This Name is Familiar...Didn't They...?

It may not be widely known, but a great deal of the obituaries that are seen regarding famous people are pre-written. Up to a point, of course.

Sometimes the subject has even come in for an interview to fill the obituarist in on their life. The subject, by all accounts, is never shown what the writer has crafted. Marilyn Johnson, in her seminal book on obituary writing, The Dead Beat, describes a scene in Chapter 4 where she is talking to the then obituary page editor of the The New York Times, Chuck Strum. He explains to her there are approximately 1,200 obituaries on file with the paper, waiting to be filled in with the details that have transpired since the original writing. Mr. Strum will not show any of them to Ms. Johnson.

She elegantly describes their existence: "There is a sense of the sacred; these files are the vessels of the world's fragile but still living history. Most of those 1,200 or so names in there are of marked men and women, of course, consigned to the list by age or disease or high-risk occupations like the presidency of the United States. But it touches me to see them guarded so carefully, as if the obits were hearts that Strum will transplant to the obits page after their hosts are declared dead."

And as can happen with anything living, it can die. And sometimes the writer of the obituary pre-deceases the subject. This doesn't scuttle the obituary. The original writer is noted, and any other additional writers who contributed to the now final product are also mentioned. The deceased, principal writer will however be the bylined author. As such, a reader who has been following their writers and subjects, might be jarred to see someone's name who they know is already no longer with us.

This happens, and happens often enough to be countable. A Tweet from Stephen Miller, (WSJ obituary writer) @obitsman, acknowledges the occurrence because much is currently being made of Mel Gussow's seemingly from-the-grave NYT bylined obituary on Elizabeth Taylor. Ms. Taylor, who just passed away, is recounted by Mr. Gussow, who passed away in 2005. Mr. Gussow's original piece was brought up-to-date by others.

As Mr. Miller points out, the criss-cross does happen. One of the more famous ones I can remember is the Red Smith obituary on Jack Dempsey. The Manassa Mauler passed away in 1983, and Red Smith passed away in 1982. Therefore, Red's bylined obituary appeared in the NYT, below the fold, after his own demise.

I remember noticing this and writing to Dave Anderson, a NYT sports columnist colleague of Red's and asking if, to his knowledge, did Dempsey ever see his own obituary.

Apparently, the protocol that Mr. Strum followed with Ms. Johnson was in effect. Dave replied that no, Jack hadn't seen the obituary, but "wasn't it great."

Yes, it was.

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