Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Grove Roys III, 64; on safari to stay

Grove Roys III, 64, of Torrington, a legend in the model railroading community, lover of cheeseburgers and classic Corvettes, and an amateur whistler of songs by The Beach Boys, passed away on Dec. 17, 2017.

Friday, December 8, 2017

Lloyd Banquer, 86, fisherman extraordinaire

Though trout, bluefish, striped bass and many of their cohorts might see it differently, the family and many friends of Lloyd Banquer, 86, are deeply saddened by his death. ... Lloyd loved fly-fishing both close to home and far afield. On trout season's opening day he was as much a fixture on the Housatonic River as icy fingers and tangled lines. He made six fishing expeditions by seaplane and canoe into Maine's Allagash wilderness. In fall he could often be found on a Fairfield beach, casting for dawdling stripers with intricate flies he tied himself.

Saturday, December 2, 2017

Marcelle Berthe Bisson Nadeau, 94, proud of her spelling skills

Proceeds from her day care children and her tenacity helped her pay off a 30 year mortgage in 6 years. Mr. Whitman, the bank president was so impressed he called her into his office to personally congratulate her! ... She was a prolific letter writer whose signature ending was “Love and a Big Bear Hug.” (H/T to Sarah Mahoney)

Friday, November 24, 2017

Rob Morris, ad man, kitchen designer, artist and a renowned wit

Known for his extravagantly long eyebrows, his dazzling wit and his inability to suffer fools without a stealthy remark, Morris was beloved by small children — for his storytelling gifts and his indulgence of their wish to paint his legs with cake frosting at birthday parties.

Thursday, November 16, 2017

Darlene Wagner, “broke through the veneer”

She was preceded by her father, Lee Bruyer, who contrary to her childhood belief, did not die because he was angry with her, her mother, Charlotte Wright, creator of untold numbers of wedding cakes and who only had a “little taste,” and her brother, best friend, and co-conspirator, Dana, who, she joked, quit smoking, drinking, and gambling all in one day. (H/T Terri Lukacko)

Sunday, October 8, 2017

Mark Mooney’s last byline

If you are reading this, that means that I am no longer here. The prostate cancer finished toying with me on October 6, 2017. I was 66 and glad to be done with the damn disease.

Sunday, September 17, 2017

Aileen Bott, 94, a fashionista retailers will miss

She enjoyed her dates in the evening with Johnny Walker. She had her faults…her singing was painful to listen to which brought a smile to others. Shopping at big box stores for one person is not a good idea, and she had a craft room that could be considered hazardous when entering. (H/T Peter Elikann)

Monday, August 28, 2017

Jeanne Swatzburg, 73, 'had an amazing time'

Well, let me tell you! I had an amazing time while I was here on Earth. Sadly, there were other plans for me and I had to leave my physical form at Yale New Haven Hospital, at age 73, on Aug. 26, 2017.

Friday, August 25, 2017

James Gorman, 90, breakfast champion

James always made sure his kitchen was stocked with multiple boxes of Wheaties and many cartons of milk and high pulp orange juice to start his day off right.

Friday, July 21, 2017

Brian, 11, 'became dog legends are made of'

A lover of couches and blankets, Brian had many hobbies. Some of Brian’s favorite activities included barking at things not there, cuddling alongside you, taking over his mother’s bed, licking his butt, acting like a spazz when it was time to be fed, and trying to figure out who exactly was “the good boy.”

Monday, July 10, 2017

Lee Hamilton, 90, changed West Palm Beach skyline

Lee never campaigned for women's equal rights. She just took them. As early as grade school when a publisher offered a bicycle for the most magazine sales in Philadelphia, but excluded girls, Lee signed up under her brother's name and won the citywide contest. It launched a life-long love affair with work and its rewards. (H/T Marianne Lentini Bernarduci)

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Minor Rootes, 86, leaves us with an Amazonian Indian word

At this reading, my existence or non-existence will be in another realm. During my 86 years of life, I look back with few regrets though I know I have some forgotten apologies to bestow on people I have slighted. Please accept. (H/T to Bridget Norman)

Monday, May 8, 2017

Corliss Gilchrist, 91; happy to know Trump impeachment looms

Corliss Gilchrist was born May 7, 1925, in Ayrshire, Iowa, one of sixteen children born to James and Arrah Gilchrist. He passed away May 3, 2017, at his home in Altoona, IA. We told him the process to impeach Trump had begun — so that he could rest in peace. (H/T Sally Wisdom)

Monday, May 1, 2017

From 'The New York Times': 'Lights, Camera, Obits!'

Obituaries, by definition, stare fixedly in the rearview mirror. Worse, they begin, as they must, with the bleakest of all possible announcements: Someone has died. Not a juicy premise for a film, one would suppose. Add to that the nature of the enterprise: gathering facts, arranging them, pressing the keyboard with one’s fingertips, cutting a few words and adding a few others. Except for the phone calls, it’s an inward-looking process, at least for the reporters. How do you make drama out of that? [Vanessa] Gould had a few ideas up her sleeve.

'Wall Street Journal' catches up to us, includes several that have appeared here

Regular readers of obituaries know the clichés—the departed were courageous, charitable, devoted to their families. Then there was the death notice for Wayne Brockey, a retired wood-plant manager in Klamath Falls, Ore. The obituary, written by a grandson, opens by alluding to the deceased’s penchant for ordering gadgets and clothing touted by TV pitchmen: “QVC lost a loyal customer on Sept. 28, 2016.”

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Emma Morano, 117, last person born in the 1800s

Emma Morano, the world's oldest person and the last one known to be born in the 1800s, has died. She was 117. Read more about her life from The New York Times.

Michael Elliott, 76 or 77; took final breath after "fake news" about Trump

Mike ran out of family long ago and is survived by his ex-wife and best friend, Teresa Elliott. Though their marriage ran aground, their friendship only grew stronger and hers was the last voice Mike heard. And the last thing she said to him was "Donald Trump has been impeached." Upon hearing that he took his final, gentle breath, his earthly work concluded.

Sunday, March 12, 2017

Via the 'New York Times': From an Obit Writer, the Last Word on ‘The Last Word’

In her next life, Shirley MacLaine may come back as a movie critic — you never know. If she does (or even if she doesn’t), she won’t likely look back on “The Last Word,” released this month, as a current-life highlight.

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

TED Talk: What Really Matters at the End of Life

Lux Narayan starts his day with scrambled eggs and the question: "Who died today?" Why? By analyzing 2,000 New York Times obituaries over a 20-month period, Narayan gleaned, in just a few words, what achievement looks like over a lifetime. Here he shares what those immortalized in print can teach us about a life well lived. (H/T Ellen Schiller)

Friday, February 24, 2017

Jean E. Oddi, 91, "saw it all, did it all, and had a ball!

I was born. I lived. I died. I hate to admit it, but evidently I died. I guess, after all these years, God finally figured out where to put me. I should have known the end was near after I had to be in room # 20 in the emergency room. I hate even numbers. I'm leaving behind a hell of a lot of stuff Casey and Melissa will have to get rid of. So, if you're looking for random crap, you should wait the appropriate amount of time and get in touch with them. (H/T Peter Elikann)

Saturday, February 18, 2017

Liz Smith, 87, leaves with a smile on her face

M Elizabeth “Liz” Smith, age 87, of Norwalk, passed away Monday, February 13, 2017 surrounded by her family at Stein Hospice Care Center. ... Liz is smiling now, not to be living during the Trump Presidency. (H/T Peter Elikann)

Sunday, February 12, 2017

Leslie Roy Charping, dies at 74, "much longer than he deserved"

At a young age, Leslie quickly became a model example of bad parenting combined with mental illness and a complete commitment to drinking, drugs, womanizing and being generally offensive. (H/T Peter Elikann)

Sunday, January 1, 2017

Janet 'Nebbie' Polinsky, sampled the entire Häagen-Dazs collection

Having served over two decades in public service, she retired to Florida, embracing the life of an enthusiastic agoraphobe, busying herself with power napping, sampling the entire Hagaan-Das collection, watching MMA and conveniently allowing her hearing aid batteries to run out before venturing into any necessary public events. Her last few years were spent in Redmond, Wash., where she moved to devote herself to training her grandchildren how to fight and swear like sailors.