Each year, people enter a new incarnation and other people depart to become Ancestors for a time. Between death and birth lies a vast array of sparkling afterworlds, which the living catch only in glimpses. Such glimpses come most often at this time of year, near the time of All Souls' Night, Samhain, Hallows' Eve, El Dia de los Muertos. During this time we honor those who have gone beyond. Let us light a candle and remember them to each other...
Cleveland Amory (author and founder of the Fund for Animals)
Eldridge Cleaver (African-American activist and author)
Brendan Gill (forty-year writer for the New Yorker and NYC preservation activist)
David "Gypsy" Chain (environmental activist, killed when an enraged logger felled a redwood onto him)
Mathew Shepard (Wyoming gaybashing victim)
Dr. Barnett Slepian (New York obstetrician-gynecologist and abortion provider)
Vincent Ciccone (inventor of the "Blow Pop")
Jon Postel ("Internet Co-Founder" and RFC editor)
Alan Shepard (American astronaut)
Leo Buscaglia (self-help guru and philosopher)
Marguerite Henry (author of Misty Of Chincoteague)
Akira Kurosawa (Japanese film director of Ran and The Seven Samurai)
Jeff Moss (creator of Cookie Monster)
Octavio Paz (Mexican poet)
Dr Benjamin Spock ("Baby expert")
Bob "Tex" Allen (American actor)
Gene Autry (American actor, singer)
Bob Bell (Bozo The Clown)
Sonny Bono (actor/comedian/singer/politician)
Lloyd Bridges (actor -- Sea Hunt, Airplane)
Rolan Bykov (Soviet actor)
Betty Carter (jazz vocalist)
Jerry Clower (Grand Old Opry comedian for 30 years)
Falco (Austrian pop music singer -- "Rock Me Amadeus")
Chris Farley (comedian/actor)
Mary Frann (wife on Newhart)
Stephane Grappelli (French jazz trumpeter)
Phil Hartman (comedian/voiceover performer)
Michael Hedges (Windham Hill acoustic guitarist)
Michael Hutchence (lead singer of INXS)
Grandpa Jones (country music singer/comedian -- Hee Haw)
Stubby Kaye (Nicely-Nicely, movie version of Guys & Dolls)
Persis Khambatta (Ilia in Star Trek: The Motion Picture)
Nicolette Larson ("Lotta Love", 1978; ex-Eagles backup singer)
Shari Lewis (puppeteer; created "Lamb Chop")
Jack Lord (actor/painter -- Hawaii 5-0)
Robert Maher (character actor -- Father Tim in In And Out)
Tony Marvin (singing voice for the Grinch, How The Grinch Stole Christmas)
Roddy McDowall (American actor)
Toshiro Mifune (Japanese actor; in Shogun and several Kurosawa films)
Maureen O'Sullivan (actress)
Carl Perkins (singer -- "Blue Suede Shoes")
Cozy Powell (British heavy metal drummer -- member of Black Sabbath)
Denver Pyle (actor -- Uncle Jesse on the Dukes Of Hazzard)
Mae Questel (voice of Betty Boop)
Eddie Rabbitt (singer -- "Drivin' My Life Away", "I Love A Rainy Night")
Hugh Reilly (actor -- father in Lassie)
Frank Sinatra (do I even HAVE to define this guy?)
Buffalo Bob Smith (host of Howdy Doody)
Wendy O. Williams (punk/heavy metal singer)
Carl Wilson (Beach Boys)
Tammy Wynette (country singer)
Frankie Yankovic (polka artist)
Robert Young (actor in Marcus Welby)
Henny Youngman (comedian/actor)
Bella Abzug (American politician)
Mark Belanger (allstar shortstop for the Baltimore Orioles, late sixties-seventies)
Tom Bradley (former mayor of L.A.)
Jack Brickhouse (Chicago-area broadcaster and sportscaster)
Harry Caray (Chicago Cubs baseball announcer)
Florence Griffith Joyner (American track star)
Linda McCartney (wife of Paul McCartney)
Dan Quisenberry (former Royals relief pitcher)
Louise Shepard (wife of Alan Shepard)
George Wallace (American politician)
These individuals in particular touched my life in important ways, and I wish to give them a little extra attention here. All of the martyrs died because this world is not yet a safe and sane place for everyone; let us give their deaths meaning by working to ensure that no one else need die in such fashion. Tony Marvin's "Grinch" performance ranks high among my favorite Christmas shows. Jeff Moss gave us a wonderful, uninhibited, utterly focused character in the Cookie Monster, whom I remember fondly from Sesame Street. Frank Sinatra provided a kind of cultural backdrop with his music, spanning more decades (with dramatic changes in their characteristic styles) than any other singer has ever done. Roddy McDowall's performance in Planet of the Apes stands out in my mind as a splendid example of plausible full-body acting and eloquent portrayal of difficult issues in science fiction. Alan Shephard, explorer extraordinaire, helped get humanity to the stars; as a science fiction writer I extend a special nod of thanks to him for manifesting our collective sense of wonder in such a spectacular way. Marguerite Henry wrote terrific horse stories that mingled magic and practicality. For more information on these and many other new Ancestors, visit the You're Outta Here obituary Website. To all those who have passed since last Samhain, I say: Hail and farewell; merry meet and merry part and merry meet again.
"Altar of Memory" copyright 1998 Elizabeth Barrette. This document is based in large part on a list posted to the Pagan Leaders mailing list on Tue, 27 Oct 1998; special thanks to Dagonet for granting permission to use that material freely.
Background on this page is from the Rainbow Desktop Theme by Laura Butler, and is used by permission. Flickering candle is from Best Collection of Animated GIFs.
The URL for this page is http://www.worthlink.net/~ysabet/homage/garden_1998.html and it was last updated on November 8, 1998.