Dennis Giurintano

Dennis Anthony Giurintano passed away on Thursday, January 19, 2023 at his home, surrounded by his loving family. He was 75. He is survived by his cherished wife of 15 years, Susan Giurintano; his beloved daughter, Lisa Dial (Clifton); three stepsons, Daniel Raggio (Blair), Dr. Blake Raggio (Kristin) and Stephen Raggio (Layne); as well as six grandchildren: Brelynn Dial, Mary Kate Raggio, Leighton Raggio, Grant Raggio, Cecilia Raggio and Asher Raggio. He is also survived by his sister Fran Pilie (Walter) and brother Joseph Giurintano (Maryanne); an aunt, Gloria Parrish; and many nieces, nephews and cousins. Born January 22, 1947 in New Orleans, Dennis was the eldest of three children of Angelina Zara Giurintano and Joseph Salvador Giurintano. He grew up Uptown in the family home at Webster and Patton Streets. Dennis attended St. Francis of Assisi Elementary School and was a 1965 graduate of De La Salle High School, where he was a member of the wrestling and junior varsity football teams. He attended Southeastern Louisiana University and earned an associate degree from Delgado Community College, which sparked his interest in technology and electronics. He went to work as an engineer at Educational Electronics, helping install the sound system in the Louisiana Superdome while the building was under construction. In 1975, as the Superdome opened, he was hired by WWL-TV to help the station install the closed-circuit TV system and production studios inside the building. He then landed a job with Channel 4 as an engineer and studio camera operator. As electronic news gathering technology developed, Dennis moved full-time to the Eyewitness News department, where he would spend the next 45 years. Rising to the role of chief news engineer, he helped build an award-winning legacy for WWL-TV, traveling the city, state and country covering major news stories for Channel 4. In the 1970s and 80s, Dennis helped the station introduce videotape and live remote technology, including its first microwave remote trucks. Fondly called “Dr. Dish,” he helped design, introduce and operate WWL’s first satellite truck, Satellite Four, as well as introducing many other new forms of technology. As a satellite and microwave engineer, he covered hurricanes, tornadoes and floods, as well as all sorts of breaking news events, elections, state legislative sessions, sporting events, Saints training camps and games, Mardi Gras parades, Pope John Paul II’s 1987 visit to New Orleans and his 1998 visit to Cuba. One of his proudest achievements was leading the news engineering team for WWL-TV’s weeklong coverage of the Saints’ 2010 win at Super Bowl XLIV in Miami. Dennis’ technical knowledge and calm-under-pressure attitude helped major news networks such as CBS, CNN, NBC and The Weather Channel cover all sorts of major news stories. That included hurricanes and disasters along the Gulf Coast, political conventions, the 2000 presidential vote recount in Florida, and college and professional sporting events including Final Fours and Super Bowls in New Orleans and across the country. He was a member of the team that earned broadcast journalism’s highest honors for coverage of Hurricane Katrina in 2005: the George Foster Peabody, Edward R. Murrow, Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University and Suncoast Regional Emmy awards. Dennis’ positive attitude and fun-loving spirit enabled him to make lifelong friendships, as “The Italian Stallion” never met a stranger. At WWL, he trained, mentored and guided many engineers and photographers and helped anchors, reporters and producers excel and move on to careers in other cities and at major TV networks. After retiring from WWL in 2016, Dennis formed his own production company, Short Story LLC. He continued to serve as a freelance engineer and satellite truck operator covering hurricanes, elections, Mardi Gras and other major events. When he wasn’t working, retirement brought more time for Dennis to travel and spend time with his family, including his wife Susan, the love of his life who so devotedly cared for him during his recent illness. They were married in 2007 and traveled to favorite destinations in Jamaica, Cancun, Antigua, St. Lucia and Haiti. A longtime “Parrothead,” Dennis loved Jimmy Buffett’s music, enjoyed fishing and had a great sense of adventure, with a collection of “toys” over the years that ranged from cars and dirt bikes to motorcycles, campers and boats. Relatives and friends are invited to attend a funeral Mass at 12:00PM on Monday, January 30th, 2023 in the J. Garic Schoen Chapel of Jacob Schoen and Son Funeral Home, 3827 Canal St., New Orleans, LA 70119. Visitation will begin at 10:00AM. To view and sign the virtual register book, please visit www.schoenfh.com. Interment will follow at St. John Cemetery/Hope Mausoleum, 4841 Canal Street. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105, 1-800-822-6344 or email to memorials@stjude.org.

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