Tribute to Long Time Bay Area Videographer and Editor George Griswold

By Joyce Mitchell, Governor and Gold & Silver Committee Chair

One-of-a-kind, creative, talented, it is true the word unique only applies to individuals. For Videographer George Griswold – it’s a statement of fact. His vast career as a photographer and editor spanned nearly 45 years. After working two decades at San Francisco station KRON, he peeled off, relocated to New Orleans and launched an independent production company.


August 12, 2023, at the age of 66 years old, Griswold died at home in Metairie, Louisiana. He is survived by his wife of 31 years, Tracy Tooker Griswold.
He left KRON in 2000, starting his own business. He collaborated with national clients from NBC, CBS, and Sundance Channel, to name only a few. In all, Griswold was devoted to the craft he loved.

“What a sobering loss of such a wonderful soul,” said Wayne Freedman, who worked with Griswold at KRON before becoming a reporter at KGO. Freedman said that Griswold was known as a free thinker. Those who knew Griswold maintain he was “art and life” – combined. “George was the most spontaneous person,” said Freedman. “He made sculptures on whims. He loved pyrotechnics. Loved his wine, his wife, his food, his Dalmatians, his photography, TV, and always saw that work with clear eyes.”

On his LinkedIn page, Griswold referred to his work as no fail broadcast quality. He said that was the only way he knew how to work. He wrote, “I have a solid technical background that ensures that your HD or SD project will be delivered to predetermined specs—every time. Camera matching, custom profiles and tailored shoot specs ensure that your project won’t need “CPR” in post-production.”

A line from Griswold stands out – it’s where Art and Science come together. “He was a best friend, a brother…the working partner and free thinker who taught me to ask ‘Why not?’ and then to act on it,” said Freedman.

Griswold’s passion for photography began when he was 8 years old. He built a makeshift darkroom in his basement while earning some extra cash from neighborhood odd jobs to buy his first camera.

As his eye for photography grew, his artistic senses sharpened. He was always tinkering as a young adult, rebuilding, and restoring turntables, gathering broken miscellaneous electronic pieces and taking them to new levels. He adored his family. And while Griswold might have been perceived as a little quirky with a sharp wit and great sense of humor, his kind and gentle side always emerged when talking about his family, especially his wife Tracy. “I love George with my whole heart, my whole soul, and my whole being,” said his wife Tracy Tooker Griswold. “He was my everything.”

As for his friends, this distinctive person is dearly missed. Freedman said he was like a brother. He continued, “George Griswold’s bright, burning, life energy has left his realm. God bless our friend.”

August 12, 2023, at the age of 66 years old, George Griswold died at home in Metairie, Louisiana. He is survived by his wife of 31 years, Tracy Tooker Griswold. After working two decades at San Francisco station KRON, he left, relocated to New Orleans and launched an independent production company.
August 12, 2023, at the age of 66 years old, George Griswold died at home in Metairie, Louisiana. He is survived by his wife of 31 years, Tracy Tooker Griswold. After working two decades at San Francisco station KRON, he left, relocated to New Orleans and launched an independent production company.