From a story on thebulwark.com by Jonathan V. Last headlined “Why Writers Loved P.J. O’Rourke”:

P.J. O’Rourke died. He was only 74—I think he always seemed more youthful than his years because he had kids late in life, and nothing keeps you young like running around after children.

He was, to various writers in my world, a godfather, a mentor, a big brother, a best man. I was never especially close to P.J.—many of my friends knew him much better than I did. But I read him for many years. I edited him a few times. We hung out.

From a New York Times obit by Neil Genzlinger headlined “P.J. O’Rourke, Conservative Political Satirist, Dies at 74”:

P.J. O’Rourke, the conservative satirist and political commentator who was unafraid to skewer Democrats and Republicans alike in best-selling books like “Parliament of Whores,” in articles for a wide range of magazines and newspapers, and on television and radio talk shows, died on Tuesday at his home in Sharon, N.H. The cause was complications of lung cancer.

Mr. O’Rourke’s political writing was in the caustic tradition of H.L. Mencken. As writers and commentators go, he was something of a celebrity, welcome on talk shows of almost any political bent and known for appearances on NPR’s comedy quiz show “Wait, Wait … Don’t Tell Me.”