'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.”

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.

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)

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)

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.

NYT obit writer takes his leave

No sense in burying the lede. This week, after more than eight years of lively habitation in one of journalism’s more obscure corners, I’m making a final egress, passing on. Starting after Friday’s deadline (ha!) I am an ex-obit writer.

William Ziegler, 69; this time it's for real

William Ziegler escaped this mortal realm on Friday, July 29, 2016 at the age of 69. We think he did it on purpose to avoid having to make a decision in the pending presidential election. (H/T to Lisa Sayers)

Stephanie S. Baier, 45, chose right side of law

Stephanie was born on June 26, 1971, in New London, to Carole (Lee) Baier and the late Peter M. Baier. She was the younger sister to Lance, who once hung her out the window by her ankles, so that she could touch some ducks. Needless to say, they were partners in crime. Stephanie chose the right side of the law and eventually became an attorney.

Mary Anne Noland, 68, faced a Hobson's choice

Faced with the prospect of voting for either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton, Mary Anne Noland of Richmond chose, instead, to pass into the eternal love of God on Sunday, May 15, 2016, at the age of 68. (H/T to Claudia Hearn, Peter Elikann and Carole White-Connor)

Angus B. MacDonald, 67, 'Pretty nice guy'

So, the world doesn't have Angus MacDonald to kick around anymore. I'm gone! The devil finally called my name. The grim reaper came for me on Friday March 25,2016. I bought the farm. I bit the dust. So I guess I'm off to the promised land eh? The promised land! Imagine!

Douglas White, 68, left his mark on a city

Dougie, guardian and protector of this fair city, loved his job whether it was haunting his driveway in full Halloween regalia in July, running the roads on his souped-up bike (aka the Ghost Rider), singing the oldies at the car show, collecting bottles, playing ball with the neighborhood kids, discussing the latest (and by latest I mean rerun) of Leave It to Beaver or Green Acres, or visiting with his beloved "constituents" and partaking in their food. (H/T Peter Elikann)

Richard Buckman, 75, feisty to the end

In lieu of flowers, please do not vote for Hillary. (H/T Jeanie DeSantis)

Elaine Fydrych, 63, asks that in lieu of flowers ...

Elaine requests, "In lieu of flowers, please do not vote for Hillary Clinton". Family and friends may share memories at www.GardnerFuneralHome.com. Gardner Funeral Home 126 S. Black Horse Pike Runnemede, NJ 08078 856-939-2095 (H/T TPM)

Margaret (Marge) Aitken Holcombe, 84, leaves a witty selfie

I died at Hilton Head Hospital from a wide assortment of ailments on Tuesday, August 12, 2014. When a friend facetiously asked if I was writing my obituary before or after I passed away, I told her "Carol, I know my limitations."

Chris Evans, 62; known for breadth of knowledge

In elementary school, Chris was already known for the breadth of his knowledge. His schoolmates were happy to pay 10¢ for answers to any and all questions, under the auspices of The-Evs-Knows-All Club, of which Chris was the founding president.

Grace Ellsworth, 100, has left the premises

Grace's four children, Elinor Ellsworth, Starr Sayres, Ann-Toy Broughton, and Tim Ellsworth, celebrated her 100th birthday with a big bash last November, with Grace holding court with her usual humor, wit, and elegant style. She will be terribly missed by her immediate family and her extended family, all of whom are quite surprised that she has left the premises, even though she frequently talked about having her bags packed, just waiting for John (who was always late) to come pick her up.

Kerry Lou Ketchum King, 59, lifts her middle finger to cancer

Kerry Lou Ketchum King, aka Mama Bear, Ms. King, Mom, Big Blonde Tiger, Helga, and Speak No Evil, shuffled off this mortal coil June 17 at 4:20 a.m. in her sleep. One can only assume late-night TV literally bored her to death.

Such a good idea! A death doula

The woman sitting opposite me in an Edinburgh cafe is called Rebecca Green. She is in her early 40s, with a soft Birmingham accent and a gentle, smiling face. She is a nurse. But she also does something else – something that has prompted both fascination and animosity in those she has told about it. She is a death doula.

Stig Kernell, 92, writes short, sweet obit

A Swedish man elected to keep the news of his death short and sweet, instructing a funeral agency to publish an obituary containing only the words 'I am dead', grabbing national headlines in the process. (H/T to Tanya Irwin

James E. Sheridan Jr., photographed by Eisenstaedt in Times Square

Mr. Sheridan proudly served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He served as an armed guard gunner aboard four different liberty ships. He was a part of the "D" Day Invasion of Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge. He also served as a Navy air gunners mate flying supplies into China, Japan, and the Philippines. James was pictured in the famous Alfred Eisenstaedt photo of the kissing sailor in Times Square at the war's end. He is the sailor in white, to the left of the kissing sailor. He was also featured in the film "Navy Heroes at Normandy".