Died in 2013

High School Football's Deadly Numbers

The 2014 high school football season got off to a deadly start.

Last Notes to His Loved Ones

David Welch's last days were spent reaching out to the family he'd never see again.

A Mother's Last Wish

As Becky Swales battled breast cancer, her three daughters planned their weddings.

Glee's Tribute to Cory Monteith

Three months after Cory Monteith's death, the TV show that made him famous will honor him with a special tribute episode.

A Legacy of Music

Zach Sobiech's remarkable song "Clouds" topped the music charts even as the teen was dying of cancer.

Elizabeth Berger, Downtown Girl

Liz Berger helped shape the reimagining and rebuilding of Lower Manhattan after the 9/11 attacks.

The Real Steel Magnolia

Not many people can say they had the honor of being portrayed by Sally Field in a classic movie. But then, not many people are Margaret Harling.

A Love So Strong

What happens when two people literally can't live without each other?

The Extraordinary Dr. Tea

What’s not to love about a doctor whose favorite medicine is levity?

XOXO, Signed with Love

While more and more people are penning their own obituaries these days, it’s difficult to imagine doing it on, well, deadline.

A Letter of Departure

This recent self-written obituary reads more like a thank-you note than a final farewell.

Hold the Possum, Pass the Sweet Potatoes: The Wisdom of Dr. John H. Hayes

"Don't spend your days setting yourself up as a target on other people's firing ranges" and other homespun advice from a doctor of theology.

Fan's Obit Rocks Cleveland

For years, brothers and Browns fans Bill and Scott Entsminger joked about the zinger they would put in their obituaries.

The Remarkable Reta Banks

What a movie Reta Banks' life would make.

A Proper Hero

There aren’t many 20-somethings who are praised by the President of the United States for their heroism, but Mike Proper was one of them.

Forever Love

Lisa L. Montalvo's obituary reads like a love note from her family to their beloved wife, mother and daughter.

Civil Rights Pioneers

Two little known pioneers in the civil rights struggles of the 1960s died within days of each other.

Jack Holden’s Last Laugh

Writing your own obituary is about the only way you will get the last say.

Nail Polish Inventor

Wojciech Inglot invented a non-toxic, breathable nail polish that has particular meaning for Muslim women.

A Starr Birder Takes Flight

Starr Saphir was a familiar sight in Central Park where, for the past 30 years, she guided bird watchers.

Lakota Woman

Mary Ellen Moore-Richard knew early on there were pieces of her past amiss and missing as she grew up on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation in South Dakota. Her mostly white dad left the family and her step-father taught her to drink at age 10. At a boarding school on the reservation, she was abused, taught to practice Christianity, and admonished not to use her native tongue. No wonder, then, that by the 1970s she had joined the American Indian Movement—AIM—an activist group that protested, sometimes violently, for Indian rights.

Secrets Die and are Buried Forever

We all take secrets to the grave, but let’s face it—some are more far-reaching than others. Some even have a significant impact on history.

Heads You Win: Remembering Harlem Funeral Director George Bernard Benta

You probably aren't familiar with funeral director George Bernard Benta, but we're guessing you've heard of a few of his famous clients. During his six-plus decades directing services at the Harlem funeral home his father founded, Benta handled the final arrangements for luminaries , James Baldwin, , and , among others. He made all families — famous or not — feel welcome, and became famous himself for his philosophies on life. Legacy contributor Susan Soper shares his story.