ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, January 23, 1996 TAG: 9601230079
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: NEWS OBIT
SOURCE: CODY LOWE STAFF WRITER
JOHN GILBERT could smell a fire and a good story from miles away and was respected by the city's establishment, nonetheless.
John Gilbert, 63, one of the pioneer television journalists in Western Virginia, died Sunday. A family member said he died of a heart attack.
Gilbert started working at WSLS (Channel 10) in May 1953, just six months after the station went on the air, according to News Director Bill Foy. During the next 42 years, he covered the gamut of news events for the station, first as a photographer and later as a reporter. He retired in June.
Del. Clifton ``Chip'' Woodrum, D-Roanoke, a longtime friend of Gilbert's, recalled Monday that Gilbert was one of the first TV reporters to cover the General Assembly.
Gilbert covered a historic period in Virginia legislative history, and was an innovator in that coverage. For instance, Woodrum recalled that Gilbert covered the speech in which Gov. Lindsay Almond retreated from ``massive resistance,'' the official policy of resisting or circumventing federal law and court rulings requiring the desegregation of public schools.
Gilbert also was one of the first to film reports from inside the House of Delegates chamber, Woodrum said.
Gilbert loved covering politics and government and could be tenacious tracking a story, said former co-worker Ted Stone, now a news producer at WDBJ (Channel 7).
When former City Manager Byron Haner left suddenly during Gilbert's vacation, Stone said, city councilmen told reporters the manager's departure had been unexpected and regretted. Gilbert didn't buy that, Stone said, and when he returned to work, he eventually got council to admit it had fired Haner.
It was the kind of story that ``belonged on the record,'' Stone said, ``but might never have been made public without John's effort.''
``In many ways, John was one of the most skillful journalists I've ever known,'' Stone said, and one of the most generous in sharing those skills with his colleagues - especially young reporters still learning their craft.
Jane Gardner, now an anchor at WTKR (Channel 3) in Norfolk, said she ``learned so much from John'' working with him in 1974-75 at WSLS.
``He was always aware of what was going on around him,'' Gardner recalled. ``One day we came out of a restaurant in downtown Roanoke, and John sniffed the air, then looked around toward Mill Mountain.'' Seeing just a trace of smoke in that direction, they got in their car and headed for the mountaintop. Even before they arrived, Gilbert was able to radio the station that the Mill Mountain Playhouse was on fire.
``We were able to get film very early in the fire - some impressive pictures'' just because Gilbert was curious, Gardner said.
Most recently, Gilbert worked as an off-camera reporter keeping track of Roanoke courts, but his lifetime of experience was drawn on by the entire staff at WSLS to put stories in perspective, Foy said.
``He could just rattle off the history of an issue, explaining why it was important. He was such a wealth of information for the rest of us. Since his retirement, I can't count the times during our morning story meetings I've wanted to turn to John for background on one story or another.''
For years, Gilbert was part of a regular lunch group that included city officials, judges, legislators, lawyers and others.
``Sometimes they would tell him things they might not have been comfortable telling others,'' Foy said.
That luncheon assembly surprised Gilbert on his 50th birthday in 1982 with a party that included the proclamation of John Gilbert Day and a presentation of the key to the city by then-Mayor Noel Taylor.
Gilbert's retirement party last summer was a ``who's who of Roanoke dignitaries and celebrities,'' Foy said.
To people like Woodrum - a regular in the downtown lunch group - that relationship was as personal as it was professional.
``John was a good friend with a great sense of humor who will certainly be missed. He was a mighty good person.''
LENGTH: Medium: 77 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: (headshot) Gilbert. color.by CNB