GEORGE A. HACKETT Age 100, born December 16, 1992 and passed away March 29, of pneumonia. He was born in San Francisco, and was a survivor of the earthquake. He spent a year at Stanford before becoming a musician. He married Patty Kinney in 1937, and they raised two daughters. He spent many years conducting the orchestra for Shipstead and Johnson's Ice Follies, taking trains all over the country. George is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Shelah and Michael Kidd of Los Angeles, by his sons-in-law Gerry Knapp of Costa Mesa, by four grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. Private services were held April 12.
Published by Orange County Register from Apr. 9 to Apr. 13, 2003.
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Hackett, George A. (100) Born December 16, 1902. Passed away March 29, 2003.
George was born in San Francisco and lived there until he was ten, at which time his family moved to Palo Alto where he grew up. He attended Palo Alto Union High School and ultimately attended Stanford University for two years.
George was interested in music from the time he was a small child, picking out melodies on the piano as young as three. He started working professionally at a very young age. At fifteen he was playing piano for dances and parties and playing the organ for various churches. As a junior in high school he played for fraternity dances at Stanford. He was composing music at this time as well. At twenty-two he was playing the organ in movie theatres for silent films. He especially remembered that in the scene from "Safety Last", when Harold Lloyd was dangling from the hand of a clock on a skyscraper high above a city street, the audience was laughing and screaming so loudly, that he used to open all the stops on the organ and lay both arms across the keys. The audience laughter completely obliterated the sound of the organ.
In 1925 he began work as orchestrator and pianist in Al Lyons' orchestra, accompanying Fanchon and Marco's "Ideas" which were traveling stage shows each with a chorus line and vaudeville acts. Three years later he was working at Grauman's Metropolitan Theatre at Sixth and Hill in Los Angeles, later to become the Paramount Theatre famous for its stage shows with stars like Bing Crosby, Burns and Allen, and Bill Robinson. It was there he was to meet his future wife, Patty Kinney, a dancer and Fanchon's assistant. He worked at the Paramount for many years doing the orchestrations for the "Fanchonettes", a line of dancers, and playing piano in the pit and onstage for Al Lyons and then Rube Wolfe. In 1939 Fanchon began producing the first of four shows she would produce for Shipstad and Johnson's "Ice Follies". She requested that George do the musical arrangements. Thus began a relationship working for Shipstad and Johnson that would last over thirty-three years. The first few years he did orchestrations during the summer at Winterland Ice Rink where the next year's show was being conceived and rehearsed. Subsequently he began working for Shipstad and Johnson full time.
The day after Pearl Harbor, December 8, 1941, he left for the first of two extended tours of the United States with the U.S.O. camp tours. During 1947 and 1948 he was the conductor for "Ice Cycles", owned by Shipstad and Johnson. In May of 1949 he became Associate Musical Director of "Ice Follies". In 1952 he became Musical Director of "Ice Follies", a post he held for the next seventeen years. He relished this job for many reasons, first for the relationships with Eddie Shipstad and Oscar Johnson and the excellent staff and skaters they employed, but also for one more very important reason.
Since he was a small boy trains had been almost an obsession in his life. Imagine a job which included both music and almost constant train travel. He could not have dreamed of a better life. A few weeks before he passed away he remarked, "I've enjoyed every day of my life."
George is predeceased by his daughter, Dorothy Louise Knapp (Gerald). Survivors include his stepdaughter Shelah Kidd (Michael), their children Matthew and Amy, Dorothy's daughters Anita Lattanzi and her two sons Tom and Ray, and Patty Russell and her daughters Chelsea and Caitlin. Funeral arrangements were made by Gates, Kingsley & Gates Mortuary in Santa Monica, and Hollywood Forever Cemetery. A family memorial service was held at the home of Michael and Shelah Kidd.
Published by Los Angeles Times on Apr. 23, 2003.
Published by Orange County Register from Apr. 9 to Apr. 13, 2003.
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Hackett, George A. (100) Born December 16, 1902. Passed away March 29, 2003.
George was born in San Francisco and lived there until he was ten, at which time his family moved to Palo Alto where he grew up. He attended Palo Alto Union High School and ultimately attended Stanford University for two years.
George was interested in music from the time he was a small child, picking out melodies on the piano as young as three. He started working professionally at a very young age. At fifteen he was playing piano for dances and parties and playing the organ for various churches. As a junior in high school he played for fraternity dances at Stanford. He was composing music at this time as well. At twenty-two he was playing the organ in movie theatres for silent films. He especially remembered that in the scene from "Safety Last", when Harold Lloyd was dangling from the hand of a clock on a skyscraper high above a city street, the audience was laughing and screaming so loudly, that he used to open all the stops on the organ and lay both arms across the keys. The audience laughter completely obliterated the sound of the organ.
In 1925 he began work as orchestrator and pianist in Al Lyons' orchestra, accompanying Fanchon and Marco's "Ideas" which were traveling stage shows each with a chorus line and vaudeville acts. Three years later he was working at Grauman's Metropolitan Theatre at Sixth and Hill in Los Angeles, later to become the Paramount Theatre famous for its stage shows with stars like Bing Crosby, Burns and Allen, and Bill Robinson. It was there he was to meet his future wife, Patty Kinney, a dancer and Fanchon's assistant. He worked at the Paramount for many years doing the orchestrations for the "Fanchonettes", a line of dancers, and playing piano in the pit and onstage for Al Lyons and then Rube Wolfe. In 1939 Fanchon began producing the first of four shows she would produce for Shipstad and Johnson's "Ice Follies". She requested that George do the musical arrangements. Thus began a relationship working for Shipstad and Johnson that would last over thirty-three years. The first few years he did orchestrations during the summer at Winterland Ice Rink where the next year's show was being conceived and rehearsed. Subsequently he began working for Shipstad and Johnson full time.
The day after Pearl Harbor, December 8, 1941, he left for the first of two extended tours of the United States with the U.S.O. camp tours. During 1947 and 1948 he was the conductor for "Ice Cycles", owned by Shipstad and Johnson. In May of 1949 he became Associate Musical Director of "Ice Follies". In 1952 he became Musical Director of "Ice Follies", a post he held for the next seventeen years. He relished this job for many reasons, first for the relationships with Eddie Shipstad and Oscar Johnson and the excellent staff and skaters they employed, but also for one more very important reason.
Since he was a small boy trains had been almost an obsession in his life. Imagine a job which included both music and almost constant train travel. He could not have dreamed of a better life. A few weeks before he passed away he remarked, "I've enjoyed every day of my life."
George is predeceased by his daughter, Dorothy Louise Knapp (Gerald). Survivors include his stepdaughter Shelah Kidd (Michael), their children Matthew and Amy, Dorothy's daughters Anita Lattanzi and her two sons Tom and Ray, and Patty Russell and her daughters Chelsea and Caitlin. Funeral arrangements were made by Gates, Kingsley & Gates Mortuary in Santa Monica, and Hollywood Forever Cemetery. A family memorial service was held at the home of Michael and Shelah Kidd.
Published by Los Angeles Times on Apr. 23, 2003.
GEORGE A. HACKETT Age 100, born December 16, 1992 and passed away March 29, of pneumonia. He was born in San Francisco, and was a survivor of the earthquake. He spent a year at Stanford before becoming a musician. He married Patty Kinney in 1937, and they raised two daughters. He spent many years conducting the orchestra for Shipstead and Johnson's Ice Follies, taking trains all over the country. George is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Shelah and Michael Kidd of Los Angeles, by his sons-in-law Gerry Knapp of Costa Mesa, by four grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. Private services were held April 12.
Published by Orange County Register from Apr. 9 to Apr. 13, 2003.
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Hackett, George A. (100) Born December 16, 1902. Passed away March 29, 2003.
George was born in San Francisco and lived there until he was ten, at which time his family moved to Palo Alto where he grew up. He attended Palo Alto Union High School and ultimately attended Stanford University for two years.
George was interested in music from the time he was a small child, picking out melodies on the piano as young as three. He started working professionally at a very young age. At fifteen he was playing piano for dances and parties and playing the organ for various churches. As a junior in high school he played for fraternity dances at Stanford. He was composing music at this time as well. At twenty-two he was playing the organ in movie theatres for silent films. He especially remembered that in the scene from "Safety Last", when Harold Lloyd was dangling from the hand of a clock on a skyscraper high above a city street, the audience was laughing and screaming so loudly, that he used to open all the stops on the organ and lay both arms across the keys. The audience laughter completely obliterated the sound of the organ.
In 1925 he began work as orchestrator and pianist in Al Lyons' orchestra, accompanying Fanchon and Marco's "Ideas" which were traveling stage shows each with a chorus line and vaudeville acts. Three years later he was working at Grauman's Metropolitan Theatre at Sixth and Hill in Los Angeles, later to become the Paramount Theatre famous for its stage shows with stars like Bing Crosby, Burns and Allen, and Bill Robinson. It was there he was to meet his future wife, Patty Kinney, a dancer and Fanchon's assistant. He worked at the Paramount for many years doing the orchestrations for the "Fanchonettes", a line of dancers, and playing piano in the pit and onstage for Al Lyons and then Rube Wolfe. In 1939 Fanchon began producing the first of four shows she would produce for Shipstad and Johnson's "Ice Follies". She requested that George do the musical arrangements. Thus began a relationship working for Shipstad and Johnson that would last over thirty-three years. The first few years he did orchestrations during the summer at Winterland Ice Rink where the next year's show was being conceived and rehearsed. Subsequently he began working for Shipstad and Johnson full time.
The day after Pearl Harbor, December 8, 1941, he left for the first of two extended tours of the United States with the U.S.O. camp tours. During 1947 and 1948 he was the conductor for "Ice Cycles", owned by Shipstad and Johnson. In May of 1949 he became Associate Musical Director of "Ice Follies". In 1952 he became Musical Director of "Ice Follies", a post he held for the next seventeen years. He relished this job for many reasons, first for the relationships with Eddie Shipstad and Oscar Johnson and the excellent staff and skaters they employed, but also for one more very important reason.
Since he was a small boy trains had been almost an obsession in his life. Imagine a job which included both music and almost constant train travel. He could not have dreamed of a better life. A few weeks before he passed away he remarked, "I've enjoyed every day of my life."
George is predeceased by his daughter, Dorothy Louise Knapp (Gerald). Survivors include his stepdaughter Shelah Kidd (Michael), their children Matthew and Amy, Dorothy's daughters Anita Lattanzi and her two sons Tom and Ray, and Patty Russell and her daughters Chelsea and Caitlin. Funeral arrangements were made by Gates, Kingsley & Gates Mortuary in Santa Monica, and Hollywood Forever Cemetery. A family memorial service was held at the home of Michael and Shelah Kidd.
Published by Los Angeles Times on Apr. 23, 2003.
Published by Orange County Register from Apr. 9 to Apr. 13, 2003.
***********************************************
Hackett, George A. (100) Born December 16, 1902. Passed away March 29, 2003.
George was born in San Francisco and lived there until he was ten, at which time his family moved to Palo Alto where he grew up. He attended Palo Alto Union High School and ultimately attended Stanford University for two years.
George was interested in music from the time he was a small child, picking out melodies on the piano as young as three. He started working professionally at a very young age. At fifteen he was playing piano for dances and parties and playing the organ for various churches. As a junior in high school he played for fraternity dances at Stanford. He was composing music at this time as well. At twenty-two he was playing the organ in movie theatres for silent films. He especially remembered that in the scene from "Safety Last", when Harold Lloyd was dangling from the hand of a clock on a skyscraper high above a city street, the audience was laughing and screaming so loudly, that he used to open all the stops on the organ and lay both arms across the keys. The audience laughter completely obliterated the sound of the organ.
In 1925 he began work as orchestrator and pianist in Al Lyons' orchestra, accompanying Fanchon and Marco's "Ideas" which were traveling stage shows each with a chorus line and vaudeville acts. Three years later he was working at Grauman's Metropolitan Theatre at Sixth and Hill in Los Angeles, later to become the Paramount Theatre famous for its stage shows with stars like Bing Crosby, Burns and Allen, and Bill Robinson. It was there he was to meet his future wife, Patty Kinney, a dancer and Fanchon's assistant. He worked at the Paramount for many years doing the orchestrations for the "Fanchonettes", a line of dancers, and playing piano in the pit and onstage for Al Lyons and then Rube Wolfe. In 1939 Fanchon began producing the first of four shows she would produce for Shipstad and Johnson's "Ice Follies". She requested that George do the musical arrangements. Thus began a relationship working for Shipstad and Johnson that would last over thirty-three years. The first few years he did orchestrations during the summer at Winterland Ice Rink where the next year's show was being conceived and rehearsed. Subsequently he began working for Shipstad and Johnson full time.
The day after Pearl Harbor, December 8, 1941, he left for the first of two extended tours of the United States with the U.S.O. camp tours. During 1947 and 1948 he was the conductor for "Ice Cycles", owned by Shipstad and Johnson. In May of 1949 he became Associate Musical Director of "Ice Follies". In 1952 he became Musical Director of "Ice Follies", a post he held for the next seventeen years. He relished this job for many reasons, first for the relationships with Eddie Shipstad and Oscar Johnson and the excellent staff and skaters they employed, but also for one more very important reason.
Since he was a small boy trains had been almost an obsession in his life. Imagine a job which included both music and almost constant train travel. He could not have dreamed of a better life. A few weeks before he passed away he remarked, "I've enjoyed every day of my life."
George is predeceased by his daughter, Dorothy Louise Knapp (Gerald). Survivors include his stepdaughter Shelah Kidd (Michael), their children Matthew and Amy, Dorothy's daughters Anita Lattanzi and her two sons Tom and Ray, and Patty Russell and her daughters Chelsea and Caitlin. Funeral arrangements were made by Gates, Kingsley & Gates Mortuary in Santa Monica, and Hollywood Forever Cemetery. A family memorial service was held at the home of Michael and Shelah Kidd.
Published by Los Angeles Times on Apr. 23, 2003.
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