'Angela's Ashes'' author Frank McCourt dead at 78

my lineage hails from limerick. Mahers and foleys. I read Angelas Ashes when it was published and laughed till I cried. The man couldn't be correctly termed as being "bitter" as far as I can tell from that book. His honesty was blatant..bald faced even...but that was it's appeal.Not the hard fought to maintain piety, that some proclaim to be in permanent possesion of. So there y'go just us three sinners it seems? Meself, Christy Moore and himself, Frank McCourt up there on that Limerick castle wall I guess? Anyone else? "Were herefor a good time not a long time" "Life isn't a practice run"

He was a wonderful teacher and a good man. My daughter-in-law had him as an English teacher twice at Stuyvesant High School in New York City. He will be missed.