The New Year is hours away. New Year’s is a time to look forward, to plan and set those resolutions that you may or may not keep. New Year’s Eve is a good time to reflect.
For me, 2013 was a year of small transitions. I moved my blog into its own domain space, and shut down my old LegalSync programming web site. I finished a rewrite of my novel, and submitted it to two publishers. I received two rejection notices. More rewrites and submissions lay ahead.
The year was, for the most part, a year. I was not a big year, but I can say it wasn’t a bad one, and that is a good thing.
We all said farewell to someone. Perhaps someone close, or perhaps someone that we never knew but felt their influence nonetheless. For me I can fortunately say that no close personals were lost, but there were some public figures who left this coil that touched me.
These are the public lives that have affected me in one way or another. This is not a definitive list, by any stretch of the imagination. The only order here is chronological. Some, I admit, have had more affect on me than others, but I do not wish to play favorites right now. Now I wish only to take a moment to remember some meaningful, memorable, or lighthearted lives.
Jan. 14 Conrad Bain
Mr. Drummond / “Different Strokes” |
Jan. 16 Abigail Van Buren
Dear Abby |
Mar. 1 Bonnie Franklin
“One Day at a Time” |
Apr. 4 Roger Ebert
Movie Critic |
Apr. 8 Margaret Thatcher
England’s Prime Minister |
Apr. 12 Jonathan Winters
Comedian / Actor (personal favorite) |
Apr. 13 Annette Funicello
Actress / Mouseketeer |
Apr. 19 Allan Arbus
Actor / “M.A.S.H.” psychiatrist |
May 13 Dr. Joyce Brothers
Doctor / Columnist |
May 31 Jean Stapleton
Actress / “All in the Family” |
Apr. 2 Milo O’Shea
Actor / “The Golden Girls” “The West Wing” |
Apr. 22 Richard Havens
guitarist / songwriter |
Apr. 26 George Jones
Country Songwriter |
Jun. 6 Esther Williams
Actress / “Ziegfeld Follies” |
Jun. 9 Van Cliburn
Pianist |
Jun. 19 James Gandolfini
Actor / “The Sopranos” |
Jun. 23 Richard Matheson
Author / Screenwriter / “I am Legend” “Twilight Zone” |
Jun. 26 Murio Alan Myers
DEVO’s Drummer |
Jul. 1 Jim Kelly
Actor / Martial Artist |
Jul. 20 Helen Thomas
White House Press Corp |
Jul. 22 Dennis Farina
Actor / “Get Shorty” “Law and Order” |
Aug. 24 Julie Harris
Actress / “East of Eden” “Harper” |
Aug. 31 David Frost
News Broadcaster |
Sep. 12
Ray Dolby
inventor of DOLBY |
Sep. 18 Ken Norton
Boxer |
Oct. 1
Tom Clancy
Author / “Hunt for Red October” |
Oct. 27 Lou Reed
Musician / Songwriter |
Dec. 5 Nelson Mandel
Peacemaker |
Dec. 14 Peter O’Toole
Actor / “Lawrence of Arabia” |
Dec. 15 Joan Fontaine
Actress / “Rebecca” “Suspicion” |
About Sifu Keith Mosher
My new book, "Astro Boy, Sensei, and Me" is available now, as is my Sci-Fi joy ride, "On a Sphere's Edge". I have a Bachelor of Media Arts degree from USC. I have been an Audio Producer / Engineer, a Law Office Manager, and I am currently an Author and a Martial Arts Instructor.