Raul Bassave (my Gadget Guru)

Raul Bassave, Jan. 8, 1914-July 18, 2008

My Dad Raul Bassave, passed away this past July, 2008. He worked with Philco & Philco Ford for 40 years in the US and Cuba. Here is a quote from his tribute page. “His son Roy went along with him, over many summers as he visited many technicians and was privileged to have been exposed to technology that not too many kids would ever see. This exposure gave him the bug about gadgets that led him to write consumer electronics stories/reviews in the Herald back in the 90s.”

My dad inspired me for my love of technology and gadgets. I hope you read about him, and how he made a difference during the birth of B&W analog TV. It dawned on me, that he passed away just as the TV technology he worked with is also was dying.

RAUL BASSAVE: THE ORIGINAL CUBAN GADGET GURU

Raul Bassave, passed away on Friday, July 18, 2008 at the age of 94 after his heart failed at Baptist Hospital. He was a loving, devoted husband to his wife of 65 years, Alice, 96, who he met in New York, and married on August 28, 1942.

He was a loving and fantastic father and grandfather to his only child, Roy, (daughter-in-law Zuly) and two grandchildren Kiara and David. Raul was born January 8, 1914 in Niquero, Cuba to Raul and Matlide Bassave, had one sister, Antonia.

He attended the RCA Technological Institute in Electronics Engineering, class of 1946. After graduation he was the first student to which RCA granted the privilege to acquire practical experience in their TV studio in the operation and maintenance of TV cameras at NBC. At the same time he would also climb the radio tower of the Empire State Building to take radio signal readings. Yes the same place that King Kong climbed.

In 1947 during his spare time he designed and built a TV camera, transmitter set which he operated in closed circuit at home in Brooklyn, NY.

This equipment he took to Cuba and was operated and exhibited at the Marti Theater in Havana for a month, televising the public to a paying audience. This occurred before TV arrived in Cuba in 1948. In 1948 at the inception of commercial television he began work for Philco Corp who sent him to Cuba in 1950 along with his American wife. In Cuba he trained hundreds of technicians and dealers on how to sell TVs fix them and what parts are needed to do so. Philco distributors from Central and South America sent people to him for training since his teachings were considered cutting edge. Alice loved Cuba so much; she learned Spanish and taught others English.

Alice said after hearing that Raul died, “he was a wonderful husband, we never argued over anything, we always got along, I miss him terribly”.

Raul left Cuba in 1960 with his wife and son to return to America. Here he continued the same line of work for Philco in Califorina and finally settled in Miami in 1964. He retired from Philco-Ford in 1977.

My dad was proud to be an American citizen, and appreciated the chance to achieve the American dream.

From that point on he lived a peaceful life with his loving wife Alice, sharing his knowledge of TV electronics with all and making 12 Classical guitars by hand, his son has the first and last one he made. His son Roy went along with him, over many summers as he visited many technicians and was privileged to have been exposed to technology that not too many kids would ever see. This exposure gave him the bug about gadgets that led him to write consumer electronics stories/reviews in the Herald back in the 90s.

My dad was and is still my hero, if it was not for him I would not be the man I am here today.

He will also be missed by his big family on his wife’s side – (sister-in-law Catherine Frank and her children), (sister-in-law Millie Frank), Nephew Ed and Diane Mohlenhoff (Ed was influenced in the field of electronics by Raul), his brothers Hank and his wife Laurie and Carl and his wife Verna, all their children and grandchildren. He is laid to rest at Flagler Memorial Park.