In the prelude to a world pandemic in February, 2020, the death of a beloved author seemed to go largely unnoticed by too many media outlets. Clive Cussler, best-selling author of 85 books translated into 40 languages that sold more than 100 million copies and hit The New York Times’s best-seller lists over 20 times died on February 24 in Scottsdale, Arizona at the age at 88.

Cussler’s fast-paced thrillers, fantasies, and larger-than-life exploits had a legion of fans always wanting more. The college dropout who once pumped gas and resorted to a hoax to get his first book published ended up a global celebrity worth $80 million. His adventures weren’t just on his pages. Cussler, himself, was an avid scuba diver, and the non-profit he founded, National Underwater and Marine Agency, located more than sixty shipwrecks of historical importance. Three of them were the CSS Hunley, the first submarine to sink a ship in battle, the Housatonic, the U-boat that sank the Lusitania, and the Carpathia, the vessel that navigated icebergs in order to rescue survivors of the Titanic.

It would be an understatement to say that Cussler loved dogs. Two of his childhood dogs were “Buster,” a lovable mixed breed, and “Schnapps,” a Dachshund who would sit up and wave his paws while Cussler played his violin on street corners to earn a little income. Spectators were so tickled with the performance, and one day the duo cleared eighty cents, not a bad gain during the Depression.

A couple of Christmases ago, he posted a photo of himself with his dogs as seen below:

Clive with Floopy, Wyatt, Daisy, Chloe, and introducing, Duke

RIP, Clive. He leaves behind his wife, Janet Horvath, and his canine crew including German Shepherd Dog, “Duke,” Basset Hound, “Deuce.” We think he was probably tickled that so many dogs were named after him, including this Dandie Dinmont Terrier.