Today’s obituaries

'usual scanning of today's obituaries' - why oh why?

I often look through the obituaries. Often learning about people I may have never heard of, but who have lead amazing lives and given great service to their country, community or organisation.

A sad way for you suziewoozie to remember those happy memories.

Yes, I am like you wildswan, but it is a shock when you see one you used to know.

This happened to me once, only the person concerned was 10 years younger than me and we had studied together.

I also read the obituaries. I think it gives us inspiration to try a bit harder in our lives.

The most interesting ones are often people not well known in the sense of being famous or celebrities but as
wild said have made an enormous/important contribution to their particular field. She was 20 years younger than me and about to embark on the next stage of her career when the cancer was diagnosed.

Oh dear, I don't need to read them, they're around me, sadly. A neighbour died on Monday of this week, bless him.

why oh why?

Why not Hetty?

It's can be fascinating reading the life history of not only the rich and famous but also those who've made major contributions to society but remained under the radar until death.

message Hetty58 Sat 09-Nov-19 21:11:25
usual scanning of today's obituaries' - why oh why ?

I believe the usual reason is to check one’s own is not among them.

.....as in ‘the reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated’

Maw

I don’t read obituaries, but it must be a shock if you do to come across somebody that you once had a connection to.

Oh, I always look at obituaries, both local and in the Telegraph. Often see someone famous has died that has not been on the News.

Why ‘not’ look? Doesn’t alter the fact that they have died by not looking.

I read the ones in the local paper as I have lived here all my life and all to often see a name I know.
I wouldn't know where to look other than that.

One of my bosses read through the Times obituaries every morning. When he found a particularly interesting one (in his eyes), he’d pop into my office and read it to me, word for word. Lovely man, but I used to be itching to get on with my work!

My elderly neighbours are dropping like flies as it is - perhaps the time of year? I suppose it's the local age range here. There are so many funerals I'm very glad I've arranged not to have one!

Today's paper is full of remembrances of people who died in conflict, World Wars 1 and 11 and those between and afterwards.
Sobering reading, but good to spare a few moments remembering them.

I read the obits when my late neighbour passed on her Telegraph to me when she'd finished with it.
Some of them are interesting and use euphemisms which make light of a sad subject, such as 'a climber has scaled his last mountain, a yachtsman has sailed into his final port', etc.
I believe that the late Sir Patrick Moore checked the obits each morning to make his name wasn't among them and then he'd carry on as usual.

Was looking through the death notices in the Telegraph many years ago and found the death of my first serious boyfriend's mother; gosh, the memories that stirred up!

Births, marriages, and deaths.
Hatch, match, and dispatch.

I once did a local history talk entitled Hatches, Matches and Despatches. ? I spent hour upon hour in the local library archives trawling through the faded local newspaper microfiches. It’s no wonder my eyes are bad!

I particularly enjoy reading obituaries especially of 'non celebs'. Ordinary people who have had interesting lives or not. It's interesting to read what the writer has deemed worth noting. Sometimes one gets unexpected insights into areas never previously considered. Sometimes they're unexpectedly funny or touching.

What Jane10 said. I enjoy reading them.

I always read the obituaries.
When we get to the part of life that we are in the departure lounge I like to know who beat me to it.