Wolfgang Spunbarg; Cinematographer

Wolfgang Spunbarg of Newbury Park, a veteran cinematographer, died Wednesday at Kaiser Permanente’s Woodland Hills Medical Center. He was 72.

He was born on Aug. 28, 1927, in Berlin, Germany. When he was about 10 years old, he moved with his family to South America.

As an adult, Spunbarg worked as a newsreel cameraman throughout Uruguay and Argentina before moving to America. He planned to work in Hollywood, but was drafted into the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He served in the Signal Corps and was stationed in Austria.

After being discharged, Spunbarg moved to New York and then to the Los Angeles area.

His future wife, Edith Engel, moved from Germany to California in 1959. The couple met in 1960 while she was working as a secretary. They were married the next year and lived in Santa Monica. In 1967, the couple moved with their two children to Newbury Park.

He worked for the Point Mugu naval base as a documentary cameraman in the 1970s. He also worked as a freelance photographer. One of his projects was recording the development of Lake Sherwood Country Club. He was hired to take pictures of the area before the country club was built and later took additional photos of the site.

Spunbarg’s previously unsold pictures were often used in books or documentary films.

His family said he enjoyed nature and beautiful music but enjoyed photography most.

In addition to his wife of 38 years, Spunbarg is survived by their son Thomas of Simi Valley and Cassandra of Beverly Hills.

Services will be private. Arrangements are under the direction of Pierce Bros. Griffin Mortuary in Thousand Oaks.