Died in 2009

One of the big highlights at our house growing up come Oscar or Emmy time was the listing of those who died in the past year. Here are just a few who passed away the same year as Keith did . . .

Bea Arthur - Actress. Died April 25th at age of 86. Best known for work in Maude and Golden Girls. She was actually just portraying our Grandma Friedrichs.

Corazon Aquino - World Leader. Died August 1st at age 76. Beloved president of Philippines.

Walter Cronkite - Anchor Man. Died July 17 at age 92. Longtime CBS News icon.

Larry Gelbart - Television and Movie Producer. Died September 11th at age 81. Creator of M*A*S*H (the T.V. show not the movie, acronym or potatoes).

John Hughes - Movie Director. Died August 6th at age 59. Known for his work on Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles. Ricardo Montalban.

Died January 14th at age 88. Veteran actor best known for his work on Fantasy Island. Keith and I know him best for playing Khan. In Star Trek II Wrath of Khan.

Died at the age of 38

Keith would have been 39 today. You don't need to be the caliber of a mathemagician that Keith was to figure out that he died at the age of 38.

Here is a short list of others who have died at the same age. . .

Roberto Clemente - Baseball Player. Died 1972. Pittsburgh Pirate Hall of Famer died while doing humanitarian work.

Harry Chapin - Song Writer, Singer. Died 1981. Most famous for song Cat's in The Cradle.

Florence Griffith Joyner - Olympic Track Star.
Died 1998.

John F. Kennedy Jr. - Son of President Kennedy. Died 1999. Published George Magazine

Died April 7th

Here is a short list of famous people who share Keith's date of death.

P.T. Barnum - Circus Organizer and hoaxer. Died in 1891 at age 80. The saying "A sucker born every minute" is often attributed to him. May have been uttered by a contemporary.

Henry Ford - Automotive Pioneer. Died in 1947 at age 83. Streamlined auto industry.

Johnny Hart - Cartoonist. Died in 2007 at age 80. Created the comics strips B.C. and Wizard of Id. Stirred up controversy with his highly evangelical Easter Sunday panels in B.C.

Speaking of Easter, I found one reference on the Internet that Jesus Christ died on April 7th.

If that is indeed historically accurate, I find it very encouraging that Keith died on the same day that His savior died for His sins and those of the world. Because of Christ's death and subsequent Resurrection, I will one day see Keith again in Heaven.

A quick Keith and Dave Joke

One day I told Keith that I would love to go skiing in Norwegia.

I knew he would correct me and he did.

He said "Norway."

And I said "No, Really! I'd love to go!"

We tried to recreate the magic for years but no one else would fall for it.

Keith is as Keith does.

Keith was an avid movie goer. He really loved the movie Forrest Gump. I never quite got that movie. But that's okay many people never quite got Keith and I always appreciated Him.

Keith liked the movie so much that he gave his Daughter Sara the middle name Jenny. (Melchior had already been taken.)

The problem was that nobody did a worse Forrest Gump impression than Keith. The real problem was that no one did a more frequent Forrest Gump Impression than Keith. I mean how many times does a guy need to say "And that's all I have to say about that" which by the way it is.

Keith won't be at Chuck-E- Cheese. Rats!

We have a family tradition of celebrating our kids 4th birthday party at Chuck-E-Cheese. These pictures are from 6 years ago when Emma turned 4. We just sent out the invitations for Lucy's party next month.

The hardest thing about the upcoming party for us is no Keith. He and Lynne always made time for any occasion our kids were having, a football game, a dance recital, even an opportunity to spend time with a 6 foot rodent. The place won't be the same without Him.