100 Things to Do author dies and leaves list undone

THE co-author of the bestselling 100 Things to Do Before You Die, has died aged 47 having achieved about half the items on his list.

Dave Freeman died last week after falling at his home in California and hitting his head, his father Roy announced.

An advertising executive, Freeman co-wrote the 1999 book, which was subtitled Travel Events You Just Can’t Miss, with Neil Teplica.

“This life is a short journey,” the book says. “How can you make sure you fill it with the most fun and that you visit all the coolest places on earth before you pack those bags for the very last time?”

Freeman’s relatives said he visited about half the places on his list before he died, and either he or Teplica had been to almost all of them.

“He didn’t have enough days, but lived them like he should have,” said Teplica.

The book’s recommendations ranged from the obvious — attending the Academy Awards ceremony and running with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain — to the more obscure — taking a voodoo pilgrimage in Haiti and “land diving” on the Island of Vanuatu.

The success of the book inspired dozens of similar ones, with titles such as 100 Things Cowboys Fans Should Do Before They Die.