Departures.

Tuesday, June 17th, 2008

Just seems like they come in waves sometimes. Since June, the obituaries have been piling up:

  • Tim Russert, age 58, political insider turned journalist. Prototypical blue-collar Irish Catholic boy made good.
  • Stan Winston, age 62, four-time Academy Award winning master of real-world (as opposed to CGI) visual effects and creatures.
  • Alton Kelley, age 67, graphic artist and illustrator, known for his psychedelic art, and 1960s rock concert posters.
  • Yves Saint Laurent, age 71, fashion designer, businessman.
  • Algis Budrys, age 77, Hugo-winning science fiction writer.
  • Bo Diddley, age 79, a man with a rhythm all his own.
  • Tony Schwartz, age 84, the “media consultant,” ad guy, and jazz preservationist who came up with the LBJ “Daisy” political ad in 1964.
  • Jim McKay, age 86, sportscaster, television pioneer.

Meanwhile, we and our loved ones get our tests and try to eat right and stretch and walk and do, you know, all the right things to avoid showing up on the departure board anytime soon.

(Update: Cyd Charisse, the very next day.)