Legacy is a tricky thing. Especially when it comes to newspaper obituaries. If you're fortunate enough to even make the page, your whole life is going to be distilled to a few words, too few to speak of a full life. How can anyone's totality be reduced to a single column, with a whole existence's worth of laughter and love and learning? 

Worse, what if there's one thing that defines us to a public? Sure, it's nice to have one's work remembered. But, what if it's at the expense of all our personal history? What if there's one thing that overshadows our family and our small, private achievements? What if some triumph is how everyone else sees us, with all our inner struggles and victories lost in the scramble?

While it might be nice to be recognized for something, sometimes that thing can define us in ways we never expected. Take, for instance, sitcom legend Phil Rosenthal. His most-lauded credit is as the series creator of Everybody Loves Raymond. But, what's it like being forever remembered for this one thing? In 2011, The Arizona Republic put Rosenthal in the hotseat, asking him point blank whether it's ok that he'll always only be remembered for creating the beloved series.

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"How many people get to be remembered for anything at all? To want more than what I've been lucky enough to have is to be a greedy ****. I'm blessed. I swear to God I'd like to be remembered as a good dad at this point. I'm so grateful to have had those years on Raymond and the friends I made... And the truth is, I'd like to keep working, because I enjoy it so much."

While the vast majority of the planet will remember Rosenthal for the television show he gifted us for nine seasons, the ones who knew him best might have a different story to tell, and will surely have fond memories of the seemingly warm, charitable and family-oriented writer/producer from Queens.