Nina Lentini's Life Without End

Another way to look at luxury ...

2012-02-09T17:23:00.000-05:00

Since I have the luxury of a terminal illness and the experience of having been an obituary writer I have chosen to write my own obituary.

(H/T to Jan Peterson!)

A woman after my own heart

2012-02-09T13:47:00.000-05:00

A newspaper reporter to the end, Miley even prepared a news release about her death. "Marge Miley has met her last deadline," it began.

(H/T to Jim Romenesko!)

Vintage Batman!

2012-02-01T07:05:00.000-05:00

Chris was an avid reader, a talented artist, was always impeccably dressed, perpetually late, enjoyed movies, and was a collector of vintage Batman memorabilia. He also had a passion for cars, "a car for every occasion", he would say.

Plain and simple

2012-01-07T05:48:00.000-05:00

During her marriage, she devoted herself to her family, and was known for her excellent pies.

A most physical and metaphysical man

2011-12-31T09:03:00.000-05:00

Bruce encountered many tasks in his life which involved Herculean efforts as he enjoyed and thrived on challenges, both mental and physical. He loved landscaping, moving heavy rocks, and tending to his plants. He loved the cleansing heat of southern summers intensified by hard labor. He loved the transformation of seeds and bulbs into riotous colors, and the flow of moving water on rocky surfaces.

I wish I did more often; how about you?

2011-12-29T17:53:00.000-05:00

Matt loved the outdoors. He noticed the details of nature.

An oldie but goodie from the NYT's agate death announcements

2011-12-25T09:24:00.000-05:00

ROSE GLIEDMAN. 39 plus. Great wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother to be, educator, chauffeur and crossword puzzle maven, not a good cook, ordered in.

H/T to Lauren Casper!

What are we to make of this?

2011-12-18T08:16:00.000-05:00

In lieu of flowers and donations, please bring a piece of nature (a leaf, nut, dried flowers, pinecone etc.) to follow Art on his journey. Nothing artificial please.

Well, why not.

2011-12-16T16:17:00.000-05:00

She was an avid bowler and enjoyed seeking out best deals at tag sales and shopping at the Good Will store. Above all, she was an excellent mother, wife and grandmother.

"She also leaves a cat, Mikey."

2011-12-16T06:34:00.000-05:00

In 1973, a little boy named Mikey, a notoriously picky eater, dug enthusiastically into a bowl of a new, healthy cereal called Life. “He likes it!” his stunned older brother exclaimed in a memorable 30-second commercial that ran for over a decade.

The spot was written by Edie Stevenson, a copywriter at Doyle Dane Bernbach and the divorced mother of four, including three boys much like Mikey and his brothers. Its success earned her a promotion to vice president.

'Journalism in a Culture of Grief'

2011-12-06T13:33:00.000-05:00

On Friday morning,” the Inquirer wrote in 1829, “Mr. Jonathon Russel of Brockport put a period to his existence by shooting himself through the head with a musket, loaded with powder and shot. Mr. R. was about 50 years of age - he left a wife and seven children in Salem, Ashtabula County, Ohio; and another wife in Brockport.”

--from Journalism in a Culture of Grief by Janice Hume and Carolyn Kitch, as reported here.

From "The New Yorker"

2011-12-05T09:53:00.000-05:00

Custodian of the dance floor

2011-12-04T06:50:00.000-05:00

He was later employed at Southwest School in Waterford, retiring in 1996 as head custodian. Al had a strong work ethic and never missed a day of work. He had a wry sense of humor with a quick wit, and his unassuming manner belied his many youthful experiences as an adventuresome spirit. He enjoyed sporting events, music and dancing, and was known as "Twinkle Toes" by the ladies as they lined up to take their turn with him on the dance floor.

Just the beginning ...

2011-12-03T08:59:00.000-05:00

Hazel and Russ were married in September 1937 and lived and raised their family in Farmington prior to moving to Groton, CT after their retirement where mom took on the role of "Base Commander" for dad's role as a "Lobster Man" and Shellfish Warden. Mom and dad moved to Bristol, CT to keep an eye on two of their sons, Jack (Claire) and Steve (Diane) who, despite their advanced ages were still emotionally unstable and needed their parents strict discipline and guidance.

(H/T to Lisa Sayers and Chrissy Belvin Farrell)

I miss this guy already

2011-12-02T15:53:00.000-05:00

At the end of his life, Robert battled with cardiac disease and dementia. Whereas the disease did thankfully erase most memories of the '62 Mets season, it eventually also claimed his life. Bedside vigil was fueled by lively conversation, background music of Jimmy Buffet and Bob Marley, chicken curry and the occasional smuggled glass of Glenlivet.

(H/T to Lisa Sayers!)

"In lieu of flowers, please treat yourself to a bottle of Dickel..."

2011-11-27T15:30:00.000-05:00

He was of barrel chest, and capable throughout his life of peeing a quart, but his best health was always of his spirit.

Nice detail ...

2011-11-23T07:13:00.000-05:00

It was during that time she tried out for the Radio City Music Hall's Rockettes, and, at that very Macy's counter, Louise was approached and asked, "are you Louise Grossman?" It was then she learned of her acceptance into the Rockettes. She set the gloves down on the counter and never looked back.

Spoke French like a native, mastered physics, rode a unicycle, handled elephants, etc. and then this:

2011-11-19T08:43:00.000-05:00

Norman's real talent lay in photography.

What a great character. Read it all!

(H/T to Lisa Sayers)

Pretty specific there ...

2011-11-11T07:37:00.002-05:00

She was most happy when engaged in a stimulating conversation with family and dear friends, while eating seafood in a fine restaurant.

As always, it's the details that count

2011-11-05T06:33:00.000-04:00

She was a member of the Red Hats, enjoyed traveling, baking, and was a formidable shopper focusing on thrift stores and yard sales with an emphasis on jewelry.

In memory of my mother, who died Oct. 30, 2009

2011-10-30T04:57:00.000-04:00

"Betty was a natural cook who loved nothing more than gathering her family for a meal. She was a quick study with a love of witty banter. She also loved to dance and often performed a soft-shoe tap routine in her kitchen. Short of stature, she vowed to come back as a Rockette at Radio City Music Hall and invites all to look for her there. Whenever a gathering of friends came to visit, you could count on her to get everyone singing. She worked on crossword puzzles until the day she died.

"Her Maine accent was a family treasure. When the Red Sox made it to the World Series in 2004, she said that if they won against those damn Yankees, she’d be ready to go. She was, in the end, a pip."

"Who is in there, Paul McCartney?"

2011-10-23T06:04:00.000-04:00

Daniel Vernon Killeen gave up the ghost at 9:20 a.m. on the beautiful Saturday morning of Oct. 8, 2011. During his last days, Dan was visited by numerous relatives, distant and close, and friends, near and dear. Dan was also comforted by artists and musicians, many of whom he supported over the years through patronage or with employment at The Wine Merchant, the shop he owned and ran for over 25 years. The droves of eclectic visitors sparked such curiosity, one member of the hospital staff asked, "Who is in there, Paul McCartney?"

Word of One Syllable Dept.

2011-10-20T10:26:00.000-04:00

Chan Holcombe, 72 of Fort Smith passed away Thursday, October 13, 2011. He was born July 14, 1939 in a Log Cabin in Bates, AR to the late Ralph and Inez Holcombe and was circumcised with his Dad's pocketknife. He loved to fish and caught a lot of crappie. He was an Air Force Veteran, a member of the Disabled American Veterans, and an Entrepreneur.

(H/T to Gawker)

"A shovel in his hands and a poem in his heart"

2011-10-20T07:13:00.000-04:00

Bobby Thompson lived a long, colorful life with an easy smile, little stories about people and places he's been, a few tall tales, quiet faith and a shared enjoyment of a good cup of coffee. He lived the American Twentieth Century as the guy with a shovel in his hand and a poem in his heart. He sailed freighters to far-off lands, labored for the railroads, laying track and blasting rock. He was a steeplejack, truck driver and boxer. Bobby hopped freight trains all over America and could tell you about a little diner along the way, or a bridge he used to swim off of on a little stream somewhere. He would occasionally come home to Stonington for a while and maybe have dinner with one of his brothers, and then stick his thumb in the wind for another adventure. More recently than he should have, Bobby was known to celebrate the lost art of hitchhiking.

His career provided for his family and paid down his Sears bill.

2011-10-18T16:15:00.000-04:00

Even though he was occasionally known to playfully pull family members from his will, they always had the chance to work their way back in.