Harry Chapin was a renowned singer-songwriter known for hits like "Cats in the Cradle" and for his philanthropic work through his organization WHYHunger. The passage describes the author learning of Chapin's death in a car accident on July 16, 1981 at age 38. Chapin had established WHYHunger in 1975 with radio personality Bill Ayers to combat world hunger. WHYHunger continues to host annual radio-thons in New York each November to raise funds for poverty and hunger relief worldwide, ensuring Chapin's legacy lives on through the important work of the organization he founded.