Death of Gilles Galerne, president of K 5600 Lighting - North Hollywood

Twenty years ago, Jean Galerne, former director of LTM, founded K5600 alongside his two sons, Gilles and Marc. Unfortunately, Jean Galerne was stricken down by cancer in 1993 and never saw his company’s success. Gilles in the USA and Marc in France worked together to develop new solutions for daylight lighting.
On Monday, 26 November, Gilles Galerne passed away following months of battle against his ALS. Gilles was truly passionate about lighting and about sailing, which he enjoyed more and more as he was determined to enjoy life to its fullest. He was known as a lover of good food, good wine, and good laughs. His resounding and generous laughter will remain etched in the memory of all those who knew him.
Marc Galerne, K5600 Lighting

• Gilles Galerne, smiles, joie de vivre, and a sailor’s stolidity by Richard Andry, AFC
  The first time I met Gilles Galerne was in Los Angeles in the early 80s. Pierre Andrieux, who had just moved there, gave me his address. Gilles was the young president of LTM in Los Angeles and I went to beg him for some equipment for my shoot. He couldn’t do much for me, but he helped me out by inviting me to have lunch with him right then and there : generosity, laughter, and good humour were the trademark of the Galerne brothers, as well as their professionalism and understanding of our needs and desires.

The creation of K5600 and its line of spotlights was a sort of revolution for us and I became friendly with both brothers. When I went to LA, he was one of the French friends I would drop in to say “hi” to.
He had invited me for a little outing on his lovely boat. I never had the opportunity to take him up on it, and we always stayed at the dock. We discussed the Glénan Islands that we had both visited (he more seriously than I). Gilles was in love with the sea…

The last time I saw him was on the occasion of the International Conference organized by the ASC in May 2011 and of which he was a sponsor. He had invited the members of the AFC in attendance to dinner. Denis couldn’t go, but Caroline, Pascal and I went out to dinner with him and his colleague Thierry to an excellent Japanese restaurant in Hollywood. It was a lovely evening that ended in a Jazz bar…Before I left for France, he left a few K5600 t-shirts in front of my door, knowing how much I loved to collect them.
I will never forget his smile, his joie de vivre, and his sailor’s stolidity faced with the sea that lived inside him. He left us too young, and he will be missed.

• Gilles Galerne, a warm and comforting presence by Pascal Lebègue, AFC
  I met Gilles Galerne shortly after my arrival in Los Angeles a dozen years ago. His son was a classmate of my eldest daughter Louise at the Lycée Français. There was never anything forced about our relationship, as is sometimes the case in Los Angeles, and our friendship developed over the years around lighting, his lights, and the profession.

He knew how much I liked his Bug-Jokers that I still have because it’s a “clever”, lightweight and dependable light source. It has been improved upon since and always for the better. Not to mention the Alpha series that gave the Fresnel HMIs a new lease on life. He always attended the technicians’ events, Cinegear and others, and it was always nice to see him there with or without his brother Marc at the K5600 stand !
Gilles loved life and the sea. I often visited him on his sailboat because a text message or two was enough to get an invitation. We went for a sail if there was wind, but always had lunch on board whatever the weather. There was always a friend from Brittany or elsewhere on board with him, and I loved to bring my youngest daughter, Cécile, along for the ride.

A year and a half were enough to deprive us of his warm and comforting presence, a year and a half during which his illness stole everything from him, day after day. It was cruel and painful, and my sadness surely does not compare with that of his family, to whom all of my thoughts go out.