In Memoriam 2009: A Great Big List of People and Things that Died this Year

Death is a fisherman, the world we see
His fish-pond is, and we the fishes be;
His net some general sickness; howe’er he
Is not so kind as other fishers be;
For if they take one of the smaller fry,
They throw him in again, he shall not die:
But death is sure to kill all he can get,
And all is fish with him that comes to net.

– Benjamin Franklin

All our times have come
Here but now they’re gone
Seasons don’t fear the reaper
Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain..we can be like they are
Come on baby…don’t fear the reaper

– Blue Oyster Cult

I want to die like my father, peacefully in his sleep, not screaming and terrified, like his passengers.

– Bob Monkhouse

Here are some of the people and things that died this year…

• The Dubai Mirage
• Ed McMahon (TV Personality)
• Pequot Capital
• Walter Cronkite (News Anchor)
• Patrick Swayze (Actor)
• The US Dollar
• Michael Jackson (Singer)
• Bea Arthur (Actress)
• Galleon Group
• Farah Fawcett (Actress)
• Billy Mays (Pitchman)
• Tiger’s Infallibility
• The Real Deal With Dennis Kneale Show
• John Thain’s Career
• BusinessWeek
• David Kellermann (Freddie Mac CFO)
• Bankruptcy Law
• Danny Gans (Vegas Showman)
• Circuit City
• Mark Pittman (Financial Reporter)
• Conde Nast Portfolio
• Jack Kemp (Politician)
• Chrysler
• Monk
• Violent Femmes
• Filene’s Basement
• “Change”
• Eddie Bauer
• Blockbuster Video…(any minute now)
• DJ AM
• Greenspan’s Legacy
• Ted Kennedy (Senator)
• Trump Entertainment
• David Carradine (Actor)
• Blender Magazine
• Dom DeLuise (Actor)
• Ricardo Montalban (Actor)
• Steve McNair (NFL Quarterback)
• Fortunoff’s
• Patrick McGoohan (Actor)
• Gourmet Magazine
• Socks the Cat
• Midway Games
• George Michael (Sportscaster)
• California
• Vik Chesnutt (Musician)
• Nortel Networks
• The NY Mets
• Captain Lou Albano (Pro Wrestler)
• Modern Bride
• Bruce Wasserstein (Investment Banker)
• Rocky Mountain News
• John Hughes (Director)
• Seattle Post-Intelligencer
• John Updike (Writer)
• According to Jim
• Natasha Richardson (Actress)
• ER
• Ron Silver (Actor)
• Reno 911
• Brittany Murphy (Actress)
• Microsoft Zune (am I early?)
• Paul Samuelson (Economist)
• Roy Disney (Entertainment Mogul/ Activist Shareholder)
• The Airline Security Illusion

Goodbye and Godspeed.