Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Every year at this time, the media reminds us of notable people who passed away within the last twelve months. Some were notorious in their notability, but many inarguably inspired, entertained, or touched us even though we didn’t know these famous individuals personally.

President Jimmy Carter was a hero of mine. I was a teenager when he was in office, and absorbed in my own small world, not paying much attention to world events or Washington politics. I know that his administration never received stellar reviews. But in his post-Presidency he didn’t retire to a quiet hideaway; instead, he worked tirelessly for several more decades to bring peace and democracy and health and better living conditions to those in need around the world. In the United States he became a leader with Habitat for Humanity. He was a gentleman and a scholar, a writer, a man of faith. He loved his wife.

Maybe my soft spot for him began when I was a mere schoolgirl and had the chance to shake his hand. My Scout troop was overnighting at Callaway Gardens and learned that the Governor of Georgia was also there. I’m not sure how it transpired, but we found ourselves lined up in a parking lot while Mr. Carter walked down the line, shaking our hands and signing postcards for us. I wish I knew where my postcard ended up!

Some giants of the entertainment industry also passed this year. The ones who most impressed me with their longevity in the field and who have me grateful for making my life richer would have to include: Quincy Jones, music producer extraordinaire; Dame Maggie Smith, who acted well into her 80s and whose wicked wit never failed to make me smile; James Earl Jones, who as a boy hardly ever spoke because of a stutter but went on to have the most resonant and commanding bass voice in film; Chita Rivera, daughter of a Puerto Rican immigrant who took a ballet class as a child and went on to burn up the Broadway stage; and Bob Newhart, whose self-deprecating and dry humor remain a standard for clean comedy.

I also feel the loss of Tony-winning playwright Christopher Durang, whose blackly comic works I have had the opportunity to act in (Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike) and direct (The Actor’s Nightmare). I’m sad he won’t be writing any more. And also Charles Osgood, CBS newsman and Renaissance Man, whose reporting on slice-of-life America never failed to uplift.

Then there are those lesser-known folks whose amazing stories are unforgettable once you hear them. There was Bette Nash, the longest-serving flight attendant, who started with Eastern Airlines in 1957 and was still employed by American Airlines when she died recently at 88. There was Julia Hawkins, who started running (and winning medals) at the age of 100. She passed this year at the age of 108.

All these people continued to live full, productive lives, bringing hope, joy, and inspiration to others, until their bodies just wouldn’t let them continue. More importantly, they were of admirable character and outlook.

At the end of Hamlet, the title character is eulogized by his friend with these words: “Good night sweet prince: / And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!” We will miss these well-known princes and queens who are winging their way to heaven. I like to think that Bette Nash is ensuring they have a comfortable flight.