Archive: March 2009
March 31 Deaths in History
I started this with only women, to commemorate the last day of Women's History Month. But, darn it, there are some really important men who died on this day, too. So... Eleanor of Aquitaine, 1204 Charlotte Bronte, 1855 Bella Abzug 1998 Terri Schiavo, 2005 Isaac Newton, 1727 J. Pierpont Morgan,...
By Patricia Sullivan | March 31, 2009; 11:42 AM ET | Comments (0)
Tuskegee Airmen
At the Jan. 20 inauguration of Barack Obama as the nation's 44th president, a special section was set aside for a distinguished group of veterans called the Tuskegee Airmen. Now aging and disappearing fast, they were members of an elite group of black aviators who were not allowed to serve...
By Matt Schudel | March 28, 2009; 1:54 PM ET | Comments (0)
1970s soft-rock "England Dan" dies
It's hard to keep all those 70s soft-rockers straight, but here's one you might know: Dan Seals, who was part of the duo England Dan and John Ford Coley. Big hit: "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight." (His brother was Jimmy Seals of Seals and Croft.) Oddly enough, the...
By Patricia Sullivan | March 27, 2009; 1:00 PM ET | Comments (0)
Generations upon generations
I just wrote an obit that should appear in the next day or two about a D.C. teacher who died at the age of 103. She had two husbands (not at the same time), a son, three stepchildren, eight grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, 10 great-great-grandchildren and a great-great-great-grandson, just three months...
By Patricia Sullivan | March 26, 2009; 1:44 PM ET | Comments (0)
Historian John Hope Franklin Dies
Duke University professor John Hope Franklin, 94, a revered historian of life in the South and the African-American experience, died Wednesday of congestive heart failure at Duke University's hospital in Durham. Here's the 29-inch AP version of his obit. Author of the seminal "From Slavery to Freedom: A History of...
By Patricia Sullivan | March 25, 2009; 3:28 PM ET | Comments (15)
Updike on Conclusions
Like many who subscribe to the New Yorker, I habitually fall behind reading them. That's why I was reading through the March 16 issue last night when I came upon a collection of poems by John Updike, who died Jan. 27, called "Endpoint." It's a remarkable collection, and I understand...
By Patricia Sullivan | March 25, 2009; 12:54 PM ET | Comments (0)
Jewish Woman Who Married Nazi Officer Dies
One of the more astonishing obits of the day. There's nothing much to add, except do not miss out. Via the Times of London. Edith Hahn-Beer escaped probable extermination as a Jew in wartime Germany by assuming a false identity, marrying a German and living out the Second World War...
By Adam Bernstein | March 25, 2009; 11:30 AM ET | Comments (0)
British Reality TV Star Jade Goody Dies of Cancer
We had this yesterday, but in case you missed it: Jade Goody, the 27-year-old reality TV star whose battle with cervical cancer was chronicled by media cameras, which followed her even as she picked out her grave, died early Sunday....
By Patricia Sullivan | March 23, 2009; 10:33 AM ET | Comments (0)
Leave, You Rah-Rahs
Those of us who write obits for The Washington Post are proud of our "Local Life" feature, where we spotlight a person in our area who lived a remarkable life, albeit outside the spotlight. Tracking down some historical tidbit the other day for an obit I was writing, I happened...
By Joe Holley | March 22, 2009; 4:30 PM ET | Comments (0)
The Daily Goodbye
Here are a few obits from elsewhere that are worth a look. The L.A. Times writes about Dorothea Holt Redmond, who helped create the look and mood of many of Alfred Hitchcock's films. England's Guardian newspaper has a nice piece about Margaret Mellis, a British artist who made sculptures from...
By Matt Schudel | March 21, 2009; 2:55 PM ET | Comments (0)
The Daily Goodbye
A handful of pretty interesting obits came to my attention this morning: Martin P. "Marty" Knowlton, a world traveler who fought ageism by co-founding Elderhostel. When he was about 50, Knowlton became highly annoyed by two things: the prevailing wisdom that "as you got older, your mind automatically began to...
By Patricia Sullivan | March 20, 2009; 10:46 AM ET | Comments (1)
We Happy Few
A question has arisen in some comments about why all of us are smiling in that row of mug shots atop this column. Aside from the fact that they promised us extra money for doing this blog (not), and we envision fame as well as fortune from it (ha!), the...
By Patricia Sullivan | March 19, 2009; 6:03 PM ET | Comments (0)
Almost the Same Name, Plus Video Links
By sheer coincidence, the last two bylined obituaries I've written have been of two people with almost identical names: Jack Lorenz and Jack Lawrence. The two men were near opposites in every respect except their names. Jack Lorenz (pronounced lo-RENZ) was the executive director of the Izaak Walton League, one...
By Matt Schudel | March 18, 2009; 11:39 AM ET | Comments (0)
Lincoln's Twisted Family Tree
Writing an obit last week for Margaret "Maggie" Fristoe Beckwith, I came across a fascinating 1994 New Yorker piece by Michael Beschloss about Mrs. Beckwith's late husband, Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith. The president's great-grandson, Beckwith was the last Lincoln heir when he died in 1985. Or, should we say he...
By Joe Holley | March 17, 2009; 1:04 PM ET | Comments (0)
'Marty' Star Dies
Betsy Blair, who died March 13, did not have an extensive career in Hollywood -- she was blacklisted for her political beliefs. But among her starring roles was a memorable portrayal of a homely schoolteacher in "Marty," a terrific 1955 drama based on a Paddy Chayefsky teleplay and one of...
By Adam Bernstein | March 17, 2009; 12:44 PM ET | Comments (0)
Ambassador Gets the Bird
Nicholas Henderson, who died March 16 in London, was a British ambassador in high-profile assignments from 1969 to 1982: Warsaw, Bonn, Paris and ultimately Washington. He may be best-remembered for his instrumental role in steering the U.S. to support the British military operation that regained control of the Falkland Islands...
By Adam Bernstein | March 17, 2009; 12:33 PM ET | Comments (1)
Hardworking Munchkin
A 4-foot-6-inch Texan who stood tall among loyal "Wizard of Oz" fans died last week in Pflugerville, an Austin suburb. The Austin American-Statesman reported that Clarence Swensen, 91, was one of nine surviving members of the 125 Munchkins in the 1939 classic movie. Swensen, who grew up in Austin, told...
By Joe Holley | March 15, 2009; 1:17 PM ET | Comments (0)
Karl Marx is dead
On this date (March 14) in 1883, Karl Marx died at the age of 64. (I've always wondered how much he got paid for "Das Kapital" and "The Communist Manifesto," but I guess that's off the point.) Other notable deaths on this date in history: 1925: Walter Camp, coach and...
By Matt Schudel | March 14, 2009; 11:49 AM ET | Comments (0)
Man Behind Initials of WTTG Dies
A leading engineer for the old DuMont TV network has died. His link to Washington was brief but enduring, having given his initials to WTTG (Channel 5). Thomas Toliver Goldsmith Jr. died March 5 at age 99. He was a retired director of research at the Allen B. DuMont Laboratories...
By Adam Bernstein | March 13, 2009; 2:01 PM ET | Comments (6)
O! Curtsy
Welcome to Friday the 13th. Today we had the obituary of Leonore Annenberg, an arts patron and society hostess who served as President Ronald Reagan's first chief of protocol and was the widow of publisher, philanthropist and ambassador Walter Annenberg. The New York Times obituary amusingly described the chief of...
By Adam Bernstein | March 13, 2009; 12:03 PM ET | Comments (0)
March 12 deaths
2008 -- Howard Metzenbaum, Ohio senator 2003 -- Lynne Thigpen, actress 2001 -- Henry Lee Lucas, murderer 1999 -- Yehudi Menuhin, violinist 1955 -- Charlie "Bird" Parker, jazz musician 1945 -- Anne Frank, diarist...
By Patricia Sullivan | March 12, 2009; 3:36 PM ET | Comments (0)
Philanthropist, Physician, Grocer and Frozen Food Magnate
Leonore Annenberg, chief of protocol under President Reagan and the widow of billionaire publisher Walter Annenberg who continued his tradition of philanthropy and patronage of the arts, died Thursday. She was 91. Longer version. Anthony J. Rouse , owner of a regional grocery store which prides itself on stocking...
By Patricia Sullivan | March 12, 2009; 11:45 AM ET | Comments (0)
Four Shot Near Cemetery After Vigil
Not much more to say about this sad news than the lede: Four young people, ranging in age from 18 to 20, were shot last night outside a cemetery in the District after a vigil for an 18-year-old homicide victim. More......
By Patricia Sullivan | March 11, 2009; 12:52 PM ET | Comments (1)
Obits of the Air
A Canadian entrepreneur wants an all-obits TV channel. Apparently, it's not the first....
By Adam Bernstein | March 11, 2009; 12:11 PM ET | Comments (0)
Immigrants and Obits
We're a country of immigrants, from those who crossed into North America across the Bering Straits to those who arrived with H1-B visas this morning. What's often impressive is how much immigrants accomplish once they get to the U.S. I noticed a handful of obits lately that spell this out:...
By Patricia Sullivan | March 11, 2009; 12:10 PM ET | Comments (0)
Pick Your Favorite Obits (updated)
The Society of Professional Obituary Writers is preparing for its annual gathering next month in Charlotte, N.C. In the meantime, you can go online and cast your readers' choice votes for the year's top obits. (As far as I know, no Washington Post writers entered the contest this year. Sheer...
By Matt Schudel | March 10, 2009; 6:03 PM ET | Comments (4)
Exodus of Memory
So here's what's a bit disconcerting for reporters of a certain age: I'm writing an obituary this afternoon about a retired journalist named Boyd France, whose first big story was a 1947 interview with the captain of the Exodus, the famous ship crammed with 4,500 Jewish war refugees who had...
By Joe Holley | March 10, 2009; 5:41 PM ET | Comments (1)
The Weird and Wonderful
We're finishing up (we hope) one of the busiest times of the year for news obits here (the December holidays and the end of winter are typically our busiest times) and there are some great stories that happened outside our region that we just didn't get to do. One is...
By Patricia Sullivan | March 10, 2009; 11:27 AM ET | Comments (0)
March 9 Deaths
1706 - Johann Pachelbel, organist/composer 1955 - Matthew Henson, polar explorer 1962 - Howard Engstrom, designer of Univac computer 1969 - Richard Crane, actor 1989 - Robert Mapplethorpe, photographer 1992 - Menachem W Begin, PM Israel 1994 - Charles Bukowski, author 1994 - Lawrence E Spivak, journalist 1996 - George...
By Patricia Sullivan | March 9, 2009; 11:26 AM ET | Comments (0)
Fashion Foot(ball) Forward
Not many people nowadays remember George McAfee, one of the greatest football players of the 1930s and 1940s. He was an all-American at Duke and two-way star for the Chicago Bears -- and scored a touchdown in the Bears' famous 73-0 championship shellacking of the Washington Redskins in 1940. (Obituary...
By Matt Schudel | March 7, 2009; 6:22 AM ET | Comments (0)
Zimbabwe PM's Wife Killed
Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, a biiter rival to despotic President Robert Mugabe, faced terrible news today. Tsvangirai's wife died in a car crash, raising immediate speculation that Mugabe was somehow responsible. It seems far-fetched to assign him blame for the death, even given Mugabe's miserable failings as a leader...
By Adam Bernstein | March 6, 2009; 6:04 PM ET | Comments (0)
Overseas Obit
From our British friends at the Telegraph comes this touching and cautionary obituary of Joan Turner, an entertainer I had never heard of before. "At the pinnacle of her career Joan Turner became the highest-earning female singer and comedienne in the country, with a recording contract, her own radio and...
By Matt Schudel | March 6, 2009; 4:49 PM ET | Comments (0)
Newspaperman as Savior
Newspaper editor James Bellows died Friday aged 86 near Los Angeles. He made a career as the top editor at a series of failing newspapers -- the New York Herald Tribune during its last hurrah in the early 1960s, the Washington Star as it struggled as an afternoon daily in...
By Adam Bernstein | March 6, 2009; 4:19 PM ET | Comments (2)
March 5 deaths
Patsy Cline, a 30-year-old singer who reached the top of the country charts and once sang in Carnegie Hall, was one of five people killed in the crash of a private plane near Camden, Tenn. on this date in 1963. She's buried near Winchester, Va. Can you name the other...
By Patricia Sullivan | March 5, 2009; 2:00 PM ET | Comments (5)
Son of "Little Tramp" Dies
Sydney Chaplin, 82, a son of movie comedian Charlie Chaplin who went on to his own acting career in film and on Broadway, including a Tony Award-winning performance in the long-running musical "Bells Are Ringing," died March 3 at his home in Rancho Mirage, Calif. He had a stroke...
By Adam Bernstein | March 5, 2009; 11:54 AM ET | Comments (0)
Sex Lives of Astronauts
Over the weekend, I wrote the obituary of a remarkable but little-known NASA scientist named Mel Averner. He was, among many other things, the coauthor of the first serious scientific article proposing how human beings could live on Mars. He was a brilliant man, learned in all kinds of sciences,...
By Matt Schudel | March 5, 2009; 11:20 AM ET | Comments (0)
Playwright Horton Foote is Dead
Horton Foote, a Pulitzer Prize-winning American dramatist who wrote "The Young Man From Atlanta" and won an Oscar for his screenplay adaptation of the Harper Lee novel "To Kill a Mockingbird," died today at age 92. The Post will have a full obit tomorrow. Foote forged a writing career that...
By Adam Bernstein | March 4, 2009; 7:40 PM ET | Comments (0)
How Many Womanhours Lost...
Whenever I write an obit about a socialite, such as Virginia Warren Daly, I'm reminded of how far we are from those days of society balls and the social season. The amount of time a "certain class" of women devoted to parties! The expense of it all! The amount of...
By Patricia Sullivan | March 4, 2009; 3:44 PM ET | Comments (0)
Pay Up
Ah, credit companies. Apparently not even death gets in the way of seeking the balance on one's credit card bill. The NYT had a front-page story today on one credit company and its approach to calling distraught relatives to collect on unpaid bills of the deceased. Reminds me of a...
By Adam Bernstein | March 4, 2009; 12:11 PM ET | Comments (0)
Ego-Googling for all ages
You don't have to be under 40 to be adept at the latest technology, as many people know who read obits know. Lauren Wiseman, the newest addition to the obits desk, chortled this afternoon when reporting a feature on a Holocaust survivor who recently died. Lauren asked a friend of...
By Patricia Sullivan | March 4, 2009; 1:31 AM ET | Comments (0)
Wheels Spinning in Blood
Broadcaster Paul Harvey's passing last week prompted stories and anecdotes from both his fellow broadcasters and his many listeners across the country. One of those listeners was Michael McGill, who in the late 1960s was a junior Foreign Service officer assigned to the Economics Bureau at the State Department. "I...
By Joe Holley | March 3, 2009; 5:51 PM ET | Comments (0)
TV's McMahon, Barry Said to be Ailing
Professional sidekick Ed McMahon is seriously ill, which is sad news for those who recall the dependable TV personality in his heyday. He was mostly known for his longtime professional relationship with Johnny Carson on "The Tonight Show." In one interview he gave Entertainment Weekly, McMahon recalled the pleasure of...
By Adam Bernstein | March 3, 2009; 12:48 PM ET | Comments (8)
Paul Harvey: Good Day
By now you've seen the news about Paul Harvey; perhaps you haven't HEARD him. Ace Post columnist Marc Fisher, who knows radio, has a great reminiscence here -- it's an excerpt from his book, "Something in the Air: Radio, Rock and the Revolution That Shaped A Generation." Also, on...
By Patricia Sullivan | March 2, 2009; 10:31 AM ET | Comments (0)
