In Memoriam: Marie Olbermann (1929-2009)
By scarce Wednesday Apr 08, 2009 1:30pm
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Keith Olbermann's poignant tribute on his mother's passing.
Keith mentioned two charities at the end of the broadcast: The Susan G. Komen Foundation and St. Jude Children's Hospital. (h/t earicicle)
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I think this is a unique way of expressing a sliver of ones feeling for a loved one. We all have parents and have or will face their passing. Missing the fondness you held and continue to hold is essential.
"Anything I can do" or anything you need" is generally said and meant among friends.
It may not fit in this instance since I do not know Keith personnally. Yet someone that does know him should if they haven't.
Keith was a very fortunate man for having such awesome lady for a mum.
but hated her politics, the old winger! It's just a shame that he died before he got to see the epic failure of his wonderful conservative philosophy.
Rest, both of you.
Rest in peace, Mrs. Olbermann. My condolences, Keith.
By the way, did y'all see Olbermann's piece on "sovereign immunity" from the Obama administration? Here's a review by TPM.
Now we know where Keith gets his intelligence and eloquence from. Condolences to Keith.
I didn't know any of this about his mom until he told us about her. He handled it so very well. Sounds like his mom was a spitfire and I mean that in an admirable sort of way.
Both my parents are dead and sadly I never cried for either of their deaths. My father was a horrible drunk and my mother decided if I wouldn't turn to jesus, she would turn away form me. Having said that, I do feel envy when I hear of people having such wonderful and loving parents. Keith was so fortunate to have been able to share so much of his life with a mom like that.
RIP to your parents, as well as to KO's mother.
Nine years ago this October. 10 days from diagnosis to her final breath. I miss her to this day, and I mourn her absence in my kids' lives.
What a wonderful tribute to his mother.
My grandmother also passed away in a similar manner, about two weeks after we got the diagnosis. It was very sad, but I was relieved she didn't have to struggle through months of treatments (like my father did), and that I got to say goodbye. I wish that I could have given her more great-grandchildren to dote on, but that wasn't meant to be.
Mine died last year of Alzheimer's, which was a fifteen year, torturous process for everyone.
I think I'd prefer the way your g-ma and my m-i-l went myself. Still, it's sad. My m-i-l got to meet my oldest, who was 2 1/2 when she died. My m-i-l couldn't finish a sentence in my kid's presence, because she couldn't stop cooing and giggling. I just wish she had the chance to see how all of the grandkids have grown.
And thank you too.
I like to think everyone we've lost knows that they're loved and missed, and they're looking out for the grandchildren and great-grandchildren... :)
My mother has been suffering from Alzheimer's for the past five years. She doesn't even know me now. She's half her weight and wears a helmet because all she does is walk up and down the halls and falls quite a bit. 15 years?! How did you do you it? I see her and I wish she was gone because I feel she's gone already. It's torn apart this family and much of my faith. I just can't imagine another ten years of this.
I still have her dog Cassie though, I got it for her before we knew what was going on with her about 4 years ago. when we had to move her into a nursing home I got to keep the dog. Cassie reminds me of her smile. She loved dogs. It was her best friend. She's my best friend now. Sorry tearing up now.
I can't even imagine how hard that must be.
My mother was, sorry, IS the strongest person I know. She lost a husband, a brother, a best friend in the same year and her strength was amazing. She kept this family together during it's toughest times. I'm her baby out four and we're tight. But to see her now you'd never know how tough she was. She's so tiny and fragile. I miss the woman I knew a short five years ago.
Every case is different. It sounds like your mom was progressed more rapidly than my grandmother...or it's possible that she was declining before anyone was aware.
It is not something I would wish on anyone. I did get a rare moment of lucidity at the end in which we could say good bye. I've heard that isn't completely uncommon and that's the thing that gives me peace now.
She was was very young when she was diagnosed. 65, she's 70 now. We are told by a lot of people that the disease has progressed very quick. It took a car accident for us to know what was going on with her. They told us her short term memory was almost nonexistent.
It's really nice to hear you were able to say good bye. I'm hoping for at least that.
Thanks for your support.
Let's get that stem cell research going, thank you President Obama.
And my condolences to Keith and everyone in the Olbermann family.
I loved Keith's tribute to his mother. It was very touching, and I got a little giggle when Keith asked his mother for her collector's baseball and she told him he could bid on it just like everyone else. That was very sweet, I thought.
For those who never got the chance to meet Mrs. Olbermann, her influence will reach them through her great son. You raised him well, Mrs. Olbermann! :)
parents I know the feeling.
Regardless how short that was that's the most sensible thing I've heard you say all week. It's tough losing anyone. I lost my dad when he was 60 from diabetes. The one thing we all learn is it hurts and you never get over it but the pain eases and learn to remember all the good things. Like the first time I heard my old man say "fuck". I was shocked. I was messing around with my brother and held a lighter to his arm when he wasn't looking and he jumped back. My dad, "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING!!!" I felt like I was one the men. Then we lit up a blunt and proceeded to raid the fridge. Alright, the last part was lie but I thought it was really cool to her my old man say "fuck".
My dad was a serious baseball fan, died in October.
...if Keith didn't get choked up about this, I sure did. My best wishes to the Olbermann family.
I was crying too. I was crying for the pain he must have felt as he talked about his mom.
until the giants win the ws
he took me to my first pro game in 1971....at the stick...colder than shit...fog covered the field
chris spier hit a triple...at least i think it was a triple, you couldnt see the ball
and ko's mom was a bigger yankee fan than amatto...proving that no matter what your politics...no one is perfect
'Cuz I'm looking at the roster and not feeling confident this year, triple notwithstanding.
i figure they should win the ws around then
when the team made it into the ws in 02, we were all in boston visiting my bro
we sat in my parents hotel room watching the playoff game
he was so excited
nothing brings families together more than baseball...nothing
What ever the illness is your Dad has over the Giants winning a World Series. I think I have it too........
Does smoking pot help ease the stress and effects of loosing seasons?
Was she still a Yankee fan even after 2B Chuck Knoblauch, in the process of having a very public mental breakdown, hit her in the face with a wild throw back in 2000? :)
...If you can remember your parents fondly, you have been blessed.
RIP Marie Olberman. "You done good!"
Condolences to Keith and family.
Best wishes to the Olberman family. I lost my mother 10 years ago last month.
... to Keith & family.
Any mother would be proud, any son equal parts blessed & devestated.
Hang in there, big guy.
He had a big fat head. Amazing.
He has my condolences - I lost my mom 6 years ago. One of the worst tragedies of my life. He has my sympathy.
I think she did a fine job
Stories like this always get to me. My Mom died 13 years ago of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy - related to Alzheimers, but specifically affects motor functions, balance and swallowing. It slowly destroys your ability to communicate, eat and control your body, but leaves your mind mostly intact. Turns you into a physical zombie. It's as cruel as can be. There is no cure.
Condolences to KO. His mother had a good life and a relatively good death.
I hope I get hit by a bus, myself.
this is NOT news. While I am sorry for Mr. Olbermann's loss, the fact that he would devote much time to it on his show merely demonstrates that his show, like that of his constant target, O'Reilly, is just his own personal forum and a reflection of his own identity - primarily entertainment, rather than information.
Why should his mother's passing merit any more air time than the passing of other loved ones mourned in the comments above?
We're a political opinion/media watchdog blog.
Olbermann is a friend and fan of the site and we're acknowledging his loss.
Trust me, if I had a cable news program, I would have done five minutes on my grandmother when she passed too. As it was, I dedicated a LNMC to her, which was in my power to do. I forwarded a link to it to my dad and I can't tell you the comfort he got from the good wishes.
Let us give that to a man who gives us so much content every day.
I'm criticizing Olbermann, not C&L. HIS show IS supposedly news.
It merits because his mother and his mother's love for baseball is what set him on the path to where Olbermann is now.
Yeah, it was entertaining, but the reason I watch Olbermann's show is to be informed and entertained. MSNBC has graciously given him the opportunity to tell that story and the platform in which to tell the story.
I'm a sports writer and I take plenty of space in my newspaper to try to connect with my readers, like Olbermann has done as well. Sometimes it works.
....but even if he was merely a newsreader, anchors on the major networks are personalities.
Answer this honestly, were you offended over how Katie Couric dealt with the death of her husband?
For the record, it is acceptable in many entertainment venues to comment on the death of a loved one. It helps listeners and viewers connect to the personality they are seeing or hearing.
What amazes me is that this bothered you that much. There are so many more important issues to agonize over. This is not one of them. It comes off to me as highly disrepectful, to be honest. Please, cut the guy some slack will you?
So what if he did a piece on his Mom's passing? It's HIS show. We go on and on about the deaths of "important" people such as the idiot St. Ronnie Ray-gun or dimwit Anna Nicole Smith, how come we can't devote a little time to a really neat lady who wasn't a celebrity?
Jeez, Bob Roberts, get a life!
... and I have no problem with broadcasters mentioning the death of loved ones. My point is that Keith's mother is not more important than the loved ones of those who comment on this site (for example), but because of who he is, he gets to do a tribute to her.
Just like you, I'm not impressed with the amount of air time/column inches/bandwidth devoted to the deaths of Anna Nicole Smith and past Presidents. I try not to subscribe to the cult of celebrity.
That your heart is so harden'd and your outlook on life so callous that you actively begrudge a friend dedicating 5 measely minutes to the memory of his mother--a terrific woman that many of us came to "know", also.
It really is a pity that you can see no reason for either graciousness or good wishes...but your acidic posts seems to be the only coldhearted ones in the thread , and that, at least, is heartening.
I am a broadcaster myself, and I have mentioned my mother's passing. I even mentioned when my beloved dog passed on at the end of last year. You see, listeners (and viewers) get attached to those they favor. I, like many other broadcasters, have also gotten to know some of my listeners very well over the years. I will never forget one persons surviving spouse calling me after she had died (she moved to another state) to let me know that she would have wanted me to be one of the first to be notified of her passing.
For what it's worth, people like Keith Olbermann are personalities. He doesn't just merely deliver news. Keith's persona is a major part of what has made him successful. And learning about his mother gives a little more understanding about the man himself.
If you would prefer to watch news delivered by robots, check out C-Span. I am sure you will not be offended by any interference from humanity. I for one, prefer to remember that there are real people behind the punditry. Knowing a little more about their personal life just makes them someone we can better relate to.
Honestly, was this really the most important thing you could negatively comment on? How sad.
I agree...that was a bit callous even to bring that subject up. Keith is a human being; he's a hero to many, including me; you sometimes feel like he's part of your own family.
Enough said.
Condolences to Keith and his family. Your mother raised one fine son.
Keith Olbermann, is one of the people I am proud to call a hero of mine. I know there are some that do not like him or his style, but he created a voice for many of us when there was none, and he speaks passionately about issues that matter to me. He is an innovator and trailblazer in every sense of the word.
I lost my mom 4 years ago, it still hurts to this day.
I wish for Keith and his family, healing and the knowledge that their mother (and wife) will forever live on through you and your family. Whatever Mr. Olbermann has become is now permanently connected with the person she was.
She seemed passionate and delightful and watching her in action explains where Keith got some of his feistiness. I hope that is something he never loses.
Anyone who can have such a tremendous impact on a man I respect so much is somebody I will be proud to say special prayers for tonight.
May peace and healing be with the Olbermann family in this time of loss.
Where is Keiths lead off piece from last night on State Secrets expansion.
My sympathies to Mr. Olbermann and his family. I watched this as tears came down my face. I thought of my own mom, not because she has passed but b/c she too is a wonderful woman who has a child who thinks the world of her. My dad died when I was 2 1/2 so I was too young to mourn the loss. Mom raised me (only child) on her own at a time when eveybody had two parents (no children of divorce in my elementary school at the time). She was always there for me when I went to school and when I returned home each afternoon. Although she herself just had a high school education she made sure I went to college and supported my decision years later when I left the workforce to go to law school. Sure now she can brag that her daughter is a lawyer but the greatest accomplishment in her eyes are the two grandchildren I gave her.
there is nothing like a mother's love. Mr. Olbermann was fortunate to have such a wonderful influence in his life and what a wonderful tribute he paid to her. She should be proud as she raise a lovely boy...
I'm sure she was just as proud of you, as you are of her. ♥
Good job Keith, nice way to send your mom off, my heart goes out to you tonight.
You did a damn good job. RIP Ma'am.
to you and your family, Keith.
This was very touching. I was going to write an email to Keith but I figured that now that he is so damn popular he probably does not see even 1% of the email that is directed to him so I didn't send it. So....
Keith is sounds like you had a pretty cool mom. I understand why you will miss her so much. She did a pretty good job it looks like from here. Thanks for sharing her memory with me.
Sincerely,
Captain Kangaroo
RIP Mrs Olbermann. [deleted--keep it civil, please. We do not allow comments like this on obit threads. Take your personal issues to the open thread.]
The softer side of KO - nice eulogy Keith. Your Mom was a special woman, and my thoughts are with you and the rest of your family. It is always tough to lose a parent - I offer you my deepest sympathies...
As evidenced by trickletown a post or two above, a lot of right wingnuts have no soul - ever.[deleted].
He's a treasure.
As My mother has passed some time ago. It came to mind of some of the meals she cooked.
My favorite growing up was her Spagetti.
Wonder what Kieth's favorite meal cooked by his Mother was?
What about you, Is the a favorite meal either of your parents served up to you?
on the passing of his mother. My youngest son and I watched this (he is 9 and loves Keith Olbermann) and he cried. He's a boy, so it's not always easy to get him to sit down to talk about how he feels about things, but he was genuinely sad that his 'friend' lost him mom, and probably a little sad that his own mother doesn't share his love of baseball.
We had a very serious discussion about people getting sick and passing away, and about how important it is to live your life so that you leave behind something that is good.
I am very sorry for your loss, Mr. Olbermann. But thank you so much for sharing with us. Sometimes your audience gains a lot more than just insight into your politics, or your life. Your mother left behind something good. Bless your family, you, and her.
There is something about a mother. Nothing compares.
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