Gelsanliter, John David
John David Gelsanliter, a resident of Albuquerque since 2013, and in Corrales, NM for 20 years before, age 83, passed away Thursday, January 5, 2017.
He was born in Mount Vernon, OH and graduated from there. He earned degrees from DePauw University and the University of Pennsylvania, and spent a year at Durham University in England. David served as a naval officer on destroyer escorts in the Pacific and as a foreign service officer in Venezuela, Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire and Washington D. C. He then worked as a reporter at The Charlotte Observer, as an executive at Knight-Ridder’s Corporate headquarters in Miami, and as the general manager of the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News. While in West Africa, he won the State Department’s Superior Honor Award and during the Philadelphia newspaper war which his two papers won, he earned his company’s Teamster Union’s man of the year award. David subsequently published numerous magazine articles, book reviews, poems, two prize-winning short stories and two non fiction books: "Jump Start, Japan Comes to the Heartland" and "Fresh Ink, Behind the Scenes at Dallas Morning News".
In 1999 he was diagnosed with stage four cancer from which, greatly thanks to the support he received from his four children, Franchesca Banuelos, and a variety of friends and neighbors he ultimately recovered.
He was a mediator in Albuquerque’s metro court.
He co-founded and regularly attended monthly coed fiction books clubs, first in Philadelphia and then for fourteen years in Corrales. He loved to play golf at Santa Ana, hike the La Luz Trail, play duplicate bridge, dance Salsa, Meringue, country western and the swing and exchange himself with others.
He is survived by his four children: Michael, Wendy, Thomas Gelsanliter and Sarah Risi, his five grandchildren: Molly, Morgan, Joe, Kate and Elise and by his former wife, mother of his children, Susie Carter.
Visitation will be held Saturday, January 21, 2017 at 9:00am at Daniels Family Funeral Services - Sara Rd. Chapel. Service will be held on Saturday, January 21, 2017 at 10:00am Daniels Family Funeral Services -Sara Rd. Chapel. Interment to follow at Vista Verde Memorial Park at 4310 Sara Rd. Rio Rancho, NM 87124.
In lieu of flowers donations may be given in David’s honor to your favorite charity. To view information or leave a condolence please visit www.danielsfuneral.com Daniels Family Funeral
Services
4310 Sara Road SE Rio Rancho, NM 87124
505-892-9920