tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17094943.post2805688620317821649..comments2024-03-08T02:58:46.131-05:00Comments on Obituary Forum: Farewell GayleAlana Baranickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18082695477704923748noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17094943.post-31400374447014989422009-04-17T19:09:00.000-04:002009-04-17T19:09:00.000-04:00I'm very sorry to hear this news.I'm very sorry to hear this news.mckiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15217754492699859517noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17094943.post-90363064928349489482009-04-17T17:05:00.000-04:002009-04-17T17:05:00.000-04:00Several weeks ago, before Gayle had lung transplan...Several weeks ago, before Gayle had lung transplant surgery, the Society of Professional Obituary Writers (SPOW) created the Gayle Ronan Sims Award, a special award to recognize a deserving obituary writer for journalistic excellence, professionalism and dedication.<br /><br />It's an award that will not be given out annually. It's too special.<br /><br />We planned to announce the creation of the first Gayle Ronan Sims Award and that Gayle herself would be its first recipient during the SPOW Convention in Charlotte, N.C., next week.<br /><br />We also planned to wait until the convention to announce that the 2010 SPOW Convention would be held in Philadelphia with Gayle as the local host.<br /><br />That was one of the last things Gayle discussed with me. I truly believed that she would be in good health and taking charge of things for that event.<br /><br />We'll move forward with those plans and ask that her fellow Philly obit writers step in for her.<br /><br />In our very last conversation, Gayle made me promise that when Ed McMahon dies, I'd post on this blog the McMahon obit which she finished shortly before going into the hospital.<br /><br />That was typical of Gayle. Taking care of business as long as she possibly could, regardless of her own situation.Alana Baranickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18082695477704923748noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17094943.post-73761560624430601402009-04-17T15:13:00.000-04:002009-04-17T15:13:00.000-04:00See http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postmortem/20...See http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postmortem/2009/04/obit_writer_rip.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com