Before he died on July 16, Assignment Desk owner, Bill Scheer, had stipulated instead of a funeral he wanted a party, “to remember him in the way he loved to live,” said his friend, Carly Figliulo, “having a million laughs, surrounded by his friends, family and the mixed nuts he’d hung out with over the years.”
Mr. Scheer, 56, succumbed after a two-year battle with rare bile duct cancer.
A lifelong member of Chicago’s film industry, in 1992, after 13 years as an executive with Mediatech, Mr. Scheer launched Assignment Desk, believed to be the first company of its kind in the business.
Assignment Desk has a present roster of more than 7,000 worldwide audio/video crews for television shows and network and cable news assignment throughout the world, said VP/business manager, Evelyn Beldam, who first worked with Mr. Scheer at Mediatech.
In 1979, Mr. Scheer was hired as operations manager at newly-formed Mediatech, a broadcast duplication/distribution company (now DG Fast Channel).
As Mediatech’s business rapidly grew, Mr. Scheer became VP/general manager and opened the company’s Los Angeles and New York branches, managing both for a while. He was also a partner in the business and co-owner of Mediatech’s Hubbard St. building.
“Bill was very businesslike and strict, but he had a great sense of humor and people liked working for him,” said Mediatech founder Tom Bauer.
Just recently, Bauer had brought Mr. Scheer in as an investor in a new Wells St. restaurant, “and Bill was very excited about that.”
After leaving Mediatech in 1991, Mr. Scheer concentrated on developing Assignment Desk. He set it up as a corporation, with investors, and officially opened the following year, when he also became president of Astro Labs for more than five years.
Astro owner Scott Delendorf, who called Mr. Scheer “a truly unique individual,” called his top-to-bottom reorganization of the business his greatest contribution. “He brought together the film and video divisions, facilitated total gutting and remodeling of our building, and brought in bright, new people.
“His personality and interpersonal skills were bar none. He was the best I ever worked with. He genuinely cared about everybody in his world.”
After Astro was sold, Mr. Scheer headed Assignment Desk full time. In 2003, he bought back the outstanding stock to become sole owner and reincorporated the company.
Mr. Scheer’s laugh is sure to be everyone’s favorite memory, said his long time friend, Bob Daly of The Tape Company. “His smile and laughter would light up a room and get everyone going. Even after his cancer surgery last year, when he attended the annual Hummel golf outing, he was in good spirits, joking around and laughing.”
Golf was his passion, recalled Bob Coleman, former Editel president. He recalled riding back from an industry meeting with Mr. Scheer, “who kept me in stitches with his stories the whole time.” They quickly became golf buddies.
“Bill was a fanatic player and I loved him for it. We played in the dead of winter in Chicago, in pouring rain, anywhere, anyplace all over the country,” Coleman said.
Mr. Scheer’s other great interest was participating in the Chief Executive Board International. “Bill as a creative businessman who helped other members with excellent ideas and solutions, and also showed them how to have fun,” said CEBI CEO Terry Weaver.
Mr. Scheer’s cancer battle began in September, 2007. “He was doing good for a while, until the disease became aggressive last November,” said Figliulo. “He fought a good hard fight those last six months of his life.”
The invitation-only memorial party is expected to reunite Bill Scheer’s friends from all over the country. It will be held Aug. 27 at one of his favorite places, the Silver Cloud, 1700 N. Damen.
Mr. Scheer is survived by his parents, Wilbert and Lillian. His only sister, Debbie, who had been 18 months older, died 18 months ago also of cancer.
