2025
For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne, we'll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne.
Hey, there—
Somehow, here we are again—reflecting on the year that was and (cautiously) looking ahead at the year to come.
2025 was a mess in more ways than one for so many.
Everything around me felt like it was on fire most of the time. But strangely, I was good. Like that dog in the meme, “this is fine.”
And somehow, it actually was for me.
This year gave me moments I want to hold onto. I think daily about my trip to Provincetown and Cape Cod. I checked off a new state in November — Arizona.
And now we’re hours from 2026. No fresh start, no magic reset button—just a slightly quieter season and a chance to continue asking: What actually matters? What do I want more of? What can I let go of? (A quest that’s been my focus for a few years now.)
I don’t have a list of resolutions. I’m not overpromising to myself. But I am walking into the new year with a little more clarity and a little less noise.
Here’s to carrying forward what works, leaving the rest and finding small pockets of joy—no matter what’s on fire.
🍒
‘Auld Lang Syne’ is a song of ‘reunion, not parting’
As the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, “Auld Lang Syne” remains a fixture in celebrations around the world. The centuries-old Scottish song was popularized globally in the 20th century.
First written down by poet Robert Burns in 1788, the phrase translates “old, long since.” Edinburgh’s Poet Laureate Michael Pedersen says that loosely translates to “for old times’ sake.”
“It’s a song of reunion, not parting,” he told CNN. “It’s about celebrating happy days gone by and the glorious bonfire in the belly when you come back together.”
Retail we lost in 2025
Several well-known brands bid farewell this year, as Jordan Valinsky (a Pittsburgh native, by the way) reports for CNN.
Jo-Ann Stores, which began in 1943 as Cleveland Fabric Shop and which you likely knew as Jo-Ann Fabrics, closed in February. Michaels picked up some portions of Joann’s former business.
Rite Aid, which had ties to Pittsburgh and Erie through its legacy under Thrift Drug and Eckerd, ended its long run in October.
And while other brands are still around, many closed or will close dozens or hundreds of locations, including Pittsburgh-based Dick’s Sporting Goods, which announced it will close a number of Foot Locker locations.
Wendy’s plans to shut down hundreds of underperforming stores next year.
Starbucks will close hundreds of stores next year.
Despite announcing its restaurants are “here to stay,” Hooters closed dozens of locations in June, two months after filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Saks Global said it’s not ruling out a Chapter 11 filing next year. The luxury retail group owns Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue.
The year that was in news
Some local news outlets put their usual year-in-review stories together. Here are just a few that I read:
Pittsburgh City Paper news editor Colin Williams highlights his favorite stories of 2025, including “Vision Zero Summit proves Pittsburgh is a rising star in the world of mobility.”
CP Staff writer Rachel Wilkinson also noted her favorite stories from 2025, which include “Is Station Square on its death bed, or just about to resurrect?”
Under the “Valley News Dispatch” (?) nameplate, the Trib/TribLive/PghTrib/WhoKnows detailed the 25 most-clicked stories.
Pittsburgh’s Public Source put together an interesting design to showcase its year-in-review coverage.
Here’s The New York Times’ look back at the year through photos, which the newspaper titled, “Reflections of Turbulent Times.” And that sums that up.
In memoriam: Those we lost in 2025
If you’re like me, you saw an “in memoriam” story and were shocked at the number of people whose deaths this year you didn’t know about.
Wayne Osmond, singer and guitarist for The Osmonds, died in January. He was 73.
Gene Hackman died in February at 95.
Michelle Trachtenberg, known for roles in “Gossip Girl” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” died in February. She was 39.
Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Roberta Flack also died in February. She was 88.
George Foreman, the boxing-turned-TV pitchman, died in March. He was 76.
Val Kilmer, known for “Top Gun” and “Batman Forever,” was 65 when he died in April.
George Wendt, best known as Norm from “Cheers,” died in May. He was 76.
Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson, 82, died in June.
Pop rock performer (and Moon High School alum) Lou Christie died in June. He was 82.
In July, “The Cosby Show” star Malcolm-Jamal Warner died at 54, Ozzy Osbourne was 76 and jazz legend Chuck Mangione was 84.
Loni Anderson, star of “WKRP in Cincinnati,” died in August. She was 79.
Fashion icon Giorgio Armani died in September at 91.
Ernest Hemingway’s last surviving child, Patrick Hemingway, also died in September. He was 97.
Renowned conservationist Jane Goodall was 91 when she died in October.
Diane Keaton died in October. She was 79.
Susan Stamberg considered the “founding mother” of National Public Radio, was 87 when she died in October.
June Lockhart, a Golden Age of Hollywood actress known for her roles in “Lassie,” “A Christmas Carol” and “Meet Me in St. Louis,” died in October. She was 100.
Jimmy Kimmel’s bandleader Cleto Escobedo III died in November. He was 59.
Anthony Geary, best known as Luke on “General Hospital,” died in December. He was 78.
Tatiana Schlossberg, journalist and granddaughter of President John F. Kennedy, died in December. She was 35.
Read more stories of those who died in 2025 from these news outlets:
AARP shares stories of more 2025 celebrity deaths.
Buzzfeed lists 47 celebrity deaths from the year.
AP includes politicians and other notable figures.
Notable Pittsburgh area deaths
Here are some of the notable deaths of people who are from the region or contributed in some way to Western Pennsylvania.
Mike Lange, longtime Penguins radio broadcaster, died in February at 76
Longtime KDKA-TV host and weatherman Jon Burnett died in February. He was 71.
Bruno Tambellini, a Lucca, Italy, native whose last name became synonymous with Italian food in Western Pennsylvania, died in February. He was 99.
Craig Wolfley, former Steelers lineman turned broadcaster, died in March at 66.
Burton Tansky, whose storied retail career began at Kaufmann’s before leadership roles at Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman and CEO of Neiman Marcus, died in March at 87.
Ray Shero, the former Penguins general manager who led the team through its first Stanley Cup victory in the Sidney Crosby era in 2009, died in April. He was 62.
Judith Dodd, a nationally recognized nutritionist and founder of the Allegheny County Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, died in May. She was 85.
Mary Catherine “Mary Kay” Poppenberg, who founded the Pittsburgh Film Office and was a key figure in bringing the Hollywood film industry to Pittsburgh, including “The Silence of the Lambs” and “Striking Distance,” died in June at 85.
Jack Etzel, known for his “Etzel at Large” and “Jack of all Trades” segments on WPXI-TV, died in June at 91.
Jimmy Joe Robinson, the first Black varsity football player at Pitt, died in July at 97.
Mark Barash, a longtime WPXI-TV director who brought shows like “Jeopardy,” “Wheel of Fortune” and “Judge Judy” to Pittsburgh, died in September. He was 70.
Frank Yankello, who co-owned Yankello’s Radio and Television in Sewickley for 57 years, died in September. He was 88.
Maggie Patterson, a Pittsburgh native and Duquesne University journalism professor who was a trailblazer for women pursuing a journalism career, died in November at 80.
Squirrel Hill native and sign expert Steve Gerson died in December.
And, finally…
