope product literature sheets (advertisements)*
- 21 Misc. Librascope Brochures"
- 8 Sea Stories written by Libravets*
- 5 Librascope Videos
- 16 Librascope Photo Albums (including the past 5 Reunions)

* 100% searchable via the Librascope Memories Evernote website.

For those many Libravets who helped contribute to the website's success, I want to thank you. I believe the next five years will bring even more Librascope memories to our website for all to enjoy in the years to come.

Enjoy,
Carl
PS: Only 185 days until the 2014 Librascope Reunion on November 1st! Please mark the date now.

#105) In Memoriam - Charles "Chuck" Steele

The following obituary was received today from Chuck's wife Kathy.

Charles Gregory Steele; December 1, 1941 –  April 20, 2014

Charles “Chuck” Steele, 72, of Simi Valley went home to his Lord and Savior early Easter morning.  After a lengthy illness, he passed away peacefully at home with his family.  Chuck was born in Binghamton, NY to Catherine Beach and Charles Steele. He grew up in Owego, NY with his large extended family and many cousins, and there he developed a lifelong love of sports and an affinity for the NY football Giants.

Chuck graduated from Clarkson University in 1964 and had a long career in the Aerospace industry working for the Singer Corporation and BAE.  He was a devoted husband to Kathleen Barto and a loving father to their three children.  In 1977, the family moved from New York to Simi Valley, CA.  Chuck was an avid golfer and member of Sunset Hills Country Club.  He had a great sense of humor and loved to spend time with his family and friends.  Chuck will always be remembered with love and laughter by anyone who was fortunate enough to know him.

Chuck is preceded in death by his parents; and son, Timothy James Steele.  He is survived by his loving wife of 49 years, Kathy; his daughters Shelley (Chris) Karr and Jenny (Rick) Lewis; grandchildren Mathew, Kirstine, Justin, Jane, and Patrick; brothers John (Judy) Steele of NC, Howard (Rebecca) Steele of MI; and many nieces and nephews.

A Memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 26^th at 10:30 am at Grace Brethren Church, 2900 Sycamore Drive, Simi Valley, CA 93065. 

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to:

The Samaritan Center of Simi Valley (www.thesamaritancenterofsimivalley.org).

#104) A Race for Hope for Walt Picker

Fellow Libravet,

As you may have heard, former Librascope President Walt Picker has been bravely battling brain cancer for the past several months. Many of his friends have encouraged him with cards, letters, phone calls, etc. Walt's wife, Ann, reports that he has enjoyed and appreciated every single word of encouragement.

On May 4th, Walt's daughter Susan Picker Enriquez is participating in a run/walk for the “Cure Brain Tumors” organization in Washington DC. You can help all brain tumor patients by making a small donation to this cause. Just click on her personal page below to send in a contribution in honor of Walt.

Please click here to make your contribution: Susan's Personal Page for her Dad, Walt Picker

I'm certain the entire Picker family thanks you very much.

#103) INSIDE LOOK at 21st CENTURY STEALTH SUBMARINE

Librascope "submariners" will be interested in watching this outstanding video describing the U.S. Navy's new SSGN class submarines. These state-of-the-art subs were built for less than half the cost of a new sub by converting four older SSBN Ohio Class subs. All 24 nuclear-tipped missile tubes were re-purposed to meet today's defense requirements.

http://youtu.be/z9x_K-BHM08 Click on "Full Screen" for best viewing.

#102) Madcaps, Millionaires, and "Mose"

I recently acquired an interesting book about our local aviation history. The book will be of special interest to readers that were at Librascope during the late 1950's and early 1960's, when Librascope occupied the nearby Glendale airport terminal.

The book, Madcaps, Millionaires, and "Mose" : The Chronicle of an Exciting Era When the Airways Led to Glendale, a pictorial history by John Underwood, is about an airport long gone and largely forgotten. More importantly, it is the story of a unique collection of individuals who created it and made it function. They were the pioneers of new industry which had its roots in the City of Glendale. In its heyday the airport was called Grand Central Air Terminal. It was the first official terminal for Los Angeles and home port to a dozen different air carriers.

The 144 page book has numerous rare photographs from the early 1900's through the late 1950's, when the airport's aircraft operations were forever closed.

Shortly after the airport's closing, the headline article in the August, 1959 Librazette reported that:

"Librascope Leases Four Airport Buildings - Provides Space for Engineering Units…. Librascope, ever in need of more space to cope with continuing growth, is taking over the former headquarters of the Ford Motor Company's Aeronutronics Systems, Inc., in the Grand Central Industrial Centre." 

Librascope occupied the airport buildings well into the 1960's. Today, the entire facility is owned and occupied by Disney.

The 1984 paperback book is currently available from third-party sellers on Amazon for about $15, plus S&H.