Remember Me Well

When people opt to pay for a death notice rather than having an editor write a free obituary, it's usually so they can lavish praise on the departed, portraying his or her life in heroic terms. But not always:

It would be good, but untrue, to say that Shirley had a good life. As a child, she had a mastoid on one ear and another operation to correct pronounced cross-eyes. Both operations were successful, but left emotional scars. She felt like the ugly duckling of the family and grew bitter. She was pretty but did not think she was; she shrank from men and had few close friends. In Washington, she lived alone in the Garfield condo on upper Connecticut Ave., participated in condo committees, did volunteer work at the Hirshhorn Museum and the Kennedy Center, saw family members and a few friends occasionally. She was particularly fond of and relaxed with young children and regretted that she had not been able to find a decent job looking after or teaching them. As she aged, she grew more withdrawn and unhappy; toward the end, she was so depressed she did not return phone calls.

Good times.

Resquiat in pace, Shirl.