After reading day's obit about Larry Eisenberg, I was surprised to see that you had written it. I thought you had left NYT after your 2013 book was published. So I clicked on your name and almost fainted when I saw the headline for this article. Dear MF, I have always read your obits, no matter the subject, because you have the greatest vocabulary and sense of how to entertain gently and explain fully. I'm certainly going to buy your latest book.
3
go live your life and be sure to update your obit from time to time!
there will be many more adventures...
thank you for honoring those you wrote about. equally important is that you're a decent person. But style is always welcome...and appreciated.
2
I still miss Robert McG. Thomas - surely one of the best obit writers...
1
August 15, 2015
Surely will be missed from the Obit reporting.
Everyone writes their own obituary and give voice to life's journey, but to be given ones New York Times recognition is of import and is always at the core of what has been written well in everyone published. In and of itself an Obituary is great as well with having talented Margalit Fox making it stylistically.
Let's all give honor to the wisdom of NYT Journalistic culture to be the best with everything and for all times in making our world interpretative sane and enjoyable to recognize in summations with grace.
jja
2
Thank you Margalit, what a beautiful last column! What a joy to read a tiny bit about your journey with life and the celebration of the people who entrusted you to write their obituaries.
May joy and ease be with you in your new chapter!
1
Good luck Margalit!
1
Thank you for a job beautifully done.
1
Thank you for making me smile
,
1
I'd always pictured you to be "tall, very aristocratic looking, old and snobby". Go figure.....your picture shows you to be not so tall, not so aristocratic looking, definitely not old and not snobby. I may have been wrong about my vision but I'm not wrong about how wonderful your work has been. Whenever I found myself reading one of your obits....I knew it was going to be a treat. best of luck to you....you will be very much missed.
4
Bon Voyage!
I have truly, truly loved your words these many years. They have been a gift and a noble calling.
You will be missed on these pages. Deeply.
4
What a wonderful story. Have a great next chapter, Margalit...
2
So grateful to Margalit Fox, not only for your beautifully written obituaries but also for providing the inspiration for our daughter's name. (Nine years ago, awaiting the birth of our overdue child, we noted Ms. Fox's byline and changed our original choice to "Margalit".)
4
To the commenter who named their child after Ms Fox,
That is ingenious: for her whole life your daughter will be able to entertain people with the true story that she was named after a NYT obit writer! Please make sure your Margalit II learns, above all, how to write well.
Just before I came upon this particular comment, I was thinking: had I had a daughter, Margalit would have been a great choice of a name for her!
...Enchanting column in exquisite, instantly recognizable Margalit Fox style. Best news of all: she is not dead!
1
Well done, Margalit Fox. Best of luck in your future journeys.
1
And I have so enjoyed reading them. Good luck with writing your books!
2
Thank you for the moments to pause and reflect on those who have gone on before us - best of luck in the next chapter.
3
Ms. Fox,
What a pleasure it has been to read your obits. I really enjoy the storytelling that you invest into them. I often spend Sunday mornings reading them because the lives of people are so interesting and you never know what impact someone has has on the world until you can look at it all in total.
Good luck with your career path adventure.
5
What a lovely farewell. Thank you.
3
Thank you for a thoroughly delightful article about your career at the NYT. I enjoyed every word.
4
It's so depressing that I won't see your byline there anymore! I always look to see if it's you. I have learned so much from these stories----very often to alert me (and my friends!) to an author we hadn't previously discovered. We are so grateful.
And as an acclaimed (in my publishing circles) copyeditor, ghostwriter, and proofreader, I am so in tune with your standards. Anyway, thanks so much, and bonne chance with new ventures!
4
I will miss seeing your byline in the New York Times. Have really enjoyed your work for years. You have a way of encapsulating a person's whole life with a sense of wonder, admiration, understanding, warmth and humor that is unparalleled. Thank you, and wishing you best of luck in your next chapter!
7
I know that obits Ms. Fox has stockpiles will continue to appear; but I will miss her work. I could always tell when one of the obits I was reading was one of hers (to the good).
Sadly, I've noticed that more recent obits from others have not risen to the same level.
1
First off - Bon Voyage and Bon Chance. Writers must write, so off you go!
Second - the power of the obit cannot be understated. I recall a story from the dad of my childhood friend. He was originally from Brooklyn yet spent most of his adult life in Southern California. You can take the boy from NY, but not the NY from the boy (or man). He always read the NY Times, and always the obituary section looking to see who of his past cronies may have passed. One morning while reading, he came across a familiar name - that of his wife. He called out to her (she was in the restroom) "Lolly???" and when she replied "Yes Teddy?" he was able to breathe a sigh of relief and say "Never mind!".
When he passed away, sadly his own obituary did not appear in the New York Times. Lolly, I am happy to say, is still going strong.
6
Your work is a noble profession, enjoyed by many. I wish you the best in you next adventure. Keith
4
This farewell was a delight to read. It gave me a new appreciation for obituaries and well as for their writers. Best of luck in your next adventures.
5
Aside from the honor of having one's obit professionally written and the published in the NYT, one could ask little more than a fair assessment of their life and accomplishments.
5
A fond farewell Margalit from someone who does advance obituaries for ABC News Radio. A couple of my colleagues have joked "here comes the prince of darkness," or "the grim reaper" when I arrive in our newsroom, I must admit that
doing obits has been quite rewarding. As someone told me recently, it's a bit like being a historian. Enjoy your time away from the obit desk Ms.Fox, and I'm looking forward
to reading your new book on Conan Doyle. Hoping there will be more books you'll be writing to add to my library. And I'll bet you've banked some terrific obits that are yet to run in the Times and when they see print, your byline I'm sure will be there, even though you're no longer at the Times.
5
Dear Ms. Fox,
On the last Wednesday in July of 1993, the year before you began working at the Times, a friend was lucky enough to read his own obituary in the paper. Having a common name certainly helped here; he was a producer of radio and television programming and the person who actually died was a film producer; there is also an actor of the same name and none of these men used their middle initial.
Since this occasion, I have read the obituaries with more interest than before; getting older myself also helps. Your work has stood out for it's exciting an interest in finding out more about these people as well as, in the best ones, being sorry one either hadn't known of their life's work beforehand or hadn't ever written them with a simple note of appreciation.
Thank you for allowing so many of our departed to live again and to spark our own imaginations,
Robbie
14
Thank you for personally responding to e-mails that the Linguistic Society of America has sent to you on occasion. It was much appreciated. Best wishes for your continued success as an author.
8
Mazel tov!
7
Thank you for all those obits, and your graceful story-telling skills. My work at the National Portrait Gallery/Smithsonian Institution brought me close to your work as I sought information for the labels we provided for every single portrait that hangs on the NPG walls. Your fine sense of timing, proportion, and craftsmanship proved over and over that lots of great information can fit into a shockingly small number of words, and that humor, admiration and more could fit there too. (I once put Eleanor Roosevelt's life into 250 words, all the space we could afford in a label for a small temporary exhibition of photographs; Mrs. R. has a much longer label to accompany a painting on permanent display.) I was proud to meet the word count without leaving too much out. Thank you for doing this day after day, creating the ongoing National Portrait Gallery of Americans who merit our attention for their contributions to making the world we live in.
9
What a wonderfully entertaining article. I think I may have to pick up a copy of your book. Best of luck!
5
A wonderful read! Thank you!
5
While you may be doing the right thing for you, have you thought about us! No one else ever made death fun. You will be missed.
-Adam Zion
5
Margalit -
I'm not sure how many people admit to this - but every day I always read the NYT OBITS first.
And every day, I realize, I'm looking for one name there: Yours!
So, thank you Margalit, for helping me put my days in perspective, for giving me courage to carry on in my life by hearing about others, for feeding me stories to make sense of things.
Kudos! A job exceptionally well done. I will miss your work and help.
13
I, too, read the obits first, every day. Thought provoking, wonderful, even inspirational. Thank you for this great story.
3
When I started reading NYT regularly in Lucknow from 2008 onwards upon a recommendation made by my uncle, it was the style of writing that I came to love the most. I quickly discovered the Obituary section which became a favourite. The window into recent history that it afforded was unmatched with its captivating narration. Earlier this fascination with obituaries seemed strange to me, but now I understand.
I will miss your writing at NYT, Margalit Fox. I look forward to your books, and my best wishes are with you. And I hope NYT finds someone that can fill your shoes in the Obituary section.
2
Margaret,
I'm an obit reader from my days in NYC and the Herald Tribune, Good article today, best of luck, and thanks for fixing the semicolons.
Burt
4
One of the main reason that I read this newspaper is for its obituaries. Here people, some unknown, who have died are brought back to life. It is so enlightening to read of their struggles, achievements, and contributions to all that is good about this world. At the same time it makes me sad that I had never heard of many of them. I blame myself for this ignorance but think that our education system and the mass media share some of the blame. More time and print is spent on entertainers and sports figures than is warranted by their contributions to a just, peaceful, and beautiful world. I applaud Ms. Fox for the contributions she has made, with elegance and style, to this process.
1
What a gift it is to take the dash on the tombstone and turn it into “It’s a Wonderful Life” (with few exceptions). Your farewell column was a delight. Wishing you all the best.
3
Kudos. Please, do keep writing.
2
Truly joyous: There is not enough of that sentiment; Ms. Fox will be missed.
2
Nice to see someone has the intelligence to retire from a corporate job and not die/work until they drop dead on the job like so many. Enjoy your new life; everyone should be so smart about life, their happiness, and lastly their longevity on this earth. You knew when it was appropriate for you to quit.
1
I have a friend who buys the New York Times just to read the obituaries. Great story
1
As I wrote Margalit Fox (and she responded!) a few years ago, one of my goals in life was to have achieved enough interesting things to be subject to her hand in my obituary. I'm still not ready for that, but I'm saddened she won't be around to write mine - and that of others. Her departure is our loss.
1
How lovely! and what a welcome respite from the unending, revolting, mind numbing drudgery of Trump et al. Thanks for sharing a small part of your life with us.
5
And I am buying every one of your books. In hardback.
3
Thank you Ms. Fox! The obituaries is the best part of the newspaper and the most entertaining. I, too, like to learn about the obscure heroes of the world and know they have achieved immortality by appearing in a NYT obit.
2
What a delightful read. It shows true love of her fellow human beings.
2
Bon voyage, Ms. Fox, and all the best in your future endeavors. You will be missed.
2
I think semi colons are the most pretentious form of punctuation, but I love that you champion them.
1
I’ve often thought of how my life will read in my obituary, and have even made career choices based on this. Thanks for doing this job for those who no longer have a voice.
1
I will miss you Margalit!
And I'll remain ever grateful for the joy and appreciation that streamed through the wonderful life stories you gave to all of us.
All the best of health, happiness and success!
9
This was a funny, poignant, and bittersweet send-off for the next chapter in your life. Thank you for your stories, the history lessons, and, always, the chance to say good-bye to those whose lives touched many of us in one way or another. Best wishes to you, and good luck to your successor—those are some mighty shoes to fill.
10
A hearty thank you for the best column I’ve read in the NYT in a real long time. I knew a few NYT obit editors in my day. Each loved their jobs writing about such interesting people ! Kudos.
10
Those commas thank you, as do us readers!
4
"She didn’t tick too many people off."
Is that a ... deliberate pun!?!
'Just wondering.
6
Mazel Tov.
Gay ga zinta hate!
3
So, has your replacement written your obit yet?
2
You wrote my father's obit (last remaining pigeon trainer World War II) It was the crowning achievement of his life - to have an obit in The NY Times. Obviously he never got to see it, but we in the family were so touched, not only that you found his story worthy of telling, but that you told it so well. I'm sure you've touched many others' lives as you told the stories of their loved ones. I'll end by saying what you could have put at the end of every obit you wrote: hate to see you go.
18
Love your essay. I'm a lifelong obit reader, especially of the NYT. Best of luck with your new career. You're a plucky, witty gal with lots of gumption!
4
My father, Samuel Rosmarin, loved and read the Times for most of his 96 years. To memorialize him, in 2016 we chose to spend $4000 for a paid obituary. We wanted descendants 100 years hence to be able to search at the Times and read about him. First we were told no paragraph breaks were tolerated, even if paid for. Then, after the fact, we learned that searching the Times website yields no results. One has to go to legacy.com. A search at the Times, however, yields my mother’s engagement in 1950, but not my father’s life. Calling and writing to the advertising section, including beseeching the manager went unheeded. The Times has its $4000 but my father has no posterity.
David Rosmarin
3
FYI
What you purchased was a paid death notice--basically an advertisement that appears adjacent to the NYT obituaries--not an obituary. An obituary is written by Times staff at the sole discretion of the Times, whereas any advertiser can write and purchase a death notice. That doesn't negate the problems you encountered, but writers like Ms. Fox are not responsible for paid death notices. She was on the editorial side of the paper, not the business side. Your issues are with the NYT advertising division, which farmed out work of death notices to an outside company years ago.
2
Wonderful piece....
"There was Rabbi Herschel Schacter, who as a young United States Army chaplain in 1945 was able to cry to the Jews of Buchenwald, “Ihr zint frei!” (“You are free!”)" I think the German sentence should be 'Ihr seid frei...'
4
This was in Yiddish.
Clearly states the Rabbi cried out in Yiddish.
He spoke in Yiddish, not German.
As a newcomer to the fruitful field of necrology, I salute you.
Always read the obit since college, a lesson taught and learned from my dad, a Columbia College journalism grad. He died in 1985 and the Times ran his obit which I helped expedite. His conclusion was a major last stopping point for him, my family and I who with dedication find the best to learn daily from our gifts from you to us. Thank you.
1
Thank you Ms. Fox for all the writing. I have enjoyed reading it for years.
Obits are a wonderful way of learning about the interesting lives and contributions of people who are not normally in the news. It takes a special skill to write them well.
All the best with the new career.
6
Tears in my eyes as I read your wonderful piece! You will be missed-thank you for all the great obit/stories and wishing you much joy & success in your new venture.
1
I have enjoyed your every word. Your obituaries were a form of art. I’ll miss you always. Best wishes to you, and many thanks.
2
Ms. Fox,
Thanks for your many contributions to the finest paper in the United States. I have read thousands and downloaded/printed and shared hundreds of NYT obituaries. My standard line is that a person can learn more from reading the NYT obituaries than the entirety of most other papers. I find that the paper invariably captures an appropriate balance between respect for the subject's passing and some of their more, for lack of a better term, human characteristics. Anecdotes of the small details of a person's life that reverberate around the world and across time. Thank you for respectfully sharing the stories of so many who have passed on, or are still getting around to it.
2
Discovering Ms. Fox's obituaries was a huge treat for me, making me a faithful obit-reader from then on. Her delightful writing always packed wording surprises and made her subjects so very appealing. Thanks, Ms. Fox, for years of reading pleasure!
1
Your charm and wit always shine through your obits. They are special. And so are you: an author and musician - in addition to great obit writer at the NYT!
1
Here's hoping that your second career is as Bountiful as the first. Find the opportunity to visit Pitcairn Island. Your Tom Christian obit made me recall the day I spent there in 1976 when I met him and his diving partner Len Brown, who carved the Bounty model sitting nearby my desk.
2
How ironic that her obits provided us so much pleasure in the reading of someone else's demise. That is the mark of good writing. It pulls us along, wanting to find out where the story is going, even though we all know in this case where it ends. The humanity she wrote about brought us all a little bit closer. Good luck, and good writing.
1
Wow, what a delight to read this. As a former part-time, short-term obit writer for a small newspaper I can identify a bit. She had a great gig in writing the stories of people's lives. The few times I had the chance to compose obits of people who might be ordinary but were admirable in one way or another was a joy. It is also a privilege and responsibility as, under deadline pressure, you have to be sure to get it right. It is always important.
Good luck, Ms. Fox. You will do well I'm sure.
P.S. I think, perhaps, I used too many commas.
1
Wonderful! I read Margalit Fox's obituaries with pleasure and amazement (one standout from recent years: the lady who invented the house that cleans itself!) and look forward to her books.
1
Dear Ms. Fox,
I had no idea that you wrote that fabulous obit on Gary Dahl who invented the concept of the "Pet Rock". The only aspect of that article which I enjoyed more were the various comments. I don't recall laughing so hard or so long while reading something from the NYT. So thank you for that and for this delightful and rich article regarding your exist.
I always had a different opinion of being a professional writer of obituaries, especially for the NYT. I've never viewed the obit gig as a "convenient Siberia" but more like having job security (famous people die daily, sadly) and being able to research their history and lives and to have "the extraordinary privilege of tracing the arc — in sweet-smelling newsprint, damp with ink — of lives well lived." I would be in heaven if I had that job! But then I guess most writers have higher, deeper and richer aspirations when writing for the NYT than me. In the end, I guess whatever it takes to make one happy and feel fulfilled is all that matters in the end.
I just wanted to thank you again for this exceptional and entertaining article. I loved it, I continue to love your writing, and I so love your sense of humor.
2
Many thanks for your lovely work; you have captured many a life in a way that enlightens your readers and honors your subjects.
3
Lovely! I have tears in my eyes!
1
I look forward to your other endeavors. It was a great ride!
1
Ms. Fox, I always read your articles purely because your byline at the top was a guarantee that reading them was time well spent with something always to discover and delight in. I look forward to your books and wish you what I would to any great writer: RIP (w)Rite in Peace.
8
What a wonderfully written celebration of a news career. You also just sold a copy of your book!
1
The NYT obits hooked me many decades ago. I have learned about the most interesting people on earth thanks to you all.
THanks for your beautiful farewell story.
2
Thank you so much. We'll miss you. I read (and share) obits religiously because I know they are tales of life rather than death. I enjoyed every piece of your informative, enlightening and sometimes witty account of the amazing lives you wrote about. God's speed in your new endeavors.
1
There are two obit pages I read religiously and which I'll gladly stack up for later if I'm too busy to read right away - yours and the last page of the Economist. I shall miss your beautiful prose in celebration of well-lived or memorable (not all were well-lived) lives. I hope your successor is equally talented and up to the challenge. Enjoy your new adventure. G-d speed.
2
For many years I have sought out Margalit Fox's byline in the obituaries section of the NYT. I knew the story would be engaging, informative, and especially well-written. I will miss her presence at the paper, wish her well, and look forward to reading her forthcoming books. Thanks so much for an especially good run for your readers.
7
Hail and Farewell! Thank you for your good work.
11
Thank you. This essay is an example of the benefits of spending less time reading the political news.
29
Best wishes on your retirement and the publication of your first book! Thoroughly enjoyed your column, your writing is terrific!
1
One of my favorite things about the NYT! Thank you for a job well done.
I was worried when I saw that headline. I heard you on a radio broadcast a few months back and thought you spoke as well as you wrote. Glad you are alive and well. Best wishes for a successful book. You will be missed.
1
A truly charming column, best wishes with your writing.
16
Wishing you the very best in your new adventure!
6
Congratulations, Margalit Fox! "Great job!", as our grandchildren say today! So many of us anti-diluvian but intelligent American readers read the Times obituaries every morning when we get up, smell the coffee and drink it, checking that we are still on the right side of the daisies. We are emboldened by the obits to start a new day of surprises, shocks, and mainly bad news on social media, the real media and our cyber-widgets. And good luck, Margalit, in your new career of writing books. It's never too late to start a second or third or fourth life -- that's all she wrote -- and has done so with staggering regularity!
1
Curiosity drew me in to this story. I sure did not expect to be laughing with tears in my eyes at the end...
2
Wonderful perspective. Said beautifully. Thank you
1
Whenever I was struck by a particularly fine turn of phrase in a Times life story -- an obituary -- I would glance up to the byline and more often than not it would read Margalit Fox. So glad we now get to read more of your writing in books. Thanks, and good luck to you.
14
I’d like to recommend two of Ms. Fox’s books: The Riddle of the Labyrinth and Talking Hands, both nonfiction gems. Looking forward to her upcoming third book.
1
Delightful as well as insightful. What lovely memories of a job well done and not an easy job at that. Kudos to the writer!
I love reading obituaries as it shines a light on someone's life that was well lived or not. They are always interesting and never boring, just like life!
1
You will be missed.
I shall miss her writing. Moving on, that is a dream job...fluffing my resume...
3
thank you, Margalit, for your defense of the semi-colon - my favorite punctuation mark - could have something to do with my parochial school education
enjoy your retirement!
1
Ms. Fox, That was the best thing I've read in the paper in a long time. I have to read your new book now!
2
Thank you ever so much for your work, Ms. Fox. Because we have only a handful of newspapers left, the obituary is rapidly becoming a lost form. And that is a terrible loss —one that deserves to be remembered in an obituary, really.
1
The brilliant writing of Margalit Fox has been a delight to read in my morning NY Times since 1994! Her obits were pure gems of historical fact, wisdom and wit. Her sweet and thoughtful good-bye below is a beautiful tribute to her profession and The Times. (I look forward to reading her just-published book!) ❤️
So many times I have I read one of your obituaries, and wished I had known about -- or even personally known -- these people when they were alive.
That's a tribute to you. It's also a wish that there were more opportunities to tell us about them before they die.
1
The obits in the Times are the best thing about the paper, never too long and well written.
1
Ave & write well...
1
will she write her own obit?
Brilliant!
7
Dang! Wouldn't it just figure? I've never read the NY Times obits before, and now that Ms. Fox is retiring, I'm going to have to, and she won't be there!
This article should win a press award! Thank You!
6
Great piece! I loved reading it. Let me suggest a small change to your obituary: She didn’t tick too many DEAD people off.
6
I echo others: Brava! So much enjoyment had in reading your work. Also, what a lot of cultural history learned! Much good luck in your future endeavors, Ms Fox!
Jennifer Ketay Brock
7
The Rabbi Schachter obit is absolutely chilling.
6
The misnomer of a Fox, I thought. The brilliant self-obit reminded me (a journo like her) of the response of our PR chief. When one evening he came into the news room and announced that he was getting tired of the advt work, a colleague suggested that he write his obit before croaking. Eveer the quick witted ad man, his response was prompt. He said, "The way in which you are producing the newspaper (daily), I may have to even read the proof and go"!!
2
I love reading the obituaries every day. I especially like seeing that I’m not the subject of one.
For the reasons she states, Ms. Fox and her colleagues write the best part of any news organ.
1
To paraphrase Captain Spaulding...
I'm sad to say, you must be going.
1
Thank you.
1
Ms Fox, I was always glad to see your byline. I can only hope you are a good a book writer as you have been an obituary writer—absolutely first class.
Touche'.
1
Here's to the Fox named "Margalit" --
Undisputed queen of things obit:
Without stint -- endlessly giving --
In service to the limn of the formerly living.
Student of both the straight and the absurd --
And ever the obedient servant of * the word * --
With rigor and with grace,
She lent the dead a place
In the pantheon
Of the storied gone.
She leaves us with a wink-clad laugh,
Delivering herself of her epitaph --
Sure to be recalled with a smile and a sigh
As the qwerty years go uioply by....
All hail the Dalai Lama
Of the well-placed comma --
And salute the Solon
Of the semicolon!
------------------------------
In the last line of the second stanza above, "qwerty" is pronounced "kwer'-tee" (It rhymes with "flirty".), and "uioply" is pronounced "yoo-i'-uh-plee" (The second syllable of "uioply" rhymes with "tie".). ("qwertyuiop" is, of course, a row of letters on a standard keyboard.)
------------------------------
BEST OF LUCK, MARGALIT!!! ( * You will be missed more than you know. * )
1
“Ihr zint frei!” As moving a line as we can ever expect.
And what a lede! Wonder how long Ms. Fox was saving that one.
Enjoy your retirement from the Times, Margalit Fox. Look forward to seeing you in the book review pages, but not elsewhere.
1
Wonderful piece, Ms. Fox. And I love semi-colons.
Just a suggestion: it should be "Ihr seid frei."
Ms. Margalit I have always enjoyed your obits even though they mark the passing of famous, dead people.
And go ahead mark up the punctuation or other, mistakes here with your red or is it green pencil!
Congratulations on your new career writing non-fiction. I'll be looking for your books.
3
You've given a lot of pleasure to readers who love a good narrative, educated us and added a touch of the frivolous. Best of luck in the next phase.
6
A real pleasure to read from someone who doesn't read a lot!
3
What a fine piece of writing. Makes me think of the obit, from 1911, of a great-uncle who died in a hunting accident. "He had started over to the farm of his brother for some milk, and had taken along along his shotgun, which was a 12 gauge Remington hammerless pump, to shoot any game that he might see. It is presumed that in climbing over a fence, which was too tight for him to go through, the gun was in some manner discharged. Notwithstanding the fatal wound and loss of blood, he was able to walk a half mile home...." (Des Moines Register). Hard to find sentences like that nowadays--except in the NYTimes. Good luck to you, Ms. Fox.
42
Ms. Fox,
I met you once at the Times during a brief stint as a freelancer. I gushed. The Times obits are a special, loving piece of humanity. They're proof you contributed and achieved something. When you die with a Times obit, you've arrived. Good to know in advance. Beats someone having to wake you.
Congratulations and good cheer. Thanks for many uplifting tales.
41
A sociology prof of mine used to say that if your obituary appears in The NY Times, you’ve bitten off your chunk of immortality.
1
I've told my kids, all in their 50's now, that the NYT obituaries are always worth reading, especially if you never heard of the subject. Why read short stories, when you can read NYT obits?
94
Just to let you know I'm an avid reader you of your work, it is art to tell the end of a story.
52
Brava! Thank you.
25
I loved your work. Obits offer an end to the story. A concise history. And one last snark on your part: a nickel vs. a dime. Times got tough. Enjoy your new adventure. Check out my soon to be blog - 70? So, now what?
16
Without reading the byline, I always knew it was you. Your "voice" will be missed. Time to buy your books.
35
I thoroughly enjoyed The Riddle of the Labyrinth (2013) and have recommended it to many. Looking forward to more books by Ms. Fox. All the best to her.
Oh, boy...you will be so, so, so missed....and your 50,000 semicolons too. Can't wait to read your book.
I wish you much happiness.
36
I wonder: would Ms. Fox change your comment to the active voice? "Oh, boy...I will miss you so, so much."
I will miss her obits very much indeed.
Ms. Fox, you are the only one who ever could have prompted a budding writer to declare: I want to be an obituary writer when I grow up.
23
Please ignore anyone who tells you “Don’t quit your day job.” You’ve more than established your writer’s credentials. Looking forward to reading your book(s)!
11
I’m 66, so it appears I will not be famous or infamous enough to rate a New York Times obituary. If that were otherwise, though, I would have considered it my good fortune (under the circumstances) to have it written by Ms. Fox, the primary reason I started frequenting the obits section with a sort of literary pleasure. She knows storytelling, understands and appreciates the vagaries and variety of life, and usually ends with a thought that one can muse over the rest of the day. Thank you. I will look forward to the words ahead, well punctuated.
4
Thank you for sharing the joy, sadness and humanity of your work.
Dennis Hevesi wrote a lovely obituary of my father, Bertel Bruun, for his important influence in the marginal topic of American bird books several years ago. He spoke with me about my father with a sense of wonder that was reflected in the hallowed pages of The New York Times, which would have pleased my father greatly.
You, Dennis and your fellow writers find the humor, tragedy and depth of your subjects in the face of what I am certain is a lot of pressure from many sources. Thank you.
4
We have always enjoyed reading your obituary columns. We learned many interesting things about people we had never known and their contributions they made to us and the world. The writing was always distinct and informative. And it was a pleasure to learn about many important people we would have never heard about - you educated us time and again and we are grateful for it. Good luck and thank you.
9
Based on your fine writing, I just ordered your book. Lots of wonderful reviews already on Amazon. You are a beautiful storyteller. Thanks and best wishes for a continued successful career.
13
I have long been a fan of Margalit Fox. Her work has been so wonderful to follow -- especially the stories about the not-so-famous. Congratulations and best of luck on your new adventure.
4
What a great read! Brought back memories of my own childhood. When the newspaper arrived at our home, the paper would be divied up into sections. Mom got the local news and sales, Dad the world news and classifieds and my brother always had to have the comics. That left the obituary section for me, but I didn’t mind. I was fascinated by the stories of the lives of other people. To this day, my appreciation for a well-written obituary is like viewing a Norman Rockwell painting... sometimes nostalgic, sometimes subtle, but always deep.
9
What I miss most in the digital age, when I no longer hold a print copy of the sunday times in my hand, are the obituaries. They're still here, just harder to find. I have always read them, and always treasured the well-written narrative of a good life story. Thank you, Ms. Fox, and good luck with your book-writing career!
2
Thank you for years of amazing writing. I have always enjoyed your work . I just purchased your book and cant wait to dive into it . I'm just upset that, like most people on this thread, I was really hoping one day you'd write my obituary! Wishing you all the best and future success.
4
What a great gig, writing about lives well lived. Your own joy and sense of celebration always come through. And you did write my favorite line ever in an obit, that for Helen Gurley Brown: She was 90, though parts of her were considerably younger.
41
I just want to point out that Ms. Fox could deftly handle not only encomiums but controversy. She wrote a beautifully balanced and sensitive review of Amiri Baraka, an obit which I wrote to her at the time provided a perfect blueprint for all of us to properly judge and reconsider a tangled, edgy life. Ms. Fox is in every sense a writer, in pursuit of the truth, whatever temporary haze might conceal it. That's life. She got it. I look forward to reading her nuanced considerations of it in the future.
23
Such good writing - the people whose lives you chronicled in all of those obits will provide an endless stream of inspiration for your future work. Enjoy.
1
My favorite obituary was the one you wrote about Hugh Massingberd, another great obituary writer. I used it to teach style to my AP Literature students. Enjoy your next career.
10
These were great stories, and I always disciplined myself to read them all the way down to the last quote or comment, those eloquent and erudite summations, and was never disappointed.
10
Thank you, Margalit, in your final column you eloquently encapsulated why the obituaries are my favorite read: The JOY of the life stories told! Thank you and may you find much reward and joy in your new career.
13
Lovely article, and godsped to you! I'm also a journalist (radio) and love obits. Here is a piece for Voice of America I did about the Times Obit Desk soon after Chuck Strum took over. Hope you like it. Have fun in your new dream:
http://www.audiobyadam.com/2009/life-and-death-at-the-new-york-times-obi...
When I got old enough to read obits, Ms Fox's quickly became my favorites. I've written to her over the years to comment on one I particularly liked, and Ms Fox always wrote back. I really appreciated that! Thank you for your work and best of luck in your new career!
27
I can only add my encomiums for a job marvelously and lovingly done to all the others you've already received! You have transmitted that excitement at touching history right through your fingertips on the keyboard to my head and heart as I read your pieces. I'm SO sorry that you're leaving the Times, but I can't wait to read your book and all the others that you'll write. As someone who excelled at a position in a big, excellent institution and decided eleven years ago to leap to a solo show for the rest of my professional career, I will just say that you know you're right to do this and I envy you all the pleasure and challenge you'll take at being in charge of your own future.
1
Obits, to me, are mini history lessons. I love every single one of them. Thank you and godspeed!
17
If you must go, please know, you are among the best and will be so missed!
13
"For a writer, there is little better than being paid to tell stories."
And that is why I read obits and why I tell others to. Great short, short stories. And so entertaining too.
Thanks for your efforts and those of your colleagues. You have a huge audience out there. Enjoy writing books. It will surely cap off "your life well lived."
28
And the joy comes through here! And memories of the the Greek paper cup we drank out of for years and years, and Etch-a-Sketch, Mutiny, et al. There are such great great writers of obits (think of Ann Wroe)...maybe empathy is like a muscle and the more you exercise it, the stronger it gets. Good luck in your new career. And WELL DONE.
2
Margalit Fox - You are a brilliant writer, and writing obituaries has been a brilliant use of your talent. I am an archivist and when working on a collection featuring men and women I've never heard of, the first place I turn to for information about their lives is often the search page in the NYT to see if there is an article that mentions them - but better yet, their obituary. It's a story, a key, something factual and revealing - and real - about their lives.
And through the years on my own time I've read the obits YOU'VE written with the highest expectations, because you set such a high bar. One of the most comforting things to happen in the days after my father died was getting a call from you, saying you were working on his obituary - for my whole family, his NYT-Margalit Fox obituary brought smiles to our tears.
You'll have a brilliant next chapter writing books. I thoroughly enjoyed the Riddle of the Labyrinth; I just wish I remembered which friend I lent it to. All success!
5
Beautiful story. I really enjoyed the pink flamingo obit. I wish I had your respectful sense of irony and your versatile use of language.
3
I have taken to reading the obits for the past several years, not because I was happy not to see mine, but because you found the way to remind us that it’s not always the Kings, and Presidents that shape the world, it’s those that most times seem to go unnoticed. You will be missed, yes for your decent style, and your accuracy, but also for that occasional tear you brought to my eye.
Thank you
14
This was so delightful that now, though a digital subscriber in the Midwest, I want to take a few hours to go back and read the wonderful stories you leave behind.
2
Don't quit! We need someone to chronicle the lives of ordinary and special people.. as an antidote to Mr Trump... your work was what we looked forward to!
12
Thank you, Margalit, for sharing countless gems of these “lives well lived.” Your work has been a joy to read and learn from, that illustrates how we can all touch the lives of those around us.
2
Your work has touched so many of us; illuminating, evocative and always informative. You will be missed. Looking forward to your novels.
2
I have always loved your work. I always felt like I knew a person more than I had before after I read your work. You really captured people's effect on our lives. As a psychologist, I always felt like our work was somewhat parallel. In your obits, you wrote with great discretion about the life course and highlights, relationships, and what worked and did not work in this life. An introductory first session assessment takes those factors into account in order to plan the direction of the psychotherapy. I hope the next phase of your life is as rewarding.
21
Great perspective, Karen, on the three act play that is a life. Reading a well-writ obit illumines our genesis.
3
Loved this, though I was sad to think I wouldn't see her byline in the Times again. Then I scrolled through the comments and read that Ms. Fox has over 80 advance obits in the can. What a lovely legacy - not just for the deceased but for the writer.
Kudos also to Ms. Fox for following her bliss to step out into writing books full-time.
18
"Well done": the essence of summary.
Grasping n entire life and summarizing
its light and darkness in some of the NYT's clearest prose.
Thanks a zillion for a tough and essential job so well done.
15
birth and death, when birth happiness specially for a well know person, we put pictures, mom and dad and baby everybody smiling so forth, when death comes, if was not a well knowing name , it will be a very short writing , Ms.Fox , you did it with a class, and every Obituary you wrote with humility and grace and class, l wish you the best of every think for your future
7
I HAVE LOVED YOUR WORK...! Be well, and please accept sincere thanks from me. K
6
Thank you for your years of obituary writing. I have savored your flair for 14 years. I have learned a great deal about humans from reading your words. Thank you! for the wisdom, for the insights, and most of all, for the whackadoodle.
I posted a lot of your obituaries on my FB page. They were very popular with my friends' group. I never bothered with monarchs and entertainment industry folks, but I always shared the rare ones, including Don Featherstone and Tom Christian.
Blessings and best wishes on your future work. You totally rock.
6
brava! brava! brava!
best wishes with your next act.
6
Hi Margalit. All the best with your writing going forward. I've enjoyed reading the Obituaries for many years - learning about people - some whom I knew and many more I did not. They're great stories. For that...thanks! Steve
5
Lovely piece Ms. Fox, but damn...I was hoping you'd be available to write my obit in 20-30 years.
5
This is a lovely and poignant piece of writing. Congratulations On your next chapter. I will look forward to reading your novel.
3
"It was the joy that sprang from the extraordinary privilege of tracing the arc — in sweet-smelling newsprint, damp with ink — of lives well lived."
A beautiful sentence.
21
Margalit writes: The child has not been born who comes home from grade school clutching a theme that says, “When I grow up, I want to be … an obituary writer.”
Thanks to her wonderful work -- and that of her fellow Times obit writers -- that's no longer true. Who wouldn't want to grow up to be Margalit Fox.
Thanks Margo for thousands of hours of deliciously informative writing.
23
Like other fans here, I have been reading your work for a long time and I have even used some of your obits in my film production classes. For example -- I have passed out your obit about a checkers champion, asked students to read it, then invent more details and draft a scene. Thank you for the excellent storytelling over the years and the occasional teaching material. I wish you the very best!
10
Maragalit- With tears in my eyes, I read the last paragraph of the June 28 article you wrote "She Knows...". Job well done- but by far - when the time comes, I think your obit will be a bit longer.
I have read your work every morning for years.
5
Best wishes on the next stage of your career.
1
Please, Please NYT! Publish an anthology of Margalit Fox’ collected obituaries!
25
What a gorgeous piece! I’m in awe. You have a gift. Thank you for sharing it.
13
Thanks for putting a smile on my face this morning. Look forward to reading your books - best of luck and congratulations!
7
For several years I've turned to the obits to see whether you had a byline. Your stories, as you say, of lives well lived, never failed to start my day in the right direction. I thank you and look forward to continue reading your work.
4
Ever since I first read a paper, as a child of 6 in New Zealand, where my father was the pathologist on staff in a self-sustaining hospital with the first medical graduate from Fiji - who was a prince - I have always read the death columns first.
Well written obituaries are complete stories, the last word; what is left in or left out depends on the obituary writer.
May you write many more stories before you stop breathing air: your wonderful obituaries will outlive you.
4
Congratulations Ms. Fox, I have always looked for your byline and have enjoyed your obits. Informative, lively and generally a celebration of life. Good luck in your next career.
1
I've never read the NYT obits. But after reading this entertaining and enjoyable article I'd like to suggest to the editors and to the publisher that you place the obits on the front page and all the Trump tragedy on the obit page. That move alone would surely merit a Pulitzer.
And all would finally be where they deserve to be; or comma, I guess.
23
Rats! I died too late.
24
A very decent stylist! Ciao --
Margalit Fox was a wonderful person and writer.
When Patty Duke died in 2016 Ms. Fox wrote her obit for The Times.
A day later the obit was printed on the front page of "The Cleveland Plain Dealer."
I sent her email telling her tht I had enjoyed reading the original in The Times but I had gotten a real kick out of her obit being a front page story.
here in NE Ohio.
I wish her well.
BTW ex sports /TV writer Richard Sandomir is writing some pretty good obituaries for The Times since he switched roles.
5
As long as it doesn't say, "50;000 commas..."
4
Carpe Diem, Ms. Henderson--write your books! My favorite quote from YOUR obit was, The child has not been born who comes home from grade school clutching a theme that says, “When I grow up, I want to be … an obituary writer.” Too perfect. But you worked for the New York Times!!!! I said when I retired (which I now am) I would get the Times daily and I do! No regrets! You did an excellent job and still will. Enjoy!
5
Godspeed!
1
"..... but far more often she wrote them from joy."
Pardon my sarcasm, something in no way deserved by this wonderful and upbeat article, but I can't help but ask:
Have you written an advance obituary for a president?
3
Thank you, Ms. Fox. I have loved your obituaries for years.
1
Thanks. Knock 'em dead, kid.
5
Smooth sailing.
1
Good Afternoon: Can't believe I'm writing this, but can't wait to read Ms. Fox' actual obit. But if it isn't too much trouble, would rather wait a *long* time for that privilege.
2
Well Ms Fox, I guess you've long suspected, you're a fricking hero. In your new career . . . knock 'em dead. Best of luck.
1
Here's to the Fox named "Margalit" --
Unsurpassed queen of things obit:
Without stint -- endlessly giving --
In service to the limn of the formerly living.
Student of both the straight and the absurd --
And ever the obedient servant of * the word * --
With rigor and with grace,
She lent the dead a place
In the pantheon
Of the storied gone.
She leaves us with a wink-clad laugh,
Delivering herself of her epitaph --
Sure to be recalled with a smile and a sigh
As the qwerty years go uioply by....
All hail the Dalai Lama
Of the well-placed comma --
And salute the Solon
Of the semicolon!
------------------------------
In the last line of the second stanza above, "qwerty" is pronounced "kwer'-tee" (It rhymes with "flirty".), and "uioply" is pronounced "yoo-i'-uh-plee" (The second syllable of "uioply" rhymes with "tie".). ("qwertyuiop" is, of course, a row of letters on a standard keyboard.)
------------------------------
BEST OF LUCK, MARGALIT!!! ( * You will be missed more than you know. * )
5
This was beautiful!
wip (write in peace)
2
Best of luck to you!
If anyone needs an Obituary fix, I suggest those featured in The Guardian’s Other Lives.
1
A heartfelt congratulation for a job well done for so many years. Wish you much success as a novelist and writer of other pieces. You got a Suma Cum Laude doing obits so you should do well in your next chapter.
1
so, hey....are you the one who wrote that famous advance obit for Tom Brokaw (poor tommy), "Gerald Ford died today...."? Genius, for sure...
1
I've had the honour (!) of writing a few obits myself in local papers I've edited. I could never claim the 'bring to life' feeling or literary skill of Margalit Fox, but I completely agree with the great sense of responsibility that writing obituaries gives one. That may be one reason, contrary to the earlier comment, that obit reporting was one of the least desired positions in the newsroom.
4
Bravo, Margalit!!! I have read your column for years, wittty, sharp-minded, comprehensive, scholarly---and have even longed for the deaths of the famous so that I could read YOUR obituaries about them! Your mid-life switch is wonderful, and I wish you all the best.
4
Your obits were to die for. I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself. I did love you and your fellow writers in Obit, a film that I can't stop recommending to every living soul (oops, there I go again). A faithful reader.
7
Thanks for sharing all of those lives with us.
2
What a lovely send-off (is that hypen correct?). And I've so enjoyed your work over the years. Can't wait for your books.
3
One of the most well written pieces in the NYT ever.
23
Beautiful!
7
Writing so close to the bone of death has brought Ms. Fox both humility and grace---or perhaps she has always been that way? One thing is clear: a certain writer at a certain time will try to figure it out.
5
Wonderfully clever and engaging. Would've been fun to read your obit of George Best.
3
I have been reading and enjoying your obituaries for the years. The family obit writer by default, I really enjoyed your semi-obit. Thanks for the laughs. Thoroughly entertaining; and that's something for a NYTimes article these days.
5
Margalit,
Thank you for your wit and insights. You will be missed.
7
You are my new hero.
3
Lovely!
5
Great article, no Trump, no agita, just pure writing and reading pleasure. Thanks
18
Fantastic! Your article made me smile and cry at the same time.
4
I may not be alone but I start my day reading the obits instead of other news. They then send me down to rabbit holes of looking for other people's stories. Thank you, Ms Fox and all the obits writers. You're my favorite writers.
28
I do, too. There are so many fascinating stories. My NYT priorities are the obits and the puzzle. :-)
2
I also start the day reading the obit ... the indisputable news!
1
You made the people who just died come alive! We will all miss your amazing gift. So glad to hear you have written a book and will be writing more.
Thank you!
6
Congratulations and best wishes on the next adventure. Thank you for your hard work and commitment all these years. I'm one of those people that loves a well researched, well written obituary.
9
Your new book sounds fascinating, can't wait to read it. I'll miss your wonderfully written obits, best of luck in your new career!
1
Thank you Ms. Fox for your fine work.
I've found the obituary section to be one of the Times' most informative, thought-provoking and emotionally resonant sections. You and your colleagues perform a valuable service for us.
Congratulations on your new book and your career transition. We'll miss your skilled hand and heart.
3
What a wonderful job! Respect, whimsy, and love. What more can you ask? Good luck and Godspeed.
4
Yes, yes, the NY Times obits are the best, a really good narrative, some color & a nice story arc. I always read them & enjoy the writing. Good work & good luck!
2
I became a devoted obituary reader because of you. I have learned so much about people - their passions, what they contributed to their worlds, how they survived challenges and tragedies - and very often, about those miracles and discoveries we would never have known about had you not told us. My mother read these when I was younger, and I thought it was so weird. Now that I’ve reached her same age, I recognize the fascination of uncovering a life well lived. Thank you for your part in making these matter.
1
I have read the obits every day since I can remember. They are wonderful lessons in history. I recommend them to all. Thank you for your wonderfull historical documentary.
2
How wonderful for you to have the joy of narrating lives well-lived.
Along with many of the commenters below, I enjoy reading your work; seeing who made it past the biblical 3 score and ten; feeling sad for the ones who didn't, and admiring all of the special ones (who are the great majority I read in the Times) - thinking "Wow! They did *that*!" and being humbled by their greatness and depth.
Thank you.
2
Your obits have been a highlight for years. True celebrations of life, and beautifully written. Best of luck with this book and the others to come, and thank you for your wonderful obits these past 14 years!
2
Oh, how vividly I recall your accounts of the lives of Don Featherstone and Tom Christian. They were thoughtful, considerate, enlightening and good reading and journalism in their original iterations. It is a delight to be reminded of them, to read them again.
Wishing you only the best in your next venture.
2
Thank you for your good work. I have learned a lot from your research and subsequent prose. I have used many of the obituaries from the Times in my classroom and many of my students have learned from your work. There are lessons to be taken from any life and the lives of the great and the behind-the-scenes great are particularly valuable for one who is interested in the human community. I hope I get to read one of your books someday. Best wishes to you.
6
I was a clerk at the NYTimes a few years ago and my absolute favorite desk to work was Obits, partly for the people but also for the regular trips to the Morgue, that photo haven in the basement. I love history and after my first glance through a file down there from the 70s, I knew I was in a sacred space. The treasures there are unbelievable. With all the Times has to offer, I would’ve chosen the obits desk in a heartbeat given the chance, even though that admission always garnered strange looks. Little do they know that obits are about and for the living; there’s nothing morbid about it.
19
Congratulations for making your dreams come true. I will miss your wonderful writing and story-telling. Best of luck!
2
Sharing with us the wonder and respect you felt for the people whose lives you chronicled created a true sense of appreciation in me. Thank you and best of luck.
1
If Alden Whitman had been writing obits when I was a kid, I would have come home clutching the paper and said, "This is what I want to do when I grow up!" I, too, cannot think of a better job.
I have enjoyed your obits over the years and loved reading yours today. I hope your writing career goes smoothly and successfully.
1
I read your obits regularly and I enjoyed your commentary in the film, 'Obit.' Best wishes to you. Your heartfelt stories of lives well lived will be missed.
1
I love to read your obituaries, for all of the reasons you love to write them. It amazes me that each of us lives our own version of our life and then some wonderful person shows us who else is here, doing the same thing and that person is you. I thank you for all of the lives you have made me able to see and really love. sorry you are leaving and I hope you have a great time living your next adventure.
7
I have been reading NYT obits since the late '60's when I was paid to do it by Columbia University! I would scan the obits for Columbia alums and then write condolence letters to the (always) widows in the hopes of securing a donation for the University. That lasted a few years but the habit of reading the obits persisted. Then in '79 and '81 my husband was in charge of obits for the local Salem, Oregon paper. He remembers fondly making connections with local morticians who he called each morning to see who had come in. He quit when they transferred him to weddings. I still read NYT obits and have recommended them to my friends for years
3
My mother's question every day when the newspaper arrived was, "Who died?" So since childhood my favorite section of the paper has been the obituaries. Thank you for several decades of informative, well-written stories. All the best to you.
2
SHEER DELIGHT! Thank you for this wonderful story that made me laugh out loud about changing 50,000 commas into semicolons. I LOVE obituaries, and at The Journalism School at Columbia University we were required to write our own. I have since rewritten mine -- dated on my 100th birthday -- and this is a powerful way to strategize what you'd like for others to see represented by that dash between the parenthesis around your DOB and DOD. THANK YOU, Margalit. Wishing you a most fantastic next phase of life... Elizabeth Ann Atkins
3
Biss Atkins! You were in my J-school class!
1
I have enjoyed your writing so much over the years. You brought such curiosity and respect to each individual life. And as much as we strangers have appreciated your skill in telling a life story I can only imagine how much joy and peace you have given the families and friends of your subjects. I never realized how comforting an obituary could be until my grandmother was given a beautiful one in the Chicago Tribune last year. The writer truly captured her extraordinary life and singular spirit and it felt wonderful that others could share our celebration of her. What an incredible career to give that gift to so many.
2
Thank you, Margalit Fox, for all your brilliant encapsulations of remarkable lives. I love the structure of obituaries, the rules, but also how the form gives great space for wit, for levity, for sensational facts and twists and turns. You are a master, and I will miss you on these pages! But bring on the books, I'll read those too. Your words have brightened many a day for me and made me appreciate LIFE.
1
Some time around the age of 40, I started reading obits in the NYTimes every day. I loved reading them, and found lots of fascinating people to read about. It was here that I first remember encountering the byline of Ms. Fox. But I also remember her work on culture pieces. I like reading about the inspirations, the traumas, the sheer drama that makes people accomplish or fail with everything in-between. Enjoy your retirement, Ms. Fox, but don't stop writing.
1
I have long been a fan of Times obits and always looked forward to reading yours. Now I look forward to reading your books.
P.S. -- I have among the books in my bedroom a copy of "52 McGs," the excellent collection of obituaries written for the Times by Robert McG. Thomas Jr. and published by Scribner in 2001.
I heartily recommend it to all Times readers who have not previously encountered his work, which was as excellent as yours has been.
I hope the Times will waste no time in publishing a fat collection of your fine obits, hopefully one running at least 400 pages.
I occasionally suffer from insomnia and have found that reading a good juicy obit before bedtime that is rich with life lessons helps puts me to sleep.
Your collection, I hope, will provide me some of yours I may have previously overlooked in the past.
5
By the way:
While I’m on the subject of obituaries here, I’d like to put in a plug for what I believe is one of the finest obituaries ever to appear in the English language. So fine indeed that I sometimes enclose it in condolence letters to friends of mine.
It is by H.L. Mencken and first appeared in the Baltimore Evening Sun on November 21, 1932 as “The End of A Happy Life.”
Its subject is the life of Albert Hildebrandt, a Baltimore musical instrument dealer and amateur violinist.
Traces of the obituary appear on the internet, but I’ve had no luck locating it there in its entirety; and that is the version you really must read to fully appreciate its artistry.
The complete version appears in “A Second Mencken Chrestomathy,” edited by Terry Teachout, Knopf, 1995.
Check it out from your library. You will not be sorry. The obit is wise, tender, eloquent and sorrowful -- as are many of those written by Ms. Fox -- and like hers, I venture to predict you will learn things valuable in your own life from it.
3
Kudos for your long and successful career. Your obits are the best ever. Full of humor, pathos, verve, and humanity. You have given us revelations about the great and the humble in equal measure. Thank you. Keep writing.
1
I am going to miss reading your always interesting and thoughtful obituaries. And I am dying to know who the American scholar was that you wrote an advance obituary for 24 years ago. For sure I thought maybe E O Wilson, but he's too young. Best of luck to you and thank you.
2
My money's on Noam Chomsky, although like Wilson he's only 89.
1
I have frequently lamented of late that I find many of my favorite contemporary authors, artists, musicians, poets, photographers and other cultural icons by reading the NYT obits. Now I know whom to thank. Thank you, Ms. Fox, for introducing me to some of the finest; I will make it a point to seek out your own book, since I already know I like the way you write. (I just edited that last sentence and changed the comma to a semicolon.)
3
After reading your obituaries, I look forward to reading your books. I will start with the first one. You surely have a feel for the arc of a person’s life!
6
Ms. Fox,
I will miss your stories. An obit with juice, with humor, with feeling. I'll miss you just like I miss Bruce Weber. Best.
1
The Riddle of the Labyrinth was one of the most compelling, brilliantly researched and well written books that I have ever read. Margalit Fox is just a genius, and I'm hoping that her future work will be even half as wonderful to read as that work. Here's hoping that her obituary won't be needed for a long, long time.
1
Cheers to you, and thank you for correcting all those commas. Best wishes on your new career path!
4
Margalit Fox's "She Knows How to Make an Exit", was a delightful piece of writing. I wish Ms. Fox a restful and productive retirement.
6
I will miss you, Margalit. As a fellow biographer, I read obituaries in search of new subjects as well as for sheer entertainment. I have admired your ability to sum up a life so adroitly in the brief compass of a few hundred words. It seems to me that a foolhardy life is the only one worth living. Wishing you all the best with your life of Conan Doyle.
I have read obits for 50 years, give it take. They are a small window in history and people. Thanks and best of luck.
3
I will miss your obits, Margalit. And I'm very glad your writing will live on in a different format. Can't wait to read "Conan Doyle for the Defense!" Bravo!
4
Love this! Best of luck in your new endeavor.
1
All my best to you and may I say I am giddy as I am about to read your obit of Tom Christian.
It feels very odd to write, but may your life and accomplishments cause a future obit writer many updates over very many wonderful years.
Thank You.
3
commas vs semicolons are the most confounding for me. I usually take a couple of mins to decide- to put a comma or not?
But I am intrigued by the title of your book and I hope to read it sometime.
2
Well, we just can't allow this to happen -- it is as unthinkable as Trump getting to select anyone for the Supreme Court or Bourdain offing himself. M Fox has to stay where she is and continue to bring us candles and chuckles. Let's see what we can do about this.
3
I still recall a wonderful obituary about the Mitten Lady, who secretly knitted mittens and hats for her church for kids who needed them. She had said that as long as she had a mitten on her knitting needles she wouldn't die. After she passed, her daughter found her needles; they were empty. That is the kind of detail that makes the Times obits so memorable. Thanks for all the great stories; you may write obits, but in doing so, you have made your subjects come alive. Wishing you much success with your writing; your Conan Doyle book goes on my 'must read' list!
4
Oh no! I'm happy for your next chapter - tons of puns intended - but annoyed that you're leaving because you illustrated lives beautifully. Wishing you even more success in your next act!
3
I've always thought that people (including my late mother) who read obituaries every day for fun are weird.
And now I have the same view of those who write them.
1
May you go in peace and produce lots of wonderful books.....
2
Thank you for a delightful break in the constant drumbeat of bad news - Trump news.
A great read, and a great career.
By the way, have they hired your replacement yet? I'm available.
1
Fabulous, just fabulous.
2
When I saw this article I immediately thought of the episode of the Mary Tyler Moore show when Mary almost got fired because she didn’t take the obits seriously.
Thank you for all of your hard work ! Mary and Lou would be proud !
8
I have absolutely loved the elegance of this writer's work. May she thrive in the world outside obituaries!
2
I have read your obits for years, shared them with friends and families, and often used them to “benchmark” how useful and good a life I am living.
Good luck on your new writing career.
Bruce Claflin
2
I haven't even finished reading this, and I miss you already!
When the byline read "by Margalit Fox" it was not to be missed.
I think you could make the obit of an inchworm a compelling read! THANK YOU so very much, for introducing us to the most amazing individuals. And although you hardly need it: Good Luck as a novelist. Lucky us!!
24
Margalit Fox wrote the highly respectful obituary of one of my relatives, the writer, Carlene Polite. I have oftentimes looked for her byline since then and I always enjoy the way she writes. I was also secretly hoping she would write the obituary for another cousin, Toni Morrison. Ms. Fox will definitely be missed but I wish her great success in her new writing ventures.
3
@Donna Bailey - Maybe she has? Sounds like she wrote quite a few advance obits, and Ms. Morrison is such a noteworthy person that there surely is one on her. (May it be many, many years and updates, though, before Ms. Morrison's is published!)
1
I often read the obituaries for all the reasons you describe. And I must say I'll miss seeing your name: "Margalit Fox" has to be one of the most beautiful names around!
4
I learn alot of interesting history by reading the NYT obits. Thank you and good luck with your new writing endeavors!
5
Thank you for the wonderful and classy exit. And wishing you great success in your writing career.
1
As a long time obit reader of you and my local paper the Austin American Statesman, thank you.
1
Well, she was never going to write my obit because I am too obscure but I will miss her just the same and will read her books.
4
I've been a devoted reader of The Times' obits for many years, and yours are among the best. I might not be wild about the deceased, but if I see your byline I jump in. I hope you have a great next chapter!
5
Margalit, you not only read your obits, you answered your readers. Look forward to reading your books...but if you keep a side hustle on obits, I'll request that my kids look you up someday for me.
7
She made me want to live a better life.
4
Margalit: I am sure that the very modest obit you wrote for yourself will be far more spectacular in the distant future.
3
I don't remember the byline--I'm terrible at that sort of thing--but I remember these obits. She is (or was), arguably, consistently the best writer at the New York Times.
2
Heartfelt thanks to you, Margalit Fox, for your memorable accounts of meaningful lives. I had so hoped you would continue for the rest of my sentient time on the planet, filling in the details of lives that richly deserving such treatment. Alas, not to be. Obits are often the tastiest bits of what is on offer each day from the NYT.
5
Extraordinarily well done. Congratulations.
1
This - and you - are lovely, as your writing has always been. We look forward to what you write next.
4
Thank you, Margaret, for the pleasure! Your obits were always headlines by me. And your endings, like your own at the Times , were such delicious coups de gras!!
1
Prior to his death, my brother-in-law crafted his own obituary:
Name and dates: "Details available upon request." Sounds like a good model to me.
4
@Sue: But to whom should the request be made?
1
A very enjoyable 'obit' to read!!! So nice to have an article like this appear every so often. One gets tired to the trumper and his band.
4
What a send off of an obit article! Thank you Margalit Fox for your thoroughly enjoyable epitaph at NY Times and please keep writing inyour new adventure!
3
Margalit, if your just-published book reads as brilliantly as your stunning obituaries, your future is assured. Know that your stellar character studies of the departed will be missed, and I can't wait to read more of your work.
3
Whenever someone famous dies, I immediately go to the NYT obits. They are so well written and informative. Even people who have not acheived "celebrity" get the star treatment. You have set a very high bar! Godspeed.
2
wonderful ....i have just joined the NYT , after a years search for the online paper that suits me. So far the NYT does that and having read your goodbye piece , reminded me how much i love orbits and will now start to read the orbits 1st .. i will take a look at your past works and wish you all the best in your new adventures......
2
Thanks Ms. Fox and best wishes for success in your new career.
3
Dear Readers:
I am moved beyond measure to read your comments on my Times Insider essay about my retirement from the paper today. It has been a greater privilege than I can ever properly express to write about the remarkable men and women who have made our world what it is--and to write for such passionate, thoughtful and erudite readers as all of you.
For those who have been kind enough to express disappointment that I will have no more bylines: Take heart. I left the newsroom today with nearly 80 advance obituaries signed, sealed, delivered and in the can, waiting, waiting. ...
So though precisely *when* is in the lap of the gods, I should continue to have bylines in The Times for a good many years to come.
In gratitude to you all,
Margalit
18
Hooray for those 80!
1
Will be buying your book and hoping there will be more to come. There are many great writers at "The Times," but you are the best of the best. Thanks for sharing your talent with us. Your joy in your craft buoys your readers!
1
Thanks to Ms. Fox and her colleagues and predecessors, the New York Times obits set the standard for the genre in the U.S. For me, they rank second only to the obits at the end of the weekly, The Economist -- the latter beating out the Times mostly because they only feature a single, full-page article per week, and the selection, often idiosyncratic, is always illuminating (for example, a few years ago: the last surviving Beguine).
May Margalit Fox enjoy life after the Times, writing many worthy books! And may it take a good long time before her obit ever appears in the paper.
8
Think about it a minute. If you're at all like me the bulk of the newspaper clippings tucked away in a drawer with old photographs are going to be obituaries. Many of those I have were first saved by someone else and I'm simply a place holder for someone who will find them - and mine maybe - when I'm gone. Newsprint may have to be explained someday, but there will always be a place for obituaries. To write them well is an art, and Margalit Fox has done them well.
9
I've been reading your wonderful obits for years. Too bad for all your readers--how could anyone replace you? --but best of luck to you.
109
I have as well, occasionally seeing people I actually had encountered (not that I KNEW them) and always ending with a sense of "interesting person!"
To encapsulate a life however long on half a column (if they are fortunate) is quite a feat, and you have been a mistress of feats journalistic. Thank you
2
Don’t read obits but loved yours today! All the best to you!
15
She’s the greatest.
19
Margalit- THANK YOU for your work. I read and enjoy obits all the time and have certainly enjoyed many of yours. I do believe that it is a wonderful narrative form, and so personal. I have ordered your book and look forward to hearing more from you.
12
I read your "Riddle of the Labyrinth" and subsequently heard you speak at the Boston Athenaeum. If all your future writing is as terrific as "Riddle" and your obits, then you have a brilliant future ahead of you. I look forward to Conan Doyle and whatever comes after that.
22
What a beautiful way to say goodbye! All the best as you move forward!
75
Your brilliant career! I have enjoyed your work every day--because I read the obits every morning--and wish you many more satisfying years as an author.
26
Thank you, Ms. Fox, for the stories you have written. People ask me why I read obituaries and it is for the well-told stories! Many times I have thought, "I wish I had known that person." Your talent is clear and I wish you all the best in your writing (I will look now for your stories in your books)
67
I never skip the Times obituaries. I’ve learned a lot of interesting things about the lives of the important, and, even better, I’ve learned a lot important things about the lives of the interesting. Your time has been well spent. May your next appearance in the obits be a very long time coming!
137
I loved what you wrote here. I wish I had subcribed sooner and had had the benefit of reading everything you wrote. All the best.
7
@Sherry: When you have time, you may enjoy going into the online archives and reading some more!
All the best. It's been a pure pleasure reading your work in the Times all these years.
38
I haven't read all the reader comments, but wanted to make sure someone recommended "Obit.," a recent documentary about the daily work of the New York Times obituary staff, including Ms. Fox. This audience in particular will be rapt. It's touching and amusing and available on DVD. If your library doesn't own a copy, perhaps you could request its purchase. When I was returning it, a woman I don't know said she had loved it, too.
Review:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/25/movies/review-obit-documentary-new-yo...
Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVafxOpEReM
49
You can stream it on Amazon Prime
6
I mentioned 'Obit' just now in my comment. It is a fascinating film. Thank you for the link.
2
If you want to borrow "Obit" at the Queens Library, better hurry... I just requested one of the library's 3 copies
2
No one ever did it better. No one ever will. Godspeed.
36
And you would know!
1
Farewell, my friend .... oh, we have never met, but I have been a fan of yours for years. The obituary section of the New York Times has long been a favorite of mine - you expertly brought facts to life, made me laugh, made me cry, and provided "seeds" of ideas for my own writing. Thank you, Margalit... and best of luck in all of your endeavors.
32
Margalit Fox, I had the chance to meet you personally at the Times Reader forum you co-presented last year on the art of writing obituaries. Even though I work for at a smaller, community news group, it has befallen me frequently to write obituaries--many of whom are for former teachers, pastors and even my family members. Last week I was assigned the obit of a prominent business leader whom I barely knew, and was shaking at the thought of not doing him enough justice for all he has contributed to our community. Writing about the deceased is a vital job: We are really focusing on their lives, as much as the manner in which they died. You are an inspiration. I will miss seeing your byline and wish you Godspeed on this new chapter of your life.
56
Would that we all derives such joy from our work!
17
You will be missed. Best of luck with your book and those to follow it.
9
A wonderful read, and I wish you well. I must say, though, that there are those of us who find copyediting an entirely satisfying career in itself, requiring much creativity and diplomacy and involving a whole lot more than changing commas into semicolons. I respect your decision to pursue the writing that was your true interest, but there is no reason the obituary for someone who was "just" a copy editor could not be as interesting and reflective of a full life as any other.
22
Thank you for making the Obituary Page one of my favorite sections in the Times.Gone but not forgotten!
15
Ms. Fox, I wish you well in your new venture. For my part, I will miss you. My family and friends kid me for being an avid reader of NYTimes obits. But they came to understand the rich history they convey. My best example is the obit of the Scion of the family that gave us Danone/Dannon yogurt, a chronicle of a family that migrated from Barcelona to Thessaloniki and asked why the locals didn’t kvetch about their digestion. This began a cottage industry that grew to become a vast mult-national enterprise. I’ve told that story many times in many places, including Barcelona last year; it was always well received. Godspeed as you sign off.
18
Dear Ms Fox: As an ardent reader to the Times Obits (very first thing in the morning, do not pass Go, don’t not collect...), I have been warmed, moved, and delighted by your heartfelt and brilliant writings on lives both grand and small. You and your work have been a friend and a rock to me in a blurry and scary world. Thank you. Thank you. More than I can say. I will miss you so. But how wonderful to know that your writing will not go away, but grow, expand, and tell even larger stories now. I will be there, gratefully grabbing each new book. Cheers, and all the best on your next challenge.
25
Indeed! Good luck, good health, long life to you!
1
I will miss your obit writing. I always read your work, even when I am not familiar with the deceased person. I especially appreciate your writing about artists' and writers' lives. I wish you all the best in your next works.
7
Margalit Fox, my sense of how the world works has built over the decades supplied in good part by Times obit info. Thank you. As I notice notable bylines dissapearing, sections shrinking, the old print daily morphing into a digital semi-weekly I incline to read between your last lines an obit of the Times itself, as once it was. The extensive obits were often the most revealing, honest, and fitting material on close and careful reading. I will lift whiskey to you. Bon chance, Margalit Fox.
17
Bravo, Margalit! A career well-written, as you "non-obit" obit will attest. Best of luck and success pursuing your passion . . . and I hope the book editors don't change too many of your commas!
3
Great piece, great obits. Congratulations on a job very well done!
14
Perhaps the writer’s charming modesty prevented her from writing the following, which I hope will include:
“The author of several books, including the well-regarded* ‘Conan Doyle for the Defense: The True Story of a Sensational British Murder, a Quest for Justice, and the World’s Most Famous Detective Writer,’ she....”
*More accurately, “acclaimed,” but given her modesty, I’m sure she would never use that term for her work.
Wonderful piece! Enjoy your new adventure!
11
I read your entire piece, Margalit, with a huge grin on my face. You shall be greatly missed for your talent, wit and the wonderful way you encapsulated so many, many lives, both big and small.
By the way, the grin is still there!
9
Bravo on a job done well from a fellow former obit writer (The Record, Hackensack). And what a wonderful parting message. I'm off now to find your Conan Doyle book. Looking forward to a great read.
5
I met you years before you started at the times and I was working at City Lore. I've loved your work and will miss your pieces. Good luck with the book(s)!
3
Congrats to you, Ms. Margalit, on a obit life well-lived.
WIP*.
*Write In Peace (and with much success!)
14
This made me smile and be so excited for the next chapter in your colorful life. All the best as your journey continues!
3
Your work at the Times has been fantastic and will be missed, but all the best to you while you pursue what calls you at this moment in your life.
7
Wishing you swirling heaps of inspiration and joy in your next chapter. I was a happy reader of your recently completed one.
3
This made my day. Bon Voyage and best of luck!
5
The very best to you, Ms. Fox, with sincere thanks for your writing expertise (and the perseverance you displayed early on to be recognized for it).
I believe "mesmerizing" would be my choice to convey the power of the histories in your obits. That quality writing still exists to inform and transport a reader up and away from the current...oh well, I will remain on that marvelous plane of yours and simply extend once again my heartfelt wishes of appreciation and good luck.
46
I consider Times obituaries to be an art form, and have enjoyed Margalit's obits as well as others' over the years.
Where I live, local papers now run obits written by the deceased or their families. I am pastor of two Catholic parishes, and it happens that I am writing for my July 15 bulletin something entitled "We Don't Do Eulogies." At our funeral services we allow those who wish to share what I call "personal recollections." Our ritual, however, expressly forbids eulogies; the point of preaching at a funeral is to link the life of the deceased with the mystery of Christ's death and resurrection.
The do-it-yourself obits, I'm afraid, tend toward the sappy. The popular concept of the "eulogy" is alive, but not well, in many local papers. I appreciate the approach of the Times to this sort of reporting. If only others would hold to a similar standard!
9
Thank you, Ms. Fox, for having written so many thorough, illuminating obituaries; I've always thought of them as "the obituaries of record."
I'm sure you'll be missed at The Times, but your quest for new literary adventures is understandable and commendable. We'll look forward to seeing your name on the bookshelves, but definitely not in the obituaries. Best of luck!
4
Thank you very much for your thoughtful and always-interesting obits. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your obituaries over the years!
4
The obituary writer for our local paper was a speaker at a recent professional meeting. His topic: writing your own obituary...and sending it to the paper so it is on file for that inevitable, though we hope not too soon, day when we shuffle off.
His advice: Make it a story, not just a catalog of events. And so I did. In the process I came to appreciate the obits that I read daily but I also came to appreciate the lives that people have lived. Occasionally they are people whom I know in one context. The obit presents their fullness. An added perk here: I have come to appreciate the life that I have lived....so far!
10
Wishing you all the best, and that your obituary appears only in the distant future ....
4
Margalit Fox -- she was a hell of a stylist! My favorite of her obits was of the guy who ran the Glynebourne Opera. Very stylish first sentence and very stylish last, following in the great tradition of delicious English obits. And her book on the deciphering of Linear B was a great read. On you go, Margalit Fox! And it's no small thing to use semicolons and commas correctly. I loved your work.
12
Margalit, in the future I will note the name of obituary writers, something I have ignored until now. Your journalistic skills now have my attention. The Don Featherstone obit is a classic. But what most garnered my attention was your mention of TOM CHRISTIAN! I met Tom in 1965 while sailing around the world (but did not know until now that he had died). I have a good 1965 photograph of him standing in front of his radio equipment. I'd be happy to share it with you if you can let me know where to send it. Pages 42-46 of my memoir "The Wind Blew Me There: Memories of a Ship's Surgeon Aboard Barquentine Verona" describes my days on Pitcairn, including Tom and his wife Betty, and many other descendants of the Bounty mutineers.
My best wishes for your exit and entry into a new literary challenge.
Barnett Cline
Blanco, Texas
4
The obituaries are the History Channel without commercials.
110
So true! The new series which highlights 'The Overlooked' is outstanding!
7
Margalit, over the years I have read your well-crafted obits, enjoyed your book “Talking Hands” about a Bedouin community of sign language users and even got to ‘see’ you in the recent documentary, “Obit”. You will be missed!
7
Beautiful. Margalit, may your voice live forever.
4
Like so many others, I have read your work with pleasure and interest. And now, I congratulate you on your move into the literary world. Your prose is already exquisite, finely tuned to your subject/s -- a shame that, most likely, the majority of them do not have the opportunity to thank you in person.
Your turn of phrase is magnificent: creative, surprising, and engaging. As a retired old man (educator) of 70 who delves into the writing of poetry, I envy you both your past and future endeavors. And I look forward to your many books -- they will be, like you I'm sure, spirited and engaging. Thank you for all you have done for so many, living and not so much.
18
Obits are to first thing I read. And it’s because of the superb job you have done. It is no doubt the best assignment at the paper and you did it proud!!!
1
Best of luck to you on your next chapter!
4
I hope you've "advanced" your own obit so it could be written by the best, but also hope it isn't published until you're finished achieving your lifelong dream. You will be missed!
2
Well written gooobye! I have long appreciated well written obituaries and often thought there should be more “prebits”, to honor people who did interesting and/or outstanding deeds while they are still alive. Let’s publish the GOOD deeds, instead of all the wicked and bad! Please give us news about the heroes of our society AND not just the rich and famous.
6
In my experience, along with the Baseball writing (in US papers) and Cricket writing (in UK and Australian papers), some of the most literate writing in any newspaper is found in the mini-biographies known as obituaries. Ms. Fox, you and your colleagues deserve the thanks of us all for your contribution to our culture.
5
Thank you for your wonderful work over all these years of fascinating, well-told stories. I will miss you, but look forward to reading your “posthumous” writing!
4
Beautiful article written with a light touch. Bon chance in your new career.
5
Margalit, I only hope you mentored a successor who shares your obvious love of the job. I will miss the joy, creativity, and enthusiasm in your writing. And good luck in the next phase of your life!
4
Get going on those books, Margalit - you've kept us waiting long enough!
6
Congratulations, Margo: Your obit, many years from now, will also mention the great books you are sure to publish. Cheers from an old friend.
2
One of the best human interest stories I have read.
6
Congrats to a wonderful writer!
9
Bravo, Ms. Fox! Congratulations on the publication of your book, and thank you so much for teaching us some of the best (and most interesting) American history out there.
2
I've read your work over the years, but did not know who you were. Congratulations, and best wishes in your new career. Adieu! Sayonara! Shalom!
2
A well-written obit on the (happily) still-alive Ms Fox. Thank you for making interesting people come alive through your words.
4
Thank you Margalit, for your inspiring words and action in moving on to do more closely what you love. No one lay on their deathbed and said that they wished they had made safer choices.
I too, am off to buy your book. How bad can it be when you write like you do here?
2
Very best wishes!
2
Oh, you have surely inspired many a journalist..,this one included. Somewhere in a scrapbook, I have your obit for the designer of the Animal Crackers box. Which means you may have inspired another group of people: those who want to do something in their lives significant enough to merit your attention. Au revoir!
12
Even though you are moving on from the Times, I am looking forward to reading the trove of obits you have written in advance.
4
Thank you for the pleasure your writing has brought to me over the years,...;
2
Margalit It would have been a great honour to be obituarised by you.
All the best.
3
Well done; Ms. Fox; for years; actually decades; you made Mimosa from lemons.
I only wish that I'd had known of your talent; earlier; I would have been a faithful NYT obit reader; learning more about history; good news; wit; copy editing; and; perhaps; a touch of gallows humor.
As westerner; I read NYT digital; primarily; for learning new words to increase my vocabulary; and; after all these years; I learn that there was even a deeper; dedicated; source in the obits.
You go; girl
5
Will this elicit a reply from Ms. Fox to say that she did not mean that every comma should be turned into a semicolon? Very clever, Bud.
Thank you. P.s. my keyboard only shows question marks and symbols instead of letters— looks like the comments have been hacked. Thanks to my typing teacher in high school, I am not thwarted.
1
Well done Margalit! Reading this over coffee from my “ retirement” home in Oxford GA where I now write children’s books after years in TV News. I get the whole trepidation of “ Do I really want to go do this book thing?” Lol
Thank you for acknowledging so eloquently that EVERYONE has a story, has value, has a contribution to “this thing called life” ( thank you Prince)
I think you have THE COOLEST job at The NY Times!
Enjoy your new journey and stay the real you!
Patriotically Yours,
“MT”
MaryTherese Grabowski
Author, Spirit of America Series
2
I have never met you, but
I LOVE YOU, MARGALIT FOX.
And now, a book? Almost too good to believe.
2
Best of luck to you Ms Fox--and thanks for the memorials.
3
Enjoy your “last day” at The Times and may we not be reading your self-scribed necrology any time soon. All the best!
1
Thank you; yes, thank you; oh, thank you!
3
Always informative, sometimes funny, sometimes sad, sometimes both, I’ve enjoyed your work.
Thank you for a job well done.
4
Good Luck! I look forward to reading your novel.
Thank you for this uplifting article this morning.
2
Good luck! You will be missed, not only by your colleagues and readers of The Times, but by the families of the deceased who will never know how elegantly and joyously their loved ones story could have been told! I look forward to reading your next novel!
2
Your unique writing style, and interesting choice of facts to focus on, revealed the essence of each subject's humanity. (Just a few of my favorites: Frances Gabe, Creator of the Self-Cleaning House, and Carroll Wainwright, Jr., Silk-Stocking Stowaway.) Your obits introduced readers to so many fascinating souls. Best of luck with all future endeavors.
2
Margalit, I am sure you'll do great in your new life. You were a great student way back when and a pleasure to have in class, and your columns have been a wonderful read these many years. All the best!
3
It's been a pleasure, Ms. Fox. I often read the obits you wrote, but it was with the purchase of your book on the woman who deciphered Linear B that I truly became a fan. I should have been before. I am looking forward to your new endeavors.
2
Congratulations. Ms. Fox, on having done such an important job so well. I've loved reading your obits and have always thought yours was one of the best jobs to be had. I could tell that your work was rooted in a genuine love for people, their quirks, their flaws, their wonderful achievements. May you one day have an obit writer who brings the same to writing about you.
6
Only in the Times do we get such human interest stories and insight into " lives well lived " - more important than ever in these difficult times. Thank you for your contribution and good luck in your new career .
4
Thank you, Margalit. I have enjoyed your obits for years, and now plan to revel in your new book. Good luck on your new adventure, and know you will be missed.
2
Your writing reveals the depth and complexity of the human lives around us that we often forget in favor of our own self-absorbedness — I went back and read every obit you mentioned here and was amazed by the life stories that I encountered. Maybe it’s just me, but I’d like to think everyone harbors at least a little fear about being forgotten. You have told the world about lives in a way that you could never forget; in my opinion, you have done an incredible service to these people and their families in reaffirming to readers that this life, and life in general, is something meaningful to be remembered. There’s something truly special, as you said, about following the arc of lives well-lived and something about it that makes us consider our own “arc” rather than just focusing on living life day to day. As a college student and aspiring writer, I hope to one day be able to create work as poignant and worthwhile as what you’ve done with the Times. Best of luck in this new chapter of your life — I’m rooting for you!
9
Your columns always told stories, with a beginning, middle, and an end, but most importantly they were brilliant character studies. Ironically, you made your newly dead subjects spring to vibrant life with a trenchant detail, a well-turned phrase, and a sense of gentleness, compassion, and irony second to none. I wish you well and I certainly hope that you will turn to writing fiction, which is where great characters are made from scratch. Thank you again for your wit, your style, and your long view.
9
Thank you, Margalit Fox, for enriching us with stories of lives well lived (or not!). I have a small collection of my favorites that made me laugh and cry. Wishing you many exclamation marks in the book-publishing world!
2
Writing an obituary that not only pays tribute to the deceased in every sense of the word, but lovingly captures their essence with the right mix of wistfulness and humor is an art, and I have enjoyed your artistry for years.
I was glad to see the mention in your parting column of your 2013 obituary for Rabbi Herschel Schachter, the military chaplain who provided comfort to the Jews liberated at Buchenwald concentration camp in 1945, where my father was imprisoned and survived at age 18. When that obituary first ran, I read and re-read it, sharing it with many family members. Your mention of it again in this, your final column, allowed me once again to marvel at your ability to offer readers a glimpse into an extraordinary life well lived. Like all the obits that carry your byline, this one shines a light into sometimes ordinary, but always fascinating highlights of the deceased's life. Collectively, they offer a glimpse into what made this person memorable not just to people directly touched by them, but to others far removed like your readers, who didn't have the pleasure of knowing them personally.
Your obits always offered a perfectly satisfying ending, like an end-of-life gift. A commentator on the 2013 obituary summed it up best: "Such a well-written story. The revealing tidbit at the end is as powerful as any book or movie's surprise ending."
Thank you for all those obituary masterpieces.
52
And this is what good writing is all about-being about to reach into the soul of a character and a life, even after death. Thank you for this, Margalit. Truly.
2
I most admire you for giving up a successful career to devote yourself to writing books. I wish you success. I'll try out your first.
4
I am an obit reader, never miss them and especially not yours! I mean the ones you write! I wish you the best and will buy your book and see if is a fit for me. If not, I will gift it. Thank you again for all of wonderful hard work! Best, Jinny Johnson
2
Wonderful writing! History, biography, arts—you write about LIFE! You shared stories with us and brought people to life. Thank you!
Looking forward to your next chapter!
2
I love your obituaries! I especially appreciate the recent obits about people who should have been memorialized, especially those about women....best of luck in your new career!!!!
2
As a dancer, I was compelled to read the obits starting in the 80’s, when many people I’d known died of AIDS. And in the obits I found what amounted to short history books.
Thanks for giving life to these deaths.
4
Whenever I saw Margalit Fox's byline on an obituary, I knew I was in for a treat. Whether a biography of a well known person or an unknown who we "should" know, Margalit brought that person to life and a smile to my face. And although I wish no ill to the still going strong 90+ year old academic, I look forward to reading his obituary.
Thank you for your many years of reporting. I am supremely grateful that you prefered bios to changing commas to semicolons.
3
Ms. Fox, what a wonderful send-off you have written to send yourself into your next life as a full-time author. I have often noted your byline on an obit in the NYT and read it for that reason whether or not I knew the person you were sending off. I still have my copy of your Riddle of the Labyrinth and will look forward to buying and reading your current book and also books to come from your skilled pen. Thank you.
2
Margalit, you have made the people you write about, come alive for me. You are the master (mistress?) of finesse in capturing an individual's essence. Thank you for your exquisite writing! I wish you the very best in your transition and I look forward to reading your current and future books!
2
I learned, as a young newspaper writer for a Montana daily in the 1980s, that the obituaries I typed could offer a window into the history, culture, and character of my community. My career has gone elsewhere, but to this day I remain a dedicated reader of obituaries. At most papers these days, they're written by families for a fee. I'm so glad the Times has resisted the urge to profit from death in this manner. Reading the work of Ms. Fox, including this final column, has been a great pleasure.
3
Thank you for the marvelous insights you (and your colleagues as well) have given me over the years.
2
A special thanks from all of us who are old or ornery enough for our employers to banish to nonpreferred assignments, but not to fire. At least not yet.
As for those nonpreferred assignments, it is said that a group of medieval travelers encountered a laborer pushing a barrow filled with heavy stones. One of the travelers asked the man what he was doing, and he moaned, "I'm hauling stones." The group moved on until it met another man, also pushing a barrow filled with heavy stones. Being asked the same question, he pronounced, "I'm building the cathedral at Chartres."
8
Every well written obituary truly does touch history, even for the less known departed, and breathes life into the departed whenever they are read. Ms. Fox, thank you for your contributions, both witty and serious. May you enjoy many successful years in your new endeavor.
2
Assuming her books will be a witty as this column I look forward to reading her future productions!
2
Thank you, Ms. Fox, for your magnificent obits over the past 14 years—so many gems I can't begin to count. But you should know that when I teach my journalism students about profile writing, I use some of your amazing leads... because what is a good obit but a profile of a dead person? One of my favorites is your lead (and the next two grafs) about Don Featherstone, the plastic pink flamingo inventor (so glad you mentioned it!). Thanks for introducing millions of readers to interesting people after their deaths. You will be missed by many of us!
5
On the topic of advance obituaries, it seems like an opportune moment to ask Ms. Fox when she first wrote (or - more likely - updated) Keith Richards's obituary. I would love to see a timeline showing when that advance obit first came into being, and how often it's been revised.
That aside, good luck to Ms. Fox on her new adventures. I've enjoyed her work for years without really paying much heed to the byline.
1
What a wonderful sign off. Thank you for your wonderful work and all the best to you as you follow your dreams.
2
Ms. Fox,
Your work certainly changed my mind about the genre. Both the reverence and the joy you wrote with came through quite clearly in all of your many pieces I enjoyed throughout the years.
Thank you for your work here and all the best as you take your story into a new chapter.
2
Thank you for the years of wonderful stories which always gave me a sense of the person--just marvelous to read a Margalit Fox obit. I've got your Conan Doyle for the Defense on my device for restful days this summer and am looking forward to it.
2
Thank you, Margalit Fox! I read till I cried and then I read some more. Now I know what (and who and why) makes the New York Times obituaries so great. I take great pleasure in hearing from people who are passionate about their work. Thank you again.
Years ago an incredibly good friend introduced me to the NY Times obits. Thank you, Judy. I trust you'll see this comment!
1
Margalit Fox's writing is a service to history and to us all. I started watching for her byline when I saw this sentence in a obit about a theatrical agent named Ruth Webb: "Also surviving are Ms. Webb's companion of 35 years, Jamie Stellos, and Mr. Stellos's wife, Nancy." I also remember appreciating her writing about the life of Maurice Sendak. She was great in that documentary "Obit." Stay alive! Keep working! All the best to Margalit Fox in her new endeavor.
3
Just lovely! Seriously, I loved reading this. A great way to start my day.
3
Wishing you. All the success in your new life and I look forward to reading your books!
I am an avid obit reader as learn so much about the people who never made news but have newsworthy lives. I treasure my dad’s nytimes obit!
2
I don't normally read obits, but this was a beautiful piece of writing that I very much enjoyed. I wish you the best in the books you will write.
2
One of the best articles the Times has published in a while. Thank you, Margalit Fox, for your wit and compassion. You will be missed. Good luck with your next career. I look forward to reading your book.
4
Thank you for bringing clarity to your all of your work. I have read the obits just to read your wonderful writing, and you've made one of my favorite subjects, linguistics, even more fascinating and accessible. You make a complex, multi-faceted subject fascinating, understandable, and fun!! I look forward to reading more of your writing. Thanks again!
2
It’s always the first section I read. Thank you Margalit for illuminating those departed and inspiring us in flight to do something memorable with our time. Congratulations on your new epitaph additions.
1
A wonderfully refreshing early morning read. Best wishes in your new career.
2
Wishing you all the best in your next endeavor. Thank you for your good work. A good obit can send ones heart soaring with inspiration!
2
Wonderful!
Your stories have been wonderful. They are more than obituaries, they are celebrations of interesting lives. Often my favorite part of this great newspaper.
Best of luck to you in your writing.
2
I used to assign NYT obituaries to my high school students as examples of mesmerizing writing and fascinating stories of strangers' lives.
Thank you, Ms. Fox, for your contributions to my students' education, entertainment, and ability to craft a piece of writing.
Best of luck in your new life.
2
Absolutely marvelous! Lock that door on 620 Eighth Avenue so we may continue to enjoy the positive energy that shines through each and every obituary by Margalit.
1
Devoted obit readers, like me, will really miss you Margalit! Thanks for all your great work over the years. You often brought a smile to my face. Enjoyed you in the documentary "Obit." too.
Any misplaced commas here?
78
Yes! Two unnecessary and one missing.
1
You are a wonderful writer. This was a pleasure to read. Thank you.
108
Ms. Fox, you did a wonderful job on the obituary of a light-verse poet and dear friend, Maureen Cannon. Her admirers and friends were thrilled. Best of luck--you will be missed.
31
Bravo. A great career. The first published article of my 30-year daily newspaper career was a two-paragraph obit of a man name Steve Pagano. For some reason, I have never forgotten his name and on the infrequent occasions I had to write other obituaries, such as one for somebody's son killed in Vietnam War and another for a office worker and father killed in the World Trade Center attacks, I felt a similar personal connection due the chance opportunity I was given to record their passing. Now that most local newspapers only print paid obituaries, usually written by funeral homes, for those who are not famous, I appointed myself to write my father's obituary when he died at 104. It meant a lot to me to be able to do that and to my brother and sister who helped with facts and recollections. We printed up the long version and distributed it at his memorial service.
6
Best wishes on your new journey. I have, since a young child, read the obits section your article today perfectly captures the attraction. Thank you!
8
The first section I read each morning in the NYT is the Obits. They are fascinating summations of the lives of the greats, near greats, the seemingly ordinary and the downright ignominious. The best were those written by Margalit. Rest in the knowledge that your pieces will be greatly revered for the unbeatable stylishness that you brought to them. A stylishness we will not read again. Best wishes, Ms Fox.
9
I have never written to the Times before. Ms. Fox is the best writer on the paper, or any paper.
91
Your sassy, thoughtful, and insightful obits brought extraordinary flair to the NYT. Fortunately, that style and tradition seems to be continuing in the Obituaries column, but your byline will be missed. Zei mir gezunt, und shtark.
31
Thank you, Margalit Fox. You gave so many fascinating but relatively unknown people second acts. Among my favorites was the man who more or less began the dog-walking industry in NYC. I have long looked for your byline and will miss its frequency. Enjoy your next career, your own second act, which I hope you will enjoy for many, many productive years.
13
Ms. Fox: What a great joy to read your farewell column, and to wish you well in your writing life. I have pored over obituaries as a daily reader of TNYT since a college journalism course in 1966 (when our first assignment was to write our own obits, no restrictions on lives imagined, and I succumbed to "chronic indecision," but on deadline.) I have always loved these stories "tracing the arc" of a life.
"To make an end/is to make a beginning./ The end is where we start from." - T.S. Eliot, from a retired English teacher who for years thoroughly enjoyed changing commas into semicolons.
4
A smile of a story and an enjoyable slice of humanity. Thanks, and good luck.
4
My uncle shares Don Featherstone's name (pink flamingo guy). I sent that part of the article to him, along with my condolences for his demise. I wonder what the reply will be like. LOL
2
Thank you Margalit for the obits you wrote and this delightful piece that made my day! Tremendous luck in the future to you.
6
Thank you Margalit Fox. You are such a terrific writer, I will miss your work here. Also the end of my own dream to someday do something that would make me warrant a Margalit Fox penned obituary...
6
Fascinating read! Best of luck to you and success with your novel.
5
I've never been a big fan of the semi-colon. The current fad of shorter sentences seems better to me. But I could be convinced, I guess.
But thanks for everything else. Really.
4
Yes, what they said.
I always read your byline and expect to see it now and again in the obits you have already written. You have a grace and style. Reading those advance obits will bring me back to this good-bye piece and make me smile.
The very best of luck in your next venture.
4
As a reader of The Times for news, and as a historian who relies on good journalism, I am grateful to Ms. Fox and to The Times for the care they put into obituaries. And if the still-productive scholar is who I think it is--a historian--he will outlive us all.
3
A missed chance: "And she changed 50;001 commas into semicolons."
5
I always enjoyed your obituaries. Good luck with your next venture.
2
I grew up with a mother who spread out the Times each day on the kitchen table and read interesting obits out loud to us. "What an interesting life they led!" she'd say. And thus was the beginning of my daily readings. Your obits have brought me the tears and joys you wish as a legacy. And they have convinced me that every life has an interesting story. All the best to you.
44
What a lovely read. Makes me sorry I've not followed the by-lines of obit writers. I hope I have the opportunity to read your book.
2
Some of the best, most important, most moving pieces I've ever read have been obituaries. Sometimes, it's the moral courage of a Dutchman when asked why he risked his life to save Jews said, paraphrased, "What else could I do?". About others, it is their great ability I admire. Sometimes, it is simply the tenderness that the history instills in me, about someone's love and kindness. However unappreciated you feel, obituaries are one of those columns that resonate with us, that shows us our humanity and our highest aspirations.
36
I wish you all the best in your new vocation - I have been an avid and appreciative reader of your obits for many years - thank you for sharing the stories of these extraordinary people with such grace!
3
Love this. What a graceful exit, for those you wrote about....but this summary of your career, as well. Thank you. I'm of the age where I check the obits daily.
3
I agree. I always read anything Margalit Fox writes and very much enjoyed The Riddle of the Labyrinth. I will miss you but wish you much success and pleasure in your new career.
6
Thank you for your years of obit writing. No, it doesn’t get a lot of respect, but it means so much to the friends and family, and gives us regular readers so much to enjoy. I wish you success in your book writing life!
6
The New York Times has the best Obituary section anywhere.
What other publication's department has been the subject of a feature-length documentary? In what other paper would I look for an obit's byline? So Ms. Fox's departure is bittersweet.
Best of luck with the book career. But I'll miss your pieces here.
11
your obits have been a pure joy to read— and while im very happy that you will be writing books, I will miss what you have contributed to my daily Times experience— for exactly the reasons you outline in this great article.
I wish you well!
8
Thank you Margalit. Godspeed. I wrote obituaries for about 4 busy years. You captured the happy surprises that lie within so many stories. I remember lives of people I never met. I've been touched by what their loved ones chose to say, sometimes sheer poetry and sometimes the quietest sounds of love and heartbreak. Go have fun, but I hope that your obit is written by someone else who'll get a chance to know you and smile.
3
Oh, Margalit -- how I've loved waking up to read your obits every day. I've been reading the Times since I was about 8 years old (yes, third grade) and used to ridicule my parents whose Addams Family Habit was to read the obits /first thing/ after opening the front door to reach for the daily delivery.
I have turned into both -- and now do the same. I'm not worthy of an obit by you, but it sure would have been lovely.
Thank you for every delightful and sad, but never morose, tidbit of lives we read about.
Be well, and good luck in your new venture. I'll look for more of your well crafted words separated by semicolons and commas!
2
What a charming account of journalism career pursued with such self-awareness and dedication - rewarded with a stable journalistic niche! Surely, with such wit, warmth and self-insight, the dream of successful authorship will be richly rewarded.
1
And she delighted all who read this farewell column.
You're a terrific writer, Margalit Fox. More important, you're an appreciative live-er. Best of luck to you.
2
Congratulations, Ms. Fox. I read the New York Times Obituaries every day and have long been an admirer of your style, wit, and substance.
When asked, somewhat aghast, by friends and family as to why I read the obituaries over breakfast, I always replied "Because I learn so much about the most interesting people, most of whom I've never heard of and all of whom did amazing things!"
Thanks for being my breakfast companion, and good luck on the new career.
4
Thank you, NYT and Ms. Fox. This was a wonderful read. I will provide copies to my composition students in August so that they can begin a list of very fun jobs that ask you to write every day.
1
I will miss the stories you told and the amazing people I almost met through them.
Thank you so much.
1
Margalit, I am a NYT devotee since Mr. Morses US history class at Kent in 1973, but I had never noticed you until this column was 'shared' on fb by an old friend of mine who worked at the Times. I am out to buy your book . This column is a great read, as many of yours must have been without me thinking about your byline . Thank you and godspeed.
76
Regardless of the decedent, when I see an obit with your byline, Ms. Fox, I take the time to read it from beginning to end. It has been a pleasure to read your pieces. Good luck in your second career!
236
Well said famdoc! Ms. Fox, we will miss your stories immensely but look forward to your books.
1
This is comment #345, so I know you won't see it, but for the record, Ms. Fox - you are the best writer at the NY Times. Bon voyage.
46