Obituaries for 2019

[jmyrlefuller]

Mac Wiseman
Last surviving founder of the Country Music Association dies at 93

A bout with polio at a young age spared Wiseman from a life of hard labor and forced him to pursue a career in music, landing a spot in Flatt and Scruggs's esteemed bluegrass group the Foggy Mountain Boys, also recording with Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys and Molly O'Day's group as well. He also had some modest success as a solo artist, with two top-ten country hits: a cover of "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" and "Jimmy Brown the Newsboy." He was the founding secretary of the Country Music Association, founded in 1958 as an organization devoted to stopping the influence of rock and roll in country music, and was the CMA's last surviving founder.

He continued to be highly esteemed in the bluegrass community, helping to establish the International Bluegrass Music Association in 1986. He was active in country music until his death February 24 from kidney failure.

Obituary from Rolling Stone

Wikipedia


Jimmy Brown the Newsboy

[mountaineer]

Edward Nixon, brother of President Richard Nixon, dies at 88
By Associated Press |
PUBLISHED: February 28, 2019 at 10:05 am | UPDATED: February 28, 2019 at 10:07 am

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Edward Nixon, the youngest brother of former President Richard Nixon who staunchly defended his sibling’s White House legacy, died Wednesday. He was 88.

The Richard Nixon Foundation announced that Nixon died at a nursing facility in Bothell, Washington, a Seattle suburb.

A geologist and Navy veteran, Nixon worked on his brother’s 1968 and 1972 presidential campaigns and served as co-chairman of the Nixon re-election committee in 1972. ... More

[Applewood]

Andre Previn, Master of Many Musical Genres, Dies at 89

Andre Previn, the four-time Oscar winner who mastered classical, jazz, pop and movie music as a composer, conductor and pianist during a career that spanned eight decades, has died. He was 89.

The Berlin native, who began working at MGM in 1946 while still attending Beverly Hills High School and went on to compile a résumé that featured an astounding 500-plus albums, died Thursday at his home in Manhattan, his manager told The Hollywood Reporter.

Previn was nominated 11 times for an Academy Award, winning for his music work on Gigi (1958), Porgy and Bess (1959), Irma La Douce (1963) and My Fair Lady (1964).

More at:

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/andre-previn-dead-oscar-winning-composer-901636

[mystery-ak]

Luke Perry, 52, is sedated in hospital after suffering a 'massive' stroke at his LA home on the same day that a Beverly Hills, 90210 reboot was announced

    Perry was at home in Sherman Oaks when he suffered the stroke on Wednesday
    The 52-year-old was rushed to the hospital but it is unclear what his condition is
    The star is known for appearing in Beverly Hills, 90210 and the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer
    He also appears in the CW hit series Riverdale as Fred Andrews
    A spokesman for the star said he was still under observation at the hospital on Thursday 
    Perry had pre-cancerous cells removed from his colon in 2015 and had been suffering from a bad back before the stroke
    Perry has a 21-year-old son, who is also called Luke, and an 18-year-old daughter 

By Jennifer Smith For Dailymail.com

Published: 10:47 EST, 28 February 2019 | Updated: 17:43 EST, 28 February 2019

more
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6756865/Luke-Perry-52-hospitalized-suffering-stroke-L-home.html?ito=social-facebook&fbclid=IwAR1VYAZUCTO_IFaT74IwfDe4iO6SNYdl6Pw-vFj71BDSOrSqOpB8z90nYAc

[LegalAmerican]

I read the post but do not really know, who this person is.  52 seems very young for a stroke, but I realize all things are medically possible.  Colon cancer?  At this rate, he may not be around very long.  Sad.

[Cyber Liberty]

I read the post but do not really know, who this person is.  52 seems very young for a stroke, but I realize all things are medically possible.  Colon cancer?  At this rate, he may not be around very long.  Sad.

At 52 I had my first hip replacement.  It was weird, being the youngest patient in the joint hospital.  I did enjoy the attention from the nurses...

I enjoyed a repeat exactly one year later.  Other hip.  But, now after 8 years they're stronger than ever.  Won't do airplanes though.   

[Applewood]

I read the post but do not really know, who this person is.  52 seems very young for a stroke, but I realize all things are medically possible.  Colon cancer?  At this rate, he may not be around very long.  Sad.

Yes, it is possible to suffer a stroke at any age, just as people can have heart attacks at any age.  And it looks like Perry had pre-cancerous cells (perhaps polyps?)  removed from his colon --he's not dying of cancer. 

[sneakypete]

Yes, it is possible to suffer a stroke at any age, just as people can have heart attacks at any age.  And it looks like Perry had pre-cancerous cells (perhaps polyps?)  removed from his colon --he's not dying of cancer.

@Applewood  @LegalAmerican

Agreed. I had polyps removed from my colon several years ago,and colon cancer was suspected. They were removed painlessly using a laser,and were benign. Didn't even have to stay in the hospital overnight.

This operation ,and healing from the operation was no doubt a nightmare years ago,but with laser surgery the operation is nothing to worry about. Don't let it scare you into avoiding it if your doc says you need it.

[Applewood]

@sneakypete

Thanks.  My cousin just had polyps removed too and you're right.  It was no big deal. There were some pre-cancerous cells, but the doctor told him there is no need for any further treatment like chemo or radiation at this time -- his condition will just have to be monitored for any return.

[jmyrlefuller]

Katherine Helmond
Character actress best known for her "cougar" characters in the sitcoms Soap andWho's the Boss? dies at 89



The buxom redheaded Helmond was a relative latecomer to acting; although Wikipedia claims one uncredited appearance on TV in 1962, her first verifiable acting credit was in a stage performance in 1969, and her first appearance in front of the camera came two years later. After several guest roles in the early 1970s, she finally landed her first starring television role in the soap-opera parody Soap, where she portrayed the comically innocent yet flirtatious matriarch Jessica Tate. Following that show was her longest-running role, the oversexed Mona Robinson on Who's the Boss?, which ran for eight seasons and (along with the similar character of Blanche Devereaux on The Golden Girls) was a rare example of a sexually liberated older character on prime time television of the 1980s.

Helmond would continue acting into her 80s; notable roles later in life included the eccentric owner of a professional football team in Coach and as Ray Barone's mother-in-law on Everybody Loves Raymond. Her last role was that of Lizzie, a Ford Model T in the Cars film franchise.

Helmond died February 23 of complications from Alzheimer's disease.

Obituary from NBC

Wikipedia

IMDB

[Applewood]

Awwwww!  I loved her in Soap.  In fact, Soap is one of my favorite comedies.  Antenna TV still runs the series. 

Rest in peace, Miss Helmond. 

[mountaineer]

... “She was the love of my life. We spent 57 beautiful, wonderful, loving years together, which I will treasure forever,” her husband, David Christian, said in a statement. “I’ve been with Katherine since I was 19 years old. The night she died, I saw that the moon was exactly half-full, just as I am now… half of what I’ve been my entire adult life.”

Helmond died Saturday of complications from Alzheimer’s in her Los Angeles residence ...

KTLA

[mountaineer]

Young people even in their 30s can have strokes.  Tomorrow is not guaranteed to anyone.

[Cyber Liberty]

Young people even in their 30s can have strokes.  Tomorrow is not guaranteed to anyone.

My Sister had a stroke in her cerebellum when she was 32.  She had an MRI when there weren't very many of them around, they spotted it and it saved her from a spinal tap.

[LegalAmerican]

At 52 I had my first hip replacement.  It was weird, being the youngest patient in the joint hospital.  I did enjoy the attention from the nurses...

I enjoyed a repeat exactly one year later.  Other hip.  But, now after 8 years they're stronger than ever.  Won't do airplanes though.   

Very happy for you and your hips. 

Why no airplanes?  Metal? 

 I put colon cancer in question mark.  Why do they even report that?  A lot of people have polyps. They may or may not become cancerous.  Just a good idea to remove them.  I know baby's can have strokes, etc. In general it is older people.  52 still sounds young to me. My baby just turned 50 March 1. 

Once one is a senior we know about medical conditions. Only the young ones on here, think they have to explain it. 

[Cyber Liberty]

Very happy for you and your hips. 

Why no airplanes?  Metal? 

Correct.   The replacement hips are Tungsten, which the Magnetometers are not supposed to pick up, but the first replacement also has surgical steel used to strap the Femur together.  It was falling apart because of the AVascular Necrosis that was killing the bone from the inside.  An X-ray of that hip looks like Saturn with the rings.

[TomSea]

Nathaniel Taylor, Rollo Lawson on ‘Sanford and Son,’ Dies at 80
Erin Nyren


Nathaniel Taylor, the actor who played Rollo Lawson on the 1970s sitcom “Sanford and Son,” died Feb. 27 at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center after suffering a heart attack. He was 80.

As part of the recurring cast on “Sanford and Son,” Taylor appeared in 32 episodes from 1972 through 1977. Taylor’s character, Rollo Lawson, was Lamont Sanford’s best friend and often a target of Fred Sanford’s ire, who believed Rollo was a criminal since he had spent time in jail. Taylor went on to have a role as part of the main cast in season one of the short-lived “Sanford and Son” spinoff “Sanford,” which aired from March 1980 to June 1981.

Taylor also appeared in “Sanford and Son” star Redd Foxx’s eponymous sitcom, “The Redd Foxx Show,” as the first version of Jim-Jam. The series was canceled after 12 episodes due to low ratings.

Read more at: https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/nathaniel-taylor-rollo-lawson-on-sanford-and-son-dies-at-80/ar-BBUg5ZW?OCID=ansmsnnews11

[truth_seeker]

Over my lifetime I have not been a big television watcher.

The few programs that drew me in, however, included Sanford and Son.

Redd Fox was the best. The show's material was funny, as were the characters and actors.

[sneakypete]

 From the bio it seems his only acting gigs were related to Red Foxx shows. I wonder why? He obviously showed up on time sober and did what he was supposed to do,or Foxx would have canned him instantly.

It's a shame he couldn't find more work because he did a good job at the role I saw  him in.

Red Foxx was a chrome-plated butthole. I was doing security/bodyguard work for a while out in Denver,and Foxx flew into town to do a show. The company I worked for had the contract to provide security for him,so when the boss told me he would have someone else handle Foxx,I asked him why. He told me "I have dealt with him before,and he is a arrogant big-mouthed butthole that hates white people. He has a tendency  to do stuff like point at his bags and tell his security,"Those are my bags,boy! Pick them up and carry them for me."  I just don't think you and he would work well together after you try to stuff  a suitcase up his ass."

Good call on the bosse's part.

I later talked to the two guys that provided security for him,and both said they would quit if ever given that job again.

[jmyrlefuller]

Ted Lindsay
Hockey Hall of Fame forward dies at 93

🏒7
Lindsay's jersey number with the Detroit Red Wings



Lindsay was a member of the Detroit Red Wings' famed "Production Line" from 1944 to 1957, sharing the ice with fellow Hall of Famers Sid Abel and Gordie Howe. Lindsay's efforts to form a players union were a factor in his banishment to the Chicago Blackhawks from 1957 to 1960 (at the time, Red Wings owner James Norris had control in some form over all of the league's American teams, which he used to prevent the other teams from being competitive).

He returned to hockey in 1964 at the behest of Abel, by this point the Red Wings' general manager, initially planning to play two more seasons; however, he was forced into retirement after it was apparent he would be targeted in the league's expansion draft as it was going to double in size in 1967. He spent most of the next ten years as a broadcaster on the league's then-rare national broadcasts, then in the late 1970s served as the Red Wings' general manager.

Lindsay was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1966 but refused to attend the ceremony because he was not allowed to bring his wife to the induction ceremonies, which at the time were open to men only. He was voted one of the NHL's 100 Greatest Players in 2018.

Obituary from WDIV

Wikipedia

Career stats

[Gefn]

Breaking, Luke Perry, Star of 90210 has died at the age of 52

[Applewood]

Luke Perry, star of 'Beverly Hills, 90210' and 'Riverdale' dead at 52

Actor Luke Perry, who starred in "Beverly Hills, 90210" and "Riverdale," has died at age 52 after suffering a massive stroke, a rep for the actor told Fox News.

"He was surrounded by his children Jack and Sophie, fiancé Wendy Madison Bauer, ex-wife Minnie Sharp, mother Ann Bennett, step-father Steve Bennett, brother Tom Perry, sister Amy Coder, and other close family and friends," Perry's representative told us. "The family appreciates the outpouring of support and prayers that have been extended to Luke from around the world, and respectfully request privacy in this time of great mourning. No further details will be released at this time."

More at:

https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/luke-perry-star-of-beverly-hills-90210-and-riverdale-dead-at-52

[Applewood]

A shame.  Was hoping Perry could have made it.  Rest in peace.

[Gefn]

He had a good range. From 90210 to OZ? 52 is young. RIP

[mystery-ak]

I knew it was just a matter of days when I read they put him in a medical induced coma....

[dfwgator]

I knew it was just a matter of days when I read they put him in a medical induced coma....

Yep, basically it was to get all the loved ones there to say goodbye.

[jmyrlefuller]

King Kong Bundy
Professional wrestler dies at 61



Bundy (real name Chris Pallies) had a relatively short career in professional wrestling, but his brief and meteoric rise in the WWF came at the peak of the federation's Rock'n'Wrestling era in the mid-1980s. His fame came to the attention of the writers of an upcoming domestic sitcom, Married...with Children, who were huge fans of the wrestler and named their characters "Bundy" after him. Bundy himself would make three appearances in that show.

Bundy died February 4. He had been part of an unsuccessful class-action suit alleging that what is now WWE had inflicted long-term damage to his health in the years prior to his death.

Obituary from Pro Wrestling Sheet

Wikipedia

[Machiavelli]

King Kong Bundy
Professional wrestler dies at 61



Bundy (real name Chris Pallies) had a relatively short career in professional wrestling, but his brief and meteoric rise in the WWF came at the peak of the federation's Rock'n'Wrestling era in the mid-1980s. His fame came to the attention of the writers of an upcoming domestic sitcom, Married...with Children, who were huge fans of the wrestler and named their characters "Bundy" after him. Bundy himself would make three appearances in that show.

Bundy died February 4. He had been part of an unsuccessful class-action suit alleging that what is now WWE had inflicted long-term damage to his health in the years prior to his death.

Obituary from Pro Wrestling Sheet

Wikipedia

 

[DCPatriot]

[verga]

Okay that is just sick and twisted, funny but sick and twisted.

[TomSea]

Elly Mayday has passed away, a "positive-image" or "plus-size" model... Canadian... she contracted ovarian cancer a few years ago, like 2013. She has passed on at only 30 years old.



So, then, I assume from this 2017 picture, the cancer caused a lot of weight loss, one would have to read the story closely for all of the details. It sounds like per 2017, they thought the cancer had gone away but it came back.

Plus-size model Elly Mayday dies of ovarian cancer at the age of 30, after spending years proudly showing off her scars and candidly sharing her ongoing struggle with the disease

    Elly, who was born Ashley Luther, passed away on Friday, March 1, at 5:14 p.m
    The Canadian-born model was first diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2013
    After believing she had beaten cancer, she suffered a relapse in 2017
    Over the years, she has opened up about her surgeries, injections, and fatigue, all while showing gratitude and love for her body
    Elly's family announced her death on her social media pages in a moving post that thanked her fans for their 'constant support and love'

By Erica Tempesta For Dailymail.com
Published: 16:19 EST, 6 March 2019 | Updated: 22:53 EST, 6 March 2019

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-6778971/Plus-size-model-Elly-Mayday-dies-ovarian-cancer-age-30.html

Rest in peace, she sounds like she was a very good person.

 

[Machiavelli]

The Destroyer Dick Beyer dies (great professional wrestler)

Dick Beyer, who left an incredible legacy as The Intelligent, Sensational Destroyer, as former AWA World champion Doctor X, and as a coach, died today, March 7, just after noon eastern time in his home just outside Buffalo, New York. He was 88.

His son, Kurt Beyer, posted the news:

"It is with a very heavy heart to let you know that Dad -- aka The Destroyer, aka Doctor X, aka Dick Beyer, aka Coach -- passed away shortly past Noon today. He was in bed at home, and was surrounded by all of his children and wife as he slipped peacefully away. I will have more to share later, but wanted you to hear this sad news from me first. Thoughts and prayers are most welcome at his time. Peace."

More

Wikipedia

[edpc]

Rest in peace, she sounds like she was a very good person.

 

She probably was, but, the sad truth is: Obesity contributes to metastasis in ovarian cancer. Body positivity doesn’t equate to health.

[Free Vulcan]

Airwolf star Jan-Michael Vincent dies aged 74 after suffering cardiac arrest

The Denver born star had many credits to his name, with his career spanning back to the late 1960s.

His last role was in the 2002 drama White Boy.

But it was his role as helicopter pilot Stringfellow Hawke in Airwolf that made him a star. The show, which ran from 1984 to 1986, earned him $200,000 per episode, making him the highest paid actor at the time.

At the height of his fame he admitted to issues with drugs and alcohol - which reportedly contributed to the cancellation of his the CBS series in 1986 - and confessed in recent years that he was still struggling with alcoholism.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-6787161/Airwolf-star-Jan-Michael-Vincent-dies-aged-74-suffering-cardiac-arrest.html

------

Airwolf was one of the coolest shows ever. Too bad JMV had to fall down the drug/alcohol hole like so many others. Surprising he lived as long as he did.

[edpc]

Surprising he lived as long as he did.

Preserved by the substances, aka Keith Richards Syndrome.

[Free Vulcan]

Preserved by the substances, aka Keith Richards Syndrome.

Probably saved money at the undertakers, not having to be embalmed. 

[edpc]

Probably saved money at the undertakers, not having to be embalmed.  :whistle

But, you can get a contact buzz at the cremation, ala Amy Winehouse.

[Applewood]

Used to think Jan Michael-Vincent was such a hunk.  But then he ruined his life with substance abuse.  Just look at that recent photo and compare it to the others from his heyday.

He had a minor role in one of the Dragnet episodes (the 1967-1970 version of the series).  He played a teenager who had been attacked by a mentally unbalanced classmate. 

I pray he now finds peace he must not have had in his life on earth.

[mountaineer]

Used to think Jan Michael-Vincent was such a hunk.  But then he ruined his life with substance abuse.  Just look at that recent photo and compare it to the others from his heyday.

Yes, I remember that he was quite the "dreamboat." From that -

 to this -

Yikes.

[mrclose]

Drugs, jail and drinking really took a toll!
(And a bad car accident)

[musiclady]

Lifestyle choices make quite a difference in one's appearance in advancing years.

I'm sure he never thought when he was young and beautiful that his bad choices would result in such a severe degeneration of his good looks. 

[TomSea]

'The Mechanic', Charles Bronson, Jan Michael Vincent.



I know of another late celebrity who had to have his leg amputated because of diabetes, he lived hard too.  The lifestyle really takes its toll on some, some apparently get by.

[Cyber Liberty]

'The Mechanic', Charles Bronson, Jan Michael Vincent.



I know of another late celebrity who had to have his leg amputated because of diabetes, he lived hard too.  The lifestyle really takes its toll on some, some apparently get by.

I think he lost his in a car accident....

[TomSea]

And now this:

Former Miss Teen Universe Lotte van der Zee dead at 20 after suffering heart attack while on vacation
By Mark Hodge | The Sun

A former Miss Teen Universe has died after suffering a fatal heart attack on a ski trip. She was 20.

Model Lotte van der Zee, from Holland, passed away after falling into a coma following her cardiac arrest while on holiday in Westendorf, Austria with her family.

https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/former-miss-teen-universe-lotte-van-der-zee-dead-at-20-after-suffering-heart-attack-while-on-vacation

A lot of people have some heart problems that they do not know about. This reminds me of that, she was skiing. Tragic. In my thoughts and prayers.

[sneakypete]

Drugs, jail and drinking really took a toll!
(And a bad car accident)

@mrclose

Well,to be fair to him,50 years have passed between the photos. I realize that *I* may look exactly like I did when I was 22,but most people aren't so lucky.

[sneakypete]

And now this:



A lot of people have some heart problems that they do not know about. This reminds me of that, she was skiing. Tragic. In my thoughts and prayers.

@TomSea

Yeah,that one is going to get a very thorough autopsy. That just ain't supposed to happen to skinny 20 year olds.

[EasyAce]

Babe Ruth's last surviving daughter dies at 102

HENDERSON, Nev. -- Julia Ruth Stevens, the last surviving daughter of Hall of Fame baseball slugger Babe Ruth and a decades-long champion of his legacy, has died at age 102, her family has announced.

Her family said Stevens died Saturday morning at an assisted living facility in Henderson, Nevada, after a short illness.

"Julia was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother who lived a wonderful, full life during the 102 years that she was with us," her family said in a statement posted on Babe Ruth Central's Facebook page.

Diane Murphy, a fellow resident at Prestige Senior Living at Mira Loma in Henderson, told The Associated Press that Stevens had lost her sight but remained bright and vibrant.

Stevens was part of a circle of residents who read books aloud, according to Murphy.

"She was so sharp and laughed at the right moments," Murphy said. "She was a lovely lady."

Even well into her 90s, Stevens threw out first pitches at baseball games across the nation, attended Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in Cooperstown, New York, and appeared at the annual Babe Ruth Little League World Series . . .

@Machiavelli

[Applewood]

God truly blessed Mrs. Stevens.  To live that long and still be vibrant, despite her infirmities, is marvelous.  We are fortunate to have had her for so long keeping the legacy of her father alive.

Rest in peace, Mrs. Stevens.

[Machiavelli]

102. Wow.

[jmyrlefuller]

@TomSea

Yeah,that one is going to get a very thorough autopsy. That just ain't supposed to happen to skinny 20 year olds.

My first instinct is bulimia.