# People You're Amazed Are Still Alive! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 8, 2002, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-youre-amazed-are-still-alive/131404 "2002-10-08T18:24:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-youre-amazed-are-still-alive/131404/1 "2002-10-08T18:24:17Z")
I don’t mean, like, “You mean no one’s beaten Eve to death YET?” I mean people you see in the obits and thought, “Jeez, I thought she was dead ages ago!” For instance: Gertrude Ederle (b. 1906), who swam the English Channel in 1926 Madame Chiang Kai-Shek (b. 1897) Mitch Miller (b. 1911), “sing along with” bandleader Jazz musician and serial husband Artie Shaw (b. 1910) Photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson (b. 1908) Boxer Max Schmeling (b. 1905) ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-youre-amazed-are-still-alive/131404/2 "2002-10-08T18:30:10Z")
Ronald Reagan Strom Thurmond Bob Hope Katherine Hepburn All those Big Band singers that PBS trots out during Pledge Week Art Linkletter – who seems to have caught a second wind and is doing commercials again ---
**Author:** ![EchoKitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@EchoKitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EchoKitty)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-youre-amazed-are-still-alive/131404/3 "2002-10-08T18:45:13Z")
We play the “Dead Celeb” game all the time. Get yerselves an almanac that has celebrated persons and celebrated persons of the past and start tossing the names around. It is truly amazing how sturdy the geezer population is in this world. And great fun for those who are easily amused (like myself, for instance!) ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-youre-amazed-are-still-alive/131404/4 "2002-10-08T18:49:18Z")
But, **Kunilou** , those people still get press coverage—as do Brooke Astor, Leni Riefenstahl, Fay Wray. I’m talking about people you never hear of anymore, then one day they show up in the obits (and, while I am being unecessarily picky and unpleasant, it’s Kath **a** rine Hepburn) . . . Oooh, thought of another one: Paige Morton Black, the “Chock Full o’ Nuts” lady. ---
**Author:** ![Caricci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Caricci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caricci)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-youre-amazed-are-still-alive/131404/5 "2002-10-08T18:58:47Z")
It used to be Sir John Gielgud, till he died. I was sure I’d seen reports of his death and then there he’d be. Now it’s Art Carney. I am a little shocked my Mme. Chiang Kai-Shek. ---
**Author:** ![Francesca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@Francesca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francesca)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-youre-amazed-are-still-alive/131404/6 "2002-10-08T18:59:35Z")
Spike Milligan, who I am convinced is just never going to die. And Henri Cartier-Bresson is still alive? Blimey. ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-youre-amazed-are-still-alive/131404/7 "2002-10-08T19:17:10Z")
When I saw this thread title, I assumed Eve must’ve just seen Keith Richards on the cover of the current [Rolling Stone](http://www.rollingstone.com/features/coverstory/featuregen.asp?pid=1111). There he is, standing upright, and I’m still amazed he’s still alive. My god. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-youre-amazed-are-still-alive/131404/8 "2002-10-08T19:24:37Z")
Just FYI: “Generalissimo Francisco Franco is _still_ dead. . .” Tripler Just to let you know. ---
**Author:** ![Caricci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Caricci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caricci)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-youre-amazed-are-still-alive/131404/9 "2002-10-08T19:28:22Z")
When I saw this, I was hoping nobody would say Keith because that’s what everyone says. There was even an article in the Providence Journal about it. I wanted to tell the author “No doi”. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-youre-amazed-are-still-alive/131404/10 "2002-10-08T19:41:32Z")
For a while, I thought Edward Teller was dead. I mean I just _knew_ was dead. He ain’t. ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-youre-amazed-are-still-alive/131404/11 "2002-10-08T19:46:04Z")
Yeah, I know, it’s kind of a cliche to talk about how Keith looks like he’s dead. But have you SEEN that picture? It’s like they went out of their way to make him look as zombie-like as possible… ---
**Author:** ![Caricci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Caricci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caricci)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-youre-amazed-are-still-alive/131404/12 "2002-10-08T19:59:07Z")
He does look pretty darn bad, I agree. And I meant no offense to people fond of discussing Keith’s being alive. ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-youre-amazed-are-still-alive/131404/13 "2002-10-08T20:07:39Z")
Al Hirschfeld, cartoonist. Hell, his daughter, Nina (you know, "find the Ninas in the Hirschfeld cartoon), must be 100 years old herself. Al Lewis (aka Grandpa, from the Munsters. What was his last name? Wasn’t he Lilly’s father?) ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-youre-amazed-are-still-alive/131404/14 "2002-10-08T20:12:16Z")
Carol Channing. _Hello, Dolly Well hello, Dolly…_ \ ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-youre-amazed-are-still-alive/131404/15 "2002-10-08T20:43:12Z")
Lady Bird Johnson is still kicking around, amazingly. [http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/firstladies/cj36.html](http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/firstladies/cj36.html) ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-youre-amazed-are-still-alive/131404/16 "2002-10-08T21:04:37Z")
Leni “I’m a filmaker, not a Nazi” Reissensthal (and no, I obviously have no idea how to spell her last name) ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-youre-amazed-are-still-alive/131404/17 "2002-10-08T21:08:52Z")
I was quite surprised to find out that Billie Bird is still alive. Since I haven’t seen her on TV for about a decade, I was sure that she was dead… but I was wrong. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-youre-amazed-are-still-alive/131404/18 "2002-10-08T21:19:23Z")
Is Francis Crick still alive? I guess not, but I’m not sure. ---
**Author:** ![jmpride62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@jmpride62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jmpride62)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-youre-amazed-are-still-alive/131404/19 "2002-10-08T21:23:05Z")
Buddy Ebsen ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-youre-amazed-are-still-alive/131404/20 "2002-10-08T21:23:35Z")
**Eve** , are you using us for when you join a celebrity death pool? Alistair Cooke, and God Bless him, when I went and [found him](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/letter_from_america/default.stm), I found out he’s still writing better than everyone else in the world put together. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-youre-amazed-are-still-alive/131404.md?page=2)