Rosemarie Johnston and Lou Gerlinger were friends of nearly 40 years. They met in 1982 in a German restaurant in Chula Vista. Gerlinger was still working for The Log when they first met and Johnson would accompany Gerlinger to all the yacht club opening ceremonies in...
Menu
Menu
Menu
Menu
6 Responses
What a wonderful man he was. I used to greatly enjoy working with him as a PR person. We’d talk about business then inevitably about life and boating topics in general. I learned so much. I had no idea he led quite a life – and his kids are in the same business! Love it. Rest in peace Lou and hope you found Betty with a boat waiting for you up there…
Nicely done piece on a great journalist. I joined The Log after Lou sold it, but he was still involved as a columnist and advisor. His professionalism was a guiding light and inspiration for us all. This is an article I’m sure he would have been proud of. 😉 Condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.
I was the editor at The Log shortly after Lou sold the paper. He was a familiar figure in the office and with his wealth of knowledge about the boating industry and treasure trove of connections, I welcomed the advice he freely offered me and the staff. He definitely left his mark on the publication and will be missed. Condolences to his family and his friends.
My condolences to the Gerlinger family for the loss of an icon. Lou Sr. was a task master and a direct communicator. I had the pleasure to work for him and the Gerlinger family in Los Angeles and San Diego selling advertising and meeting some amazing people along the way, including Lou Sr…..loved that job. If you haven’t read The Log Newspaper….you should. Sorry about all of those late ad submissions Louie!
I worked in the editorial department of The Log from 1998 to 2006 and knew Lou Gerlinger as a mentor and friend and a true gentleman. Ever since my husband and I started our own paper, Arizona Boating & Watersports/Western Outdoor Times, he continued to advise and support us. I so appreciated his input and learned a great deal from his comments. Jim and I send our deepest sympathy to his family, friends, and dear companion of many years, Rosemarie.
Woke today with Lou on my mind and, as has been my annual habit for many years, decided to check up on him, only to come across this sad news from last year. I was the editor of The Log Newspapers in the late ’90s (hi Carol!) I was promoted from San Diego Bureau Chief and had never been an editor before. I was in over my head but Lou, then our editorial consultant, helped me more than anyone can ever know. He was invaluable to me. After leaving The Log, I continued as a writer and editor, and his gruff advice continues to serve me even now. Outside the office, I spent lots of time with him and Rosemarie, and we shared many interests, including a love of dogs. When I was a student at PLNU, years before I had even heard of The Log, I frequently saw this old codger in a cowboy hat, exercising his dog (Sammy?) on the lower sports field, which I later learned was a short walk from his home on Sunset Cliffs. We greeted each other a few times, but I never imagined we would someday know each other well or that he would be such a mentor to me. He had already lived an amazing life by the time we met, and I loved to hear his stories. Like the one where he was in a market with Lise when a guy started trying to rob the store. He told Lise to go outside and get in the car and, once she was safely out of the store, Lou pulled his gun and shot the would-be robber, who was not seriously injured and even asked Lou why he had to shoot him. As The Log’s editor, I came to understand better than many how deeply respected and widely known he was in the boating community. Condolences to Rosemarie and the Gerlingers. Fair winds and following seas, my friend.