elegiac - ELL-eh-JAY-ik - mournful, sad, sorrowful
Example: "With recent news of so many deaths of entertainers - the latest being Karl Malden at 97 - an elegiac mood has settled over the country."
As a starter: and as a former teacher in English, I hope to add to reader's vocabulary by presenting a word a day in simple terms that anyone can understand - from current use in publications, radio,TV, etc. Remember: use a new word three times in a day and it's yours forever!