Eartha Kitt

What is it about old peoples' memories? They can't remember what you told 'em two minutes ago, but they can recall, in frighten detail, memories from decades, MANY decades ago! Take my father. So he's sitting in his big leather chair reading the morning paper. It's the morning after Christmas. It's his first crack at the news and the story that caught his attention immediately was the one about the passing of Eartha Kitt. So, as I'm walking past him, through the living room, toward my bedroom, he stops me in his oh-so subtle way, "HEY!!!" grabbing me by the arm (It's his way of being comical. He actually thinks this is funny--scaring the crap out of me as I walk by him, thinking he doesn't notice me.)
"What?!" I shreik back at him, defensively, slightly annoyed.
"Did you hear about Eartha Kitt?"
"Yeah, she died, I saw. That's a real loss." I never know what to say when people die. Someone should publish a little pamphlet of appropriate phrases to say when somebody has died.
"Well..........you know, she was a great entertainer. Very sensuous singer."
I wasn't at all sure how to respond to that, but in the midst of my search for the perfect words, my father suddenly broke into song,
"Hey mister,...." something about a car, something about, I don't even remember now, but Dad was singing what was apparently a very well known Eartha Kitt song, word for word. It was hilarious, and charming, and touching and............the perfect commemoration.
He finished the song. Smiled from ear to ear. Shook his head, "Eartha Kitt.....very sensuous singer."
"That was really nice Dad. Really. Nice."