Immortalized

Throughout much of 2020, social distancing restrictions meant that thousands upon thousands of American families were unable to hold funeral services for loved ones who died. What did that do to our lives? And how do we move forward from that grief? In the final episode of Season 1, Linnea and Stephen look at how people in 2021 are honoring their losses with all different sorts of memorial practices.

More and more often, families are including humor in their loved ones’ obituaries: funny memories, inside jokes, and absurd tall tales. Does laughter make death easier to bear? In this episode, Linnea and Stephen share some of the funniest tributes they’ve come across, and break down the four different types of humor that keep creeping into people’s obituaries.

Out of the people whose deaths made headlines over the past month, whose obituary guest books received the biggest outpouring of condolences? And what sorts of thoughts did people have to share about them?  In this episode, Linnea takes us through the ten obituaries from August 2021 whose Legacy.com guest books filled up with memories and messages from the largest number of well-wishers.

It was the most profound event of mass grief America had seen in generations. 20 years later, the legacy of Sept. 11 is still reverberating through the world. In this episode, we discuss what it took to establish online tributes to all 3,000 who died, and we look at the incredible memories and messages people have shared over the years.

50 percent of the people who die are women -- so why do men account for 75 percent of obituary news headlines? Legacy correspondent Jessica Campbell joins Linnea and Stephen to unearth some recent women's life stories that deserve to be remembered for all time.

This year’s National Newspaper Association award for best obituary went to Rachel Wagoner for her moving tribute to a much-loved Ohio dairy farmer. We talk with Rachel about how she captured an everyday life story in a memorable piece of writing—and how grieving families everywhere might do the same.

When some obituaries are published, they receive not just dozens, but hundreds -- or even thousands -- of condolences. In this episode, Linnea takes us through the seven obituaries from July 2021 whose Legacy.com guest books filled up with memories and messages from the largest number of well-wishers.

Batman’s parents, Spider-Man’s Uncle Ben, the Scarlet Witch’s family — why do almost all the superhero myths have grief and death at their heart? We discuss what comic book heroes’ funeral traditions have in common with everyday families, with special guests Dr. William G. Hoy, contributor to the new book “Superhero Grief,” and Danielle Zimmerman, Legacy.com's grief support coordinator.

A surprising number of people live past 100 years old. In this episode, Linnea and Stephen share the remarkable life stories of the centenarians whose obituaries have made headlines over the past year — from the very last Civil War veteran’s widow to the very last stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age.