2008

It’s that time again. The time of year where so many of us ponder those (mostly famous) people who have left our ranks, to join the newly dead. We tally up what they took from this world, and what they gave it, so let’s go over a few…

Mary Meader, an early pioneer in aerial photography, forever expanding our knowledge of geography. Dith Pran, who told us his story in “The Killing Fields”

The actors, Suzanne Pleshette , Richard Widmark, Charlton Heston, Roy Scheider, Sydney Pollack, Bernie Mac, George Carlin.

Albert Hofmann, who gave the world LSD, and all of its accoutrements.

Those who died stupid deaths, Brad Renfro, Heath Ledger, and LeRoi Moore, saxophonist, taken via an ATV accident.

Paul Newman, where do we put him? An actor, an icon an activist. Brilliant businessman, by the time he died, he’d raised a quarter of a billion dollars, to benefit a bunch of strangers. He arranged for his fundraising and charity work to go on without him.

Dr. Michael E. DeBakey, he gave us bypass surgery, and a bunch of other trinkets to keep us alive and healthy. Judah Folkman, who believed and proved that if you kept the blood flow away from a tumor, the cancer couldn’t spread.

For their politics, Jesse Helms, William F. Buckley Jr., Richard Darman, Tony Snow, And former Indonesian president, Suharto.

The musicians, Bo Diddley, whose innovative style helped define rock and roll. Cachao. Isaac Hayes. Levi Stubbs, of The Four Topps. Richard Wright, of Pink Floyd. Dave McKenna, considered to be the best pianist alive, he was 78.

Cyd Charisse, and Eartha Kitt, each admired and desired to the very end.

Sunny von Bulow, and Betty Paige, both widely believed to be dead for decades, now actually are.

Reporters, Alan Lupo Tim Russert Studs Terkel, Don Gillis, Jim McKay and Jerry Wexler, of Billboard Magazine, he coined the phrase rhythm and blues.

Marie Smith Jones was the last of the Eyaks. She left with us dictionary, just in case anybody ever wants to learn the language that died with her.

This isn’t anywhere near everybody. There have been many more quietly contributing, teaching, mentoring, loving and being loved, none easy feats. People have been doing the things worth doing. Things that make the difference, although they may have been overlooked, they haven’t gone unnoticed.

Adieu.