Godspeed, Space Wanderer: Add John Glenn’s name to 2016’s awful deathlist

“To be a full participant in democracy, everyone should keep up with current events. Don’t let your view of government and politics and world events be formed through the filter of other people’s biases or ignorance. Develop your own ideas, for you are the government.” — John Glenn

2016 has been such a strange year in every way — hey, the Cubbies won the World Series! — that people have taken to hearing another unthinkable headline, or learning of the death of yet another musician, or public figure, and just shaking their head and mumbling, “2016, man….”

Earlier today we learned that Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake and Palmer died at age 69, (Peter Emerson passed last March) and now, John Glenn has passed away at age 95. He was the first American to orbit the earth; he went on to become a US Senator:

John Glenn, who captured the nation’s attention in 1962 as the first American to orbit the Earth during a tense time when the United States sought supremacy over the Soviet Union in the space race, and who rocketed back into space 36 years later, becoming the oldest astronaut in history, died Dec. 8 at a hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Mr. Glenn, who in his post-NASA career served four terms as a U.S. senator from Ohio, was 95. The death was confirmed by Hank Wilson, communications director at the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at Ohio State University. Mr. Glenn had a stroke after heart-valve replacement surgery in 2014, but the immediate cause was not announced.

What an amazing life — no resting on the laurels of past glories for him. Rest in peace, space wanderer…and flights of angels lead thee to thy rest.

And now we add his name (and Lake’s) to this — really unbelievable, when you look at it all — rather complete listing of all the public figures death has claimed this year, from the world of religion, arts, politics. Lots of heroes fallen…2016, man…