Use of "passes away"

kicked the oxygen habit has a nice ring.

 

He was terrific in The Client.

 

The quarterback passed away to avoid being sacked.

 

I actually had a conversation with a copy editor about this one time. He would use or leave in "passed away" and I said, "Just say he died."

I thought he was going to come over his desk at me.

"If you'd ever lost your father, you wouldn't feel that way!" he said.

 

Are you serious??? What's the fucking difference???

When I tell a layman (i.e. non-journalism person) that someone "died," you can almost tell they're shocked that I actually said that which shall not be said.

 

How did he feel the second time he lost his father? That's what I would've asked.

 

I had a conversation like this once...my grandfather (who bears more responsibility for me being the man I am than anyone but my parents) died when I was in college.
Someone said, "Sorry you lost your grandfather."
I said, "I didn't lose him...I know exactly where he is...section 647 of Calvary Cemetery."
To her credit, she expected that reaction from me.
If that makes me a cold bastard, so be it.
And I like "kicked the oxygen habit." I'm also toying with saying that I "became one with the Force" in my obituary.

 

Fortunately, my paper was able to use death (and died) when describing the death of a high school senior last month. Even though the sentence structure may have dictated it, I was so glad to see it happen, instead of using "passed away."

The lede to a front-page school board meeting story in our competition began by declaring that the board meeting Tuesday night "began with a moment of silence to reflect on the loss of high school student..."

It's not the "loss of high school student..." it's the death of high school student... She's not lost. We know where she is -- buried in a particular cemetery. (I wrote that before re-reading the previous post.)

The second paragraph was even more cringe worthy -- "When the board meeting got under way, there was any but silence in the room during the three-hour meeting."

I kid you not. I am not creative enough to have come up with something like that.

 

It's all about context. If it's a news story, it's "died." If it's a lengthy feature story or a column, it could go either way, depending on the tone.

To be sure, "died" almost always is preferable, but there are times when "passed away" can be appropriate. Circumstances are everything.

 

But even that may not always be accurate.

 

I want to see more -30- myself.

 

Wow. : Just wow.