By CJ Staff
As we close the books on 2021, the year leaves stories for the future: an awakening from the pandemic, renewed attention to public school classrooms, and indications that the 2022 elections could bring a Republican wave. While we look toward the future, we acknowledge some of the noteworthy people who left us in 2021, including two former presidential candidates, historic military leaders, and titans of broadcasting.
Bob Dole, age 98: A former Republican senator and presidential candidate, Dole served 25 years in the Senate. He was Republicans’ vice presidential nominee in 1976 and the GOP presidential candidate in 1996, losing to Bill Clinton. Dole was widely considered a statesman and war hero, so tough he survived after being left for dead on the battlefield in World War II. Known for his sense of humor, he is survived by his wife of 45 years, Elizabeth, who served as U.S. senator representing North Carolina from 2003 to 2009.
Walter Mondale, 93: The vice president to President Jimmy Carter and 1984 Democrat presidential candidate, Mondale lost to Ronald Reagan by one of the biggest margins in American history after telling voters he would raise taxes. Reagan won all states except Washington, D.C., and Mondale’s home of Minnesota.
Colin Powell, 84: former national security adviser under Reagan, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under George H.W. Bush, and secretary of state for George W. Bush, Powell later…
