Going to Lucianne.com this morning, as I do every morning, I was shocked and saddened to read that its proprietor, Lucianne Goldberg, has passed away:

Dear L Dotters.

We are heartbroken. Our beloved Lucianne passed away peacefully and surrounded by loved ones in her own home, the way she wanted.  But she has left a hole in our lives that we can never fill completely.

Lucianne was a loving wife, mother, and grandmother.  She was also a patriot who expressed her love of this country with both political fierceness and penetrating wit.

In that part of her world this site became her home, her community, and her voice.  She also wanted Lucianne.com to endure and she made arrangements that it would do so — just as it has for the past 25 years. The same loyal staff, the same policies, and the same principles. (And before you ask, her son Jonah will not be involved.

She loved her son without reservation, but they saw politics differently from time to time.  So, we've worked it out. 

The Lucianne.com team will stay on and Jonah will stay out of it.)

Obviously, no one can replace Lucianne. But we can carry-on in her name.  We're not asking you to send money or make donations to anything.  We're just asking you to stick around.  We think that's the best way to honor and keep her memory alive.

Please keep her light shining.

Lucianne was 87 years old this year, and her declining health was a concern to all of us who knew her.  She is one of the most vivid personalities that I have ever known.  I got to know her first as a caller to her syndicated radio program, becoming a regular, and eventually serving as guest host.  We chatted on the telephone a lot for many years, and Lucianne reveled in her status as a gossip.  Her stories about people I had only read about were incredible.  She lived a very rich and eventful life, with passionate friends and enemies.

Lucianne talked me into dropping my pen name Berkeley Thomas and starting to write under my real name.  When I started American Thinker, her support, frequent posts as a "must read," introductions, and advice were a tremendous help.  AT would not have succeeded to the extent it has without her.

When her husband Sid, and her son Joshua, died, I could tell how profoundly she was saddened and shaken.

She is survived by her son Jonah, daughter-in-law Jessica, and granddaughter Lucy.  I can only offer my deep sympathy for their profound loss.

The world will be a less interesting place with Lucianne no longer with us.

Lucianne in 1998.
Photo credit: John Mathew Smith & www.celebrity-photos.com, CC BY-SA 2.0 license.