R.I.P., Fred

Fred Lanphear, a longtime advocate of intentional community, became a personal hero of mine not long after I met him and his wife, Nancy, who serves with me on the Northwest Intentional Communities Association board of directors. Though Fred led a life full of noteworthy achievements, his unusually wise approach to illness and death was particularly inspiring. I'll miss him, and I'll always wish I'd had a chance to get to know him better. But even the brief time we spent together left me with a clearer idea of how to live well, and how to face the end of life with courage, dignity, and integrity. Thanks for everything, Fred.

R.I.P., Harvey

You were a giant in the world of underground comics and a genuine working-class hero, and you'll be missed.

R.I.P., Ernie

The legendary Tigers broadcaster, whose wonderful voice I grew up with, went today to the big ballpark in the sky. Thanks, Ernie, for so many years of making baseball exciting, and for your gentle, insightful point of view. You'll be dearly missed.

R.I.P., Hans

Hans Petersen was a ball of energy, a genuinely happy person, and a doer of good. That he died while installing solar panels on a roof reflects his commitment to improving the world.

I last saw Hans in 2006, when I was having a yard sale prior to my move to New York. He came by, chatted for a while, and advised me on a dilemma I was facing: whether or not to try antidepressants. Even when discussing such a potentially sensitive topic, Hans was upbeat, and his words stayed with me. He was one of a small group of people who actively encouraged me to take steps to improve my mental health, and for that I'll always be grateful.

I knew him in college as a dedicated communitarian, a lover of fun, and someone who cherished his friends and appreciated people in general. I'll miss his sunny outlook and his great sense of humor. You left us too early, Hans, and it's clear that you're already widely missed.

R.I.P., J.D.

The New York Times ran a classy obit. I should really read Catcher again. It's been too long.

R.I.P., Howard

They say you were influential. Somehow I made it through four years at Oberlin without reading even a page of A People's History; that's something I should rectify one of these years. May your work and life continue to inspire lefty activists and scholars! Lord knows they could use the inspiration these days.

R.I.P., Eileen

Earlier today, I found an obituary from February that listed a friend I'd lost touch with: Eileen Mintz, whose passion for food matched her formidable PR skills. I met her through my work as a food writer for Seattle Weekly, but she was more than just a professional acquaintance. Even though we didn't see each other too often, her kindness to me resembled that of a loving aunt, albeit one with better connections and juicier gossip than any actual relative I've ever had. Eileen was a matchmaker, too, and though she never made any money at it, she probably could have.

I interviewed her about her knack for pairing people up for the Weekly's Valentine's Day issue in 2006, and the resulting piece provides a sample of Eileen's offhand wisdom and joie de vivre. After the interview, she drove me to the house of Emily Cunningham, whom I'd just started dating. That very night, Emily and I began a relationship that would last two and a half years. Coincidence? Doubtful. Befriending a matchmaker gives you an unfair advantage in matters romantic; I highly recommend it.

Wherever you are, Eileen, I hope you're eating well and helping people date better. I'm really sorry I missed your memorial service.

R.I.P., Brittany

Such strange, sad news. We may have been used to the skinny, glamorous Brittany, but I still fondly remember the lovably normal-shaped Brittany from Clueless. And there's no forgetting her damaged, chicken-hiding character in Girl, Interrupted. May she rest in peace.

R.I.P., Mary

The female third of Peter, Paul & Mary has died. 2009 certainly hasn't been a very good year for beloved celebrities who remind me of my childhood. I had a Peter, Paul & Mary T-shirt as a kid -- in fifth grade or thereabouts -- and was mercilessly mocked for it. PP&M might have been easy to make fun of, but their harmonies were gorgeous, and their best songs seem immortal to many people of my parents' generation, and even to some of my peers (albeit mostly the Oberlin-educated ones). Though I didn't appreciate my fellow students' taunts, I'm proud to have so brazenly displayed my love for PP&M in elementary school. I adore indie pop and rock, but I sometimes think back with affection to the unusual tween I was, well schooled in folk and classical music but ignorant of the stuff most kids were listening to.

Be well, Mary Travers. I hope you're frolicking in the autumn mist somewhere.

R.I.P., Patrick

Whether you knew him best from Dirty Dancing, Ghost, or Donnie Darko, he was always a memorable screen presence. We had the time of our lives, dude.

R.I.P., Ted

You'll be missed.

R.I.P., John

Man, the '80s have been hurting lately. Another of the decade's icons is dead.

R.I.P., Walter

Maybe it's something about turning thirty; I'm finding famous people's deaths increasingly moving. Of course, Walter Cronkite's also brings up "golden age of journalism" stuff, and if ever there was a time for journalism nostalgia, it would be now.

R.I.P., Michael

I was sent home early on my first day of kindergarten because I refused to stop singing "Beat It." Seriously. Other MJ memories: being too scared to watch "Thriller" with the rest of my band class in middle school, and thinking "Captain Eo" was phenomenally cool when I visited Disney World. I even had a Captain Eo watch. May he rest in peace. (Hat tip to Greg for pointing out the video that follows.)



Five favorite Michael Jackson songs, off the top of my head, in no particular order:

"Beat It"
"Thriller"
"Billie Jean"
"Black or White"
"Man in the Mirror"

R.I.P., Bea

Mentioned in a Rufus Wainwright song, beloved by millions, Bea Arthur has moved on to the great retirement community in the sky. Thanks for all the laughs, funny lady.

R.I.P., George

In other news, Crooks and Liars draws our attention to David Brooks' truly ridiculous op-ed piece on Obama. Looking for stuff that is worth reading? The New Yorker has been running strong political profile pieces (PPPs?) lately, including one on Nixonian dirty trickster Roger Stone (check that freakin' photo!) and another on MSNBC anchor Keith Olbermann, also known as the boil on Bill O'Reilly's ass.