Pretty amazing accomplishment at 85

She loved music and could often be heard humming while she was working. In 2007, Clara fulfilled a lifelong ambition of retracing the route of her father-in-law's 1800s Alaskan Gold Rush expedition. Clara panned for gold and even caught two salmon.

More sand dollars, fewer zinnias ...

The sand dollars at Old Orchard Beach, Maine are now safe, and her close friends and family will no longer be able to fill their daily fresh vegetable needs from her bountiful garden. Zinnia production will definitely be affected by her passing.

World-class structural welder

He was a world class structural welder who could boast of a welding record unparalleled in the shipyard. He maintained a 0% rejection rate for over 12 years, in an industry where any rate below 5% is considered good and 3.2% is average. The good-natured compliment that was heard when he completed a welding job, "You can paint that one now" referred to a completed welding job, meaning no defects were found. A perfect record of 12 years certainly justified such praise. Peter's superior hand and eye coordination was evident in his favorite hobby as well, having won several trophies for shooting pool.

Inciting political strife between friends

His days were spent inciting political strife between his closest friends, solving Soduku down at Fort Trumbull, and lounging in the sun at either Misquamicut Beach or at home on the back deck with his dog, Grumbles. ... He also leaves behind his "real family", the Flanders Pizza crew and East Lyme Burger King breakfast gang.

"Neighborhood lothario of cat food"

"...her childhood memories included feeding her pet chicken, "Betty Grable", and learning to play the piano while wearing a hat and her winter coat against the cold in the drafty parsonages. "Marj never met a cat she didn't like, or wouldn't feed, even if he was the neighborhood lothario of cat food."

There's a memory

As a young child, Mrs. Schneider spent many Christmas holidays at Sing Sing Prison, as her family was friends with the Warden.

Did not know one could befriend a squirrel

She loved feeding and watching the numerous birds in her back yard, as well as making friends with the squirrels as well. She also loved tending to her rose bushes.

Imagine that!

She loved to fish and would row her children and grandchildren out into Niantic Bay, sometimes they actually caught fish.

Talk about breaking news ...

Loren G. "Sam" Lickteig passed away on Nov. 14, 2012 of complications from MS and heartbreaking disappointment caused by the Kansas City Chiefs football team. (H/T Jim Romenesko)

"Mostly for the french fries"

Bessie was well known in New London where she was a Girl Scout leader for more than 20 years and the librarian at St. Joseph School for several more. She held a myriad of jobs during her lifetime; working in a factory in Detroit at the start of World War II, as a switchboard operator, and a truck driver in the Coast Guard, as a hairdresser, a florist, a clerk in a sporting goods store, and in her retirement, even at McDonald's (mostly for the french fries), and as a baby-sitter and a cat-sitter for friends all over Connecticut. She loved to drive and could be seen trekking all over the state in her lavender painted car with license plates that read "Grandma". Despite having a notoriously terrible sense of direction, she even drove an RV across the country in 1978 to visit all of the landmarks she had always wanted to see. She was a staunch supporter of the UConn women's basketball team and of the New York Yankees.

Mary Charlotte Emerich, church lady with a fondness for ...

She was an active member of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church for many years, serving on the Ladies Guild and various church, festival, and bazaar committees. She was a longtime member of the Ledyard Boosters Club, as well as the St. Aloysius Auxiliary, and the Gales Ferry Cemetery Association. Caring but firm and always recognizing the value of those around her, she never failed to bring the best out of people. She liked a good joke, a big laugh, Halloween, April Fool's Day, neighbors, good company, and Budweiser from a can.

Ann Hespeler: Pie and potato salad

Ann will be remembered for never forgetting a birthday or special occasion, homemade ice tea, blueberry pie, and German potato salad.

Edgar Tracy, 30 years of well-deserved retirement

From Edgar's retirement in 1977, he and Louise spent close to 30 years enjoying the winters in Marathon, Fla. Edgar traveled to Florida on the same route so he could visit his favorite waitresses along the way.

A first for me: Obit for Annie

She then came to live with Dr. Carver, where she started her new job of public relations and personal protection, she excelled in both. When Annie was young, she loved tug of war and was the first puppy, of her litter, on the tug, and the last one to let go.

Amy Wheaton, enjoyed a good clean house

In addition to her many other accomplishments, Amy was a proponent of living life joyfully. She was known to sport anything from a clown wig, to a turban, to a witch's hat, and delighted in bringing fun into the serious. Amy was an avid gardener, pumpkin painter, bird lover, and naturalist, who enjoyed holidays, black labs, and a good clean house. She was famous for her listening and wise counsel.

Neil Armstrong by Neil Steinberg

Steinberg was at home Saturday afternoon and had just learned of Armstrong’s death from a Facebook post when the Sunday editor at the Sun-Times sent a text message asking him to write the piece. A little more than an hour later, Steinberg turned out a concise and eloquent 892-word essay on a man he considered a true American hero. (As a personal sign of respect to Armstrong, he put the flag out on his front porch.)

Temp Brown Jr., finder of exquisite croissants and more

Temp's zest for travel led him and Suzie to explore many different corners of the world. He especially enjoyed the planning of their trips. Temp always discovered charming places to stay, and where to find the most exquisite croissants.

Helen Gurley Brown, 90

"Helen Gurley Brown, who as the author of “Sex and the Single Girl” shocked early-1960s America with the news that unmarried women not only had sex but also thoroughly enjoyed it — and who as the editor of Cosmopolitan magazine spent the next three decades telling those women precisely how to enjoy it even more — died on Monday in Manhattan. She was 90, though parts of her were considerably younger." Another spectacular lede by Margalit Fox!

Marylou Belles: Gave cancer the finger for 27 years

She was also a lifelong NY Mets fan though, surprisingly, that wasn't what killed her. (H/T to Jim Romenesko)

Proudly, she reached 100

A century is a long time to gather memories. Marie remembered the Armistice ending World War I and the influenza epidemic that year that nearly killed her mother. She listened to Charles Lindbergh after his trans-Atlantic flight and 70 years later could remember the thrill of hearing him say, "When I landed at Le Bourget..."

Here's a doozy of an autobituary!

Now that I have gone to my reward, I have confessions and things I should now say. As it turns out, I AM the guy who stole the safe from the Motor View Drive Inn back in June, 1971. I could have left that unsaid, but I wanted to get it off my chest. Also, I really am NOT a PhD.

An amazing woman with an appetite for life

Audrey, the greatest mother in the whole world (in our humble opinion) passed away on Sunday July 1st at Lawrence Hospital in Bronxville,NY, with her loving daughter, Wendy close at hand, ready with a Haagen Daz chocolate milk shake should she be allowed fluids again. Unfortunately, she didn't get her last taste -- but she had a wonderful taste of life in her 90 and a half years, mostly lived in Fleetwood, NY.

Aw, a sweet school nurse

Many students looked for reasons to visit her office in order to be encouraged, entertained, and even treated for illnesses or minor injuries.

The nerve!

On June 9, 2012, Katherine Collins Lynch departed for Heaven without the courtesy of a goodbye notice, and without having prepared one last pot of her much-loved chicken and rice soup.

It's been a while since a worthy obit line has shown itself but today we have a story about a different kind of remembrance with a man who places newspaper ads twice a year in memory of his wife, who died 10 years ago next month. It's a bittersweet tale.

Ah, the return of the presidential election year request

In lieu of flowers the family requests donations go to whoever runs against Barrack Obama.

Founder of E.J. Korvette, 91

"Seeing a population of Americans financially better off, impatient to get on with their lives after World War II and susceptible to the advertising shown on the latest new thing, their television sets, he concluded that victory belonged to the very bold." And he was right!

A Renaissance woman

“This [service] is going to be attended by bikers and knitters, attorneys, and doctors and cowboys, artists, craftsmen and regular workaday Joes,” he said. He also expects to see police and firefighters there, because when Mrs. Roberts was done testing recipes, she often dropped off her delicious meals and desserts to police stations and firehouses. (H/T to Joan Lufrano)

Tip o' da iceberg

Lauren also found time to volunteer in her children's grammar school, St. Athanasius, inaugurating "Pasta Day," coaching basketball, creating the French program and collaborating in the yearly student tour to France. (H/T to Joan Lufrano!)

It's a principle and a good one

He enjoyed gardening and would only eat fresh tomatoes that he grew himself; a trait he got from his father.

A final lobster roll

Bruno spent his final weeks surrounded by his family, eating a final lobster roll, listening to Tchaikovsky symphonies, Strauss waltzes, and Gershwin tunes, and he watched Red Sox games. On the easel in his studio is a small canvas of a mountain laurel grove in his back yard. Though unfinished, it is a lovely painting.

Simple, yet telling

She enjoyed playing cards at her kitchen table with family and friends while listening to WCTY. She enjoyed feeding the family dog, Pepper, spaghetti and loved her Siamese cats, especially Shami.

Steel spine, soft heart

On Mother's Day, Kathryn "Kat" Carr finally burned through the last of her nine lives and claimed her rightful place as De Facto Empress of the hell she lived in and its many outlying colonies (i.e. Portages Lakes, Barberton, Aberdeen, Windsor, etc.)

Lived hard, I guess

Uncle Jerry born in 1941 passed away Sunday May 6th, 2012. He was survived by daughter Robin Sadrnia, 5 grandchildren 5 great grandchildren, 4 siblings Phillip Morris, Miller Brewing Company, a handful of ex wives, and various ladies of the evening. There will be a memorial service for him at Midway Point Sports Pub on May 20th 2012 from 2 pm to 5 pm 12801 Midway Road, Dallas TX.7524

Take THAT, Jola!

Memoriam In Loving Memory of my beloved son Alan Ferraro I'm sorry I did not have the opportunity to see you before God called. I tried but your wife, Jola, would not let me talk to you on the telephone or she would not let me in the house. She forbid me and the family from coming to your memorial mass. I know you reached out to me, I'm sorry we had interference from Jola. You will always be in my heart. Love you always, Mom, Sarah Ferraro (H/T to Peter Elikann)

Miss Elisabeth, 98, joked in Greek and Latin

She was quiet, gentle and able to be still for such long periods of time that small wild creatures felt safe nearby.

The scamp!

Chuck loved to grow vegetables and take care of his yard. He had a mischievous sense of humor, hanging a plastic apple from the red maple tree in his front yard.

Above all, he was a gentleman

He also loved music, which could be heard playing in the background whenever he answered his phone.

She certainly got around!

Outgoing and with many friends, she described teaching herself, at age 15, how to smoke in front of a mirror before trying, with less success, to teach her mother to smoke. Later, during the war years, she maintained engagements to several young soldiers in order to "give them hope."

There's more ... much more

JRock will be placed to rest in the St. Mary’s section of Odd Fellows (the irony) Cemetery in Ponca City and I’m sure he would invite you to come by later and have a laugh on him — literally.

It's always something.

She was known for her taco sauce, which was always eagerly anticipated.

The consummate tummler

But his forte became the Simon Says routines. (He spelled it Simon Sez.) Contestants stayed in the game as long as they did only what Simon told them to do, of course, and Mr. Goldstein, with a rapid-fire delivery, was masterly at tricking them into doing what Simon had actually kept mum about. (H/T to Paul LaRosa)

He'll be missed.

Mike wanted it known that he died as a result of being stubborn, refusing to follow doctors' orders and raising hell for more than six decades. He enjoyed booze, guns, cars and younger women until the day he died.

Raised a fledgling crow

As a teenager in 1950, his biggest claim to fame was being published in "Ripley's Believe it or Not" for having raised a fledgling crow, and teaching him to talk. As the crow grew, he would fly to greet Alan walking home from school calling Alan's name all the way.

Baseball was his life

The crowd cheers as he slides into home plate with the winning run! Smoking Joe is moving up to the big leagues and will pitch in the 2012 lineup with Heavens Team of Angels.

Sounds like someone I know ...

Dad frequently checked the obituaries in The Day.

"He was scum."

Longform collects the most moving, delightful, and vicious obituaries ever written. (H/T to Peter Elikann)

Gotta love a family with a sense of humor

James H. "Jim" Driver, 78, of Eagle, Colo., formerly of Columbia, passed away Monday, March 19, 2012, at South Hampton Place in Columbia after a brief illness. An avid Broncos fan, he abhorred Manning and evidently wanted out before a deal was done.

"Attention span of a squirrel"

Mrs. Heard, who often said she had the attention span of a squirrel, attended eight colleges, and was married three times: to Freddie Schnell of Fort Biscayne, Fla., to Joseph Greenfield of Scarsdale, N.Y. (deceased) and to Manning Heard of Hartford (deceased).

Clearly, a man well-loved ...

Paul John Matthew Stebbins Jr. surprised and annoyed us all one final time by dying suddenly on Wednesday, March 7, 2012 at the Wilkes-Barre General Hospital.

(H/T to ViralToob)

From The New Yorker

Why it pays to read to the bottom of the obit

Perhaps Mr. Jones’s most enduring legacy takes the form of a name. The name belongs to another English musician, who burst on the scene some years after the Monkees. This man, too, had been born David Jones. But thanks to the Monkees’ renown, he knew he would have to adopt another name entirely if he was to have the hope of a career.

So he called himself David Bowie.

"Died with his Nikes on"

James J. Fischer, M.D., Ph.D., chairman of the Department of Therapeutic Radiology at the Yale School of Medicine from 1972 to 2002, died suddenly with his Nikes on while running on the beach near his home in Madison on Feb. 22, 2012.

"She was a dear"

Later in life it was joked that her "hobby" was to attend just about every neighbor's or local Irishman's wake. A good many people were thus introduced to her most excellent Irish Soda Bread. And, as in every life, some of her wishes never came true including her most fervent desire that "Murphy's Bar burn down."

Whoa.

ANELLO, Josie, 94, Tampa, passed February 11, 2012, peacefully at home. She was a loving faithful Wife of 68 years to Vic Anello, who preceded her in death. She is survived by her Son, 'A.J.', who loved and cared for her; Daughter 'Ninfa', who betrayed her trust, and Son 'Peter', who broke her heart.

(H/T to Carol Snyder Folze)

I love it when people are remembered for the food they created

Pat was completely devoted to her family and was renowned for her cooking, especially her meatballs. She always had an open door policy at her home which was always spotless. Pat was an honest person who was very well known for speaking her mind. She would call a spade a spade.

Bud was a lifelong rascal

Bud was a fisherman. He impressively landed a 57 and ¾ pound striped bass on ten-pound test line while surf-casting on Martha's Vineyard. A complicated man who relished a great joke and good Irish whiskey, he was proud of his family, adored the ocean, enjoyed college basketball, and loved cats. He had a lethal wit and a need to laugh, and all each entails.

John Fairfax, rowed across oceans

At 9, he settled a dispute with a pistol. At 13, he lit out for the Amazon jungle.

At 20, he attempted suicide-by-jaguar.

A bowler robbed

He had a 200 average at the age of 80 and got robbed of a 300 game on March 8, 2007, when his 12th ball left a solid 10 pin for a 299 game.

Another way to look at luxury ...

Since I have the luxury of a terminal illness and the experience of having been an obituary writer I have chosen to write my own obituary.

(H/T to Jan Peterson!)

A woman after my own heart

A newspaper reporter to the end, Miley even prepared a news release about her death. "Marge Miley has met her last deadline," it began.

(H/T to Jim Romenesko!)

Vintage Batman!

Chris was an avid reader, a talented artist, was always impeccably dressed, perpetually late, enjoyed movies, and was a collector of vintage Batman memorabilia. He also had a passion for cars, "a car for every occasion", he would say.

Plain and simple

During her marriage, she devoted herself to her family, and was known for her excellent pies.