Gasperinin, Gianfranco

January 15th, 2005 by JCB
Posted in Obituaries | No Comments »

Captain Gianfranco Gasperini (1943 – 2004)

It was a huge shock, and it was with tremendous sadness that we heard that EMPA President Captain Gianfranco Gasperini had died after a very short illness at his home in Rome on Saturday 6^th November 2004. He died just before his sixty-first birthday, being born on the 16^th of November 1943 at Ponte Buggianese (Pistoia), Italy.

How well the members of the EMPA Executive remember his joining us at the Liverpool General Meeting of 1991 as an EMPA vice-President. This quietly spoken man, always smiling, slightly shy, but who immediately and enthusiastically took on the role of EMPA Treasurer. It was my particular good fortune to have had those years on the Executive working with Gianfranco. I particularly appreciated his unstinting support during my term as EMPA President. Not only was he a hard working Executive officer, but he was also an interesting, charming, modest, scholarly man to work with.

But it was not all about work and after our daytime meetings in Antwerp it was also a real pleasure for us to enjoy the social camaraderie of his company during our evenings together. He enjoyed his tennis tremendously and was a good and enthusiastic player. He personified that attribute of most pilots, to be European, not to be parochial, and to mix convivially with his pilot colleagues from all nations.  No one who met him, as many pilots from the UKMPA did over his years on the EMPA Executive, could but immediately sense the gentle charm and courtesy of this man. Quintessentially Italian by nature he was however quietly and gently spoken and whilst, like all of us, sometimes perturbed at events in the pilotage world he never ever showed his discord by anything other then a slight furrowing of his brow and the measured use of a more serious tone of voice.

He proved to be the consummate Treasurer, always producing immaculate accounts, and from the beginning computer generated, as he was a great enthusiast for technological innovation.  And at our Executive committees he would always gently steer us in a direction to ensure that we remained within the budget whenever we considered our future activities. This was but a foretaste of his ability to act in the best interest of his European colleagues, which he was to demonstrate further when he later became EMPA President.

Although heavily committed as the Fedepiloti Secretary-General he gallantly allowed his candidature for the post as EMPA President to go forward and was duly elected, unopposed, at the Paris General Meeting in 2001. His Presidency was marked by all the qualities he had shown over his ten years on the Executive and was met by some difficult situations, not least the attempt by the Commissioner to introduce the Port Services Directive.  His successful opposition to this ill-judged Directive was a tribute to his untiring efforts on behalf of his pilot colleagues.  Then, latterly, he also became the Fedepiloti President where he ably and enthusiastically represented our friends and colleagues the Italian pilots with a dedication and commitment, which served them so well.

He was an extremely hard working unselfish man who was dedicated to achieving the best for pilots and pilotage all across Europe, and also internationally through his support for IMPA. His contribution to pilotage matters not just in the interests of pilots, but equally in the interests of mariners, shipowners and port authorities will be sorely missed.

His funeral was held on Monday 8^th of November at 10.30 in the small Franciscan church of “San Francesco a Ripa”, Piazza San Francesco a Ripa, Rome. Secretary-General, Albert Cools, with his wife Mady, and Administrative Secretary, Claire van Lokerens attended the funeral on behalf of EMPA. Unfortunately, due to the very short notice of the funeral, more representatives of EMPA and the world of pilotage were unable to attend, but I am sure that like me many others were there with his family and friends if only in spirit.  I am sure that you will all share with me in the heartfelt and sincere offer of our condolences to his lovely wife Lydia and their son Paolo, following in his father’s footsteps as a pilot, and his beautiful sparkling daughter Serena. A light has gone out in their lives and they will miss him terribly, a husband and father. Our deepest condolences also go to all the staff and pilots of Fedepiloti where his loss will be felt so tremendously after all his dedicated years of service.

We mourn Gianfranco’s untimely death, the world of pilotage, and indeed the world in general is the poorer for his passing. We will remember him always with admiration and huge affection as a great ambassador for pilots wherever he went, but most of all; we will remember him just as a lovely man whom it was always huge fun and a privilege to be with.

Geoff Topp