In Memoriam

It is the end of another year and the list come out. What were the favorite books or music or movies in the past year?

Then we list all the folks who croaked. No, that doesn’t sound sensitive enough for the New Year.

The list of famous folks who won’t be around for the coming year is a yearly ritual of remembrance. The ones who have passed or gone to the great beyond or crossed over or gone to live with Pa-Pa and Nana or sitting at the side of Jesus.

Here is the celebrity list:

Pat Harrington Jr. Known for being a super, David Bowie Androgynous singer from Mars, René Angélil Rich guy who paid for his wife to become famous, Alan Rickman British bad man in kids movies, Dan Haggerty Aka Grizzly Adams, Glenn Frey One eagle, Abe Vigoda For real this time, Paul Kantner Hippy who couldn’t fly, Joe Alaskey Aka Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny, Maurice White Not Barry and not white, Dave Mirra Big boy riding little boy bikes, Edgar Mitchell Sixth man on the moon but who is counting after the first, Vanity Who wanted to be Prince but was really Denise Katrina Matthews, Antonin Scalia Conservative judge, George Gaynes  Aka Punky Brewster, Boutros Boutros-Ghali Egyptian diplomat, Angela “Big Ang” Raiola From Mad Wives, (see how you start forgetting about them), Harper Lee Who used a child’s eye view to racism, Umberto Eco Italian author, Sonny James Turned pop songs into country hits, Tony Burton Aka Apollo Creed, George Kennedy Not related to Jack or Bobby, Lee Reherman An American gladiator, Joey Feek ½ of Joey & Rory, Pat Conroy Another author, Nancy Reagan Gone on to be with Ronnie, George Martin Who some say created the Beatle’s sound, Keith Emerson Who rocked Bach, shortly followed by Greg Lake, Frank Sinatra Jr. Who couldn’t live up to his father’s expectations, Bob Ebeling Who worked on the Challenger rocket-booster, Phife Dawg Witty wordplay lyrist, Rob Ford Politician who was a better comedian, Joe Garagiola The godfather of baseball, Garry Shandling Some thought he was funny, Jim Harrison

Fiction writer, poet and outdoorsman, Mother Mary Angelica Nun who started a television show, Patty Duke Best known for being blind and deaf and dumb, not Tommy, Erik Bauersfeld Voice of Star Wars character, Merle Haggard Country singer/outlaw, David Gest Married to Judy Garland’s daughter, David Gest Played Raymond’s meddling mother,

Les Waas Created the Mr Softee jingle, Chyna Female wrestler, Prince The ‘other’ Michael Jackson, Michelle McNamara Crime writer,

Isabelle Dinoire French woman who got a partial face transplant, Papa Wemba The king of the Congolese rumba, Billy Paul Jazz and soul singer,

Afeni Shakur Davis Former Black Panther and mother of Tupac, Jane Little The world’s longest serving symphony player, Emilio Navaira King of Tejano music, Guy Clark Mentor to a generation of songwriters, Morley Safer One of the early voices of 60 Minutes, Alan Young Famous for talking to a horse, Nick Menza Former drummer for Megadeath, Muhammad Ali Silver tongued boxer and civil right activist, Kimbo Slice

Street fighter, Theresa Saldana Survived a stalker’s attack to become a crime victim’s advocate, Gordie Howe Mr. Hockey, Christina Grimmie Gained popularity on The Voice, Anton Yelchin Chekov replacement, Ralph Stanley The godfather of traditional bluegrass music, Bernie Worrell

The Wizard of Woo defining Parliament Funkadelic sound, Bill Cunningham New York Times street style photographer, Alvin Toffler The guru of the post-industrial age predicting the transformations of the digital technology, Buddy Ryan Longtime football coach, Scotty Moore Elvis’ guitar player, Pat Summitt The winningest coach in Division I basketball history, Elie Wiesel Holocaust survivor and humanitarian, Michael Cimino Oscar winning film director, Noel Neill The first real Lois Lane, Abbas Kiarostami Iranian director who work through governmental resistance, Garry Marshall Writer and director of popular television shows, Mark Takai Long-time U.S. representative and war veteran, Rev. Tim LaHaye Co-author of end-time prophecy, Miss Cleo

Television actress playing Jamaican psychic, David Huddleston Character actor in the movies, Pete Fountain Dixieland jazz virtuoso clarinetist, Barry Jenner Veteran character actor, Kenny Baker Played droid R2-D2, Fyvush Finkel Emmy winning actor of stage and screen, John McLaughlin

Conservative moderator, Lou Pearlman Boy band mogul, Matt Roberts

Guitarist for 3 Doors Down, Toots Thielemans Belgian harmonica player of jazz and film scores, Steven Hill Versatile actor of theater, film and television, Sonia Rykiel French designer called the Queen of Knitwear,

Juan Gabriel Mexican singer/songwriter and Latin music icon, Gene Wilder Comedic movie actor, Jon Polito Raspy voiced character actor, Jerry Heller Recording impresario, Phyllis Schlafly Outspoken conservative activist, Lady Chablis Transgender performer, Greta Zimmer Friedman

Photographed the sailor smooching the nurse at the end of WWII, Alexis Arqueete Pioneering transgender actress, Edward Albee Pulitzer prize-winning playwright, W.P. Kinsella Canadian novelist and lover of baseball,

Curtis Hanson Oscar winning screenwriter, Shawty Lo Atlanta rapper aka Carlos Walker, Bill Nunn Veteran character actor, José Fernández Miami Marlins’ pitcher, Arnold Palmer Golfing great, Shimon Peres Israeli president and prime minister, Tommy Ford Television actor, King Bhumibol Adulyadej Thailand’s longest reining monarch, Steve Dillon Comic book artist, Janet Reno The first woman U.S. Attorney General,

Leonard Cohen Canadian singer/songwriter, Robert Vaughn Screen and television actor, Leon Russell Singer/songwriter and pianist, Gwen Ifill Veteran journalist and PBS news anchor, Holly Dunn Country singer,

Sharon Jones Singer who shepherded a soul revival, Florence Henderson

Broadway star and momma Brady, Fidel Castro Bearded revolutionary who defied the United States, Ron Glass Veteran film and television actor, Grant Tinker Television broadcasting legend and former NBC chairman, Greg Lake Guitarist, singer/songwriter for progressive rock bands, John Glenn U.S. Senator and the first person to orbit the earth, Joseph Mascolo Iconic villain Stefano DiMera, E.R. Braithwaite Guyanese author, educator and diplomat, Alan Thicke Versatile television actor, Craig Sager Longtime sports broadcaster with a passion for colorful attire, China Machado

Groundbreaking model and fashion editor, Zsa Zsa Gabor Hungarian beauty queen turned Hollywood icon, George Michael Pop singer and heartthrob, Ricky Harris Comedian, actor, hip-hop artist, Richard Adams British author of children’s books, Barbara Tarbuck Television actress, Carrie Fisher Aka Princess Lela, Debbie Reynolds Mother of Princess Lela

Now these are just the celebrities who get their write-ups in the magazines but there are lots of others. The list goes on and on and on. The exodus that ended in the ocean for refugees from war, the soldiers in multi-wars and their victims, distracted drivers, senseless acts of violence just add up to a longer list.

  What about:

Gabriel Robert Edward CARRILLO Jr., our angel, who was born September 28, 2016, spread his wings and went back to be with the Lord on December 27, 2016. Glenna Mae LOVING, of Richmond, Virginia, departed this life December 27, 2016. Mrs. Edna B. WALKER, age 96, of South Hill, died Friday, December 30, 2016. Jean W. GREGORY, 78, passed away peacefully in her home in Chester, Va., on December 28, 2016, surrounded by her children

The celebrities we have some back story to because we’ve read all the tabloids about who they married and where they party and what they wear and how bad they look in bathing suits, but Gabriel wasn’t here very long and Glenna Mae may have fascinating interest that only her family and friends know and Edna lived through the depression and Jean might have had some problems that will never be discussed.

There are more and more every day because life in finite. While the grim reaper continues to gather us up, we give pause at the end of the year to remember those who have gone before us into the unknown.

There will be Obituaries and Ceremonies and Eulogies and the holding hands and burning candles and lots of tears. Then the dark clothing will be put away and those of us who are left move on.