Death somehow adds to the appreciation we have for most people. This is unfortunate. It is not until most people have died that we realize a person's gifts and talents. My wife understood Dale Earnhardt's talent and gifts before he died, as did millions of his fans. My wife also understood the danger of the sport that was his passion, as did millions.
Heroes are all some people have.
They inspire us and drive us to achieve what they have achieved, compel us to be more than we are. We make believe we are our heroes. So when they die, a part of us dies with them. In the early 1990s Nirvana motivated thousands of teen-agers to pick up a guitar. The world is down another hero.