Gavilan College is saying goodbye to its gregarious
”
renaissance man
”
after Carroll Briggs – former school board trustee, eternal
student, poet, painter, scientist,
”
vegetable breeder
”
and
”
fabulous role model
”
with
”
generosity of spirit
”
– passed away over the weekend.
Gavilan College is saying goodbye to its gregarious “renaissance man” after Carroll Briggs – former school board trustee, eternal student, poet, painter, scientist, “vegetable breeder” and “fabulous role model” with “generosity of spirit” – passed away over the weekend.
Briggs would have turned 83 this month.
“I am wordless in terms of how sad his death makes me,” said Marilyn Abad-Cardinalli, executive producer of GavTV and director of the STAR program at Gavilan.
A recently retired faculty member of 37 years, Abad-Cardinalli said she spent 30 of those with Briggs, who enrolled at Gavilan in the early mid-1970s and soaked up every last ounce of educational enlightenment available.
He appears to have had no intention of slowing down, as his Myspace page will attest. Under the “education” header Briggs wrote “Gavilan College: 1975 to present.”
Not that he was uneducated when he came to Gavilan, though.
Prior to arriving, Briggs already had a 21-year naval career and a University of California, Davis bachelor’s degree in agriculture and doctorate in genetics under his belt.
As an individual who loved music, television and “participated wholeheartedly in the arts,” Abad-Cardinalli recalled the charismatic “godsend to the theater program” jumped headfirst into every outlet he could get his hands on – especially theater.
“It was great to have him here because he played these fabulous roles. He had a great voice, beautiful stage presence and he would do whatever is necessary in order to get these productions on,” said Abad-Cardinalli, adding Briggs also sang and wrote plays.
She also mentioned Briggs’ wife – who passed away in 2005 – would make costumes and frequently appear onstage alongside her husband.
In the rare event he wasn’t in the spotlight, Abad-Cardinalli said Briggs was in the audience.
Not that you’d have to see his face to know he was present, though.
“He would laugh out loud, and soon everybody was laughing. His laughter gave everybody permission to go ahead and let loose,” she said.
Gavilan Theatre Director John Lawton-Haehl added “we will all miss that wonderful booming laugh ringing out in the theater at Gavilan.”
Describing Briggs’ jovial energy and resonating voice “that could shake the rafters,” Abad-Cardinalli said he had a knack for connecting with students.
Lawton-Haehl echoed this, saying Briggs was “a sort of unofficial ‘grandfather’ to the students,” whose enthusiasm for life and the arts was contagious. Lawton-Haehl rambled off a small handful of productions Briggs recently participated in, such as “Treasure Island,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “As You Like It” and “A Funny Thing Happened on the way to the Forum.”
“Someone like him comes along once in a lifetime,” said Abad-Cardinalli. “We were very, very honored to be part of his lifetime.”
Services for Carroll Briggs
– Specifics are pending, but a celebration of Briggs’ life is being planned for June 26. Call Gavilan College for evolving details at 848-4800.
