Francis J. Hartman took his eight children and their spouses to Paris for his 95th birthday.  He wanted to take them to Ireland for his 100th. But he was short by about five years when he passed away.

Eleanor Hope Fuhs’ obituary is a long one, full of accomplishments, love for family and an ending that came only after a fight. Known as Dr. Hope, “she was a literal genius, a mathematician, a teacher, a musician and an artist,” that obituary notes. “She was a trailblazer in education who selflessly steered her students, colleagues and her family with love, a sense of humor and a quiet fortitude.”

Gerald “Gerry” Shreiber was many things: a stern but generous boss, an animal lover and a self-made businessman who abided by no one’s rules but his own, his obituary notes.

Ruth Lowe’s dance career might have been nipped in the bud before it bloomed. Her father, James Adams, was West Berlin’s fire chief, no doubt used to alarms and other noises in the town where the family lived. But he didn’t always care for the sound his daughter’s tap shoes made at home.

It’s been more than a month since Dennis “Denny” Blake died, and his wife of nearly 40 years still can’t believe it. “He was just an awesome guy,” said Jeanne Blake, “and I loved him.”

“Sometimes you fall in love with an instrument as you’re building it,” Nevin Fahs wrote in a 2012 blog post. “In fact, I usually do, which can make it difficult to be objective when it’s all done. So I’ll leave others to judge it.”