Dave Griffiths Obituary, Death – The news that Dave Griffiths passed tragically suddenly last night has left me in utter disbelief and utter devastation. Dave was one of the most generous persons you could ever meet in the world of television. As one of the most gifted Vision Supervisors of his generation, he worked on a variety of the most popular shows and consistently produced outstanding visuals. He also worked across the board. He had a wicked sense of humor, and I don’t think he’d mind if I said that he was probably as close to the center of all the gossip in the TV world as it was physically possible for him to be without vanishing completely! He was always the first to disseminate information and understood everything there was to know about any breaking news! A gentleman in every sense of the word, he was always willing to provide a hand by providing new ideas, putting in a good word, and exchanging contacts with possible consumers. After I quit my former job, he was one of the friends who guided me through the process of weighing the benefits and drawbacks of the many career paths I was thinking about pursuing and provided me with some sound advice.
A couple of the many wonderful memories I have are as follows: I was working on an OB with Dave at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane a few months ago when he climbed back into the scanner after being absent for about ten minutes and announced that he’d just been robbed. I was shocked because I thought he’d been missing. After that, he proceeded to give away roughly £80 worth of cakes that he had just “accidentally” purchased from the fittingly titled establishment “Sugar Sin” next to the theater. He did not realize the total price until he was given with the bill.
I also remember earlier in the year after doing a camera test at a theater in Soho when I was really out of breath after helping lift a Quattro pedestal up a flight of stairs on the de-rig. This happened on the de-rig for the Quattro pedestal. Dave had another job scheduled immediately after this one, and he was meant to go as soon as possible; nevertheless, he insisted that we go get an orange juice at the Duke of Wellington next door so that he could check on me before he left for his next assignment. As my breathing returned to normal and Dave made a very unconvincing but very funny phone call from the interior of the pub to say he was in the back of a cab stopped in bad traffic, we discussed about a variety of topics, including our own mortality as well as the topic of being gay. It’s not something I’ve ever found particularly easy to talk about, but as we were chatting about our relationships and how Dave had found a new lease on life and was happier than he’d ever been since recently marrying his husband Sam, the topic came up. It’s not something I’ve ever found particularly easy to talk about.
A wonderful time was had by all as we raised a glass to our status as gay guys who are happy and proud of who they are. It was such a priceless exchange, and it will always stand out to me as one of the many memories associated with Dave that I will cherish. My heartfelt condolences and prayers go out to Sam, Dave’s husband, and the rest of Dave’s family, as well as to everyone else in this business who will be hurting because of Dave’s passing. This evening, I shall toast his success by lifting a drink.