George Turnure Griswold, Jr.

George Turnure Griswold, Jr., age 66, of Metairie, LA, passed away at his home on Saturday, August 12, 2023. George is survived by his wife of 31 years, Tracy Tooker Griswold. Born in Erie, PA, on May 29, 1957, he was the son of the late George Turnure Griswold and Dorothy Dunn Griswold.

George was a 1975 graduate of Brooks School in North Andover, MA, where he was an oarsman for their rowing team. He graduated in 1979 from Trinity College in Hartford, CT, with a B.A. in English and a minor in Studio Arts - Visual and Written Communication. George then followed his interest and heart and was successful for the next 44 years.

George was employed as a videographer and editor from 1981-2000 with KRON-TV in California. One of his fascinating assignments was when he, as Videographer-Producer, and Mark Jones, as Reporter-Producer, were sent to Thailand in 1998. Their assignment was to produce a documentary about parents selling their daughters into the sex trade. Over the years, George's work gained recognition, and he received numerous Emmy nominations and awards from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Radio and Television News Directors Association. Honors were a 1982 Emmy Nomination: "Machine Guns," Mike O'Connor, Reporter and George Griswold, Jr., Producer (KRON TV); 1986 Emmy Winner for Outstanding Achievement News Feature: "TV Strikes Back," Wayne Freedman, Reporter and George Griswold, Jr., Photographer-Editor;1986 Emmy Nomination Outstanding Achievement Editing: "TV Strikes Back," George T. Griswold, Jr., Editor; 1995 Radio and Television News Directors Association Best Feature Reporting: "Secrets of Tahoe," Mark Jones, Reporter and George Griswold, Jr., Photographer-Producer.

Those who knew George professionally remember him as "the free thinker who taught me to ask, 'Why not?' and then to act on it;" he "was art and life combined, spontaneous;" " a sobering loss of such a wonderful soul, and a bright, burning, life energy;" "a gifted photographer who was brilliant in the field;" "the soul of a poet, the eye of an artist;" "funny, smart, educated;" "always admired his enthusiasm and individuality;" "such a principled, talented person;" "he made art and technology come together;" "shocking, he was the guy too full of life not to be here;" "he was a renaissance guy who seemed to be able to do anything with unbridled enthusiasm."

George's move to New Orleans, LA, in 1999, offered a solid technical background for the beginning of his career as Video Director of Photography as owner and operator for his business, Video Now. Among others, his broadcast, cable, and corporate clients have included HGTV, CNN, NBC, CBS, Food Network, Inside the NFL, and Sundance Channel; Stryker Medical, Microsoft, ExxonMobil, Chevron, Miller Brewing, and Shell Oil; others were interviews, magazine, and news segments for national networks, as well as for corporate clients producing, shooting, and editing packages relevant for training and presentation videos. George's creative side explored the obvious and the unique, all allowing him to finally create his own vision in a most successful way. He always said that quality was the only way he knew how to work with a positive attitude and creative approach to every project.

Throughout George's life, his passions were varied:

In his childhood, of most importance was his dog, Gus; then at eight, he began his photography by building a makeshift darkroom in the basement and earning money with neighborhood odd jobs to buy his first camera; his curiosity in tinkering projects began in the property's barn. Annual family July 4th cannon shoots over Lake Erie, begun in the late 1880s by the Griswold family; an early interest in M-80s and Cherry Bombs; and the annual autumn cider presses, complete with worms. Driving his grandmother's buckboard was always a thrill; researching, documenting, and collecting the family's history with the Griswold Manufacturing Company in Erie, PA, whose cast iron production began in 1865. Who can forget his comprehensive Griswold pan collection displayed in the basement, started in his elementary school years, and that he so proudly showed off to anyone who entered the kitchen. And then there was the pure joy of overnight camping with his pals on the family's Lake Erie beach - no tent, only the stars!

As a young adult, his eye and artistic senses sharpened and deepened with his photography; tinkering with gathered or broken miscellaneous electronic pieces and gadgets took him to new levels with audio tube amplifiers, rebuilding and restoring turntables to perfection, and amassing multiple shelves of unrecognizable objects to a novice's eye; woodworking became another pursuit as he learned to use new tools and his father's lathe. George continued his fascination with pyrotechnics in general. Because of his limitless curiosity and drive, he gained a broad base of knowledge and expertise in various directions which carried him well into the future.

Further into his adult years, his passion for photography and video work led him to the beginning of a challenging and fulfilling career with KRON-TV in California; he found pure joy with his generations of beloved Dalmatians. Above all, George cherished and was devoted to his wife, Tracy. She adored him, "I love George with my whole heart, my whole soul, and my whole being. He was my everything. We met on October 1, 1988, and we have been like peas in a pod since." Over the years, they shared their love of music, wine, cooking, friendships, fine dining, enjoying that good New Orleans food, and spending a lot of "quality and so much fun time together."

But the very personal side of George is what his family and close friends loved best. George will be remembered for how he lit up a room and brought a breath of fresh air to gatherings with his quirky sense of humor and unique character that generated a spirit with those around him, for his sharp wit, intelligence, a ready and ironic quip, and an unassuming presence. His talent and creative vision would effortlessly capture beautiful and sensitive photographs of anything that caught his keen eye, including the interiors of abandoned manufacturing sites. This particular interest began when he was eight; his first published photograph was as early as junior high school. Sharing lively views on his Facebook page, they encompassed everything from art and culture to environmental causes to politics and world history. As he strove toward a different aspect from what was the usual, he was known to follow the "off the beaten path" vision. His enthusiasm, individuality, and ability to challenge the impossible is what carried him from a "no" to a "yes" throughout his career. His free spirit was always indefatigable, endearing, loving, and supportive.

George is survived by his three sisters, Susan Carol Griswold, Montclair, VA, Carolyn Griswold Dixon (W. Randall Dixon), Salt Lake City, UT, and Rebecca Dumars Griswold (Antonio Caruso), Liverpool, NY. He is also survived by nieces and nephews, Matthew Treter, Sarah Treter Landry, Jamison Fargo, Lydia Treter Bravo, Aaron Fargo, Caroline Rung Elsas, and Ian Rung. In addition to his parents, George was preceded in death by a nephew, Mark Rung.

The family would like to thank friends and extended family for the above shared memories.

Funeral arrangements are private. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the World Central Kitchen, founded by Jos? Andr?s. Donating options:

* Go to the online site at donate.wck.org; to donate in memory of George, click the check box next to "Dedicate my donation . . . "

* Or with a check payable to World Central Kitchen, Attention: Donor Services, 200 Moss Avenue NW, 7th Floor, Washington, DC 20001

* Or by PayPal or Venmo by donating directly to @worldcentralkitchen