While the late Anthony Bourdain was still the Executive Chef at Brasserie Les Halles, in midtown Manhattan, he’d see an older woman peer in the window most afternoons, but never come in.
Lucy Mercer, Franklin Roosevelt’s longtime love, didn’t attend his funeral in Hyde Park on April 15th, 1945, but afterwards, wanted to pay her respects. Eleanor Roosevelt, who had the last say, made sure she was allowed to, treated with the utmost regard, despite the circumstances. 
In 1990, when the esteemed composer, Leonard Bernstein, passed away of pneumonia at 72, as his funeral cortege made its way across the Brooklyn Bridge en route to Greenwood Cemetery for burial, men doing work on the bridge, took off their hardhats and in reverent unison, screamed…
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Poignant and True
He then invited her in, and cooked for her.
In 1946, when the famed American journalist and short-story writer, Damon Runyon,
Clark Gable, dying at 59 of a heart attack in 1960, some say brought on by stress working with Marilyn Monroe on his final film, The Misfits, asked to be buried at Forest Lawn next to his third wife, the actress, Carole Lombard, who died at 33 in a plane crash in 1942, while selling war bonds. His last wife, Kay, honored the request.
His son, Alexander, said, “My father would have so loved that.”
This entry was posted in Culture, food, History, humanity, inspiration, Love, New York City, Politics, Women and men, words, writing and tagged Honoring the Fallen, Last Requests, Moving moments in History, random acts of kindness. Bookmark the permalink.
I didn’t know death could be so interesting and amusing.
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It’s the Italian in me I guess. My mother couldn’t wait to read the obituaries in the morning, coined the Italian Racing Form. 🙂
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The Italian Racing Form!! Amusing!
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What did you find amusing. I’m curious. I had changed the title at the last minute, but went back and called it Poignant and True, it’s original name. Maybe the guys yelling from the bridge? I guess that could be amusing. Hey, no matter….I’m just humbled you read it.
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Oh! Not the post itself!!! I was referring to your mother’s reading the obituaries!!!
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Now Now…that was funny. She’d rip your arm off if you grabbed them first.
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Wait. I used amusing before you wrote about your mother. Hmmm. I think I must retract that. I shouldn’t have found anything amusing. The post was more poignant than anything else. I’m sorry for throwing you a curve.
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Curves are good. They keep you on your toes. My mother is always good for a laugh, though dark, like Morticia Addams if she were doing stand-up.
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I read most of these to Pookie. We love your snippets of little known info. Keep them coming, Susannah.
I’m doing Census work for a couple of months; three days a week, eight hours a day. They wanted me to do managerial work like I did for the 2010 decennial. I had to decline. I worked 45-65 hours a week, often seven days a week, and had up to 300 people directly under me.. At 70, I don’t have the gumption anymore. I drive between 120 -200 miles each day and get paid time and mileage. Not bad.
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It’s nice to stay busy Skinny. Such a grace in it, especially during these peculiar times. I love that you read them to Pookie. 🙂
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A nice article, thank you. The recurring theme to my mind is respect for people. This is a trait sadly missing amongst much of upper echelons of the ruling classes throughout the world currently. Sadly this lack of respect is filtering down to us, the masses.
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Respect is at a low, I agree with you. All this political bashing. I’ve never been so ashamed of my president and who’s sitting in Congress who I cannot believe went home without helping those in need. Do you think Henry Clay, Daniel Webster and John Quincy Adams would have gone home? Of course, because it involves the election, all they care about…themselves…there’s an emergency session concerning the postal service. Respect did you say? Can we get it on Amazon maybe, in a nice container? I’ll order the largest size. How bout you??? Sigh
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A very enjoyable look at the end game, Susannah. My favorite was “Goodbye Lennie.”
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Did I spell it wrong? I got that rich tidbit, from the documentary about him on Great Masters. It’s wonderful. Going to check the spelling. 🙂
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You are right. I didn’t even look at it when I wrote it.
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It could have been spelled that way.
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True, but still. 😊
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You say potato and I say patato…you say Lennie, and I say Lenny….
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😁 You are gracious.
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I am not…it just gave me an excuse to sing and sing, no better than Lucy.
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Are too.
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It’s Lenny…:)
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You are right.
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Ya know what I get to be right? I get to be right. Ever hear that? 🙂
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I have heard that and hence my comment “you are right.” You get to be right. Maybe my turn will come later. 😁
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Being right is not what it’s all cracked up to be John.
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I agree. There can be a downside. I was totally right one time and still lost my job. 😊
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And you probably glided into a better one…I’m bettin.
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I did. It was hell though.
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There’s something great about coming out of the valley. Probably like emerging from a coal mine breathing in fresh air. 🙂
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I have had that experience three times and you are so right. One was business, one health, and one was relationship. The air is sweet. 😊
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Oh, that is so beautifully put John. Pull it. Maybe you can use it in one of your stories.
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I pretty much wove them into my fourth novel. Fictionized accounts of course. *cough 😁
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I only meant the line, that read to me, like poetry.
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Oh. Okay. I thought you meant the three experiences. Thank you. 😊
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🙂
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Oooh… For once I knew about a few of these stories! I love these mish-mashes you do. You bring these people to life.
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Which ones did you know? Curious.
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Anthony Bourdain, Eleanor Roosevelt and the Lafayette story feels so familiar but I wouldn’t have known the name.
Good stuff these lovely snippets!
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The Anthony story breaks my heart. Eleanor Roosevelt considering the circumstances, wins the magnanimity award. Lucy was her secretary when she began the affair with her husband that changed everyone’s life. Even at the end, she was betrayed by her daughter, Anna, who was the go-between so her father and Lucy could see each other. I mean, it never stopped yet, she could be gracious just the same. I’ll tell ya.
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He was such a kind man. Such a loss… Needless.
As for Eleanor, she was the epitome of grace.
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Yes, both very true.
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😊
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Lots of different ways to be sent off. These are interesting.
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I hadn’t meant for them all to be about send offs, when I started. I had remembered the Anthony Bourdain story and always loved it, how he treated her and how thrilled she must have been. I’m still a big fan of his, even more so in his sad absence. But as you know, writing goes where it wants to go especially in an essay so…thanks as always.
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