If there was a moment worthy to be photographed, William “Bill” Greenblatt was there with every intention of filing. That was whether it was a protest, a celebrity first pitch at St. Louis Cardinals game or a three-alarm fire – which was his specialty as the official photographer for the St. Louis Fire Department. Just about every major news scene over the past few decades included him on site with a camera around his neck, and another on his shoulder.
Greenblatt died on Sunday, December 15th after a battle with cancer. He was 70 years old.
“Bill will be fondly remembered for his work behind the camera lens, but even more so for his selflessness and witty sense of humor,” his family said in a statement on his passing. “A friend to anyone who has ever met him, Bill touched the lives of so many people and his legacy will be cherished forever.”
Greenblatt wasn’t interested in getting a picture. He was determined to get the picture – by any means necessary.
“He took his job seriously,” said Wiley Price award-winning staff photographer for The St. Louis American. “And he really tried to be everywhere.”
Watching Greenblatt work an assignment was as interesting as the story itself. Photographers typically arrive early – careful not to miss a moment – and talk shop until whatever they were there to shoot got underway.
“I can’t tell you how many shots I have with the back of Greenblatt’s head in it,” said Lawrence Bryant, award-winning photojournalist and longtime St. Louis American contributor with a laugh. “That was him.”
He would get the shot. And, he would also share it – with proper photo credit, of course – with outlets across the region and the nation, including The St. Louis American.
“In addition to his well-regarded ability as a photojournalist, he was respected – and appreciated – as a special friend, mentor and contributor to The American over the years,” said Donald M. Suggs, publisher and executive editor of The St. Louis American. “We are saddened by his passing and send our deepest condolences to his family.”
What Greenblatt will be remembered for most within the field was his sports photography. He was so prolific that in 2021 he became the first photographer ever to be inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.
Greenblatt was the first photojournalist enshrined by the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York, recognized him in 1991 for a photo of a home plate collision between Cardinals centerfielder Ray Lankford and Darren Daulton of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Greenblatt was also a recipient of the Jim Otis Award from the Lombardo Chapter of the National Football Hall of Fame.
While Greenblatt was recognizable, he never became a part of a story he was covering, according to former KMOV anchor and acclaimed journalist Julius Hunter.
“When Bill entered a room, he made a point of not lighting up the room,” Hunter said.
“Until his camera light flashed to bring us all closer to see important events and newsmakers in our city we might have otherwise missed. Bill will be missed.”
William David Greenblatt was born June 9, 1954 in St. Louis, one of two children born to Harold and the late Lois Greenblatt. He was a graduate of Ladue Horton Watkins High School. He went on to study education, music, and journalism at the University of Missouri.
Greenblatt was still a teen when he started working at OJ Photo Supply, a nationally renowned Black business that served photographers in the region and abroad. It was there that a young Fred Sweets met an even younger Greenblatt.
“I was the first Black photographer at The St. Louis Post-Dispatch,” Sweets said. “I was in my early twenties. He said, ‘Would you be willing to take me with you on some assignments so I can see how it goes?’” Greenblatt shadowing Sweets evolved into a 50-plus year friendship – and the pair ultimately became peers. “He worked so hard to get good at it,” Sweets said. “He had clients all over the place, but his primary source was UPI.”
Greenblatt was inducted into the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame in 2017.
“He covered St. Louis like a blanket,” Sweets said. “He had a front row seat and was concerned about documenting the history of St. Louis through his lens.”
He is survived by his wife Barbara and their children Mitchell, Lilly and Ethan Greenblatt.
My heart and prayers go out to his family and to the special people whose life Bill touched so deeply. Rest in peace Bill.