Obituaries for 2019

[jmyrlefuller]

Russell Baker
Essayist, humorist and former host of Masterpiece Theatre dies at 93

Obituary from The New York Times

Wikipedia

[andy58-in-nh]

Russell Baker
Essayist, humorist and former host of Masterpiece Theatre dies at 93

Obituary from The New York Times

Wikipedia

A great writer and humorist, the likes of which the Times long ago abandoned in favor of smarmy hacks and elitist prigs.

[EasyAce]

A great writer and humorist, the likes of which the Times long ago abandoned in favor of smarmy hacks and elitist prigs.

I grew up reading him in the Times. I have his collections of columns . . .



. . . and they still amuse and instruct. RIP.

[jmyrlefuller]

Michel Legrand
French composer best known for "The Windmills of Your Mind" dies at 86



Legrand recorded a significant amount of jazz but was most prolific in film scoring, composing 200 scores for various films. He received 13 Academy Award nominations over the course of his career, winning three Oscars. He had two significant chart hits: the theme from the TV film Brian's Song reached number 56 on the Billboard charts, while "The Windmills of Your Mind," from the original 1968 version of The Thomas Crown Affair, became a top-ten hit in the UK for Noel Harrison, then on both sides of the Atlantic from Dusty Springfield.

Obituary from the BBC

Wikipedia


Sorry...

[EasyAce]

RIP Michel Legrand, who also wrote the beautiful theme to this film . . .


Sorry...

[Gefn]

Russell Baker
Essayist, humorist and former host of Masterpiece Theatre dies at 93

Obituary from The New York Times

Wikipedia

So far a bad year for writers

[EasyAce]

Julius Campbell, a key player from the T.C. Williams ‘Remember the Titans’ team, dies at 65

Julius Campbell, a former high school football star who was portrayed in the 2000 film “Remember the Titans,” died Friday of organ failure. He was 65.

Campbell attended T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Va., and graduated in 1973. After Alexandria integrated its three high schools, students were all housed at T.C. Williams in 1971. The school’s football team, the Titans, went undefeated that season and won the Virginia AAA state championship, defeating now-defunct Andrew Lewis High School of Salem, 27-0.

The story of the football season amid the city’s racial tensions inspired the film. In the cinematic depiction, Campbell, played by Wood Harris, befriends white linebacker Gerry Bertier and the pair’s bond becomes part of the team’s success.

“Julius was very, very instrumental on that team at simply getting kids to just talk to one another, kids who never talked to kids from another race their entire lives,” said Herman Boone, who coached the Titans from 1971 to 1979. “By doing so, they learned many things about each other that were not passed down to them and for that, the world owes Julius a debt of gratitude" . . .

RIP Mr. Campbell. You had guts and heart.

[Gefn]

Don’t know if anyone watches “Top Chef” (I do) but this very talented chef died this weekend way to young. Fatima Ali

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/26/obituaries/fatima-ali-dead-chef.html

RIP. She was the fan favorite on the previous season , 15, Colorado. She was also on “Chopped”

[TomSea]

Yes, I had heard of her.


https://www.wptv.com/tablet-showcase/entertainment/fatima-ali-top-chef-fan-favorite-dies-at-29-after-yearlong-battle-with-cancer

[jmyrlefuller]

James Ingram
R&B singer who hit his heyday in the 1980s dies at 66



Among Ingram's biggest hits included "Baby Come to Me," Öne Hundred Ways," "I Don't Have the Heart," and the duet "Somewhere Out There" with Linda Ronstadt.

Ingram's death was announced by his friend Debbie Allen.

Wikipedia


Sorry...

[dfwgator]

James Ingram
R&B singer who hit his heyday in the 1980s dies at 66



Among Ingram's biggest hits included "Baby Come to Me," Öne Hundred Ways," "I Don't Have the Heart," and the duet "Somewhere Out There" with Linda Ronstadt.

Ingram's death was announced by his friend Debbie Allen.

Wikipedia


Sorry...

Damn, too young.

[godblessRonaldReagan]

Yes, I had heard of her.


https://www.wptv.com/tablet-showcase/entertainment/fatima-ali-top-chef-fan-favorite-dies-at-29-after-yearlong-battle-with-cancer

Just Damn. I really liked her on Top Chef.

[jmyrlefuller]

Dick Miller
Ubiquitous B-movie fixture dies at 90



Miller began his film acting career as a regular actor in low-budget films by Roger Corman, and for his first seven years, he only appeared in Corman's films. This eventually expanded to a 100-film career, as several of Corman's protégés, including Joe Dante (who worked Miller into every single film he directed) and Jonathan Kaplan, hired Miller for their own films. As a running gag, several of Miller's characters all shared the name "Walter Paisley." He secured some smaller bit parts in films by bigger-name directors like Martin Scorsese, James Cameron and Steven Spielberg over the course of his career as well.

Obituary from Variety

Wikipedia

IMDB

[TomSea]

Louisa Moritz, who was in 'One flew over the Cuckoo's nest' and per the aricle, a Cosby accuser.  Probably, a lot of other films. Rest in peace.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/actress-louisa-moritz-dies-at-72/ar-BBSXBNg?li=BBnbfcL&OCID=ansmsnnews11

Born in Havana.

[TomSea]

You may not know the name, you have heard his guitar on my songs:

Harold Bradley, Country Hall of Famer and Key Music Row Figure, Dies at 93
Bradley was a part of Nashville’s recording scene for more than seven decades. A member of Nashville’s famed “A-team” group of studio musicians, Bradley played on many of Nashville’s greatest hits. His staggering list of credits includes Patsy Cline’s “I Fall To Pieces,” “Crazy,” She’s Got You” and “Sweet Dreams,” along with Tammy Wynette’s “Stand By Your Man,” Loretta Lynn’s “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” Elvis Presley’s “Devil in Disguise,” Roy Orbison’s “Crying” and “Only the Lonely,” Brenda Lee’s “I’m Sorry,” Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock,” Roger Miller’s “King of the Road,” Eddy Arnold’s “Make the World Go Away,” Alan Jackson’s “Here in The Real World,” Jeannie C. Riley’s “Harper Valley P.T.A.,” Red Foley’s “Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy,” Johnny Horton’s “Battle of New Orleans,” Jimmy Dean’s “Big Bad John,” John Anderson’s “Swingin’,”  Hank Williams’ “Ramblin’ Man,” Conway Twitty’s “Hello Darlin’,” the Everly Brothers’ “Ebony Eyes” — and so many more that a complete discography would turn this piece from an obituary into a book.

https://variety.com/2019/music/news/harold-bradley-country-hall-of-fame-member-studio-guitarist-dies-at-93-1203124996/

Some of the licks on these sound like they came from the same guitar:


Sorry...

[jmyrlefuller]

Ron Joyce
Founder of Tim Hortons dies at 88



Joyce began his life in rural Nova Scotia, raised by a widowed mother in a house with no electricity or indoor plumbing. After moving to Hamilton, Ontario in his youth, he joined the Canadian Forces, then found work as a police officer before, in 1964, he was approached by Tim Horton, a star defenceman for the Toronto Maple Leafs, about launching a donut chain. Joyce borrowed $10,000 from the local credit union and helped launch Tim Horton's Cafe and Bake Shop.

The chain quickly grew into Canada's largest donut shop, with over 3,600 locations; it began a successful entry into the U.S. market in the 21st century. The company merged with Wendy's in 1992 after Joyce met Dave Thomas at a grand opening for a franchisee's joint Wendy's/Tim Hortons location. After the two companies split apart a few years later, in 2014, Brazilian equity firm 3G Capital (who also own Burger King) bought the chain.

At the time of his death, Joyce had an estimated net worth of around $1.4 billion in U.S. dollars.

Obituary from the CBC

Wikipedia

[jmyrlefuller]

Wade Wilson
Quarterback who spent 19 years in the NFL as a backup dies at 60

11 ✭11
Wilson's jersey number with the Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys

Wilson, an alumnus of East Texas State University, signed as a late-round draft pick with the Minnesota Vikings in 1981. He spent the next 11 seasons with the Vikings, serving primarily as their backup quarterback. He spent the next eight years as a journeyman quarterback, including a stint in Oakland where he was older than Jon Gruden, his head coach. After retiring, he moved into a quarterbacks-coach position, spending 18 seasons in that role, most of them with the Dallas Cowboys, with whom Wilson had briefly played in the latter part of his career. Wilson left the Cowboys after 2017.

Wilson was found dead the morning of February 1.

Obituary from the Dallas Morning News

Wikipedia

NFL stats

[dfwgator]

Wade Wilson
Quarterback who spent 19 years in the NFL as a backup dies at 60

11 ✭11
Wilson's jersey number with the Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys

Wilson, an alumnus of East Texas State University, signed as a late-round draft pick with the Minnesota Vikings in 1981. He spent the next 11 seasons with the Vikings, serving primarily as their backup quarterback. He spent the next eight years as a journeyman quarterback, including a stint in Oakland where he was older than Jon Gruden, his head coach. After retiring, he moved into a quarterbacks-coach position, spending 18 seasons in that role, most of them with the Dallas Cowboys, with whom Wilson had briefly played in the latter part of his career. Wilson left the Cowboys after 2017.

Wilson was found dead the morning of February 1.

Obituary from the Dallas Morning News

Wikipedia

NFL stats

Pretty shocking that a 60-year old in seemingly good health would suddenly drop dead like that.   Didn't realize he had diabetes for all those years, that might explain it.

[Machiavelli]

Les Thornton dead at 84 (professional wrestler)

The well-traveled Les Thornton, former NWA World junior heavyweight champion, has died. He was 84 years old. His wife, Terry, posted the news Facebook: "It is with great sadness we share that Les Thornton peacefully took his leave on February 1, 2019 at 11:15 am, with his devoted wife, Terry at his side." ...

Born in Salford, England, Thornton put in 34 years into the pro wrestling business.

"I broke in the business in 1957 and I didn't come to the States until 1970," he told this writer in 2004. Previous to that, he played professional rugby for 12 years. A few other colleagues went from rugby to wrestling, including Pete Viller, who worked as Pat Curry, and Tommy "Time Bomb" Murthy...

More

Wikipedia

[mountaineer]

Bob Friend, Pirates pitching legend, dies at 88

Bob Friend, an ironman right-handed pitcher who never spent a day on the disabled list during his 16-year major-league career, died Sunday. He was 88.

Friend was a poster boy for the Pirates in the 1950s and 1960s. The 20-year-old was thrust into the starting rotation in 1951 and asked to ride out the storm. The pitiful Pirates lost more than 100 games in three of his four seasons; he had 50 losses to his name before age 24.

As the kid pitcher grew, so did the ballclub. In 1955, Friend became the first pitcher to have the league’s lowest ERA, at 2.83, while playing for a last-place team. In 1958, he led the league with a career-best 22 wins. In 1960, the four-time All-Star became a World Series champion. ...  Post-Gazette

[Applewood]

Thanks  @mountaineer   I remember Friend from when the Pirates didn't stink.  Part of the World Series championship team in 1960.  And he wasn't bad in political office either. 

Rest in peace, Bob Friend.

[jmyrlefuller]

Kristoff St. John
Soap opera actor dubbed the "Denzel of Daytime" dies at 52



St. John played Neil Winters, a staple of the long-running CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless, for 28 years.

He was found dead February 3 of an alcohol-related misadventure. He had experienced numerous bouts of mental instability since his son committed suicide in 2014.

Obituary/death notice from TMZ

Wikipedia

IMDB

[Machiavelli]

Julie Adams, Damsel in Distress in 'Creature From the Black Lagoon,' Dies at 92

Julie Adams, the comely brunette with the cascading curls best remembered as the damsel in distress in the 1954 horror classic Creature From the Black Lagoon, has died. She was 92.

Adams died early Sunday morning in Los Angeles, her son Mitchell Danton, a TV editor, told The Hollywood Reporter.

In more than six decades in film and on television, Adams also starred with Donald O'Connor in Francis Joins the WACS (1954), played opposite Elvis Presley in Tickle Me (1965) and appeared with Dennis Hopper in The Last Movie (1971) and with John Wayne in McQ (1974).

Fans of Murder, She Wrote know Adams for playing the eccentric realtor Eve Simpson on the long-running Angela Lansbury starrer, and in the early 1970s, she portrayed Jimmy Stewart's wife in the legendary actor's first foray into starring on his own series.

More

Wikipedia

IMDb

Official site

[Smokin Joe]

Godspeed Ms Adams! I can't say how many times my granddaughter and I watched The Creature ... (her favorite movie as a kid), and what fond memories that has given me. My wife has probably seen every episode of Murder, She Wrote as well.

[TomSea]

One of the best monster movies and versus the other genre, Wolfman, Frankstein, the Mummy and so on, the only bad thing about the Creature from the Black Lagoon was there was only one made. These others had kind of a series on them, even if some admittedly are not that stellar.

I always wished they had an additional movie,  the Creature was made in 1954, so a late entry compared to the others.



I did see that episode.