Obituaries shouldn't just be for rich, famous

Someone asked me if you have to be famous to have an obituary in a newspaper.

It is certainly expected a newspaper will note a death of a prominent person in their community.

National newspapers, with limited space in their obituary sections each week, will concentrate on those who perhaps have clocked up a bit more fame and prominence than your ordinary citizen.

However, my view is an obituary is one of the greatest services a newspaper can do for its community, and all persons are worthy.

I once ran a large obit on the man who stacked supermarket trolleys at Johnsonville's Countdown supermarket. He was out in all weathers, doggedly transferring trolleys from the trolley park to the supermarket interior. He had mental health problems. Everyone knew him, because he would shout at you if you didn't stack your trolley properly. His funeral had an impressive turnout, including a large Countdown contingent.

My point is, people are worth celebrating.

I have promoted this concept in editorials before, in encouraging our readers to look around and realise role models are all round us, not just dressed in black on a sports field. This concept is also true for those who have died. An obituary is a celebration of a person's life, and perhaps a guide to how we should be living ours. When I read one, I admit I tend to make comparisons, to reflect on what my life is doing, and where it is going. I also note what made that person happy and, quite often, it is the basic things, the everyday things. A loving partner for life, family, and a sense of making a difference and contributing to a community. Obits will often detail obstacles and how that person overcame them. They will detail what made the person happy. Sometimes I read them, wondering if there's a secret to life, to be revealed. But the reality is, in life, we try to do our best, love and be loved, have as much fun as we can, and hopefully make a difference.

I would welcome the opportunity to see more obituaries in the Wairarapa Times-Age, to share their lives with our readers for one last time.