Services Thursday for skydiver killed in Madera accident

Funeral services for Dave Gilbert, the owner of Madera Parachute Center who died in a parachuting accident last week, will be held Thursday in Madera.

Gilbert, 65, died Saturday when his parachute failed to open properly during a demonstration at the Pomegranate Festival in Madera.

Madera police and the Federal Aviation Administration are determining what went wrong.

He had over 15,000 jumps in his career, according to an announcement published Wednesday.

Fresno resident Joan LeRoux said Gilbert was her parachuting instructor, called a jumpmaster, in the 1980s.

“I trusted his focus on safety,” she said. “He was one of the most meticulous people I’ve ever met. He had a great smile and easy laugh … he gave us confidence.”

Services will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Jay Chapel, 1211 Roberts Ave., Madera.

This story was originally published November 11, 2015 at 2:37 PM with the headline "Services Thursday for skydiver killed in Madera accident."