(RNS) — Five days before her death on April 23 at the age of 44, historian and author Melissa Inouye was interviewed by the Salt Lake Tribune. She spoke about the responsibilities of the people who would be left behind. She indicated that it’s not enough to cry our tears and mourn an individual who was taken much too soon. On top of that grief, we have a debt to pay: It’s our job to further their work. In fact, she was quite specific about it: If someone dies at the ages of 60 and up, it’s OK to just go to their funeral and say what great people they are. If someone dies between the ages of 35 and 60, however, it’s not enough to just memorialize them. It’s everyone’s job to perpetuate those people’s work since they didn’t have time to finish it. I’ve been thinking about that charge ever since. Melissa was my friend and colleague, and I was lucky enough to get to hang out with her online once a month …