Today, we remember some of our national heroes whom we lost during October 2023. These include legends, composers, actors, politicians, and many more influential people. The names of Steven Lutvak, Dorothy Hoffner, and Bertie Bowman remain highlighted amongst the masses. They are now the star on every online obituary platform across the U.S. Read on to remember their life and their notable work.
Steven Lutvak- Tony Award-nominated Composer
Steven Lutvark, an amazing composer for stage and screen, was best known for his Tony Award-winning musical. This was the “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder.” Steven Lutvark’s sad demise was on the 9th of October, 2023. At the age of just 64. Lutvark suffered from a pulmonary embolism that was reported as the cause of his death.
Steven Lutvak’s Legacy
Lutvak, a New York-born, attended Binghamton University. There he completed the first-ever graduate program in musical theatre writing at the Tisch School of the Arts. And later earned his degree in music in 1983. After graduation, Steven Lutvak, paired up with Robert L. Freedman and wrote for the regional theatre and off-Broadway productions. One such award-winning musical was “Campaign of the Century.” This, at the time, had won the California Musical Theater Competition from the Beverly Hills Theater Guild.
One of Lutvak’s most famous works came in 2012, called “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder”. The show went on for more than 2 years on Broadway, bringing a total of 4 Tony Awards, including the Best Musical Award, to Lutvak’s name. This very loved musical also earned Lutvak a nomination for the Best Original Score. Lutvak was also nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music. Alongside Robert Freedman, he won the Award for Outstanding Lyrics. His work also earned him a Grammy Award nomination for the Best Musical Theatre Album.
Lutvak’s work in music can also be seen in the films “Anything But Love” and “Mad Hot Ballroom.” Over the years of producing excellence in the music industry. Lutvak’s work also earned him a Kleban Award for Lyric Writing for the Theater. Moreover, he also won the Fred Ebb Award for Songwriting and a Johnny Mercer Foundation Emerging American Songwriter Award. But this isn’t where he stopped; next, he won two Bistro Awards, among other honors associated with his name.
Obituary Link: https://theobituaryapp.com/obituaries/steven-lutvak/4178926
Dorothy Hoffner (1918–2023), record-breaking centenarian skydiver
Dorothy Hoffner, the 100-year-old skydiver, died peacefully in her sleep overnight. Her passing took many by surprise as she died on October 9th, 2023. This was just a week after her historic jump. Hoffner was born on December 17th, 1918, in the heart of Chicago, Illinois. Here, she led a simple life and never married or had any children. She worked at Illinois Bell Telephone Co. and retired to live at the Brookdale Lake View Senior Living Center. There, she enjoyed her late nights watching “M*A*S*H” when she came up with the idea of jumping off a plane.
Hoffner took her first dive when she was 100 years old and the second one at 104 years of age. This led her to set the world record of the oldest person to skydive on October 1st, 2023. But this wasn’t because she wanted fame or anything. Instead, she did it for the fun of it, which she said in an interview the following week. At first, she wasn’t fond of the media attention she was getting after the jump. But later, she said that the attention had started to grow on her. We believe if Hoffner were to stay with us for longer, she would go on to break her own records!
“There was nothing scary about it… It was nice and peaceful. I had to keep myself awake so I could see that scenery.” – Dorothy Hoffner in a 2023 interview for the Chicago Sun-Times.
Obituary Link: https://theobituaryapp.com/obituaries/dorothy-hoffner/4188516
Bertie Bowman – long-serving Congressional aide
Bertie Bowman’s legacy
Bertie Bowman, the longest-serving staff member on Capitol Hill, peacefully passed away on October 25th, 2023. He died at the ripe old age of 92, out of which he dedicated 65 years to service. He was one of the 14 children of the Sharecroppers. But his life completely changed after meeting one of his state senators.
This meeting ignited his desire to go to Washington, D.C., and get out of a life of labor. So, he achieved this dream at the mere age of 13. There, he met the senator who helped him get a job sweeping floors for $2 a day. Soon, Bowman got famous as the man who could do it all. Which led him to earn a reputation and relations from both sides of the aisle. In 1965, Bowman became a clerk for the Foreign Relations Committee, where he helped meetings run smoothly. During this time, he also supervised the 21-year-old Bill Clinton.
Obituary Link: https://theobituaryapp.com/obituaries/bertie-bowman/4240377
A Life-long Service
Bowman showed unwavering commitment to work. With his spark of learning new things and good relations with everyone around him. He became the hearing coordinator in 1999. After that, he worked with this committee for a total of 57 years. Thus making him the longest-serving Black congressional staffer in the history of the United States. He was also the longest-serving member of the Senate Federal Credit Union. By being so long in his line of work, Bowman got close to many. This helped him in gaining the respect of some of the most powerful people. This unmoved devotion paid off in 2021. When the United States Senate Federal Credit Union headquarters were named the Bertie Bowman Building. Thus gaining him the recognition he deserved after serving a lifetime within those walls, serving the State. Later, Bowman went out to write his service journey in his memoir, “Step by Step.”
“I didn’t believe it at first. I was really shocked and honored. Isn’t that great? I feel so honored. I’m the happiest guy in the world.”- Bertie Bowman in a 2019 interview with CBS Mornings
Ending Notes
These were the influential stories of the heroes of our great nation. We continue to learn from their lives, taking inspiration for the years to come. You can always find obituary online to read and learn more about them. So keep yourself up-to-date with the stars of our country and continue getting awestruck.
