Gheorghasbord: Heroes Gone But Not Forgotten

We've seen a handful of famous folks pass in recent days. Gene Hackman, Betsy Arakawa, Michelle Trachtenberg, all public figures whose deaths made the headlines. But we've a pair of others who haven't been quite as bold-faced in their personas, yet who left an indelible mark on this rapidly devolving global society.

For instance, it was sad news in my household when Francesco Rivella passed on February 14 at the age of 97. The Italian chemist was my daughter's favorite person for several years, though she didn't know his name. Rivella invented Nutella, which was my kid's go-to breakfast staple into the early high school years. We even made a trip to Chicago just to go to Mario Batali's Eataly because it had a Nutella-themed bar. (We didn't know, man.)

Literally millions of other families mourn and give thanks to James Harrison. The 88 year-old Aussie died on February 17, and his right arm could finally rest. Harrison's blood contained a rare and valuable antibody known as anti-D (sorry Daves, Danimal, and Donna), and he was generous with it. Anti-D is vital in preventing blood-related diseases in newborns, and Harrison's 1,173 blood donations between 1954 and 2018 are estimated to have contributing the saving of 2.4 million infant lives. Nearly as many as Elon Musk is going to kill this year.