BEAUTIFUL:DECAYLIFE & DEATH IN LOS ANGELES

BEAUTIFUL:DECAYLife & Death in Los Angeles

Flowers grow, bloom fade and die in the shadow of downtown Los Angeles. It is a beautiful, brutal world they live in, striving to drink, gather sun light and reproduce. There are as many stories of humans here as well. Stop and take a look.

BEAUTIFUL:DECAYLIFE & DEATH IN LOS ANGELES

Flowers are beautiful. Flowers are numerous and easy to ignore. Growing everywhere even in downtown Los Angeles, walked past on the way to lunch, driven past on the way to work. Flowers fight, they crowd, roots push and shoe for their share of the water. They race to bath in the sunlight before another flower shades them out. Pedals open in the mid day sun, and close in the evening

Obituaries are from the LA Times and the deceased last day is tied closely to the dates that the photos were taken.

All to often we do not stop to read even the briefest summation of 20, 30, 50 or 100 years of a human life on this planet. Beautiful flowers passed over.

Photos from the first three months of 2009, at what currently is the State Historical Park in downtown Los Angeles, former site of a train depot, a native american settlement, a wet land of the Los Angeles river and play ground for woolly mammoth and field mice.

1

Marie Babare Edwards dies at 89; psychologist helped pioneer a 'singles pride' movementBy Valerie J. NelsonEdwards used her book, 'The Challenge of Being Single,' and workshops she taught at USC to advocate equal social status for the never or formerly married. >>

"Pointy potential"

2

Christopher Nolan dies at 43; Irish poet and novelistAssociated PressThe writer refused to allow cerebral palsy to interfere with his career. >>

"Emerge"

3

Sister Aline Marie Gerber dies at 92; nun served as caretaker at Doheny MansionBy Claire NolandGerber taught Spanish, Italian and French at Mount St. Mary's College for 45 years and guided a program that trained highly educated Cuban immigrants to become Spanish teachers in California.

"Snap out of it"

4

Snooks Eaglin dies 72; blind musician was a New Orleans legend Associated PressR&B singer and guitarist Snooks Eaglin, a New Orleans legend who counted platinum-selling rockers among his fans, has died. He was 72.

"All the fish in the sea, all the tea in China"

5

Mary Ridgway dies at 66; widely respected L.A. County probation officer By Elaine WooRidgway was a 42-year veteran of the L.A. County Probation Department who was an expert on Eastside gangs and guided more than 5,000 youths through the challenges of probation.

"Apogee"

6

Marvin Rand dies at 84; photographer cataloged L.A. architectural historyBy Elaine WooMarvin Rand, a photographer whose images captured more than five decades of Los Angeles' architectural history, including landmark works by Irving Gill, Charles and Henry Greene and Watts Towers creator Simon Rodia, died Saturday at his Marina del Rey home. He was 84. >>

"I will always remember this moment"

7

Timothy P. Davis, 28, of Aberdeen, Wash.; staff sergeant, Air Force. Davis died Friday near Bagram, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Fla.

"Monet"

8

Sean D. Diamond, 41, of Dublin, Calif.; staff sergeant, Army. Diamond died Feb. 15 in As Salam, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. He was assigned to the 610th Engineer Support Company, 14th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade at Ft. Lewis, Wash.

"Life is cheap, summer days long"

9

Daniel L. Hansen, 24, of Tracy, Calif.; staff sergeant, Marine Corps. Hansen died Feb. 14 while supporting combat operations in Farah province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Marine Wing Support Squadron 171, Marine Wing Support Group 17, 1st Marine Air Wing, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force in Iwakuni,

"Time twists and moves in one direction"

10

Raymond J. Munden, 35, of Mesquite, Texas; sergeant first class, Army. Munden died Monday at Forward Operating Base Tillman in Paktika province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using indirect fire. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Ft. Campbell, Ky.

"Besides myself with joy"

11

James E. Swett dies at 88; Marine Corps pilot in WWIIBy Claire Noland | 12:00 AM PSTSwett was awarded the Medal of Honor after shooting down seven Japanese bombers in 15 minutes over the Solomon Islands. >>

"Late afternoon snack"

12

Kay Yow dies at 66; North Carolina State basketball coach, Hall of FamerAssociated PressKay Yow, the Hall of Fame women's basketball coach at North Carolina State University who won more than 700 games while earning fans with her decades-long fight against breast cancer, died Saturday. She was 66.

"Starlet no more"

13

Geshe Tsultim Gyeltsen dies at 85; Tibetan lama founded Long Beach Buddhist centerBy Elaine WooGeshe Tsultim Gyeltsen, a leading Tibetan lama, human rights activist and founder of a Buddhist center in Long Beach, died Feb. 13 after a short illness. He was 85. >>

"Cubic function explorer"

14

Larry H. Miller dies at 64; Car-sales mogul owned NBA’s Utah JazzTimes Staff And Wire ReportsLarry H. Miller, the car-sales mogul who turned the Utah Jazz into one of the NBA's most stable teams, died Friday at his home in Salt Lake City from complications of type 2 diabetes, the team announced. He was 64. >>

"a violent, rotating column of air"

15

Mary Ridgway dies at 66; widely respected L.A. County probation officerBy Elaine WooRidgway was a 42-year veteran of the L.A. County Probation Department who was an expert on Eastside gangs and guided more than 5,000 youths through the challenges of probation. >>

"to be kissed once more"

16

Irby Mandrell, father and longtime manager of country singer Barbara Mandrell, dies at 84By Claire NolandIrby Mandrell taught his daughter Barbara to play an array of musical instruments at the shop he ran in Oceanside, and then helped guide her country singing career as her longtime manager. >>

"never surrender your beauty"

17

Colleen Howe dies at 76; 'Mrs. Hockey' was wife of Hall of Famer Gordie HoweAssociated PressColleen Howe, the wife of hockey great Gordie Howe and one of the first female sports agents, died Friday. She was 76. >>

"humorous exchanges over food and drinks"

18

Jeffrey A. Reed, 23, of Chesterfield, Va.; sergeant, Army. Reed died Monday in Balad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle was struck by a grenade in Taji, Iraq. He was assigned to the 411th Military Police Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade at Ft. Hood, Texas.

"Everything You Need to Know About Hair Color"

19

William Jorden dies at 85; onetime journalist wrote about U.S. foreign policy, then helped craft itBy Lauren WisemanWilliam Jorden, a former New York Times reporter who became a State Department specialist on the Vietnam War as well as U.S. ambassador to Panama, and who wrote a definitive account of the 1978 Panama Canal treaty negotiations, died of lung cancer Friday at a nursing care facility in New Bedford, Mass. He was 85. >>

"Coefficient of hydrodynamic pressure in open spaces"

20

Nell Soto dies at 82; California state senator championed environmental protectionBy Sam QuinonesNell Soto, who worked in citrus groves as a Depression-era child and rose to become a California state senator and among the first Latino officials to fight for environmental protection, died Thursday. She was 82. >>

"Slither the snakes said with their bodies"

21

Simone A. Robinson, 21, of Dixmoor, Ill.; sergeant, Army National Guard. Robinson died March 1 at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, of wounds sustained Jan. 17 when an improvised explosive device detonated near her security post in Kabul, Afghanistan. She was assigned to the 634th Brigade Support Battalion of the Illinois Army National Guard in Crestwood, Ill.

"May the webs we create out last us"

22

Cwislyn K. Walter, 19, of Honolulu; private first class, Army National Guard. Walter died Thursday in Kuwait City, Kuwait, of injuries sustained from a non-combat-related incident. She was assigned to the 29th Special Troops Battalion, 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the Hawaii National Guard.

"Snakes of you (in my mind)"

23

Stephen S. Thompson, 23, of Tulsa, Okla.; corporal, Army. Thompson died Feb. 14 in Baghdad of injuries sustained from a gunshot wound. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division at Ft. Hood, Texas.

"The fire"

24

Howard Zieff dies at 81; directed 'Private Benjamin' and other comediesBy Dennis McLellanHoward Zieff, a top advertising print photographer and TV commercial director in the 1960s and early '70s before tapping his flair for comedy as the director of movies including "Private Benjamin," "Hearts of the West" and "My Girl," has died. He was 81. >>

"inside outs"

25

Norm Van Lier, Ex-Chicago Bulls guard, broadcasterJose M. Osorio / Chicago TribuneFormer Chicago Bulls guard Norm Van Lier, seen in 1999, found a new career as a sports radio talk-show host and commentator in Chicago after retiring from the National Basketball Assn.

"Husk(y) with yellow flames"

26

Martin Eli Weil dies at 68; restoration architect and founding member of the L.A. ConservancyBy Dennis McLellanMartin Eli Weil, a leading restoration architect and a past president of the Los Angeles Conservancy who was involved in the restoration of landmark structures such as the El Capitan Theatre and the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Storer House in the Hollywood Hills, has died. He was 68. >>

"Twist and shout"

27

William Jorden dies at 85; onetime journalist wrote about U.S. foreign policy, then helped craft itBy Lauren WisemanWilliam Jorden, a former New York Times reporter who became a State Department specialist on the Vietnam War as well as U.S. ambassador to Panama, and who wrote a definitive account of the 1978 Panama Canal treaty negotiations, died of lung cancer Friday at a nursing care facility in New Bedford, Mass. He was 85. >>

"Paint the corners first"

28

James Brady dies at 80; Parade magazine columnist, prolific authorBy Tony PerryJames Brady, a longtime celebrity columnist for Parade magazine and prolific author who brought graceful writing and sharp observations to worlds as disparate as those of the tycoons of the fashion industry and the Marine "grunts" of the Korean War, has died. He was 80. >>

"A disorderly exit we all make"

29

Jimmy Boyd dies at 70; singer of 'I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus'By Valerie J. Nelson | 6:26 PM PDTJimmy Boyd, a singer best known for recording the Christmas novelty hit “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” in 1952 when he was 13, died Saturday. He was 70. >>

"Sky scrapers of tomorrow"

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© 2009 Raymond J Woods II www.27rayArt.com