Regular readers of Legacy.com’s blog The Obit Report know that it typically has focused on the lives and legacies of celebrities. Recent stories have spotlighted Billie Holiday’s tragic life and stunning voice; the words and wisdom of legendary basketball coach John Wooden; and Dixie Carter’s best rants as Designing Women’s Julia Sugarbaker.

We enjoy paying tribute to – and providing fun facts about – celebrities we’ve loved, and we’re going to keep doing it. But starting today, some new Obit Report posts will join these celebrity stories, ones that highlight great obituaries for ordinary people. They may not be as famous, their lives may not be as glittery, but we think regular folks can be just as interesting as their celebrity counterparts. Everyone has a story, and some have life stories that are moving, inspiring or, at times, even downright hilarious.

Many of these profiles of regular people will be coming to us from the Society of Professional Obituary Writers. SPOW’s director, Alana Baranick, along with her colleagues, will be contributing to The Obit Report each week posts that celebrate interesting lives, great obit writing, funny turns of phrase, and more.

Newspaper obituaries can be much more than just basic info about funeral services. These new Obit Report stories will highlight how beautifully an obituary can capture the special and peculiar quirks of an individual – and help that person’s unique life story live on.

Speaking of unique, SPOW’s contributions debut today with a story of a man who had an uncommon love for animals. Dusan Saula once saved a chipmunk’s life in a rather unexpected way…