Out-of-this-world OBITS
A conversation with my brother on how we might be remembered came down to an engaging obit -funny, honest, informal- all hanging on a strong lede.
Writing the lead sentence for one’s own obit offers a range of possibilities that begin to unravel who you really are.
Given the twist and turns of my life, I couldn’t just pick one event to characterize my life. So I wrote several versions. Here are my self-obits:
Old and productive - Gone today
Prof. Emeritus Andrew Ciofalo, who actively ran his American study-abroad education company well into his 90’s, died today at age 98 while living obscurely on financial fumes in Moscow, Russia.
He coulda been somebody
The prideful young man who was once called “the best writer” in his Columbia graduate journalism class by the revered Prof. Larry Pinkham, died Today at age 98 in Moscow, Russia - never having lived up to those expectations. But Prof. Emeritus Andrew Ciofalo did pivot into an innovative career in journalism education where he helped others fulfill his faded dream.
Exploding zinc / In a sink/ Led him to think / “Am I at the brink.”
No one remembers the high school knuckleball pitcher, robbed of his passion to play baseball by a lab accident, parlaying that incident into a journalism career, eventually riding the opportunities provided by the invention of the World-Wide Web to become one of the most innovative experiential journalism professors in the U.S. Prof. Emeritus Andrew Ciofalo died today in Moscow, Russia, at age 98, where he lived with his wife, Dr. Olga Timofeeva, an oft referenced neuro-science researcher.
From Brooklyn to Baltimore to Moscow - the journey finally ends.
Prof Emeritus Andrew Ciofalo, 98, who once edited several community weeklies in the competitive NYC market, died today in Moscow, Russia where he continued to write his marginally popular Substack column, “The Home Stretch,” for the past 10 years - many of which have been edited into four self-published books. The column evolved from his successful free-lance Op-Ed writing stint with The Baltimore Sun in the 1980’s.
His quest for truth ends in a Moscow cemetery
Prof. Emeritus Andrew Ciofalo, who spent the last 10 years of his life living in Moscow, Russia - ”on the right side of history” as he called it - died today at age 98, never realizing his dream of a peaceful world in which nations unite to confront the major problems facing humanity. By his side as he went peacefully was his wife, neuro-scientist Dr. Olga Timofeeva, whom he credited with opening his eyes to the truths not visible to him while he was on the other side of the “Iron Curtain.”
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Then I asked my friends to participate. Most wouldn’t, but here are some other contributions:
Prof Emeritus Andrew Ciofalo, 98, no longer with us
Having known Andy Ciofalo for 40 years, nothing comes as a surprise or an "odd request." So when I received his ask to provide a "working copy" of his obituary as a prosaic exercise, I thought, "Yeah, that fits." But having known Andy over the years, I have come to understand that even in the carnage of a Post-Trumpian-Apocalypse," Andy Ciofalo will still be standing. That great frame of his a living testament to the possibility of "What if?" But since we are now mourning the absence of our friend's great profile, we acknowledge that he will leave an equally great space in our hearts until we see him again.
Dr. Adrian Blissfield, End of Life Counsellor
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Last writes: American in Moscow finishes a big life a blog short
To the benefit of others, Andy Ciofalo never hesitated to go where fools rush in, be it to become a knuckleball pitcher at age 15, to turn down a job offer from The New York Times, to teach journalistic writing before reporting, to double down on his journalism study abroad company despite a global pandemic or to move to Moscow shortly before Russia attacked Ukraine.
Ciofalo, a journalism professor emeritus from Loyola University (MD) and founder of the Institute for Education in International Media study abroad program, died Monday at home in Moscow, his wife Dr. Olga Timofeeva at his side, his final Substack "Home Stretch" blog entry unfinished. He was 98 and a pessimist, chagrined to die nine years later than he predicted.
Dr. Michael Dorsher, Professor Emeritus, UW Eau Claire.
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Aggressive mentor, 98, elevating no longer
One sentence is worth a lifetime of gratitude. It was Andy’ Ciofalo’s efficiency that impressed me the most. He was able to change the trajectory of my study—my future—in just one floor’s lift in an elevator.
Dr. Kevin Atticks, Secretary of Agriculture, State of Maryland
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Extra! Extra! Read All About It: Andrew Ciofalo, Media Maestro and Romantic Wordsmith, Signs Off at 98
Andrew Ciofalo, professor extraordinaire, journalism wizard, and dream weaver, has left us at the sprightly age of 98, to presumably start a communications department in the hereafter. A proud alumnus of Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, he had a passion for media that knew no bounds, propelling him to start the Institute for Education in International Media, where he convinced students that studying abroad was, in fact, hard work.
His classroom was a mystical realm where theories of communication danced with practical wizardry. Known for his signature phrase, "That's a great story, but let's make it better," Andrew transformed the mundane into the extraordinary, one lecture at a time.
Andrew's life was not just about shaping young minds; it was also a love story that would make Shakespeare envious. He wooed his third wife, Olga, with poetry so moving that even the cynics wept. Together, they embarked on their final adventure to Moscow, where they lived a life that could easily be mistaken for a spy novel plot - minus the spies, but with all the intrigue.
A connoisseur of good food, Andrew believed that every meal should be a celebration. He was often heard saying, "If you're going to eat salad, make sure it's the best salad." This philosophy extended to his life - he lived it with zest, savoring every moment like a fine wine.
Andrew leaves behind a legacy of dreams realized and stories well told. His daughter Terri, his son David, and his grandchildren, Andrew and Olivia?, will continue to tell his tales, probably with less journalistic flair, but with just as much love.
As we bid farewell to this extraordinary man, we imagine him at a celestial typewriter, crafting heavenly headlines. Here’s to you, Professor Ciofalo, may your stories continue to inspire, and your legacy live on in every student who dared to dream bigger because of you.
Prof. Rachele Kanigel, SFSU, and her trusty collaborator, ChatGPT
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JUST IN: Here’s a real a obit that every lover of written journalism should read
In closing this segment out, I wanted to call your attention to the obit of Jon Franklin, one of best science writers that ever was and a master of narrative journalism. We were associated when he was working at the Baltimore Evening Sun and I was teaching at Loyola U., where he guested in my feature writing class.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2024/01/23/jon-franklin-journalist-pulitzer-dies/
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