I knew Gus Willmorth from two perspectives -
Computers and Music.
From the Computer side:
As an industrial psychologist during the 50's and 60's Gus helped design
and create the computerized SAGE air defense system so that people could
easily communicate with it. This happened at Systems Development Corporation
in Santa Monica, where I worked as a neophyte programmer in the mid 60's.
Systems Development colleague Jerry Koory says, "He was one of the nicest
psychologists that we had at SDC. A very unpretentious person."
He also worked for Litton Data systems in the San Fernando Valley.
From the Music side:
At the Valley Dixieland Jazz Club in Canoga Park.:
Gus was the president and I worked on his staff. At the monthly board
meeting he was quite easy going; so much so that sometimes we had to call
him at home the night of the meeting to remind him to come.
Other members of his recent staff are Margaret Teagarden, June Cisternino,
Jackie Stone, Ed Stauss and my wife Addie. To give you the flavor of this
very relaxed activity - we would all sit around the table with our tea
or coffee and cake and talk about personal things between doing our club
duties.
Those of you who came to our first Sunday of the month music sessions
saw Gus working the audio mixer, but he did much more. Gus would arrive
first, very early with his son David, to set up the microphones, cables,
mixer and speakers. - a lot of work, as Chuck Conklin demonstrated on the
first occasion that Gus was not there.
Addie and I saw Gus at our home once a month when he came over to get
the Dixie Beat Newsletter masters printed on our computer - he was a also
the editor. Right from the start we found it agreeable to sit at the family-room
table over a pot of coffee for about and hour talking about everything.
He particularly liked the coffee because it was very strong. He was pleased
to discover that I was also an avid reader of Scientific American magazine.
In fact, Gus was at our home just the week before he died where he told
us what a great enjoyment he got from his recent drive to Seattle and Wenatchee,
Washington where he visited with relatives. I also got to meet his wife
Jeanie at the home on several occasions while working on the Dixie Beat.
At the Sweet and Hot Jazz Festival
Gus was in charge of putting together the Program brochure - as a volunteer,
of course.
At the LAX Marriot over Labor Day weekend, Gus was more visible
as the man who ran the audio mixer in the Hangover Room.
For years he stationed himself in a corner just to one side of the
bandstand, quietly playing his part in getting that superb music to my
ears which sometimes was so good that it brought tears to my eyes.
Ragtime:
Gus had another music he loved - Ragtime. As Gene and Betty
Lynch wrote for the Dixieland Jazz Email List:
"Gus was ... producer of 'Something Doing.'" the local ragtime newsletter;
a frequent contributor to the Rag Times, the magazine of the Maple Leaf
Club, and to the American Rag. He was ... very active in the Maple Leaf
and
Roseleaf ragtime clubs and the
Sedalia and
Sacramento
ragtime festivals.
I know that Gus will be missed by a lot of us.
Addendum (from Darrell):
Before Gus received his Ph.D. degree in psychology from the University
of Southern California, he served in the army. At USC he met one of his
most long-lasting friends, Nieson Himmel. Nieson was a crime reporter for
the LA Times until his recent death. Nieson was very close to the family.
Even though it may seem incongruous for a psychologist to work in the
aerospace industry, it was the strong background in statistics that psychology
gave him, that made it possible for him to work with early computers in
designing guidance systems.
Gus' love for Ragtime and Dixieland was legendary, even though he did
not play an instrument. He was one of the founding members of the Maple
Leaf Club, Valley Dixieland Jazz Club and the
Roseleaf Club.
He tape-recorded
probably thousands of hours of concerts and informal playing over the years.
He began with reel-to-reel tapes (or perhaps even wire recordings). His
latest equipment was a very nice DAT recorder.
Gus was one of a kind. I never saw him angry in the 20 years that I
knew him. He gave so much of himself, whether it was Boy Scouts where he
served for 15 years as Scoutmaster or supplying needed equipment for musical
events.
I felt it was a privilege to know Gus for the time that I did.
He will certainly be missed by all who knew him.
