| Dolly Parton performs at Austin City Limits Live during Blockchain Creative Labs' Dollyverse event at the South by Southwest Music Festival on March 18 in Austin, Texas. [JACK PLUNKETT | Invision/Associated Press] |
| 'Love is a many-splendored thing' |
| I spend a lot of time each day in school carline. When my kids are with me, they play DJ and I get two- and three-minute glimpses into their worlds. When I'm alone, I listen to WUSF, our local public radio station. For a few days last week, in honor of the grim milestone that is the U.S. reaching 1 million COVID-19 deaths, NPR shared "Songs of Remembrance." According to NPR, "To put a face on this number and pay respect to the departed, NPR asked our audience to share songs that reminded them of a loved one lost to COVID-19. What follows are individual stories of those who have passed, those mourning them and the songs that continue to unite them." I thought these stories would be sad, but as an obit writer, I should have known better. Instead, they're a lovely way to remember people through something we all share — music. There's a woman who remembered her grandmother through Dolly Parton's "Dumb Blonde"; another who recalled her boyfriend's love of Prince's "Purple Rain"; a son for whom Johnny Cash's "Sunday Morning, Coming Down" evoked memories of early mornings; and a daughter who picked Andy Williams' "Love is a Many-Splendored Thing." "My father had a deep love of oldies: His mother died when he was 13 and his music likes stunted after that, so he was a huge fan of older music," Marissa Cyrus told NPR. "He loved this song because it reminded him of his mom, how love is multifaceted and how it's critical to be brave enough to love in life, even when it pains you to. He also told me, 'Don't let a bitter plant take root.' I think that always ties back to his belief that love was an important blessing that more people needed to have in their lives." Listen to all the stories and songs here. What song do you think will make your friends and family think of you one day? For me, it's "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" by the Beatles. When it's my turn to pick a song in carline with my kids, it's one that always gets everyone singing. |
| I'm off work for the next two weeks to try and soak up a little summer with my family, so How They Lived is also going on vacation. The newsletter will return on June 14. In the meantime, if you're hankering for good stories about amazing people, check out four years worth of them here. |
| The Tampa Bay Times kicked off its second annual fundraising campaign on Sunday. And if you're thinking, "Um, why does a for-profit newsroom need to do this?" I can tell you in my role as media reporter at Poynter that local newspapers are both essential to our communities and on shaky financial ground. Harnessing local support this way is also something many newsrooms are doing. If you care about the newsroom that covers the place you live, here's one way to show it. |
| Here are some obituaries from the past week that I found in the obits section of the Times, in the news and from local funeral homes. If you see any with great details, please share them.
• Robert Siwecki of St. Petersburg "served in the U.S. Army during WWII. On his way to Germany aboard the Queen Elizabeth leaving New York harbor, passing by the Statue of Liberty, he looked up at it and wondered if he would ever see it again. Staff Sgt. Siwecki earned four medals and returned with Mary his first wife from Poland to his hometown in Ohio. Retiring from General Motors to St. Petersburg, FL, they enjoyed several years together. After Mary's passing, he married Rose, traveling Florida representing the Italian American Society. Upon Rose's death, he married Eleanor combining their love of Polish dance and music."
• Betty Reed, 81, of Tampa was "a longtime state representative and community advocate who pushed for more resources for Black mothers, better schools and more mentorship in Hillsborough County and beyond."
• Michael Aguayo, 62, of Tampa "had a great relationship with his neighbors and was always willing to help."
• Clarissa Bradfield, 25, formerly of St. Petersburg "had a passion for dance in her early years and would continue to showcase her creativity through art and photography for the remainder of her life. In her 25 years, she truly lived. She traveled to numerous countries and lived in multiple states. She made and kept friends everywhere she touched. She loved. She was unapologetically herself. She was beloved." • Let's end on a high note: You might remember a past obituary I wrote on Walter Smith, a former Florida A&M president who opened a library in West Tampa. That library will reopen, the Times' Paul Guzzo reports. "In recent years, Smith Jr. said, the library was used more for meeting space than an after school program, but he hopes it returns to its roots. 'I want kids to come read these books and learn.'" Thanks for reading, hug your people,
Kristen |
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