From the Publisher: Final Words

Death doesn’t take a holiday.

Nor, it turns out, do the hardworking staffers who handle the obituaries in Seven Days.

You’ll spot 26 death notices in this week’s issue — all published online since December 20, when Seven Days started its annual end-of-year break. While most of us were relaxing between Christmas and New Year’s, a couple of our employees continued to receive the sad news of Vermonters who died at an otherwise joyous time of year.

As always, we are honored to host and share their stories, some of which describe long lives full of love and adventure: “Jane McKay sadly passed away on December 16, 2023, two weeks to the day after her beloved husband, Ferguson McKay, and five weeks after celebrating her 100th birthday,” reads one obituary in this week’s paper. It goes on to explain that, in her younger years, the sociable resident of Cabot skied death-defying Tuckerman Ravine and sailed home from Europe on a freighter.

Also in this issue is a tribute to Ezra Pouech, who “passed away tragically on Thursday, December 21, 2023, while protecting his girlfriend and her children from the hands of a domestic abuser.” I did not know Ezra but am sure I’m not alone in feeling shocked by how his life ended — way too soon. His obituary reads: “We take solace in knowing that Ezra acted to protect those he cherished, showing himself to be the caring, kind person we loved.”

As they age, people typically take more notice of obituaries, in part because of the increased likelihood of knowing the deceased — and, perhaps, to prepare for one’s own mortality. I recognize people in the Life Lines section almost every week now. It’s heartbreaking seeing familiar faces and reading about sudden, unexpected losses. The only comfort is a life story well told.

Whether it’s a funeral home or a family member, those who seek to memorialize a loved one in our pages first interact with Michelle Brown, who has worked at Seven Days for 27 years.

Then a proofreader takes over. During the break, the tasks of copyediting the narrative, and writing the short statement that sums up the deceased person’s life, fell to Angela Simpson.

Although her first responsibility at Seven Days is to pore over the paper on Monday and Tuesday looking for errors alongside chief proofreader Carolyn Fox, Angela has steadily expanded her job description to include supervising the calendar; writing our news quiz, online crossword and daily word puzzle; and wrangling the weekly NOW newsletter and special annual supplements such as the Gift Guide.

For last year’s Québec Issue, she penned a great story on a tight deadline about Canadian mystery author Louise Penny.

She also has a side gig: delivering the Sunday New York Times.

Angela volunteered for obituary duty while the rest of Seven Days was shut down. I was thrilled. I knew she’d be sensitive and helpful to grieving families.

She did more than that: On December 29, Michelle got an email from a reader asking for tips on writing her own obituary. “My friends and family don’t think it’s important to do one, so I want to be prepared,” the woman explained.

Michelle forwarded the email to Angela, who took the time to craft a primer: “The reader-submitted obituaries we receive are as varied as the people they memorialize — and that’s a wonderful thing!” Angela wrote. “Some choose to focus on facts — dates, accomplishments, surviving family members’ names and relationships — while others are more emotional, focusing on the deceased person’s essence, legacy or personality. There’s certainly no ‘correct’ way to write one, but in writing your own you can be assured that all the facts will be accurate and that it will include everything you specifically want to highlight. I expect your family will be grateful and moved to read your thoughts on your own life!

“…Do you want to make people chuckle? Do you particularly want to remember pets, coworkers, neighbors, friends? Are there things you are known for that you want to include, or is there something about you that people might be surprised to learn?”

In closing, she spoke for us all: “I hope this helps.”