SCHEER: A time-honored tradition no more: Writing about people we've lost

Apr. 4—Of all the newspaper industry missteps over the years, and there have been many, I'd rank elimination of the full-time, on-staff obituary writers as among the worst.

I've come to realize in my advanced age just how much readers, otherwise known as people and human beings, appreciate intimate, well-written, proper sendoffs for their loved ones, friends and colleagues.

These days, most people get the standard, boilerplate obituary, often written by funeral home staff with assistance from a family member or maybe a friend.

You know the type: "He loved playing pinochle." "She was an avid bowler."

Newspapers used to value obituaries enough that they hired typically entry-level reporters to write them.

Writing an obituary was the first assignment I received in my first reporting class when I started pursuing a degree in journalism from Buffalo State College. That used to the the first place all reporters started.

Many journalists went on to to enjoy long and successful careers doing this type of work.

I believe my good friend, former Niagara Gazette city editor Rick Forgione, may have been the last person who handled the honor for this newspaper in the early 2000s, around the time when many newspapers across the country decided full-time obituary writers were something they could no longer afford.

In lieu of us having an obituary writer, I've written plenty of stories about people who were considered prominent enough to warrant a more in-depth accounting of their lives after their deaths.

In recent weeks, unfortunately, my list has been long. It includes Niagara Falls Blues Festival founder Toby Rotella, author and Robert Moses Parkway removal advocate E.R. Baxter III and, just this past week, Niagara Falls NAACP President Shirley Hamilton.

With stories of this nature, I always try hard to make them as personal as possible.

In Rotella's case, I noted that his mom regularly made spaghetti dinner for Toby's close friend, blues legend Muddy Waters.

Many knew Bob Baxter as a writer and Niagara County Community College professor and vocal parkway removal advocate. Many did not know, at least I didn't, that Bob lost both of his own parents when he was a teenager.

Shirley Hamilton, it turns out, had a fine singing voice and was a pretty good cook.

Personalizing the "obit" story helps paint a more vivid picture for both the audience that knew the deceased and the audience that did not.

I find readers — again, people and human beings — appreciate the effort to capture more of the true essence of those they recognize who are now no longer with us.

There's a ton of pressure with this sort of thing because, well, about the worst call a reporter can get is one from a grieving survivor, battling through tears to tell you about the screw-up you made in paragraph six.

Thankfully, I've managed to come out mostly unscathed.

While challenging, I consider it an honor to write about the dead.

I am, in those moments, a caretaker of people's memories.

What an amazing privilege.

One of journalism's finest traditions, writing interesting obituaries that tell a person's life story with flare and style and grace has mostly gone by the wayside.

It's too bad.

So many lives — even those seemingly mundane — are often so interesting, much more so than some boring board meeting or the politics or disappointments of the day. Alongside the "important" people who get a proper sendoff in print, the pinochle players and avid bowlers deserve credit for lives well lived, too.

Not for nothing but someday we'll all exit this Earth.

I can't help but wonder sometimes, did the owners and executives of newspapers ever ever think to themselves: Who's going to write a thoughtful, interesting piece about my life after I'm gone?

Contact editor Mark Scheer at mark.scheer@niagara-gazette.com or 716-282-2311, extension 2254.