Two people who never met and had only seen each other once in their entire lives died on the same day. To some, that might be considered a coincidence unworthy of mention. To others, it’s a tragic miracle of two people “linked in life and death“.

Tom Hanson, a Canadian Press photographer, died suddenly while playing hockey on March 10. A day later, Gazette photographer Phil Carpenter posted a tribute to him on the paper’s photography blog. (CP also has a tribute gallery) Included was an iconic picture of a man holding a gun over his head during the Oka crisis.

A relative of Richard Nicholas, the man in the photo, mentioned on the blog that he had just died as well, in a car crash. Turns out it was on the same day.

An obituary of either man would have merited a short article, but not much more. Neither was a household name. But both dying on the same day, they suddenly become more of a story together.

When I die, I hope it’s on a day when someone else tangentially linked to me dies so that my obituary can become more meaningful.