Before Talking calculators, or maybe when they cost $400 a piece, I got myself and my wife, who is sighted, cranmer abacuss, the instruction manual written by Fred Gissoni and learned how to use one. The instruction manual was really written well. It was clear and concise. We both used them for years. I still have them and the manual. I even taught my kids how to use them and because of that, their math improved.
There was a couple other ideas that Fred had that I used. I always marveled at his creative mind.
I had no idea however, that he was also a ham. I would have liked to have had a QSO with him.
RIP Mr. Gissoni K4JLX
-Bob Ringwald K6YBV
From: Ron Miller
Sent: Friday, September 26, 2014 3:09 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Fred Gissoni, K4JLX, SK
Fred was a really great man. I've had the oportunity to work with him, and s=
pend a little time outside of work with him as well and he was absolutely a g=
entleman and great to be around.
He wasn't doing any hamming, recently, as far as I know, but he did contact m=
e when he motheed to the residential facility he was in, for my input on mon=
itoring aviation in his area, so, I got to share aviation frequencies with h=
im. A small thing, but it was flattering that he'd call me for this.
73 & 99 Fred!
Ron Miller
N6MSA
> On Sep 26, 2014, at 5:29 PM, "Mike Duke, K5XU" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>=20
> Fred Gissoni, K4JLX, died on Sunday, Sept. 21, 2014. He was 84 years-old.
>=20
> The following is from an article that was written earlier by Deborah=20
> Kendrick, for Access World, a publication of the American Foundation=20
> for the Blind.
>=20
> Since this is a third or fourth pasting of the information, the links=20
> at the bottom may not work without some doctoring.
>=20
> Mike Duke, K5XU
>=20
> Fred retired from the American Printing House for the Blind in 2011=20
> after 23 years of service.
>=20
> Fred L. Gissoni was 84 years old and lived in the Crescent Hill=20
> area of Louisville, Kentucky. Fred contributed 60 years of service to=20
> people who are blind and visually impaired. Fred was known across the=20
> United States and around the world for his brilliant intellect,=20
> inventiveness, and impish sense of humor. He was born in New Jersey.=20
> Blind since birth, he did not, as he told it, go to one of the five=20
> widely renowned schools for the blind in that area, but rather, to a=20
> resource room in a public school, first in Garfield, NJ, and later in=20
> Hackensack. He was interested in amateur radio at age six or seven, and=20=
> that marked the beginning of a lifelong passion for all things=20
> technical. He passed away Sunday, September 21, 2014.
>=20
>=20
>=20
> In 1956, Fred took a job with a subsection of Kentucky's=20
> Department of Education. His boss was the legendary Tim Cranmer.=20
> Gissoni and Cranmer learned the abacus together, and Gissoni wrote=20
> detailed instructions for its use. That book, Using the Cranmer Abacus,=20=
> is still available from the American Printing House, as is the abacus=20
> itself. Fred also wrote and taught a course on use of the abacus for=20
> the Hadley School for the Blind.
>=20
>=20
>=20
> In terms of the technology blind people are using today, what=20
> stands out most notably in the work of Fred Gissoni would probably be=20
> the development of the Pocketbraille and Portabraille, collaborations=20
> of Fred Gissoni and Wayne Thompson, while the two were colleagues at=20
> the Kentucky Department for the Blind.
>=20
>=20
>=20
> The Pocketbraille was built to be housed in a videocassette box=20
> (one for a VHS cassette, which was state-of-the-art in the mid 1980s.)=20
> One could enter data from a Perkins-style keyboard and hear it spoken=20
> through speech. When Fred learned of a braille display manufacturer in=20
> Italy, the project grew into a refreshable braille device called=20
> Portabraille. The Kentucky Department made only 12 Portabraille units=20
> -- two of which enabled blind people to retain their jobs. Rather than=20
> making a profit from the machines themselves, Gissoni and Thompson sold=20=
> the detailed instructions for building the device for $5. Deane=20
> Blazie's interest in those plans, led to the birth of the Braille 'n Speak=
.
>=20
>=20
>=20
> Fred was particularly proud of the Janus Slate, the=20
> double-sided interline braille slate that holds a three-by-five index=20
> card for brailling on both sides. When asked about the name of this=20
> product, he said, Well, Janus was the Roman God of portals. But I like=20
> to tell people that he was the Roman God of braille, and since we=20
> didn't actually have braille for several hundred more years, he didn't=20
> have much to do. That is vintage Fred Gissoni banter.
>=20
>=20
>=20
> Other inventions he developed for APH were also small items=20
> including a pocket braille calendar and a gadget he called FoldRite,=20
> which simplified folding an 8-1/2 by 11 sheet of paper into thirds.=20
> When asked about his accomplishments, one of the things he mentioned=20
> his introducing Larry Skutchan to APH.
>=20
>=20
>=20
> Fred always used an abacus and was never without a slate and=20
> stylus. Batteries die and chips fail, he said simply. On the Fred's=20
> Head web site, APH refers to him as a legend. He shared his tips,=20
> techniques, knowledge, genius, and generous spirit with blind people=20
> everywhere for more than 80 years. Fred's world of knowledge eventually=20=
> became what is now the Fred's Head from APH <http://www.fredshead.info> b=
log.
>=20
>=20
>=20
> A memorial service is being planned for the near future. In=20
> lieu of flowers, contributions are requested to American Printing House=20=
> for the Blind, UCHM for food, or the Crescent Hill United Methodist=20
> Church. See more and sign his guest book at:=20
> http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/louisville/obituary.aspx?n=3Dfred-l-gisso=
ni&pid=3D172536773&fhid=3D10680#sthash.DC1xF6rC.dpuf=20
> <http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/louisville/obituary.aspx?n=3Dfred-l-giss=
oni&pid=3D172536773&fhid=3D10680#sthash.DC1xF6rC.dpuf>=20
> .
|
