News of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro's death over the weekend resurfaced old bylines in several major print papers that published long-saved obituaries.

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Of the four writers who authored obituaries in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times and Washington Post, only one is still working at his respective paper, and another writer died 10 years ago.

The Washington Post Castro obituary was co-written by J.Y. Smith and Kevin Sullivan. Smith died in 2006, while Sullivan is still with the paper.

The New York Times obituary was written by Anthony DePalma, who left the paper in 2008.



Carol J. Williams penned the Castro obituary for the Los Angeles Times but left the paper in 2015 for a job with the Chicago Tribune.



Major newspapers prepare obituaries well in advance for major leaders and celebrities, especially when they are known to be in failing health.



The news of Castro's passing was announced by Cuban state television on Saturday.