RIP: To remember those lost to us, whether close or at large

[traductio]

The literary scholar George Steiner died on Feb. 3. When I was first getting to know translation studies, the field where I now publish most, despite it not being the field in which I am formally trained, I read his After Babel. I did not care for the book, but I keep returning to it. Even now, something keeps drawing me back, despite myself. That is perhaps the highest compliment I can pay a scholarly work -- it was considerably more than it first appeared.

[apl68]

Yesterday I attended the funeral of a dear friend from back home.  She was a member of my parents' church.  She wasn't blood-kin, but was like family.  She never married and had little living family of her own.  She was born with a withered right arm.  Her parents raised her to go ahead and do pretty much everything that anybody else could do.  She delivered newspapers and did odd jobs for a living, raised her own vegetables, hunted for her own meat, and cut her own firewood.  She was also an excellent amateur naturalist and nature photographer.  We used to ride around the back roads in the hills looking for wildflowers.  I guess when I was growing up she was sort of like a really cool aunt.

Despite her own challenges, she was always of help to elderly neighbors and others who needed it.  When her own health failed she went into a nursing home, and seeing to her care became mainly the responsibility of our own family.  Since I no longer lived nearby, it was mainly my mother who visited her several times a week and made sure she was probably cared for.  Mom saw to it that she continued to have a chance to see birds and other glimpses of nature.

She was 86.  The funeral was a simple graveside service.  Dad, who has pastored the church for nearly four decades, conducted the service.  He had a hard time getting through it.  For my part, I have a hard time feeling too sorry for her.  She had a long and remarkably full life, and is now finally free to go on to a better place to be with God.  It was a privilege to have known her while she was here.

[ciao_yall]

She was 86.  The funeral was a simple graveside service.  Dad, who has pastored the church for nearly four decades, conducted the service.  He had a hard time getting through it.  For my part, I have a hard time feeling too sorry for her.  She had a long and remarkably full life, and is now finally free to go on to a better place to be with God.  It was a privilege to have known her while she was here.

Exactly. To a life well-lived. (Clink)

[backatit]

Oh man. I lost a good friend. She was fairly young, in her 60's, and probably one of the most vital people I know. She was an avid horseback rider, and had retired from that and had taken up a new passion, scuba diving, and was getting quite skilled (her husband died a couple of years ago and she was head over heels in love with a new guy who was an avid diver, and she was SO happy; had sold her farm and moved in with him on his boat, and they were fixing it up together). She was on a dive on Sunday, and had a medical event while diving (they believe a heart attack).

She had the heartiest laugh I've ever heard. I will really miss her.

To top things off, I had just heard about it, and we found our old golden retriever laying out in the yard, near death. We rushed him to the e-vet, and he had a large tumor on his spleen that had ruptured, and he had lost so much blood. We ended up having to put him to sleep. Yesterday was a really rough day, and I am sad. Our three other dogs seem kind of lost. He was old, but still really playful and in really good shape (he swam a lot and was really healthy). The day before I was playing with him in the yard throwing a stick. I know we were lucky - many Goldens don't live into their teens in such good shape (no hip issues; I credit our pond and his daily swims and the fact that he was a good weight despite my partner's best efforts). I know we were lucky he didn't suffer long, and that he didn't have a long downhill slope. He was really, really good and pain free up till his last day. It just seems a bit much, you know?

[smallcleanrat]

Oh man. I lost a good friend. She was fairly young, in her 60's, and probably one of the most vital people I know. She was an avid horseback rider, and had retired from that and had taken up a new passion, scuba diving, and was getting quite skilled (her husband died a couple of years ago and she was head over heels in love with a new guy who was an avid diver, and she was SO happy; had sold her farm and moved in with him on his boat, and they were fixing it up together). She was on a dive on Sunday, and had a medical event while diving (they believe a heart attack).

She had the heartiest laugh I've ever heard. I will really miss her.

To top things off, I had just heard about it, and we found our old golden retriever laying out in the yard, near death. We rushed him to the e-vet, and he had a large tumor on his spleen that had ruptured, and he had lost so much blood. We ended up having to put him to sleep. Yesterday was a really rough day, and I am sad. Our three other dogs seem kind of lost. He was old, but still really playful and in really good shape (he swam a lot and was really healthy). The day before I was playing with him in the yard throwing a stick. I know we were lucky - many Goldens don't live into their teens in such good shape (no hip issues; I credit our pond and his daily swims and the fact that he was a good weight despite my partner's best efforts). I know we were lucky he didn't suffer long, and that he didn't have a long downhill slope. He was really, really good and pain free up till his last day. It just seems a bit much, you know?

backatit, I'm so sorry for your losses. Everything about the suddenness and the pile-on timing is so harsh. I know there's nothing I can say that would make your situation any less painful, but I'll be thinking of you and hoping you find comfort soon. Best wishes.

[Hegemony]

Traductio, this is just a triviality in the midst of all this loss, but I used to know George Steiner's dog-sitter. George and Mrs. Steiner would call the dog every day from wherever he was in the world. FWIW.

[apl68]

MY father's sister died last Sunday evening.  She had only just gone into hospice a couple of days earlier.  They had moved out of state to be close to one of their daughters, and we didn't hear about her hospice until the day before she died.  She was lucid until nearly the end, and had a chance to say goodbye to each of her children and grandchildren one at a time.  She was 81.  Neither Dad nor her other brothers will be able to make her funeral today, due to distance, weather, and their own medical issues.

[0susanna]

This week I remember two unfortunately juxtaposed deaths: My ex, who, within the year after the divorce, was diagnosed with cancer and then died; and my mother, who died of natural causes several years later. I remember and miss them both in very different ways.

[traductio]

My condolences to everyone, and wishes for strength to all of you.

I'm posting this here because it's the best place for it, except that it's not a loss. On the contrary, although it involves one.

My grandpa (my dad's dad) died long before I was born. He was 42. My dad was in college and it affected him deeply, so much so that when he was 42, I know it was constantly on his mind. Last week, I turned 43, and there was a sense of relief in my dad's voice (he's now pushing 70) when I talked to him on my birthday. I hadn't talked about it either, but it had been on my mind, too.

Traductio, this is just a triviality in the midst of all this loss, but I used to know George Steiner's dog-sitter. George and Mrs. Steiner would call the dog every day from wherever he was in the world. FWIW.

That's actually kind of sweet!

[AmLitHist]

Rock n roll legend Little Richard, age 87.

[clean]

Jerry Stiller

Comic legend Jerry Stiller has passed away, his son, Ben Stiller, announced on May 11. Jerry, largely famous for playing George Costanza's dad in "Seinfeld," was 92. "I'm sad to say that my father, Jerry Stiller, passed away from natural causes," Ben tweeted. "He was a great dad and grandfather, and the most dedicated husband to Anne for about 62 years. He will be greatly missed. Love you Dad." Jerry, who had a career spanning six decades, left an indelible mark on Hollywood.

[AJ_Katz]

Oh man. I lost a good friend. She was fairly young, in her 60's, and probably one of the most vital people I know. She was an avid horseback rider, and had retired from that and had taken up a new passion, scuba diving, and was getting quite skilled (her husband died a couple of years ago and she was head over heels in love with a new guy who was an avid diver, and she was SO happy; had sold her farm and moved in with him on his boat, and they were fixing it up together). She was on a dive on Sunday, and had a medical event while diving (they believe a heart attack).

She had the heartiest laugh I've ever heard. I will really miss her.

To top things off, I had just heard about it, and we found our old golden retriever laying out in the yard, near death. We rushed him to the e-vet, and he had a large tumor on his spleen that had ruptured, and he had lost so much blood. We ended up having to put him to sleep. Yesterday was a really rough day, and I am sad. Our three other dogs seem kind of lost. He was old, but still really playful and in really good shape (he swam a lot and was really healthy). The day before I was playing with him in the yard throwing a stick. I know we were lucky - many Goldens don't live into their teens in such good shape (no hip issues; I credit our pond and his daily swims and the fact that he was a good weight despite my partner's best efforts). I know we were lucky he didn't suffer long, and that he didn't have a long downhill slope. He was really, really good and pain free up till his last day. It just seems a bit much, you know?

It's totally too much.  These things shouldn't happen, but sometimes they do.  It's also unfortunate that most of society does not recognize what a blow it can be to lose a beloved pet.  My condolences.

[Bbmaj7b5]

Jimmy Cobb, the drummer who powered the classic Miles Davis album Kind of Blue, age 91. He was the last surviving musician on that album, which featured Davis, Cobb, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Cannonball Adderley, Paul Chambers, and Wynton Kelly.

Cobb, Kelly and Chambers also formed a traveling rhythm section backing up soloists. They were behind Wes Montgomery when he recorded Live at the Half-Note, his most celebrated recording.

[secundem_artem]

Steve Priest - Bassist for glam band The Sweet in the 70's.  They had a number of hits back in the day - Little Willie, The Ballroom Blitz, Fox on the Run, Action, Love is Like Oxygen.

[mamselle]

We didn't actually add George Floyd here (1974-2020).

   https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/george-floyd-obituary?pid=196288691

There will be a public visitation in Houston, where he was raised, tomorrow, June 8; a private funeral will be held there on the 9th.

RIP.

M.