Some newspapers remind their readers at year’s end of the important people who died this past year. I am mentioning — too briefly — a few people who were important to me and important to life on this Island.

The artist Rez Williams died in February. Rez was known and admired not only for his striking, oversized paintings of fishing trawlers, but also for his fierce dedication to environmental issues, specifically the protection of open space.

Janice Haynes was one of the most mourned losses in 2024, especially among her many friends who wept buckets of tears when they heard of her death. Her life story included Janice’s humor, her antics, joie de vivre, her silly hats on top of green hair. She had been our baby-sitter, one of the few who dared to do it more than once.

Prudy Whiting was another Island old-timer whose loss engendered true sorrow, Prudy, with her quiet voice and gentle humor, inspired more belly laughs per household than any SNL segment.

Our neighbor Hunter Moorman lost his wife Lesley Gray to cancer three years ago, and although Hunter was seldom seen without his broad smile, he too died this past summer. It was a surprise to some of Hunter’s acquaintances to learn how many major charitable causes Hunter supported, including the construction of our town’s library building.

Ginny Jones gave many days and evenings of her life to the town she loved. You might say she gave it her all, as that is how it seemed. I worked with Ginny for most of a decade, and greatly admired her tireless passions.

Ellen Weiss taught architectural history at Tulane, and spent her summers here in her family’s home. Ellen was someone I ran into each season. She once told me, with her happy smile, that as she walked from her New Orleans home to the Tulane campus, she passed a house that had a Tom Maley sculpture on the porch, and how that brightened her walk to work.

Just recently we heard of the death of Janet Messineo. If ever there was a famous and admired fisherman it was Janet. Her husband Tristan Israel told us — sadly and proudly — of the surprisingly high number of people from all corners of the Island who called him with kind words about Janet.

I apologize if I have forgotten anyone. My brain is elsewhere this hectic week. And I am trying to think of an upbeat wish for the new year.

Instead I worry about more losses — particularly the possible deportation of some of the many Brazilian and other foreign national who clean our houses and do the heavy lifting to keep our community somewhat agricultural.

On a grander scale I worry about the forfeiture of whatever environmental protections we now have.

So instead of celebrating the new year, I will borrow Sioux Eagle’s comment from her mother, who borrowed it from Charles Dickens: “I am the ghost of Christmas future imperfect conditional,” said the spirit. “I bring news of what would have been going to happen if you were not to have been going to change your ways.”