James E. GANSER

24 FEB 1932 - 29 JAN 2023

• BIRTH: 24 FEB 1932, Mishawaka, St Joseph, IN
• DEATH: 29 JAN 2023, Home of the Good Shepherd in South Glens Falls, NY

INDEX

[N34381] James E. Ganser
February 24, 1932 January 29, 2023

James E. Ganser (Jim), 90, died of natural causes on January 29, 2023 at The Home of the Good Shepherd in South Glens Falls, NY. His wife, Vicky Eastwood, and two of his sons, L.J. and Gregory Ganser, were by his side as he passed from this world to the next. Born February 24, 1932, in Mishawaka, Indiana, Jim was the seventh and final child born to Aloysius and Mary (Bosworth) Ganser. A 1950 graduate of Mishawaka High School, Jim, in his own words, had struggled mightily for grades during that time, but while in attendance he discovered a deep love for communication arts and the theatre which would serve him well the rest of his life. Ironically, the young Jim Ganser, who had been told by his HS teachers that he might "never get out of this place" if he didn't shape up, was asked by the school's principal 22 years later to return to Mishawaka High as the keynote speaker for the graduating class of 1972! After high school, Jim enrolled at Indiana University (IU) in Bloomington graduating with a BA in Language Arts and Theatre. Post college Jim joined the US Army in 1954 and was stationed in Fort Knox, serving with the Third Armored Division. He was transferred to the public information office in Washington DC and while there he conceived and produced two radio shows; "Night Train to Churchill" which was tailored for US personnel stationed at Fort Churchill in freezing cold northern Manitoba and "The Army Band Show," which was syndicated to six army radio stations. For this work he was awarded The Army Commendation Medal in July 1957. However, he never received the actual, physical medal. In 2014 he wrote to the Army requesting what they had promised to him so long ago, and the medal was subsequently re-issued and presented to him fifty seven years later by US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. In 1958 Jim joined ABC News in Washington working as a deskman. In 1960 he joined a D.C. news film company. The 1960 presidential campaign was in full swing, and his first assignment was to snag an interview with a young Massachusetts Senator named John F. Kennedy. Jim was "shaking in his boots," during the talk but he must have done well because his next interview was with Senator Lyndon B. Johnson. Following LBJ was a chat with Vice President, Richard M. Nixon. A photographer had documented the interviews and Jim sent the photos to each of the three politicians for autographs. Kennedy and Johnson signed, but Nixon returned the 8x10 photo autograph-less. Jim rejoined ABC in 1961 as an Assignment Editor. In late November of 1963 he went without sleep for four consecutive days following the assassination of President Kennedy ensuring proper coverage of that historic event. It was his "baptism by fire" in the hectic world of breaking news. In 1967 he joined CBS News in New York City working as an associate producer with the CBS Morning News. Working the overnight shift, he was an integral part of the team which pulled together news stories and feeds from around the world delivering them every morning on deadline. He later moved to the CBS Weekend News and spent the last nine years of his journalism career creating "human interest" pieces for The Osgood file, voiced by anchor Charles Osgood. This new journalistic phase was a turn away from the hard news of his early career and a move towards unique, out of the way, stories about such oddities as the Salt Lake City Penny Stock Exchange, a national whistling convention, a 76-year-old Formula 4 race car driver, and a single elementary school where 13 sets of twins were simultaneously enrolled during the same school year.On the poignant side Jim crafted pieces about wrongful death row imprisonments, an NYC potter's field where over a million unknowns were buried, and the 25th anniversary of the erection of the Berlin Wall. In 1992 Jim retired from television news journalism to pursue the passion he first discovered at Mishawaka High School--acting. Hitting "the boards" at the age of 60 he performed in such shows as Man of La Mancha, Lend Me a Tenor, and To Kill a Mockingbird, among others. While barnstorming the country he auditioned for the Lake George Dinner Theatre in the spring of 1995. Not only did he land the job, but he also met his future wife, Vicky Eastwood, who happened to be the producer of the Lake George Dinner Theatre. It was a match made in heaven, as even William Shakespeare would have been hard pressed to concoct a more serendipitous meeting of two artistically aligned, available souls. Jim remained a news junkie his entire life. He was also an avid NY Yankees fan and he and Vicky, along with their golden retrievers, spent many a summer's evening catching the games on the porch of their woodsy Lake George home. Jim made a mean apple pie and some seriously tasty fried chicken which never made it to the fridge once it hit the serving platter. Jim is survived by his loving wife, Vicky, and their son David, (Jacklyn) and lively grandson Theo. Jim had been previously married to Anne N Ganser, with whom he had four sons. Three of those sons survive him; L.J. (Janet), grand-daughters, Lily and Georgia all of whom live in NYC, another son Greg (Jo) in Florida, and Chris living in Los Angeles. Terry, predeceased Jim by a year and Cara, Jim's daughter in law who had been married to Terry also survives him along with grandchildren, TJ (Grady), Elyssa, Jenna, and Ava. Interment will take place 1:00 p.m. on May 19, 2023 at the Gerald B.H. Solomon National Cemetery in Saratoga with a Celebration of Life to follow in Lake George. In lieu of flowers those who wish to make a contribution in Jim's name may do so at "The SPCA of Upstate New York," 588 Queensbury Avenue, Queensbury, NY 12804 (www.spcauny.org) or "Doctors Without Borders," (James Ganser Account) PO Box 5030, Hagerstown, MD 21741 (www.Doctorswithoutborders.com). A very special note of thanks goes out to the fine people who staff The Home of the Good Shepherd in South Glens Falls, NY. Jim spent the last eight months of his life receiving extraordinary and loving care while residing in that warm and welcoming home away from home. Jim's family is grateful to the moon and back for all the kind attention and service which the staff bestowed upon him as he lived out his final days. For those who wish a special remembrance can be made to the family by visiting www.sbfuneralhome.com.
Arrangements under the care of Singleton Sullivan Potter Funeral Home, 407 Bay Road, Queensbury.