I do read obituaries. Usually the by-lined, or news story ones in the NYT. My eyes do drift into the Paid Notice section, if only because I usually check out the In Memoriam part of that section. I do that, because of certain events and my own sentiments expressed there for a certain time.
So, maybe because he seems to have a Greek name, Spiro, or more likely because the name, alphabetized, put him very close to the In Memoriam section, I read about Jack. Growing up I was always called Jack, so there is probably one more reason this particular notice caught my eye.
Jack was nearly 89 when he passed away on January 24, 2009. The notice just came through in yesterday's paper, delayed I'm sure for many reasons. Jack went out with survivors, and immediately made me think of the Alan King routine where he reads obituaries for men and repeats that they always seem to say, "survived by..." and it's a woman's name. Clearly, the men go first.
Jack was no different. He is survived by a daughter, a son, a granddaughter, and a "longtime girlfriend Katherine Hess."
This can only make you think. If you're nearly 89, how old is Jack's girlfriend? Can't be extremely young, because she is a "longtime girlfriend." When did this start? Nothing about a pre-deceased wife.
A few years ago at work word came back to us that a fellow I remember from many years ago (I worked for the same company for 36 years) was now retired and living in Vegas. I figured he'd be near 70. There was also indication that his wife was about 40. I could only think that Joe retired, got out there, and married the cocktail waitress.
We don't know where Jack and Katherine met, but he didn't go out alone. He was "survived by..."
http://www.legacy.com/NYTimes/DeathNotices.asp?Page=SEARCHRESULTS
http://onofframp.blogspot.com/
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