January 1, 2025

As reliable as a sunrise or a sunset, William McDonald, the New York Times obituary editor, has presented us with his year-end summary of those who passed away in 2024 and got a tribute obit in the NYT.

I must say, I first thought those who rely on reading the print edition were going to be shortchanged by advance parts of the two-page spread appearing online. I thought that maybe the weaning off of print was going to include the year-end summary. But Mr. McDonald came through. Thanks Bill.

For those who may not know what the "two-page spread" looks like because they only read the paper online, I'll describe it to you.

Two full pages...90 black and white head shots, generally 1½ square inches, arranged in categories of the field in which they gained their fame, e.g. Sports,  Stage and Screen...

Text by Mr. McDonald that in a few words adds grace to the chosen of the already outstanding to their  achievements, such as:

Rickey Henderson...whose lightning speed on the basepaths had him practically sliding into the Hall of Fame on his belly.

Aleksei Navalny...a man of courage who championed democracy in his country, his native Russia, that does all it can to suppress it.

Joyce Randolph, the last of "The Honeymooners," harked back to the broad, zany TV humor of the 1950s.

Ruth Westheimer, that chirpy sex and romance counselor, devoted decades to schooling her fans in, well, other kinds of exertion.

I've sure I read every one of the obituaries of the 90 people pictured, and then some. I will admit that looking at the photos I was surprised that I was reminded that the subject passed away.

I had forgotten Ruth Westheimer went in 2024, as did Phil Donahue, Joseph Lieberman, Joyce Randolph, Bill Walton, and probably some others.

As I listen to the music I've downloaded on my iPods I always think of how many recording artists I'm listening to who are no longer alive. Frank Sinatra went decades ago, Melanie this year. Harry Belafonte and Tony Bennett in 2023. It's a bit of a long list.

I can write this on the first day of 2025 because I have so far survived being born, headed past the mid-point of being a septuagenarian in a few weeks.

The world will always present highs and lows. These are always interesting times. With the political saber rattling of nations I do start to wonder if I'll live to see nuclear weapons used on a population again? I think about that one a lot. 

Around this point in a New Year I ask myself two questions: How high do the numbers go? How bad can the year have been if you're alive at the end of it?

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