Tributes to movie executive Gareth Wigan filled the pages of Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, New York Times and international entertainment blogs when he passed away Feb. 13. He was a highly respected producer, studio executive and production chief at Sony Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox and partnered with Alan Ladd, Jr., Lucy Fisher and others.
I celebrate his life and contributions as a dedicated volunteer and strategic advisor to L.A. Youth. We met last year when he called to inquire about getting involved with us, not just sitting on the board to raise funds, but to participate in day-to-day programs we offer young journalists.
Last night there was a memorial service for Gareth at Sony Pictures. Tributes by top entertainment talent, clips from his many films and amusing stories by his children brought me to tears.
He never mentioned his distinguished career. We were too busy talking politics, L.A.’s high school drop-out crisis, his love of opera and my constant angst about raising money for L.A. Youth. We even branched out to share notes about our families.
Bluster and ego so often displayed by Hollywood executives was not his style. We will miss his quiet dignity and contribution to L.A. Youth.
About Me
- Don't Print That!
- Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1988 Hazelwood v Kuhlmeier decision that allowed school administrators to censor student newspapers, I conceived and launched L.A. Youth, the newspaper by and about teens. I planned and oversaw its growth into the most prominent youth publication in the country, with award-winning issues that serve a readership of 500,000 teens and adults throughout Los Angeles County. In 2003 I launched the Foster Youth Writing and Education Project to recruit and train youth to share their compelling personal stories with L.A. Youth readers. I use communication skills to serve as the voice of the publication with youth and other community organizations, educators, and policy makers and speak nationwide about youth issues.
No comments:
Post a Comment