Gilbert E. Greenspon, 83, of Tampa, FL, formerly of West Hartford, passed away on Tuesday, September 18, 2007. He was preceded in death by his wife, Florence Greenspon, his parents, Eva and Louis Greenspon and his brother, Bernard Greenspon. He is survived by his children: Erma and Steven Ruffkess of Tampa, FL and Jeffrey and Anne Gomez Greenspon of Geneva, NY; four grandchildren: Brad Ruffkess, Ross Ruffkess, Alex Greenspon and Emma Greenspon; and his sister: Goldie Bernstein of West Hartford. A graduate of Hartford Public High School, he was a lifelong resident of the Hartford area before moving to Tampa upon retirement. During World War II he served in the South Pacific Theatre with the Fifth Photo Tech. Squadron attached to the Army Air Corps where he did work for all branches of the military services. He became crew chief in the photo lab and produced photos for military intelligence, mapping, and bomb targets. He began his photography career working for Loring Studios as a photo laboratory technician advancing to assistant department head of the printing department. In 1956 he started Planet Laboratories, a business geared to do black and white processing and finishing for professional photo studios. Planet expanded its operation by opening Planet Studios, which engaged in various types of photography. After dissolving the business, he worked for Grody Chevrolet and Bell Vending Company. The final ten years of his career, he worked in the Financial Accounting Department of Aetna Life and Casualty. A graveside funeral service will be held TODAY, September 20, 2007 at 2:00 PM in the Beth Hillel Synagogue Cemetery, Wolcott Road, East Granby. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the National Museum of American Jewish Military History, 1811 R Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009 or to a charity of the donor?s choice. Local arrangements provided by Weinstein Mortuary, Hartford. For further information, directions, or to share memories of Gilbert with his family, please visit online at www.weinsteinmortuary.com.
