More than once, I’ve personally heard the funny old line. I read the obituaries every day, to make sure I’m still alive.

I read the obituaries every day, too - whether or not I know the dearly departed - but not for confirmation that I’m still vertical.

You can learn a lot about life from reading obituaries.

Granted, there are more amusing ways to gain life lessons. But for simple wisdom and poignant reminders about what really matters, obits are the place to go. For the bargain price of a newspaper - and a few minutes, maybe just seconds, of your time - you can learn something worth knowing or be reminded of something you knew, but somehow forgot.

Two cases in point, from recent obituaries in LaGrange Daily News. Both ladies, both people I knew “of” but never had the pleasure of knowing. My loss.

Barbara Booker came to LaGrange the hard way - as a Hurricane Katrina evacuee from Mobile. A one-time cancer researcher and former research chemist for Dupont, she took early retirement to follow her first love, teaching. She taught college chemistry at several colleges and universities.

But it was personal chemistry for which Booker is remembered. She befriended children in the LaGrange apartment complex where she settled, becoming a surrogate mother and grandmother to many of them. She continued teaching, helping the neighbor children learn to read, use her computer, cook and develop an appreciation for nature. Her extraordinary outreach was recognized by the American Red Cross with its 2009 Community Heroes “Good Samaritan” award.

I learned that all that about Booker from her obituary - and there are life lessons in just about every line.

But what kept me thinking about the obit long after I read it - Ms. Booker died more than a month ago - was what it said about her parents: “Her mother and father encouraged her to try everything she could.”

Hello! Life lesson calling.

After love and the basic necessities, what better gift can a parent give a child than the encouragement to pursue - whole hog - all that is interesting and challenging, all that is within their potential?

Decades later, whether she realized it or not, that’s exactly what Ms. Booker was doing for those children in her apartment complex. Encouraging them to read and learn - so they could try….everything.

What a lesson. What a legacy.

The other recent obituary with a lesson was that of Lena Reece, whose daughter and son-in-law, Short and Jack Brown, are cherished friends. I’ve often heard Short speak of growing up in North Georgia, but didn’t know until I read her mother’s obituary that the dear lady was known, affectionately, as “Miss Ellijay.”

It takes a lot of good living to earn a nickname like that.

Another line in the obit stood out - and stuck with me: “Miss Ellijay,” it said, “was loved for her kindness, sense of humor, feisty spirit and positive attitude.”

Hello, again! Another life lesson calling.

What a spectacular combination of personal qualities. Think about it. How many people can you name who are kind, funny, upbeat AND feisty?

Not many. But what a goal!

Like I said, you can learn a lot about life from the obituaries.

Pay attention and you might just learn how to live.

Andrea Lovejoy can be reached at editor@lagrangenews.com