Van Van McLeod

Van is survived by his wife of 36 years, Joan Goshgarian, and their daughter, Chelsea.

Van was born in Concord, N.H., to Scott and Pappy [van Pappelendam] McLeod in 1945. When Van was six, the family moved to Washington, D.C., where his father worked until appointed as the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland. The four years of living in the embassy were among Van’s fondest memories; it was there he met Walt Disney, among other artists and politicians, setting the stage for his later work in life.

Van graduated from Parsons College and spent his early working years in the Boston area in the music industry as a lighting technician for rock concerts. He was fortunate to ride the famed music train “Festival Express,” where Janis Joplin taught him the proper way to drink tequila: salt, shot, lime. He attended and worked at the Orson Welles Film School and as the booking agent for various acts. He gave Jay Leno his big break, something Jay remembered and thanked him for many years later – and Jay wasn’t the only star to thank Van publicly for that kind of career boost. Others who had the pleasure of working with Van include Sarah Caldwell, Rachel Dratch, Tom Rush and countless others. Van founded Theatre 369 in Somerville and then returned home to New Hampshire.

In New Hampshire, Van was an artist-in-residence in schools and wrote a book about it, “No Stars.” He founded First Night New Hampshire and the North Country Center for the Arts where he was producing director for seven years. He was appointed commissioner of the N.H. Department of Cultural Resources in 1992 and continued in that role until his death.

His role as commissioner allowed him to work with a variety of people and projects associated with of the arts, historical resources, library, and film and television divisions of his department. There he led a team of dedicated and knowledgeable experts, whom he treasured as colleagues and friends, working together to enhance the impact of arts and culture in the state.

Throughout his time in state government, Van was a tireless champion for culture in all of its forms. He was as well known for his humor and compassion as he was for his devotion to supporting culture statewide. Some of the initiatives, boards and committees Van was a member of include: N.H. Film Commission, Granite Hollywood, Celebrate N.H. for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, N.H. Theatre Awards, Christa McAuliffe Planetarium Commission, N.H. Travel Council, International Alliance of First Night Celebrations, Old Man of the Mountain Memorial, Russian N.H. Society and other international cultural trade exchanges, N.H. Political Library, N.H. Land and Heritage Commission, Open Borders Festival, the Commissioners Brown Bag exchanges and the Capitol Center for the Arts.

Van was one of four American Fellows selected for the Salzburg Global Seminars, a gathering of writers, directors and producers from fifty-one countries, on “The Power of Theatre: Artistry, Entertainment and Social Commentary.” In 2008, President Obama appointed Van to his National Arts Policy Committee.

Awards to Van included the Van McLeod Award, given annually by the N.H. Film Festival for outstanding contribution in film, television, entertainment and culture; the N.H. Theatre Association Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Plymouth State University N.H. Granite Award for outstanding public service.

While Van won many awards and accolades throughout his career, perhaps the award he cherished most was the recognition that he was a great guy, universally liked and respected.

Always working on an outside project to fuel his creativity, Van produced a video about Amos Tuck, “The Well Font—The Story of Tuck”; was director/producer of the documentary set in Northern Ireland, “Murals: Romanticizing the Violence,” which won the Gold Aurora Award; and was a producer of “Agadez: The Music and the Rebellion” that tells the story of the Tuareg nomads of the Sahara and profiles the extraordinary Tuareg star, Bombino. He was currently involved in a start up initiative involving international film festivals and global network entertainment.

Van enjoyed fishing with his buddies, movie-going with friends and spending time with his Snowshoe brothers. His sense of humor and storytelling was legendary and enjoyed by all.

Van was predeceased by his father and mother, and his brother, Daniel McLeod. In addition to his wife and daughter, Van is survived by a sister, Anne Ryan of Canada, sisters-in-law Diane Bourque of Massachusetts, Susan McGrew of Tennessee and Paula Smith of Virginia and their spouses, Debbie McLeod of Arizona, and beloved nieces and nephews Rachael, Sarah, John, Candice, Emily, Anna, Ben, Molly, Camilla and Erin and their spouses and children.

Memorial contributions to Van may be made to help finalize the current state project he was working on, a memorial statue for Gov. John Winant, at Park Street Foundation, 20 Park St., Concord, N.H. 03301.

Calling hours will be 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 21 at the Bennett Funeral Home. The memorial service is at St. Paul’s Church in Concord on Friday, July 22 at 1:00 p.m.