They say famous people die in threes. I do not know if that is necessarily true, but it does seem that they die in clusters. Usually three, four, or five famous people all die within a month or two of each other. Then, after all the tributes and remembrances, there are no new famous deaths for another half year or so.

These past few weeks there were a six-pack of noteworthy deaths: Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Steve McNair, Billy Mays, Arturo Gatti, and the big one — Michael Jackson. I am a sports fan, so the McNair and Gatti deaths affected me the most. Both men were tough as nails competitors who left it all on the field/in the ring. And both men died tragically in their mid-thirties at the hands of younger emotionally unstable lovers.

These clusters of deaths, whether they are tragic or not, always make me reassess pop culture, and try to remember who is dead and who is alive. It is why I watch the Oscars. That In Memoriam segment they have is mesmerizing. So while it was sad to see personalities like Roy Scheider, George Carlin, Tim Russert, Tony Snow, Bernie Mac, and Heath Ledger all pass within the last year and half, it was encouraging to learn that there are many other historic and cultural icons that still roam the earth. Let us praise their longevity.

The first book I read in 2nd grade was the Mouse and the Motorcycle. It was written in 1965 by Beverly Cleary, who is 93 years old and lives in Carmel, California. For those of you who like the Catcher in the Rye, you will be happy to know that J.D. Salinger is not dead. He is 90. Fans of Maya Angelou, Judith Krantz, and Neil Simon can all rest easy. These exceptional talents are all still alive.

While many of you may be aware that George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter are the oldest living former Presidents, you might not be aware that the oldest living former Vice President is Walter Mondale at 81, and that the oldest living former First Lady is Betty Ford at 91. Mikhail Gorbachev may have seen the collapse of the Soviet Union first hand, but it did not kill him. Just this past March he met with President Obama to discuss strained relations between the U.S. and Russia. Other historic figures like Muammar Gaddafi, Henry Kissinger, and Neil Armstrong all woke up this morning just like you and me. Sirhan Sirhan, Manuel Noriega, and Charlie Manson did the same — but behind bars.

If you want to see the legendary Chuck Berry live, you still can. Berry, 82, performs once a month at the Blueberry Hill restaurant in University City, MO. He would undoubtedly be playing an electric guitar, an instrument inspired by Les Paul, who himself is still performing at 94. Ed McMahon and Johnny Carson may be gone, but Doc Severinsen is not. As for the In Memoriam segment during the Oscars, here are a few of the greats that are still awaiting that honor: Mickey Rooney, Dick Van Dyke, Eli Wallach, Abe Vigoda, Jonathan Winters, Jean Stapleton, Lee Grant, and Shirley Temple. All of them are still around.

If you watched the Major League Baseball All-Star Game this week, you may have seen Hall of Famer Stan Musial hand the ceremonial first pitch ball to Barack Obama. Musial is 88. Before 1954, they said that no one could run a mile in under 4 minutes — that is until Roger Banister did it. All that running must have paid off. Roger is a healthy 80. John Wooden coached ten college basketball national championship teams during the sixties and seventies. He is 98. Don Larson is the only person to throw a perfect game in a World Series. He is only 79.

None of these people have died. There are others I could have mentioned, but since some are so visible today I don’t have to. People know Queen Elizabeth II is alive because she is still Queen. Same goes for Fidel Castro. Andy Rooney is still on 60 Minutes, and Joe Paterno still coaches major college football.

I hope I did not jinx any of these legends. I want them to keep going. However, death is inevitable. It was bound to happen to Michael Jackson some day. In fact, I can say with great certainty that in 120 years not a single person on the earth today will be alive. But don’t let this get you down. Don’t let the next wave of famous deaths make you feel old. Just focus on how many great people from the past are still around. Happy 92nd birthday today to Phyllis Diller. She is alive.

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