DEATH continues in 2021, as it always does....

After we finished Dig last night, Eleanor looked up a number of things about the real Sutton Hoo excavation and its eventual enshrinement in the British Museum. One thing I wondered about was what might have become of her son, Robert, played in the film by an incredible young actor named Archie Barnes. He would have been around eight at the 1939 setting of film and thus would be pushing either 90 or daisies now.

So I googled him. And as soon as "Robert Pretty" went into the search box, "obituary" quickly followed:

Robert Pretty Obituary Sutton Hoo – Death | Dead – Passed Away
By Hudson - February 3, 2021

OMG, I thought. I look the guy up and he dies! ::speaks into microphone:: I WONDER IF DONALD TRUMP IS STILL ALIVE!   But then things got confusing:

On February 3, 2020, InsideEko Media learned about the death of Robert Pretty through social media publications made on Twitter.

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InsideEko is yet to confirm Robert Pretty’s cause of death as no health issues, accident or other causes of death have been learned to be associated with the passing.

This death has caused a lot of friends and family of Pretty so much hurt. It is in that mourning spirit that the concerned persons have taken to social media to share tributes to the deceased and condolences to the affected family.

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Across social media users’ timelines are statements that show respect, admiration, and gratitude towards Pretty as people mourn the passing.

You may use the comment section below to leave a statement on the death of Pretty. To inform other online friends and relatives about this passing, you may use any of the social media share buttons below to do that.

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So, yeah, I was taken in. I scrolled down to a somewhat more reliable site and discovered that Mrs. Pretty's kid died in 1988- of cancer at the age of 57. He was two years younger at the time of his death than his mother was when she died not long after the events of the film (although she was actually much older than the actress who portrayed her).

Now I'm trying to find other fake obituaries that the first-up fake site made up.  Oh, look- there's Loretta Lynn! (Not dead.) The father of an English footballer! (Not sure.) And plenty of randos, but all of them share the same broken English format, minimal information and ads, ads and more ads.  No FPT, though.

But there may be a way.

I noticed the other day that our local paper has begun feeding me pop-ups- on sports stories, of all things- asking me if I want to be put on their email notification list. For obituaries.  Regrettably, I closed it too soon, because as with many things, I had questions:

- Can I filter these? By age, town, profession?

Just as importantly:

- Do you take requests?

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Not a good 2021 for The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

First we all heard of the loss of Cloris Leachman. While her role on that show wasn't its biggest or hers, it was the one that most commonly came up in references to her on her passing.  Well, that, along with the first one I thought of, and always will:
 

Watch on YouTube

Then I came across this from longtime television writer Ken Levine, referencing another MTM alum passing over the weekend:

One of the comedy writers I absolutely revered passed away on Saturday.  Allan Burns was 85.  Among his many achievements, Allan was co-creator and co-showrunner of THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW.    He later went on to do LOU GRANT, get an Oscar nomination for A LITTLE ROMANCE, but before all that wrote Rocky & Bullwinkle cartoons.  

He was also one of the nicest men on the planet.

Unmentioned in the piece, although some commenters did, is that Allan Burns also had a Mel Brooks connection. With his original writing partner Chris Hayward, he was a frequent writer and producer of some of the better Get Smart! episodes. 

Alas, Chris Hayward died in 2005. This death has caused a lot of friends and family of Hayward so much hurt. It is in that mourning spirit that the concerned persons have taken to social media to share tributes to the deceased and condolences to the affected family.

DAMN! Where's that ad link?