RIP Tony Hillerman

Morganobrien.com was said to learn of the passing of best-selling author Tony Hillerman last weekend in Albuquerque. The war hero former newspaperman, college professor and champion of the Navajo people was 83.

I regret never having the opportunity to meet Mr. Hillerman while we were neighbors in the Land of Enchantment, and am upset that I never went to a reading of his while I was there. While his ability to craft a heck of a mystery is unchallenged, Mr. Hillerman's personal story is every bit as compelling. Rather than memorialize him and come up short, I'll defer to the NY Times, which did its typical phenomenal job (I've linked it below).

I love that he was a war hero that came home, got into newspapers and didn't begin writing books until later on in life. It's refreshing to see people don't need to find their niche by 30.

I also love how he viewed the Native American people, specifically the Navajo. During a ceremony where the tribe honored one of their own returning from war, Hillerman was mesmerized by their warrior ethos and sense of community and took it upon himself to celebrate these forgotten people in his work.

Tony Hillerman, Novelist, Dies at 83
By MARILYN STASIO
Published: October 28, 2008
Mr. Hillerman’s evocative novels, which describe people struggling to maintain ancient traditions in the modern world, touched millions of readers, who made them best sellers.
(link)