Please take a moment to share your memories of Geoff, and to read the memories shared by others. To protect against spam, messages will be approved before getting posted to the thread.
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18 entries.
wrote on December 3, 2024
at
8:51 pm
I first met Geoff Dills at WUSA, at that time, many, many years ago, it went by WDVM – the District, Virginia and Maryland. But then this is the nations capitol, so it became WUSA,. Anyway, I had came to DC to work their as an editor at the new PM Magazine show. Geoff came shortly after, hired as a cinematographer, I mean Videographer, in the Public Affairs and Documentary Department. It wasn't long till we became acquainted. Geoff was a big guy, he hefted around those heavy Ikegami cameras like they weighed practically nothing. And he was quite the videographer.
At that time I soon discovered that Geoff and Cathy lives very close to me in Silver Spring, Md. Cook outs and visits became common, The boys, Andy and Brian were quite young then and a joy to be around.
As many in the TV production business, we both moved on. I to NBC 4, after a year at channel 9. Geoff too moved over to the Channel 4 building, he to TVSD, an NBC group of stations, joining Estell Dillion and the tireless Steve Handlesman as the reporter and I to local TV 4 news. House moves occurred as well…I to Capitol Hill and Geoff and family to Lake Linganore up near Frederick, Maryland,.
I think Geoff was free lancing at that time. I so enjoyed my visits to their lakeside place. An ideal place to raise 2 boys. I think my most enjoyable time there was heading over to a shoreline nearby (or was it a creek?) that had a rope swing over the water. Yep, these two middle aged dudes swing out over the water and dropping 20 feet or so into the old water! Damn, that was fun. And delicious barbecue afterwards. At the time one of his boys , Andy, was one heck of a high school football player. Geoff had shot video of he and his team and asked me to edit the footage, (er ah video, footage being a “film” term!!). And after finishing it, Andy had all his teammates autograph that seasons winning football and presented it to me as a thank you! I still have that football……and have been searching for my copy of the video for days now. I do hope Andy still has it…i would love to see it again.
I think what drew us close was our mutual love for video – he more of a shooter and me much more the editor. Since he worked for a different division at NBC, even though in the same building, I never had the opportunity to edit his stuff. Ah, those were great days to be in TV news. Not so much I think in today's “news” environment. Geoff would be just as appalled at some of what goes on today as I. Both of us were true to News and to our receptive crafts.
I am somewhat reluctant to mention this, but while living at Lake Linganore, Geoff became very ill. Treatment left him but a shell of his old self. I made frequent trips to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore where he spent some time hospitalized. Recovery was extremely difficult…his appetite ruined and the weight loss becoming pretty bad. But Geoff was a fighter – he would not give up – he needed to do whatever was necessary to keep going – for Cathy and the boys…even if (at the time) was illegal. One of the great benefits of marijuana is it’s ability to lesson nausea dramatically, stimulating appetite. Geoff was in no condition to “acquire” the only “medication” that would help him. In steps myself as his “supplier”. Im had no idea how the heck to get a hold of the stuff so I asked around my pool playing buddies for a source. To make a long story short, I found a “contact” in Frederick, Md, met the dude in a parking lot behind an old apartment building, purchased the “medicine”, stuck it in a coke bottle with the lid tightly on – I was so terrified of being stopped for a traffic violation. Geoff slowly started eating again …even though the medicine wasn’t totally effective. He was not going to leave Cathy and Brian and Andy. I would do it all over again.
Geoff recovered, gained much of the weight back and was once again shooting video. That was quite awhile ago. Geoff lived to see both of his boys married and the joy of his grand children. As happens to many of us as we grow older we tend to lose contact with those we knew and grew friendships with. I am no exception. I wish we had stayed in better contact – I never saw his grand kids. Cathy will miss him, Brian and Andy and the little ones will miss him. So will I.
At that time I soon discovered that Geoff and Cathy lives very close to me in Silver Spring, Md. Cook outs and visits became common, The boys, Andy and Brian were quite young then and a joy to be around.
As many in the TV production business, we both moved on. I to NBC 4, after a year at channel 9. Geoff too moved over to the Channel 4 building, he to TVSD, an NBC group of stations, joining Estell Dillion and the tireless Steve Handlesman as the reporter and I to local TV 4 news. House moves occurred as well…I to Capitol Hill and Geoff and family to Lake Linganore up near Frederick, Maryland,.
I think Geoff was free lancing at that time. I so enjoyed my visits to their lakeside place. An ideal place to raise 2 boys. I think my most enjoyable time there was heading over to a shoreline nearby (or was it a creek?) that had a rope swing over the water. Yep, these two middle aged dudes swing out over the water and dropping 20 feet or so into the old water! Damn, that was fun. And delicious barbecue afterwards. At the time one of his boys , Andy, was one heck of a high school football player. Geoff had shot video of he and his team and asked me to edit the footage, (er ah video, footage being a “film” term!!). And after finishing it, Andy had all his teammates autograph that seasons winning football and presented it to me as a thank you! I still have that football……and have been searching for my copy of the video for days now. I do hope Andy still has it…i would love to see it again.
I think what drew us close was our mutual love for video – he more of a shooter and me much more the editor. Since he worked for a different division at NBC, even though in the same building, I never had the opportunity to edit his stuff. Ah, those were great days to be in TV news. Not so much I think in today's “news” environment. Geoff would be just as appalled at some of what goes on today as I. Both of us were true to News and to our receptive crafts.
I am somewhat reluctant to mention this, but while living at Lake Linganore, Geoff became very ill. Treatment left him but a shell of his old self. I made frequent trips to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore where he spent some time hospitalized. Recovery was extremely difficult…his appetite ruined and the weight loss becoming pretty bad. But Geoff was a fighter – he would not give up – he needed to do whatever was necessary to keep going – for Cathy and the boys…even if (at the time) was illegal. One of the great benefits of marijuana is it’s ability to lesson nausea dramatically, stimulating appetite. Geoff was in no condition to “acquire” the only “medication” that would help him. In steps myself as his “supplier”. Im had no idea how the heck to get a hold of the stuff so I asked around my pool playing buddies for a source. To make a long story short, I found a “contact” in Frederick, Md, met the dude in a parking lot behind an old apartment building, purchased the “medicine”, stuck it in a coke bottle with the lid tightly on – I was so terrified of being stopped for a traffic violation. Geoff slowly started eating again …even though the medicine wasn’t totally effective. He was not going to leave Cathy and Brian and Andy. I would do it all over again.
Geoff recovered, gained much of the weight back and was once again shooting video. That was quite awhile ago. Geoff lived to see both of his boys married and the joy of his grand children. As happens to many of us as we grow older we tend to lose contact with those we knew and grew friendships with. I am no exception. I wish we had stayed in better contact – I never saw his grand kids. Cathy will miss him, Brian and Andy and the little ones will miss him. So will I.
wrote on October 22, 2024
at
1:33 am
We are connected to Geoff through our nephews, Carson and Jack. We always enjoyed talking to him at their football and soccer games and birthdays. His memory lives on in everything he gave. He was a kind, thoughtful, creative man. We looked forward to the calendars he made for his grandkids every Christmas, highlighting memorable moments he shared with them each month. He was a fun Grandpa and will be missed by many people, including us, Kellie & Phil.
wrote on October 21, 2024
at
2:43 pm
My heart is broken upon hearing the news about Geoff's passing and I hope this makes some sense…
Cathy and I have been friends and former Florida colleagues for years, and I first met Geoff at their wedding. While distance kept us apart for decades, I was reacquainted with the Dills when they returned to the DC area. Geoff and I eventually worked within NBC on Capitol Hill for years and it's there I came to know him as a kind, wonderful and brilliant man – a gentle warrior. My day was always brighter when I had the chance to spend a few minutes with Geoff and we all will greatly miss his presence in our lives. My love to Cathy and his family.
Cathy and I have been friends and former Florida colleagues for years, and I first met Geoff at their wedding. While distance kept us apart for decades, I was reacquainted with the Dills when they returned to the DC area. Geoff and I eventually worked within NBC on Capitol Hill for years and it's there I came to know him as a kind, wonderful and brilliant man – a gentle warrior. My day was always brighter when I had the chance to spend a few minutes with Geoff and we all will greatly miss his presence in our lives. My love to Cathy and his family.
wrote on October 15, 2024
at
7:36 pm
I feel lucky to have worked with Geoff for the past decade at CNBC. His positivity, excitement to tackle new challenges, and his calm under pressure made him such a delightful colleague. Hearing him answer the phone, "Hey kiddo!" as I called asking to crash a SOT or find me some archival video would instantly calm my nerves because I knew I was in good hands. But what I will remember most about Geoff are our conversations about life, his childhood living abroad as a teen in Holland, his excitement when he learned he was becoming a grandpa! His joyful smile as he shared photos of his kids and grandkids watching each milestone with such pride! My family visited the office once and had the pleasure of meeting Geoff. My mom reminded me of that day and how lovely it was to sit and chat with him. Geoff was personable, inviting and really interesting to talk to. I'm really grateful to have known him.
wrote on October 14, 2024
at
2:58 pm
Geoff was my uncle, married to my aunt Cathy, and he had a huge impact on my life, especially as I was figuring out my path. Geoff had an incredibly open-minded, adventurous energy. He and Cathy were my only relatives who worked in entertainment, and I remember them constantly chasing stories and staying inspired. They showed me that it was possible to live a life pursuing creative dreams, and that was huge for me, especially when I was just starting to figure out what I could do in the creative industries. They lived in an exciting world that was so different from what I had grown up around.
I’ll never forget my first trip to California to visit Geoff. He was living in LA, working on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, and Cathy was making trips back and forth from DC. I slept on an air mattress in his living room, and we hung out, exploring LA and talking about the entertainment business. That trip was also where I started drinking coffee. Geoff had an obsessive passion for making it just right and was particularly fond for Trader Joe's blend, a business he constantly extolled the virtues of. He used a burr grinder and insisted that was the only way to get the perfect cup. At first, I hated it, but by the end of the trip, I was hooked on black coffee. To this day, I still drink it the same way, and I sometimes think of Geoff when I grind my coffee beans — using a burr grinder, of course.
I was lucky enough to spend more time with Geoff and Cathy in my early 20s. They traveled with my band for a few months and even filmed a music video for us that ended up on the front page of MySpace for a few days (back when that actually mattered!). It was amazing to have them there for that era, understanding and supporting the weird, unpredictable life of a 22-year-old musician on the road. They didn’t judge—they just got it. Geoff understood that you could create your own path, and that was a powerful thing to have in my corner. And we all had a lot of fun together. I know my old bandmates feel the same way.
Eventually, I ended up moving to Los Angeles myself, and every time I found myself driving down Wilshire, crossing over Beverly Glenn or passing the Ralph’s we visited together, I got a wonderful hit of nostalgia. He and Cathy taught me to believe in the pursuit of interesting things and to stay excited about life. Geoff had a huge impact on who I am today, and I’m going to miss him, but I’m grateful for everything he brought into my life.
I’ll never forget my first trip to California to visit Geoff. He was living in LA, working on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, and Cathy was making trips back and forth from DC. I slept on an air mattress in his living room, and we hung out, exploring LA and talking about the entertainment business. That trip was also where I started drinking coffee. Geoff had an obsessive passion for making it just right and was particularly fond for Trader Joe's blend, a business he constantly extolled the virtues of. He used a burr grinder and insisted that was the only way to get the perfect cup. At first, I hated it, but by the end of the trip, I was hooked on black coffee. To this day, I still drink it the same way, and I sometimes think of Geoff when I grind my coffee beans — using a burr grinder, of course.
I was lucky enough to spend more time with Geoff and Cathy in my early 20s. They traveled with my band for a few months and even filmed a music video for us that ended up on the front page of MySpace for a few days (back when that actually mattered!). It was amazing to have them there for that era, understanding and supporting the weird, unpredictable life of a 22-year-old musician on the road. They didn’t judge—they just got it. Geoff understood that you could create your own path, and that was a powerful thing to have in my corner. And we all had a lot of fun together. I know my old bandmates feel the same way.
Eventually, I ended up moving to Los Angeles myself, and every time I found myself driving down Wilshire, crossing over Beverly Glenn or passing the Ralph’s we visited together, I got a wonderful hit of nostalgia. He and Cathy taught me to believe in the pursuit of interesting things and to stay excited about life. Geoff had a huge impact on who I am today, and I’m going to miss him, but I’m grateful for everything he brought into my life.
wrote on October 11, 2024
at
1:53 pm
I have a lot of fond memories of my brother-in-law Geoff. He was such a good companion for my sister Cathy–I loved that for her and him both. It was always a thrill to hear about what major news or feature story they were up to. Geoff was always eager to share the latest with me, to show off his gadgets, to coach me a little as I dabbled in at-home digital.
Maybe the funnest thing was “Uncle Geoff” who was so open and engaging with my then-young sons. Each gained an appreciation for some aspect of the technical world from him. Today one is in the music business, another is a physicist, the third is a medical specialist. Geoff in his own small way was such a good influence on them, showing them the bigger world of all things technical. He also loaned them an Atari playstation back in the day–they grew up on Frogger!
Geoff and I each became more deeply involved with grown sons and their families as time went on. Add Covid to it all. We didn’t see enough of each other in these later years. Thanks, Geoff, for everything you were to our family. Rest in peace!
Maybe the funnest thing was “Uncle Geoff” who was so open and engaging with my then-young sons. Each gained an appreciation for some aspect of the technical world from him. Today one is in the music business, another is a physicist, the third is a medical specialist. Geoff in his own small way was such a good influence on them, showing them the bigger world of all things technical. He also loaned them an Atari playstation back in the day–they grew up on Frogger!
Geoff and I each became more deeply involved with grown sons and their families as time went on. Add Covid to it all. We didn’t see enough of each other in these later years. Thanks, Geoff, for everything you were to our family. Rest in peace!
wrote on October 10, 2024
at
9:19 pm
I had the privilege of working with Geoff, and recently had the opportunity to train him on our EC clip desk team. He always brought a positive, can-do attitude to every situation and had an incredible way of making work more enjoyable with his stories and infectious enthusiasm. Geoff’s presence will be truly missed, and I’m grateful for the time we shared working together!
wrote on October 6, 2024
at
2:40 pm
Geoff was a wonderful brother-in-law and an amazing uncle. Geoff and Cathy were loving partners who turned the world in to magic for those around them. Filled with wonder, awe, and inspiration, Geoff reached out to so many with his kindness and knowledge. We will miss Geoff’s smile, his laughter, his stories, and most of all, we will miss Geoff.
wrote on October 6, 2024
at
12:10 am
Uncle Geoff inspired me with his perspectives on life and technology. As kids, he always welcomed us into his world with a fun, cool attitude that made us want to be like him. One bit I remember in particular is how he would cut and mix videos of us on our trips to DC, and I remember being in awe of how that process happened, how small the “microfilm” cartridges (or something like that) were, and then seeing how the whole process changed as we got older (since he made us many of those “visits to DC” videos over the years). Later, I remember him showing us the 3D graphics of the Sega Dreamcast, and me being pretty wowed. Or, explaining to me how the weights inside the steadycam made for smooth video motion. I am now working with tech professionally with my life full of tinkering with technology, and I think I owe a whole lot of that to Uncle Geoff making the “tech lifestyle” all look so awesome and fun from a very young age. I will miss him, and my heart goes out to all you now. Love, Scott
wrote on October 4, 2024
at
12:37 am
At first, for me, he was Mr. Dills. The new kid's dad.
I remember one Saturday when we were 14. Andy and I spent hours in the beach house basement on his Dad's computer. He had a 386, which seemed at least ten times as powerful as the 286 that I had at home. Totally cutting edge. We spent all day on Compuserve downloading and playing Doom mods. When we were done there was a window on the screen that showed how much time we had spent and what the bill from Compuserve was going to be. I forgot how much it was, but it was way more than either of us had on hand at the time. I remember looking at Andy, realizing he was about to have to go tell his Dad that we ran up a bill that we couldn't cover.
We go upstairs, Andy tells his dad, and his dad just kind of stairs at us and says "Well, that sounds like a car wash doesn't it?" We spent the next hour washing the Suburban, came back in for dinner, and I eventually went home. I remember thinking that Mr. Dills handled that pretty well, and seemed like a cool guy. I would end up spending most of my free time over the next 4 years in that guy's basement.
I remember the State Championship game in 1995. Linganore was playing Potomac at Byrd Stadium in College Park. Too far for my parents to let me go on my own, so I hitched a ride with Mr. Dills, Cath, Jesse and Brian.
We went early and spent the whole day there, tailgating, watched Linganore win the title, stayed late because Mr. Dills was filming before, during and after the game, and eventually took the long ride home.
I spent the whole day with the Dills family, for the first time without Andy. I distinctly remember feeling welcomed, and like I belonged.
I can't pinpoint the exact time when Mr. Dills became Geoff for me. There was certainly a slow evolution that started sometime in my early adulthood where he evolved from being my best friend's dad into just being one of the guys. Some of my best memories of Geoff are from then. I won't be sharing those details here, but if you were on the train ride to LA via New Orleans with us, then you share some of those memories with me.
My lasting memory of Geoff is from Dominic's birthday party at Adventureland a couple of year ago. Andy was busy on Dad duty, so once the kids were off and playing, I parked myself on a centrally located bench so I could keep tabs on my kid as best as possible. A couple minutes after sitting down, Geoff found me and sat down next to me for the rest of the party. We talked about the usual things. Work, life, family stuff etc. The content of the conversation isn't what I really remember. What I remember is how easy he was to talk with and listen to, and how he had this way of making me feel our conversation was really important to him.
I will remember Geoff as many things. As my best friend's father. As a gracious host. As an old man partying on a train. And maybe most importantly, as a cool dude to sit on a bench with and shoot the shit.
I remember one Saturday when we were 14. Andy and I spent hours in the beach house basement on his Dad's computer. He had a 386, which seemed at least ten times as powerful as the 286 that I had at home. Totally cutting edge. We spent all day on Compuserve downloading and playing Doom mods. When we were done there was a window on the screen that showed how much time we had spent and what the bill from Compuserve was going to be. I forgot how much it was, but it was way more than either of us had on hand at the time. I remember looking at Andy, realizing he was about to have to go tell his Dad that we ran up a bill that we couldn't cover.
We go upstairs, Andy tells his dad, and his dad just kind of stairs at us and says "Well, that sounds like a car wash doesn't it?" We spent the next hour washing the Suburban, came back in for dinner, and I eventually went home. I remember thinking that Mr. Dills handled that pretty well, and seemed like a cool guy. I would end up spending most of my free time over the next 4 years in that guy's basement.
I remember the State Championship game in 1995. Linganore was playing Potomac at Byrd Stadium in College Park. Too far for my parents to let me go on my own, so I hitched a ride with Mr. Dills, Cath, Jesse and Brian.
We went early and spent the whole day there, tailgating, watched Linganore win the title, stayed late because Mr. Dills was filming before, during and after the game, and eventually took the long ride home.
I spent the whole day with the Dills family, for the first time without Andy. I distinctly remember feeling welcomed, and like I belonged.
I can't pinpoint the exact time when Mr. Dills became Geoff for me. There was certainly a slow evolution that started sometime in my early adulthood where he evolved from being my best friend's dad into just being one of the guys. Some of my best memories of Geoff are from then. I won't be sharing those details here, but if you were on the train ride to LA via New Orleans with us, then you share some of those memories with me.
My lasting memory of Geoff is from Dominic's birthday party at Adventureland a couple of year ago. Andy was busy on Dad duty, so once the kids were off and playing, I parked myself on a centrally located bench so I could keep tabs on my kid as best as possible. A couple minutes after sitting down, Geoff found me and sat down next to me for the rest of the party. We talked about the usual things. Work, life, family stuff etc. The content of the conversation isn't what I really remember. What I remember is how easy he was to talk with and listen to, and how he had this way of making me feel our conversation was really important to him.
I will remember Geoff as many things. As my best friend's father. As a gracious host. As an old man partying on a train. And maybe most importantly, as a cool dude to sit on a bench with and shoot the shit.
wrote on October 4, 2024
at
12:26 am
Always calm, always kind, always welcoming, always insightful. A delightful brother-in-law. Gone too soon.
wrote on October 3, 2024
at
6:13 pm
I don’t remember the date of the first time we met, but I do remember how kind he was and how he always made you feel at ease. He was a loving man! I remember the day my first grandchild was born. It was Geoff’s 2nd or 3rd I can’t remember exactly but I remember when they wheeled Dominick Lewis Dills into the nursery and Jeff and I saw him for the first time he started crying and I started crying and we just hugged each other and he said ,” I don’t know why I’m crying , I already had grandchildren.” This isn’t my first grandson, and we all laughed and laughed and laughed we joked at his size dominick weighed 10 pounds and 4 ounces we laughed saying that outside of the nursery Football scouts were lined up waiting to get a look at him. He was a cheerful, happy man. He loved his family his grandchildren I remember him, taking photographs of them. He will be truly missed his love his generosity his kindness will all be missed .
wrote on October 3, 2024
at
5:23 pm
I worked with Geoff at CNBC here at DC Bureau for the last dozen yrs or so. I would always appreciate when Geoff would offer positive feedback on footage I shot for one of his packages. Being a former shooter, he knew to "let the feed playout" when screening Broll and often choose the be best stuff and not the first wide shot he saw. Unfortunately, we didn't see much of one another in person post-COVID-as Geoff began editing from home, but I still enjoyed chatting with him on Teams calls and the phone. I will miss all of his stories of past gigs, told with a touch of laughter and amazement that he was able to cover the big stories earlier in his career. A tremendous loss to our biz, but even more for his family. Condolences to Cathy, Andy, Brian and his grandkids. Bryan Rager
wrote on October 3, 2024
at
3:55 pm
I never had the opportunity to meet Geoff in person but he was in my ear many, many times. We spoke often on a busy conference bridge while he was editing for CNBC. I would be bringing in what he worked on in DC to our headquarters in NJ or I’d be coordinating a feed to him so he could make tv magic. He was always the consummate professional, but more significantly, always a gentleman. He had a calm in his voice that was a welcome relief for much of the chaos one hears in a newsroom environment. What a gift this website is to his legacy. He will be missed.
wrote on October 3, 2024
at
3:13 am
My condolences to you, sons and family Cathy.
wrote on October 2, 2024
at
9:16 pm
Geoff was always very inspiring to me as a baby journalist during my first internship in news. He’d let me shadow him as he edited videos so skillfully and quickly and took the time to teach me how to edit. I got to hear the coolest stories from his career and some of the historic stories he covered.
We’d have many chats about how technology has transformed the journalism landscape and he would explain to me why things are the way they are – from the creation of LiveU’s and the progression of cameras used in the field, to how the process of editing videos has changed from when he first started out in news. I’m grateful I got to learn so much from him and will miss his kind and encouraging presence.
We’d have many chats about how technology has transformed the journalism landscape and he would explain to me why things are the way they are – from the creation of LiveU’s and the progression of cameras used in the field, to how the process of editing videos has changed from when he first started out in news. I’m grateful I got to learn so much from him and will miss his kind and encouraging presence.
wrote on October 2, 2024
at
5:46 pm
I worked with Geoff at CNBC. He was always cheerful, kind and patient. He would love this website idea – he enjoyed figuring out new technology and explaining how it worked – most of it went over my head. I will miss him calling me 'kiddo.'
wrote on October 2, 2024
at
4:54 pm
I so miss Geoff! We worked together at THREE places and times! Crazy.
The first was in 1977, in Cincinnati, at WLWT, the NBC affiliate, where I had my first real reporting job. One day a new "photog" came aboard. And "Dillsy" impressed immediately. He was a big guy with plenty of self confidence and a bit of swagger but with a smile and a gentle personality.
Geoff was so cool and competent it was hard to believe he was so young, just out of college. He was a great shooter and a fast editor.
Still, young Geoff was just a bit immature and ditsy at times and here's an example: In 1978, a huge blizzard loomed. Our weather guy, Tony Sands, was always so cool , but not this time. "It's going to be dangerous!" Tony warned. "Very very cold and windy and lots of snow." The newsroom was excited. Well, most in the newsroom. Looking back, I guess, in the run-up, Geoff was focused on other stories. The next morning, dressed in long underwear, heavy clothes, ski pants, ski jacket and heavy hat, I waited in the newsroom for him to arrive. We'd be a team. Well, Geoff walked in dressed, as usual, in sneakers, a cotton t shirt, jeans and a windbreaker. He paused and looked around with a kind of "uh oh" face. "There's a Blizzard!" I howled. "Oh," Geoff said. We got him to the surplus store nearby where Cincinnati Police were fortifying the outfits cops would wear. Of course, warmly dressed, Dills did a fantastic job, shooting and editing virtually non-stop for the 2-3 day disaster, crashing cars, blacked out city, suffering people, and heroic first responders. Great stories! Super fun!
9 years later, Geoff and I worked together in another newsroom, the new NBC Televisions Stations Production unit that covered major news stories for the NBC-owned stations. It was like the "old days," Geoff and me, but both of us were far more seasoned than we'd been in Cincinnati and we cranked out some good stuff, domestically and overseas. I was so sorry when NBC cut back and Geoff had to go … though it worked out great for him! See his and Cathy's impressive CVs!
About 15 years later, Geoff and I found ourselves again in the same newsroom! I was still at NBC, having moved to Capitol Hill, and Geoff came aboard the CNBC team there. What a cool thing to see my old friend and colleague every day. So much had changed; news video and editing were all digital. And Geoff was a go-to pro! He knew it all… not just technically but, as always, journalistically and artistically.
Of course!
2024. We had JUST had a great phone chat. He was so proud of "the boys," and so happy to be a grandfather! I am shattered. What a loss.
Steve Handelsman
Bethesda, MD, NBC retired 2017
The first was in 1977, in Cincinnati, at WLWT, the NBC affiliate, where I had my first real reporting job. One day a new "photog" came aboard. And "Dillsy" impressed immediately. He was a big guy with plenty of self confidence and a bit of swagger but with a smile and a gentle personality.
Geoff was so cool and competent it was hard to believe he was so young, just out of college. He was a great shooter and a fast editor.
Still, young Geoff was just a bit immature and ditsy at times and here's an example: In 1978, a huge blizzard loomed. Our weather guy, Tony Sands, was always so cool , but not this time. "It's going to be dangerous!" Tony warned. "Very very cold and windy and lots of snow." The newsroom was excited. Well, most in the newsroom. Looking back, I guess, in the run-up, Geoff was focused on other stories. The next morning, dressed in long underwear, heavy clothes, ski pants, ski jacket and heavy hat, I waited in the newsroom for him to arrive. We'd be a team. Well, Geoff walked in dressed, as usual, in sneakers, a cotton t shirt, jeans and a windbreaker. He paused and looked around with a kind of "uh oh" face. "There's a Blizzard!" I howled. "Oh," Geoff said. We got him to the surplus store nearby where Cincinnati Police were fortifying the outfits cops would wear. Of course, warmly dressed, Dills did a fantastic job, shooting and editing virtually non-stop for the 2-3 day disaster, crashing cars, blacked out city, suffering people, and heroic first responders. Great stories! Super fun!
9 years later, Geoff and I worked together in another newsroom, the new NBC Televisions Stations Production unit that covered major news stories for the NBC-owned stations. It was like the "old days," Geoff and me, but both of us were far more seasoned than we'd been in Cincinnati and we cranked out some good stuff, domestically and overseas. I was so sorry when NBC cut back and Geoff had to go … though it worked out great for him! See his and Cathy's impressive CVs!
About 15 years later, Geoff and I found ourselves again in the same newsroom! I was still at NBC, having moved to Capitol Hill, and Geoff came aboard the CNBC team there. What a cool thing to see my old friend and colleague every day. So much had changed; news video and editing were all digital. And Geoff was a go-to pro! He knew it all… not just technically but, as always, journalistically and artistically.
Of course!
2024. We had JUST had a great phone chat. He was so proud of "the boys," and so happy to be a grandfather! I am shattered. What a loss.
Steve Handelsman
Bethesda, MD, NBC retired 2017