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David Lee Gaillard (1967 - 2011)
February 4, 2012
David Lee Gaillard, 44, a devoted father, husband and committed environmentalist, died in an avalanche near Yellowstone National Park on Dec. 31, 2011, while backcountry skiing with his wife Kerry.
David was born on May 5, 1967, in Greenwich, Conn. to Katharine and William Gaillard, the third of four boys in his family. His love for the outdoors grew through summers backpacking in the Adirondacks of upper New York state, where as a teen he summited all 46 peaks over 4,000 feet. He was equally at home on the water and taught small boat sailing in Long Island Sound. An avid windsurfer, he delighted when strong winds swept the Sound.
After graduating from Williams College in 1989 with a degree in English, he headed west, settling in Bozeman after a short stint in Crested Butte Colo. In Bozeman, he became active in regional environmental issues, first working to protect grizzly bears with the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. He returned east to earn his master's in Environmental Studies at Yale School of Forestry in 1997 before heading back to Bozeman. Throughout the rest of his life, the northern Rockies were David's passion and his home.
In late 1997, David joined Predator Conservation Alliance (now Keystone Conservation), first as program administrator and later as interim director. Beginning in 2007, he worked at Defenders of Wildlife as their Northern Rockies Representative. Throughout his career David's passion was focused on threatened and endangered species, which he recognized as key indicators of ecosystem health. Realizing that the more prominent grizzlies and wolves of Greater Yellowstone already had an active human voice, he dedicated his work and considerable energy and talent to protecting lesser-known predators including the wolverine, Canada lynx, fisher, and pine marten.
In 1996, David married Marianne Filloux, and their daughter Marguerite was born in 2000. On vacations to southern California, David developed a love for surfing, which culminated in an extended family camping trip down the Baja peninsula. Over the course of that three-month trip David was able to surf almost every day, often on pristine beaches.
After his first marriage ended in divorce, David met and subsequently married Kerry Corcoran in 2010 and welcomed her children Sam and Silver into his life with Marguerite.
David understood better than most the need to bring together diverse and often conflicting points of view on divisive environmental topics, such as the re-introduction of wolves into the Yellowstone ecosystem. He spent much of his time in local communities, giving presentations about environmental issues and enlisting support from ordinary citizens. Frequently, his listeners had strongly different points of view but David had the courage to stand in front of them in open dialog, and his calm manner, careful listening and strong intellect helped bridge gaps in understanding.
Throughout his life David loved nothing better than to traverse the wild country of the Northern Rockies, whether on skis, bike, canoe or foot, exploring new drainages, climbing new peaks, and relishing the wide open spaces. He was equally capable with home remodeling projects and being a part of the community. David served on the board of directors of Wild Things Unlimited and was active with the Craighead Institute. He was an active member of the Bozeman community, serving as co-president of the Irving School parent council, tutoring elementary school math and leading field trips.
David inspired his family and friends with his gentle, generous and enthusiastic approach to life. David's firebrand-colored hair belied his calm spirit. His sense of playfulness and impish fun allowed him to pull off wearing a pink and white striped shirt, eye-rolling puns, and many a well-loved caper. He was truly a special and wonderful young man, and will be deeply missed.
David is survived by his daughter, Marguerite (11); his wife, Kerry and her children, Sam Brelsford (17) and Silver Brelsford (15); parents, Katharine and William Gaillard; brothers Andrew, Thomas and Jeffrey; and Marguerite's mother Marianne Filloux.
Family and friends will gather at 2 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 6 at Springhill Pavilion to remember David. The service will be outdoors on packed snow, so guests are asked to dress accordingly. An indoor reception will follow the service.
The family requests that donations in lieu of flowers be made online atwww.defenders.org/dgmemorial, or by check to Defenders of Wildlife, P.O. Box 1336, Bozeman MT 59771. Donations should reference 'In Memory of David L. Gaillard.' All contributions received will be directed by Defenders of Wildlife to Wild Things Unlimited and other local programs close to David's heart. Please share memories, celebrations and condolences via Facebook on a tribute page titled "Remembering Dave Gaillard."
David Lee Gaillard, 44, a devoted father, husband and committed environmentalist, died in an avalanche near Yellowstone National Park on Dec. 31, 2011, while backcountry skiing with his wife Kerry.
David was born on May 5, 1967, in Greenwich, Conn. to Katharine and William Gaillard, the third of four boys in his family. His love for the outdoors grew through summers backpacking in the Adirondacks of upper New York state, where as a teen he summited all 46 peaks over 4,000 feet. He was equally at home on the water and taught small boat sailing in Long Island Sound. An avid windsurfer, he delighted when strong winds swept the Sound.
After graduating from Williams College in 1989 with a degree in English, he headed west, settling in Bozeman after a short stint in Crested Butte Colo. In Bozeman, he became active in regional environmental issues, first working to protect grizzly bears with the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. He returned east to earn his master's in Environmental Studies at Yale School of Forestry in 1997 before heading back to Bozeman. Throughout the rest of his life, the northern Rockies were David's passion and his home.
In late 1997, David joined Predator Conservation Alliance (now Keystone Conservation), first as program administrator and later as interim director. Beginning in 2007, he worked at Defenders of Wildlife as their Northern Rockies Representative. Throughout his career David's passion was focused on threatened and endangered species, which he recognized as key indicators of ecosystem health. Realizing that the more prominent grizzlies and wolves of Greater Yellowstone already had an active human voice, he dedicated his work and considerable energy and talent to protecting lesser-known predators including the wolverine, Canada lynx, fisher, and pine marten.
In 1996, David married Marianne Filloux, and their daughter Marguerite was born in 2000. On vacations to southern California, David developed a love for surfing, which culminated in an extended family camping trip down the Baja peninsula. Over the course of that three-month trip David was able to surf almost every day, often on pristine beaches.
After his first marriage ended in divorce, David met and subsequently married Kerry Corcoran in 2010 and welcomed her children Sam and Silver into his life with Marguerite.
David understood better than most the need to bring together diverse and often conflicting points of view on divisive environmental topics, such as the re-introduction of wolves into the Yellowstone ecosystem. He spent much of his time in local communities, giving presentations about environmental issues and enlisting support from ordinary citizens. Frequently, his listeners had strongly different points of view but David had the courage to stand in front of them in open dialog, and his calm manner, careful listening and strong intellect helped bridge gaps in understanding.
Throughout his life David loved nothing better than to traverse the wild country of the Northern Rockies, whether on skis, bike, canoe or foot, exploring new drainages, climbing new peaks, and relishing the wide open spaces. He was equally capable with home remodeling projects and being a part of the community. David served on the board of directors of Wild Things Unlimited and was active with the Craighead Institute. He was an active member of the Bozeman community, serving as co-president of the Irving School parent council, tutoring elementary school math and leading field trips.
David inspired his family and friends with his gentle, generous and enthusiastic approach to life. David's firebrand-colored hair belied his calm spirit. His sense of playfulness and impish fun allowed him to pull off wearing a pink and white striped shirt, eye-rolling puns, and many a well-loved caper. He was truly a special and wonderful young man, and will be deeply missed.
David is survived by his daughter, Marguerite (11); his wife, Kerry and her children, Sam Brelsford (17) and Silver Brelsford (15); parents, Katharine and William Gaillard; brothers Andrew, Thomas and Jeffrey; and Marguerite's mother Marianne Filloux.
Family and friends will gather at 2 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 6 at Springhill Pavilion to remember David. The service will be outdoors on packed snow, so guests are asked to dress accordingly. An indoor reception will follow the service.
The family requests that donations in lieu of flowers be made online atwww.defenders.org/dgmemorial, or by check to Defenders of Wildlife, P.O. Box 1336, Bozeman MT 59771. Donations should reference 'In Memory of David L. Gaillard.' All contributions received will be directed by Defenders of Wildlife to Wild Things Unlimited and other local programs close to David's heart. Please share memories, celebrations and condolences via Facebook on a tribute page titled "Remembering Dave Gaillard."
Published in Bozeman Daily Chronicle on January 4, 2012
A. Edward Blackmar Fund at the Adirondack Community Trust (ACT)
An endowment fund was established by Ted's family in 2007 in honor of his love of the Adirondack Mountains.
Annually, gifts are made from the trust to support non-profit organizations closest to Ted's interests such as, the Adirondack Mountain Club, the Adirondack Museum, the Wild Center (Museum of the Adirondacks), and the Nature Conservancy/Adirondack Land Trust.
At present, Polly and Bengt Ohman meet yearly with officers of ACT to apportion these gifts. When the Ohmans are no longer involved, the ACT board will continue making annual contributions to the same organizations.
A check may be mailed to: A. Edward Blackmar Fund, Adirondack Community Trust, PO Box 288, Lake Placid, NY 12946.
A credit card gift may be made online through the Network for Good, www.GenerousACT.org -- click on "Make A Gift".
Ted's family is deeply appreciative of your gift in his memory.
A. Edward ‘Ted’ Blackmar III M.D.
September 29, 2010
SARANAC LAKE - A. Edward "Ted" Blackmar III, M.D., 88, of Camp Forestcraft on Upper Saranac Lake, died Sept. 26, 2010 at Meadowbrook Health Care in Plattsburgh.
Born in Scarsdale on Jan. 16, 1922, he was the only son of Abel Edward and Dorothy (Bernard) Blackmar Jr.
Ted graduated from Hamilton College and New York Medical School, practicing as resident physician at the Peddie and Lawrenceville schools in central New Jersey until he retired to his camp in the Adirondacks Mountains in 1973.Ted served in the Navy during World War II and in the Korean War as medical officer with the 1st Marine Division on the front lines as well as at the Portsmouth Naval Hospital.
The Adirondack Mountains were the light of Ted's life.Unmarried, his children were many - the boys and girls who attended the summer camp he founded in 1948 on Gilpin Bay, and in whose lives his legacy rests. Camp Forestcraft, a unique outdoor camp and family resort, offered children 12 through 16 years of age the opportunity to make decisions for themselves.There was no regimen such as archery, crafts, etc., but weekly camping trips into the woods, the mountains, lakes and rivers Ted knew and loved so well were organized by the campers and their counselors. Campers, too, were expected to contribute to the running of the camp through work assignments.
Tributes from former campers are many, and one local gentleman who is a former camper wrote, "You are a champ, Ted, and you mean the world to me ... you have touched my life profoundly."Ted's daily "lectures" from before the fireplace following meals enlightened some and were soporific for others, but were always a source of wisdom from a man whose goal was to form young people into productive and ethical adults.
Ted's love of the Adirondacks was nurtured during his early years at Lake Clear Inn and through his close friendships with year-round residents, Ted and Gertrude Peete and the Bill Wardners.Ted's grandfather, at the age of 18 years in 1870, wrote a diary of his experiences in the Great North Woods, a copy of which is in the Saranac Lake Free Library's Adirondack Room.
A world traveler, Ted hiked in Patagonia, the European Alps, New Zealand, the High Sierras, five treks in the Nepalese Himalayas and more, as well as more than 30 canoe trips in Canada with his camp groups.His color photographs and slides are vibrant depictions of landscapes throughout the world.In Nepal, he met his close friend, Mary Brumder, who predeceased him in 1999.
Ted is survived by his sister, Polly Ohman, and her husband, Bengt, of Lake Clear.He is also survived by 11 nieces and nephews including Kinna Ohman of Goshen, Vt. and Peter Ohman of Bozeman, Mont.His sisters, Anne and Joan, predeceased him.
Ted's ashes will be interred in the Harrietstown Cemetery near Saranac Lake, and a gathering in his memory will be held at a later date.Memorial donations may be made to the A. Edward Blackmar Fund and mailed to Adirondack Community Trust, P.O. Box 288, Lake Placid, NY 12946.Funeral arrangements are in care of the Fortune-Keough Funeral Home in Saranac Lake.
Rub-be Danielle – “Bobby”
February 19, 2009
SARANAC LAKE - Rub-be Danielle, known to his many friends as Bobby, died Saturday, Jan. 31, 2009, at Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital in Plattsburgh. He had resided and been well cared for at Meadowbrook Health Care facility in Plattsburgh for three years.
Born on March 23, 1919, Bobby lived in Philadelphia as a young boy. At 16, in the middle of the Great Depression, he left home to find work. Bobby cooked in large metropolitan areas along the Atlantic seaboard, and in Baltimore worked at the Hilltop Diner, known for the best crab cakes in the city. This restaurant was the role model for the diner in the 1982 movie, "Diner." He also worked for the Pennsylvania Railroad.
Bobby later worked for A. Edward "Ted" Blackmar, serving as chef in Dr. Blackmar's infirmary at the Lawrenceville School in Lawrenceville, N.J. In 1965, Bobby spent his first summer in the Adirondacks as a cook at Camp Forestcraft, founded by Ted in 1948. Beyond serving thousands of delicious meals to hungry campers and summer guests, Bobby will be remembered as a friend to any person who visited Forestcraft and stepped into his kitchen.
As his career in the kitchen came to a close, Bobby chose to stay in his beloved Adirondacks, retiring to one of the camp's winterized cabins. Living a simple life, he loved reading and music, kept a small plot of container tomatoes on his porch during the warmer months, and provided loving care to a mutually devoted, equally independent cat named Meaghan for close to twenty years. Bobby's home was always open to visitors, and every one of us will always remember his huge grin and warm welcome when we stepped through his door.
When no longer able to care for himself, he moved to Meadowbrook, keeping active as much as possible - welcoming visitors and calling close friends every day. Bobby was especially interested in the 2008 presidential election. He watched the television coverage with keen attention. He recently related to one of his frequent visitors that the two biggest highlights of his life were seeing the desegregation of Baltimore and the election of a black U.S. president.
Bobby's burial will be at the Harrietstown Cemetery in the spring. A gathering in his honor will be held during the summer at Camp Forestcraft. Funeral arrangements are in care of the Fortune-Keough Funeral Home in Saranac Lake.
