LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- One of the great responsibilities — and privileges — of this job is writing obituaries.
The challenge of summing up a life, particularly one of great accomplishment, is a big task — and an important one. It serves multiple audiences. The public, of course. But also the family, the friends and, in many cases — especially with figures whose deaths draw wide attention — the fans.
I've found myself writing more of these than I'd like over the years. And it probably won't surprise you that many of these stories are begun in advance, often while the subject is very much alive and not even in poor health.
Muhammad Ali was one of those. Denny Crum was another. People so significant to this community that their deaths became community events — and in Ali's case, global ones.
Paul Hornung. Howard Schnellenberger. Owsley Brown Frazier. There have been many. Some of the toughest have been people I knew personally. Cliff Guilliams, longtime racing journalist and Equibase chart caller, was one of the hardest — because the closer you are, the harder it is to create the distance you need to write.
Sometimes you have time to prepare. Sometimes — as was the case with Junior Bridgeman earlier this year — you don't.
This has all been on my mind again with the death of D. Wayne Lukas on Saturday. And it's a reminder that whether we're public figures or not, we all face moments when we're asked to say something about someone we've lost — for a newspaper, or a funeral, or even a social media post.
So I wanted to share a few quick things that help me when I'm faced with that challenge. The toughest obituary I ever wrote was for my mother, who died suddenly in December 2022.
Here are three small things that can help shape the effort:
First, get them into motion.
Put the subject back in their prime, doing what they loved. Don't begin with the end. Start with the life. I still smile thinking of D. Wayne Lukas sprinting through the airport to make his Tonight Show appearance with Johnny Carson after winning his first Kentucky Derby.
Second, return to childhood.
If you can, include the parents. Paint an early scene. When I wrote about Denny Crum, I remembered the story of him shooting hoops at night on a basket his dad had rigged with a light — until the neighbors finally told him to knock it off and go inside.
And third, look around.
The things someone leaves behind — their space, their objects — can tell as much about them as a résumé. After my mother died, I really struggled with what to say. But as I sat in her recliner — the seat from which she ran the house, I got my answer. Around me: her calendar, her books, an oxygen canister. That was her story, too. For another story, the death of legendary Kentucky basketball equipment manager Bill Keightley, I realized quickly I could tell a life story entirely from objects around his Memorial Coliseum office.
As a sportswriter, I've learned that endings matter. You can spend a whole season building a narrative, but 90% of your story can hinge on those final moments. Life is sometimes like that, too. Pay attention to endings. They can say a lot.
Telling someone's life story just after it's ended is one of the most important things we do — whether we're doing it for the public or just a handful of loved ones.
And when done well, it results in some of the best journalism produced daily in America. If you're interested in the craft, I highly recommend the documentary Obit: Life on Deadline, which follows the writers at the New York Times obituary desk. It's streaming on Amazon Prime and elsewhere.
Here's hoping we won't need another for a good, long while.
Quick sips
The ceremony to name a section of Floyd Street "Tom Jurich Way" on Saturday was one of the more remarkable moments in recent University of Louisville sports. Jurich seemed genuinely moved, and the university — through athletics director Josh Heird and president Gerry Bradley — extended appreciation. It was a job well done by Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg and Jurich's friends, particularly John Ramsey and Kenny Klein. [Read more here] and [watch Jurich's speech here].
Today is the final full day of work in the journalism career of my friend, Rick Bozich. His farewell column will post soon — and it's a must-read. You can also read my own sendoff to Rick from last week.
And if you're remembering D. Wayne Lukas, I recommend tributes from Rick, NBC's Tim Layden, and Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde.
The Last Drop
“Death is just the news peg. It's the life that makes it interesting.”
— Bill McDonald, obituary editor of The New York Times
More on D. Wayne Lukas:
Scott Davenport praises storied career of friend D. Wayne Lukas as trainer retires
Coffee with Crawford | D. Wayne Lukas never let the old man in — now he’s turning for home
Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas retires from racing amid serious health issues
Seize the Grey wins the Preakness for D. Wayne Lukas and ends Mystik Dan’s Triple Crown bid
At 88 and still in the saddle, Lukas to receive Derby Museum's first Lifetime Achievement Award
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