Hugh Cassidy, 61, lived long enough to vote Trump out

CASSIDY, Hugh Joseph "Hughie" 61, of the Bronx, New York, sadly passed away the evening of April 17, 2021, surrounded by family who refused to watch another Law and Order, which we believe ultimately is what caused him to leave us when he did.

Michael Joseph Malecki, 70; 'died needlessly from covid-19'

He liked to say he lived his life according to his favorite songs, "My Way" and "I Gotta Be Me." He was certainly him, and it probably killed him.

Casseroles made and missed: Why so many obituaries honor this treasured dish

With her Department 56 Christmas village and mistletoe doilies in place, Lynda Finch spent last Christmas Eve cooking a smorgasbord for her family to graze on the next day. That night, with green bean salad, mashed potatoes, stuffed mushrooms, bacon-wrapped hors d’oeuvres and chile relleno casserole prepped and tucked into the refrigerator, Finch went to bed and died in her sleep at age 73.

Nancy Lee Hixon, asks that you 'please pray for the Constitution of the United States'

In addition to being a teetotaling mother and an indifferent housekeeper, she was a board certified naturopath specializing in poisonous and medicinal plants; but she would like to point out, posthumously, that although it did occur to her, she never spiked anyone's tea.

Renay Mandel Corren, 84, leaves her favorite son, the gay one who writes catty obituaries

A plus-sized Jewish lady redneck died in El Paso on Saturday. Of itself hardly news, or good news if you're the type that subscribes to the notion that anybody not named you dying in El Paso, Texas is good news. In which case have I got news for you: the bawdy, fertile, redheaded matriarch of a sprawling Jewish-Mexican-Redneck American family has kicked it.

The New Yorker's Afterword: 'It is the ending that makes the story'

We read birth announcements, wedding notices, and obituaries for the same reason: they each offer a tidy narrative. Best of all, they are stories buoyed by their elemental importance rather than the prominence of the characters. You do not have to argue the news value of an obituary—it is the ending that makes the story.

Dr. Peter Charles Ross, 98, remediated dental flaws

No obituary can fully convey the breadth and depth of his long life. It would take a full-length movie, starring someone like Gregory Peck or Sean Connery (dark, lean, ruggedly good looking, stern when needed, a winning smile when not). The trailer would show him show-jumping horses; flying airplanes; racing his 38-foot sloop, Tynaje, and winning; remediating dental flaws and damage as his day job; and in the evening, being the greatest dad ever, demanding but fair and caring.

Frances Frumin Weiner, 77; now, that's an obit!

She also leaves behind three quarts of expired sour cream, fourteen pairs of activity-specific sneakers, and the Sunday New York Times opened and folded to the crossword puzzle.

Thomas Lee Flanigan, 48, rode off ridden off into the glorious sunset

Well, that's it. I have completed my shift as the great American cliché.

Thomas Edwin Dupar, Sr., kept American Bar Association members busy

The American Bar Association regrets to announce the passing of Thomas Edwin Dupar Sr. on June 4, 2020. After four marriages that end in divorce and four bankruptcies, he kept many ABA members gainfully employed.

Eric Sauser, 43, now at every Red Sox spring game

Eric hated sad stories, beets, romantic comedies, a snow packed driveway and turning off the garage light. That's it. Eric was content with most everything else.

Opinion: Without eulogies, obituaries became 'less of a list and more of a narrative’

COVID brought poignancy to the pages in other ways. I didn’t recognize it at first. The added pages were not just because more people were dying. Many obituaries were considerably longer than usual.

Kathleen Jane Munday, 71, perished at the thought of another Brady championship

Old Lyme - Kathleen Jane "Kathy" Munday passed into the hands of Our Lord Super Bowl Sunday Feb. 7, 2021, the thought of Tom Brady winning another championship being the last straw. Kathy was born May 31, 1949, in Woonsocket, R.I., the third child and only girl of nine.

Maybelle and Richard Johnson, both born in Westbrook, Maine, felled by COVID 93 years later

Maybelle L. Johnson (nee Blake) passed away Jan. 13, 2021, in New London. She was born Dec. 4, 1927, in Westbrook, Maine to Herbert and Almira (Alice) Blake. They moved to Naples, Maine, when Maybelle was just three months old. She grew up just down the hill from the Manor House in Naples on a piece of land between the main road (Rt 302) and Long Lake. Richard A. "Dick" Johnson passed away Jan. 13, 2021, in New London. He was born May 1, 1927, in Westbrook, Maine, to Everett and Frances Johnson. They moved to South Bridgton, Maine when little Richard was three months old. He grew up in the house by the sawmill.

Margaret DeAdder, 79, loved tea and toast

She excelled at giving the finger, taking no s*** and laughing at jokes, preferably in the shade of blue. She did not excel at suffering fools, hiding her disdain, and putting her car in reverse. (H/T Lisa Scott)

Jon Steib, 73, 'a real man and one of a kind'

He was better than you at pool, poker, and darts, and anything you could break, he could fix. He was rough around the edges and as handsome as the devil.

Tom Blackburn, the man who put the liberal in "the liberal news media"

Saint Peter no doubt awoke as Tom knocked on the pearly gates, his baritone voice barking out something maybe resembling Gloria in excelsis Deo (if we're being generous). Perhaps you dreamed you were hearing the angels singing a bit off key in the wee hours of the morning on January 2, 2021? Now you know the cause of the cacophony. (H/T Vincent Lentini)