Albert M. Vanaman | TV lighting director, 86

Albert M. Vanaman, 86, of Newtown Square, a retired television lighting director, died of heart failure April 6 at home.

A native of Roxborough, Mr. Vanaman served in the Army Air Force during World War II as a gun-turret operator on bombers in the Middle East and in Europe.

After his discharge, he was a messenger at J.E. Caldwell Co. jewelers in Center City, where he met a sales clerk, Sara "Bunny" Haring. They married in 1948.

In 1954, Mr. Vanaman went to work at WCAU-TV (Channel 10) as a dolly operator and eventually became a lighting director. He worked with local children's TV celebrities Gene London and Pixanne, his daughter Suzanne said, and with news anchor John Facenda and weatherman Herb Clarke. He lit the televised broadcast of the annual Mummers Parade, she said, and his services were requested by network television crews when they came to town for sports events. He continued to direct the lighting for WCAU's 6 and 11 o'clock news until he retired in 1997.

Mr. Vanaman was a member of the retired WCAU employees' Prime Time Club and of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. He was a member of St. Alban's Episcopal Church in Newtown Square.

In addition to his daughter, he is survived by daughters Sheryl Habeger and Sonya; a son, Scott; eight grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. His wife died in 1999.

The funeral and burial were private.