Obituary of John B. Gladitsch

Gladitsch, John B. "Bernhard", of Ridgewood, on February 4th. Beloved son of the late John and Edeltraud. Dearest brother of the late Waltraud Tripoli and Irene Lackner. Loving uncle of Grace Monroe (Michael), Christine Tripoli (Merav Segal), and Jeanette Cigliano (Adam). Devoted great uncle of John Erik, Matthew, Livia, Amaya, and Marco. Cherished by many cousins and extended family in the United States and Europe. On Sunday, the world lost a very good man when my godfather and uncle, John Gladitsch, passed away unexpectedly. Documentarian, photographer, artist, world traveler, adventurer, music lover, uncle, cousin and friend. These are just a few words to describe our sweet, kind natured Uncle John. John was born in Austria in May 1951… 15 hours before his twin sister, Irene. My Oma and Opa, Hans and Edeltraud Gladitsch, along with my mom Waltraud, my uncle John and aunt Irene in tow, arrived in New York City when John was just five years old, and they settled in Ridgewood. He attended Saint Matthias school and then, when my grandparents bought a house on St. Nicholas Avenue, he went to St. Bridget’s School. My grandparents sent him to Christ the King High School in Middle Village and following that, he received a degree in Fine Art from York College. He worked several jobs over his lifetime – at a photography shop, doing real estate with my grandfather, and finally for TWA airlines which then became American Airlines. In his retirement, he became a paparazzo, a social media content creator and influencer, and a celebrated nature photographer and videographer. But these facts don’t tell you anything about the gigantic personality and talented individual John was. First and foremost, he loved his family and was the first to say that family meant the world to him. My Grandparents called him by his middle name “Bernhard.” He was a very dedicated son and cared for them until the end of their lives. While he inherited his blazing red hair from my Oma, from my Opa, he inherited his spirit of adventure and eagerness to “go go go.” And in my Opa’s later years, John traveled the world with him – to Hawaii, Mexico, Europe and many points in between. And while John had a large extended family, he was always at the center of our core family along with my mom Trudy and dad Sal, my sister Grace and her husband Mike, my sister Jeanette and her husband Adam, their kids Livia, Amaya and Marco, and I and my partner Merav, and our children John Erik, Matthew, Noa and Maya. We were all so important to him and we were blessed to have him in our lives. He came to every family function, first at my Mom and Dad’s house, and then later at my house and both my sisters houses -- always sharing tales of his latest adventure or passion and taking pictures as our families grew. As he never had kids of his own, Grace, Jeanette and I were like kids to him – he was always, always there for us, sharing stories, telling us wacky jokes, and of late, showing funny videos. He also has a group of cousins all around his age, with whom he had so many adventures and good times growing up. He was blessed to be close with them and their families throughout his life. However, there was no one he was closer to than his twin sister, Irene. They were two peas in a pod – not just siblings, but the closest of friends during their entire lives. Irene would affectionately call him her nickname for him -- Dumpling – even in middle age. And if she was somewhere, John was not far behind. Naturally, they would bicker as siblings inevitably do, but they absolutely adored each other unconditionally and were each other’s fiercest defenders. When Irene became terminally ill, it was John who was with her around the clock caring for her until she passed. John was a nature lover – he loved animals of all sorts. There was always a lizard or a snake, or fish, somewhere. Happily, his current pet, a bearded dragon, is now in the safe hands of Jeanette and her kids. But these facts only scratch the surface about John. He was an incredibly talented individual. He was a documentarian and artist who observed the world with his keen eye. First, he was a fine artist and painter. As a child, he won all kinds of art contests at school. I remember his bird paintings that proudly hung in my grandparents’ house, and his abstract paintings that hung in my parents’ house. He then moved into photography and videography, which throughout his life gave him so much joy and resulted in many friendships. He loved being part of the Gottscheer community and was a regular figure at Gottscheer Hall, attending hundreds and hundreds of special events there over the years. He never missed a Gottscheer Picnic or New York Treffen, which he documented by videotaping and then posting those videos on one of his YouTube channels. I think it’s safe to say that he was the most prolific documentarian of contemporary Gottscheer life on the planet. And if you would like to see his videos, go to his channel, “gottscheerisch,” where he regularly posted. He was also very active with the Gottscheer Genealogy Association, traveling to their conferences and documenting our entire family tree going back I believe 10 generations. He also adventured to Amish Country regularly – both on his own and with his family and friends – he loved going on those road trips, observing Amish life, buying produce and eggs and taking some awesome photos while he was at it. After he retired from American Airlines, he started joining the paparazzi pens and took photos and videos at special events like the Met Gala, at movie premieres and at New York City late night talk shows, posting dozens of celebrity videos on his channels. He also worked as an extra on film sets for major motion pictures that filmed in New York City. So back to his photography…. Once social media came into existence, he decided to create a pseudonym for his photography work, and he called himself Ozzie Artphot. Now this “Artphot” channel on YouTube where he has posted most of his videos, has more that 107,000 followers, and his video have had millions and millions of views. When you go to his channels, you will see many Gorilla videos. He was intrigued by them and could stand in the Bronx Zoo for hours waiting for the perfect video moment. In fact, he recently went to visit my sister Grace in Florida, and when they went to Animal Kingdom in Disney World, he didn’t ride the rides or see the shows, he spent most of the day hanging around and videotaping the gorillas there. Thanks to his long career at the airlines, he was afforded great travel benefits into his retirement. With this freedom to travel, he could travel around the U.S. following and videotaping his favorite musicians. His latest favorite artist was Sierra Ferrell, but he also loved Amy Winehouse when she was alive, and of course, Johnny Winter when he was young. Perhaps his most beloved social group in which he was a member was the Bald Eagles of Centerport group, which met very frequently and where he photographed and videotaped the eagles there. And while documenting these amazing animals was the point of the group, John made a large and loving community of friends there and spent many, many hours with them enjoying their shared passion. It was with them that he spent his final day, doing what he loved with people who cared deeply for him. We are eternally grateful that his friends were there to help him on his final day. And while John’s passing was abrupt, and none of us were able to say goodbye, we will always hold him so dear in our hearts and smile when we remember him. He was one of the most kind and generous men I have ever known in my life, and I think you all can agree that he was probably on the top of your lists as well. He welcomed many guests from overseas into his home and showed them around the city, and even traveled with them once they were here. He was a gentleman, and generous beyond measure, always, always there to help. He was not boastful and was quick to forgive those who hurt him or didn’t treat him well. He was curious and created a rewarding and active life for himself, filled with interesting and colorful people and always new adventures. He loved people, talking with them, being with them, laughing and having fun with them. And in meeting those who knew him, and in reading posts about him online since his passing, the people he knew and met have showed such an outpouring of love and respect for him. He was very special. He was everyone’s Uncle John. Now he is flying with the eagles, too, and I expect that he is in heaven and in the loving arms of Oma and Opa, Irene and my mom. We love you and we will miss you. Rest in peace and Godspeed. -- by Christine Tripoli, John’s niece, February 10, 2024