Dean Ward Gilmore

Gilmore, Dean Ward
28 May 1926 - 9 November 2010
It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved, infamous father, Dean Gilmore ... Deano.
He died peacefully at his home in San Diego. Despite his being bound to a wheelchair, his caregiver (Danny) would faithfully lift him into the car everyday and bring him to his local pub for his noon beer(s) and lively chats with his cronies. Deano was born in Santa Rosa to Alma (Dunham) and Beverly Roger Woodburn Gilmore and was raised in Berkeley with his two brothers. He was a true American and proudly served his country in the Marine Corps. in both World War II and Korea. To his dying day, he considered himself a Marine through and through. The first song we learned on the xylophone as toddlers was "From the Halls of Montezuma". We used to tease him and call him "The Great Santini" ... he was a very strict father - in a good way. He married our mother, Lila Danielson, in 1952 and they made their home in the Hollywood Hills, hosts to many a lively party. For many years, we would have two unknown soldiers at our Thanksgiving table. He would drive down to the USO and bring two lucky servicemen home to share the evening with us. He was a political fanatic and tried to sway everyone to his point of view. He loved his Scotch and water at 5:00 on the dot. Very proud of his Scottish heritage, he wore his tartan to show it, many times to our embarrassment. An avid aviator, he flew in the Marine Corps., then later for his personal pleasure. He worked for Howard Hughes at RKO when he began his film career upon his return from Korea. A highly successful production sound mixer, he was nominated for several sound awards including an Academy Award. He was a well-known character on the movie sets, always with a can of Spanish Peanuts on his mixing panel. He was active in I.A.T.S.E. Local 695 and for years operated Skyline Productions, his sound equipment rental company in Hollywood. He palled around with the likes of Errol Flynn, John Barrymore, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and Mickey Rooney, playing practical jokes on their friends and foes. He dated Marilyn Monroe :) If you asked him his religion, he would tell you, "I am a Mason" ... and he was for 50 years. He traveled the world, both on location and for adventure. He was an excellent marksman and loved cleaning his guns ... and his cars ... he went through boxes of Q-Tips keeping them pristine. Those of you who knew him were indeed blessed ... we were even more so to call him "Daddy". Our dad was a big personality, always telling the best stories and jokes with flawless accents. He led a full life. Most importantly, he loved his little girls and their families. He was proud of us and always made it known how happy he was to have raised two sisters who loved each other so much and laughed together daily. In addition to his daughters, Laurie Gilmore and Kelly Day (Robert), Deano is survived by his brother - Roger "Bob" Gilmore (Shirley), grandsons - Don Carlisi (Robyn) and Ryan King, granddaughter - Molly Ullman and great-grandson - Sidney King. A wake is scheduled at Conway's Irish Pub in San Diego (858.673.1782) on 11/23/10 at 12:00. Additional services are pending in Los Angeles at Van Nuys Airport. Please contact lalogi@mac.com for further information. In support of our troops, donations can be made to Move America Forward: moveamericaforward.org, PO Box 1497, Sacramento, CA 95812.
Semper Fi!