Obituaries for 2024

[libertybele]

60 is pretty darn young! I did watch the show quite a few years ago -- it was entertaining, but nothing spectacular.
 
American Pickers' star Frank Fritz dead at 60

Frank Fritz has died, Fox News Digital can confirm.

"We are saddened to share that our friend and beloved member of The HISTORY Channel and ‘American Pickers’ family, Frank Fritz, has passed away on September 30, 2024," The History Channel and Cineflex Productions shared in a statement with Fox News Digital. "Frank filmed ‘American Pickers’ for over a decade. We will always remember ‘the bearded charmer’ and his never-ending search for vintage motorcycles and bikes. Our thoughts are with Frank’s loved ones during this difficult time. He will be deeply missed."

His former co-star Mike Wolfe also posted about the "American Pickers" star's death on Instagram. "It’s with a broken heart that I share with all of you that Frank passed away last night," he wrote.

[Free Vulcan]

Loved that show, talk about some legendary finds out in boofoo Egypt. RIP Frank.

[jafo2010]

I loved the show(Pickers) too.  Frank was actually 59, a few weeks away from being 60.  Either age is too young, and to die of a stroke at such an age, is just sad.

[Smokin Joe]

Well, bye Frank. Hope you get to find something good on the other side.

[jmyrlefuller]

Emily "Cissy" Houston, who found fame as member of The Sweet Inspirations, forged an award-winning gospel career, and mothered Whitney Houston, dies at 91

https://deadline.com/2024/10/cissy-houston-dead-1236109349/

Houston's appearance on David Letterman in the mid-1980s, in which the vocal stylings her daughter would make famous are obvious:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYIkfxmuxjQ

[mountaineer]

Interesting.  Whitney really did take after her mom's style.

[deb]

RIP Cissy.

[Gefn]

Breaking

Ethel Kennedy died at age 96

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/KerryKennedyRFK/status/1844397785065664700

[Wingnut]

https://twitter.com/KerryKennedyRFK/status/1844397785065664700

No mention of RFK Jr.?

[PeteS in CA]

No mention of RFK Jr.?

Looking at Ethel's bio on W'pedia, it appears that Michael and David, the two sons named, both pre-deceased their Mom.

[Wingnut]

Looking at Ethel's bio on W'pedia, it appears that Michael and David, the two sons named, both pre-deceased their Mom.

Ah, got it.

[PeteS in CA]

Ah, got it.

Prolixity and proper punctuation collided in that sentence and the Geico Gecko was AWOL Or had been eaten by the Geico Neanderthal..

[jmyrlefuller]

Former boy band superstar Liam Payne dies at 31

Payne was a member of the early 2010s English boy band One Direction. On what appeared to be a drug and alcohol-induced bender, Payne fell to his death from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

https://www.reuters.com/world/one-direction-singer-liam-payne-found-dead-buenos-aires-local-media-reports-2024-10-16/

[PeteS in CA]

Argentina.

It sounds like he didn't handle falling from popularity, generally, and the recent breakup with his GF. It may have been suicide, though that may not be known.

[mountaineer]

I believe the NY Post indicated he had been ingesting a lot of drugs and alcohol before he fell.

[berdie]

Reported that Mitzy Gaynor died at 93.

RIP Nellie.

[jmyrlefuller]

Argentina.

It sounds like he didn't handle falling from popularity, generally, and the recent breakup with his GF. It may have been suicide, though that may not be known.

Corrected. I was out of the house when I posted that, so I got my South American countries mixed up.

[Gefn]

Psychologist Philip Zimbardo, architect of the ‘Stanford Prison Experiment,’ is dead at 91



https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-10-20/philip-zimbardo-architect-of-the-stanford-prison-experiment-is-dead


Anyone who has taken Psych 101 remembers this guy.

[Free Vulcan]

I believe the NY Post indicated he had been ingesting a lot of drugs and alcohol before he fell.

I seen another article that says he was afraid of the dirt Diddy had on him.

[mountaineer]

Anyone who has taken Psych 101 remembers this guy.

Yes.

[Timber Rattler]

Psychologist Philip Zimbardo, architect of the ‘Stanford Prison Experiment,’ is dead at 91



https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-10-20/philip-zimbardo-architect-of-the-stanford-prison-experiment-is-dead


Anyone who has taken Psych 101 remembers this guy.

Yep, a very revealing experiment about both human nature and the hubris of academia...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KND_bBDE8RQ

[jmyrlefuller]

Fernando Valenzuela, who swept baseball by storm in 1981, dies at 64

https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/story/2024-10-22/dodgers-fernando-valenzuela-fernandomania-obit

[mountaineer]

No cause of death mentioned, but that seems so young (one other story put his age at 63). He certainly was entertaining to watch.

[catfish1957]

In my baseball watching lore, i obviously disliked the Dodgers, but there was no doubt how entertaining "Toro" was.

He had one of the nastiest screwballs in his era, and his delivery just compounded the difficulty to hit it.  Was surprised though how un-dominatiing his overall career stats were. (173-153. 3.54 era).  Still, at his height, he was one tough pitcher.

[jmyrlefuller]

No cause of death mentioned, but that seems so young (one other story put his age at 63). He certainly was entertaining to watch.

Wikipedia says liver cancer.

[mountaineer]

Wikipedia says liver cancer.

Ah. Thanks.

[Lando Lincoln]

I saw him pitch a few times. If my memory is correct, I saw him on the losing end of a 2-0 complete game in San Diego. His skyward looking wind-up was something to see. I’ll see if I can track down a box score.

[Bigun]

No hitter!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efFHcfIuCEs

[Free Vulcan]

A few days old, but noteworthy:

John Kinsel Sr., one of the last remaining Navajo Code Talkers who transmitted messages during World War II based on the tribe’s native language, has died.

He was 107…

https://strangesounds.substack.com/p/thank-you-for-your-service-and-rip

[bigheadfred]

Ron Ely, star of 'Tarzan' TV series, dead at 86 - New York Post

https://nypost.com/2024/10/23/entertainment/ron-ely-star-of-tarzan-tv-series-dead-at-86/

Ron Ely, the actor best known for his role on the TV series “Tarzan” has died. He was 86.

The star passed away on Sept. 29 at the home of one of his daughters in the vicinity of Santa Barbara, Calif., according to The New York Times. Ely’s daughter, Kirsten, first announced the news on Instagram. She confirmed her father’s death to Fox News Digital.

[mountaineer]

Elizabeth Francis, Oldest Person In The U.S., Passes At 115
OAN Staff Blake Wolf
12:37 PM – Thursday, October 24, 2024

The oldest living person in the United States has passed away at the age of 115.

Elizabeth Francis peacefully passed away on Tuesday night while surrounded by loved ones and family members. Ethel Harrison, her 69-year-old granddaughter, described her grandmother simply as “a person who loved people.”

    “She loved the Lord. Her faith was extremely strong,” Harrison stated. “She was always, you know, jolly, you know, ‘how you doing? You’re doing okay?’ That was just her personality.”  ...

[GtHawk]

Ron Ely, star of 'Tarzan' TV series, dead at 86 - New York Post

https://nypost.com/2024/10/23/entertainment/ron-ely-star-of-tarzan-tv-series-dead-at-86/

Ron Ely, the actor best known for his role on the TV series “Tarzan” has died. He was 86.

The star passed away on Sept. 29 at the home of one of his daughters in the vicinity of Santa Barbara, Calif., according to The New York Times. Ely’s daughter, Kirsten, first announced the news on Instagram. She confirmed her father’s death to Fox News Digital.

Always heard he was a good guy, back in the late sixties? My mother was a nurse at ST. Fracis hospital in Lynwood, Ca. And he was one of her patients and she spoke well of him.

[Smokin Joe]

A few days old, but noteworthy:

John Kinsel Sr., one of the last remaining Navajo Code Talkers who transmitted messages during World War II based on the tribe’s native language, has died.

He was 107…

https://strangesounds.substack.com/p/thank-you-for-your-service-and-rip

[jmyrlefuller]

Swinging lounge-singer showman Jack Jones dies at 86

Jones had pop hits with "The Race Is On" (more famous today for its country rendition by the unrelated George Jones), "Dear Heart," and "Wives and Lovers," along with being an extensive fixture of the easy listening format in the 1960s and 1970s. Jones famously sang the theme from The Love Boat.

Jones died after a two-year bout with leukemia on October 23.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/music-news/jack-jones-dead-love-boat-theme-1236044634/


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiTOqpVgL8s

[AllThatJazzZ]

I think I'm surprised to learn that he hadn't passed quite a while ago.

Here's a song that often triggers feminists, so it gives me pleasure to commemorate Mr. Jones with it.



Lollipops & Roses


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EAELtJgD6A

[Gefn]

Phil Lesh, Grateful Dead Co-Founder and Bassist, Dead at 84

Phil Lesh, the classically trained musician who co-founded the Grateful Dead and whose unconventional bass playing steered the band into some of its most experimental directions, died Friday at the age of 84.

Lesh’s death was announced on social media, with a short statement reading: “Phil Lesh, bassist and founding member of the Grateful Dead, passed peacefully this morning. He was surrounded by his family and full of love. Phil brought immense joy to everyone around him and leaves behind a legacy of music and love. We request that you respect the Lesh family’s privacy at this time.” No cause of death was given.

From the time of the Dead’s earliest incarnation as the Warlocks, Lesh enjoyed an intimate three-decade-long partnership with lead guitarist Jerry Garcia. He also claimed responsibility for their long-form improvisation inclinations, electronic experiments, and nightly free-form “space” interludes. After the group dissolved in 1995 due to Garcia’s death, Lesh went on to become an active keeper of its live flame in various configurations with former band members and in several iterations of Phil Lesh and Friends. The latter included numerous guests from the extended multigenerational improvised-rock community.

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/phil-lesh-grateful-dead-dead-1234809976/

[Gefn]

Do we have any Dead Heads in here?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRvgOYL7z8M

[Hoodat]

Do we have any Dead Heads in here?

Yes.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qRfnbF6SNg

[Hoodat]

Ripple / Fare Thee Well


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBEWlOGPPk0

[libertybele]

RIP Phil Lesh

Grateful Dead - Truckin'


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pafY6sZt0FE

[GrouchoTex]

Yes.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qRfnbF6SNg

Yep.
My 1st concert was the Grateful Dead, and several more after that.

[Gefn]

Teri Garr, Star of ‘Young Frankenstein’ and ‘Tootsie,’ Dies at 79

Teri Garr, the comic actress and singer who brought her buoyant personality to “Young Frankenstein” and was Oscar-nominated for “Tootsie,” died on Tuesday in Los Angeles after a long battle with multiple sclerosis. She was 79.

An influential performer to comedians including Tina Fey, Garr was a familiar face in dozens of TV shows and films of the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s. The actress revealed in 2002 that she had been diagnosed with MS, and she suffered an aneurysm in 2006.

After starting her career as a dancer, Garr first gained attention as Inga, the saucy assistant in Mel Brooks’ 1974 “Young Frankenstein,” who greeted Gene Wilder’s Dr. Frederick Frankenstein with the memorable “Vould you like to have a roll in ze hay?”

On “Friends,” she played Phoebe Abbot in three episodes in 1997 and 1998.

https://variety.com/2024/film/news/teri-garr-dead-young-frankenstein-tootsie-1236193831/

[Gefn]

She was in one of my favorite Star Trek episodes of all time. She was so good in it too.

[Free Vulcan]

Being Halloween season I've been watching alot of Young Frankenstein reactions, my fav Mel Brooks movie.

Also liked her in Close Encounters.

Smart, funny, talented actress and smokin' hot. Loved that woman. RIP.

[jafo2010]

Teri Garr was a great comedic actress.  She was in many movies I enjoyed.  In addition to the ones mentioned above, she was in Oh God!, and Mr. Mom, both movies I enjoyed.

She was in an episode of Dr. Kildare, going back to 1965.  I went back and checked her credits on IMDB.

RIP! 

Because of the idiocy in America of 50% of the population, comedy is now frowned upon. 

[verga]

Teri Garr, Star of ‘Young Frankenstein’ and ‘Tootsie,’ Dies at 79



https://variety.com/2024/film/news/teri-garr-dead-young-frankenstein-tootsie-1236193831/

R.I.P. Always fun to watch.

[Cyber Liberty]

She was in one of my favorite Star Trek episodes of all time. She was so good in it too.

I think they were planning a Star Trek spin off about the adventures of Sevin.  I guess there were no takers.

[PeteS in CA]

She was living with MS since 2002. Quite the fighter!

[Wingnut]

I think they were planning a Star Trek spin off about the adventures of Sevin.  I guess there were no takers.

The spin off should have featured Isis