Long Life, Positive Life - They Will Be Missed

What do you wish to leave behind? That's what LifePrints is all about. When you are gone how will people sum up your life? Will they say you worked hard for what you believed in? Or will they shrug their shoulders if someone asks about your true passion? Will they remember you for being kind or for being a curmudgeon? Your sense of humor or your biting sarcasm? You still have time to decide what your legacy will be.

This past year we lost some great individuals who made lasting contributions to our world. People who when you hear their name you know immediately what they cared about and how they manifested that in their lives.

Liz Clairborne launched her own line of clothing in 1976 after toiling undiscovered for years in the backrooms of other designers. She clothed a new breed of executive - the upwardly mobile woman, at that time, often the first female executives in their companies. By 1986 her company was the first Fortune 500 company to be owned by a woman.

Marcel Marceau was the world's most famous mime. Born in 1923, he survived the Nazi occupation and helped children death escape as part of the French Underground. His father was murdered in Auschwitz. In 1959, he established his own school in Paris, and later the Marceau Foundation to promote the art of pantomime in the United States. He received an Emmy for this work on television and was considered a National Treasure in Japan. His career in "the art of silence" lasted over sixty years.

Walter Schirra Jr. was the only US astronaut to fly in all three of NASA's first programs: Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo. He was the Command Pilot on Apollo VII during the first manned flight test of the three directional spacecraft. He retired from NASA in 1969 and later co-authored "The Real Space Cowboys" with Ed Buckbee, a former NASA public affairs officer and the first executive director of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. The book highlighted the Mercury astronauts and their contribution to the U.S. space program.

Ira Levin wrote seven novels in his lifetime. Most of which were New York Times Best Sellers and major motion pictures. "Rosemary's Baby", "The Boys from Brazil" and "The Stepford Wives" tapped into the deep personal fears of a generation (and probably all generations to come).

Madeleine L'Engle was in her 40's when her novel "A Wrinkle In Time" rocked the worlds of young readers. The book was rejected by 26 publishers before someone finally saw the light. It later received a Newbery Medal and hasn't stopped selling since 1963.

Ruth Bell Graham, wife of famous Baptist minister Billy Graham, was anything but a demure preacher's wife. She was his most outspoken adviser, telling him not to run for president or pursue a TV career as a televangelist. She loved to move behind the scenes, away from the spotlight, and helped him craft and research sermons and even books. A gifted poet and writer herself, Ruth authored or coauthored 14 books.

And lastly and sadly, singer and songwriter Dan Fogelberg. His songs will forever live in my heart. Christmas means hearing "Same Ole Lang Syne" on the radio and I can't tell you how many time I've shed tears to his famous song "Longer". Dan died last month from prostate cancer at the age of 51. Please visit his website for an emotional message from him (it's near the bottom of the page under Now for the Sermon) urging all men to have prostate exams. This is as important as an annual breast exam is to women.

These incredible people will be missed but I can still read the Levin and L'Engle's books, watch Marceau on DVD, buy Lizwear, and listen to Dan's sweet voice. Use their amazing LifePrints as inspiration to follow your bliss, live your passion, and leave your mark.