Tag Archives: obituary

Paul Schindler reports at Gay City News: Doug Ireland, a journalist and activist who came of age in the New Left politics of the 1960s and whose interests and professional pursuits ranged from foreign and domestic politics to literature and philosophy, died in his East Village home on October 26. He was 67 years old, and, according to his longtime …

Rolling Stone has the sad news: Lou Reed, a massively influential songwriter and guitarist who helped shape nearly fifty years of rock music, died today. The cause of his death has not yet been released, but Reed underwent a liver transplant in May. With the Velvet Underground in the late Sixties, Reed fused street-level urgency with elements of European avant-garde …

Actress Marcia Wallace has died at the age of 70. Wallace gained fame as the secretary Carol on The Bob Newhart Show and voiced the Simpsons character Edna Krabappel. “I was tremendously saddened to learn this morning of the passing of the brilliant and gracious Marcia Wallace,” said Simpsons executive producer Al Jean in a statement. “She was beloved by …

In July a federal judge ordered the state of Ohio to recognize the Maryland marriage of John Arthur (above right) and his husband. Arthur was terminally ill and he wished to be listed as married on his Ohio death certificate so that he could be buried in his husband’s family plot. He died yesterday. Mr. Arthur was diagnosed with amyotrophic …

Former House Speaker Tom Foley has died at the age of 84. Foley, also a former U.S. ambassador to Japan in the Clinton administration, had been in hospice care at his home in the nation’s capital. He represented eastern Washington state in the U.S. House of Representatives for 15 terms, from 1965 to 1995. “With his passing, the House loses …

Stephen Crohn, the openly gay man who had been dubbed by the press as the “man who couldn’t catch AIDS” due to his genetic mutation, committed suicide last month at the age of 66.  Crohn’s passing was revealed on Friday by his sister. His boyfriend was dying of a disease without a name. Beginning in 1978, Stephen Crohn cared for …

British broadcaster David Frost, perhaps best known for his post-Watergate interview with Richard Nixon, has died at the age of 74. Frost died of a heart attack on Saturday night aboard the Queen Elizabeth cruise ship, where he was due to give a speech, the family said. The cruise company Cunard said its vessel had left the English port of …

If, like me, you grew up during the Vietnam War, you’ll remember the gripping nightly reports by CBS journalist Bruce Dunning, who died yesterday at the age of 73.  In an obituary published yesterday by CBS, they note that he is survived by his “life partner,” renowned artist Tetsunori Kawana. I wasn’t aware that Dunning was gay and cannot find …

The legendary Jose Julio Sarria, also known as the Widow Norton and Empress I Jose, the founder of the International Court System and America’s first openly gay candidate for public office, died yesterday at the age of 91. Here’s a recap of the below clip: “A short tribute to the Founder of the Imperial Court System, Jose Sarria who passed …

The legendary Jose Julio Sarria, also known as the Widow Norton and Empress I Jose, the founder of the International Court System and America’s first openly gay candidate for public office, has died at the age of 91. GLAAD has posted a remembrance: One of America’s gay rights pioneering leaders, José Julio Sarria, passed away quietly in his home in …

Superstar of the 60s Eydie Gormé, also well-known for her career-long onstage partnership with her husband Steve Lawrence, has died at the age of 84. “Legendary singer and performer Eydie Gorme passed away peacefully today at Sunrise Hospital following a brief illness,” [spokesman Howard] Bragman said in a statement. “She was surrounded by her husband, son and other loved ones …

Oscar nominated actress Karen Black, best known for her roles in Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, and Nashville, has died after a long battle with cancer. She was 74. Her husband Steven Eckleberry, who had been chronicling her cancer fight on Black’s blog, announced the news on Facebook on Thursday. “Thank you all for all your prayers and love, they …

According to a Facebook post made last night by his partner Michael Kaplan, activist Sean Sasser has died of mesothelioma at the age of 44.  Sasser was perhaps best known for his appearances in the 1994 season of MTV’s Real World, during which he began dating late HIV/AIDS activist Pedro Zamora. Theirs was the first real life same-sex relationship seen …

CNN reports: Longtime White House journalist Helen Thomas has died at age 92 after a long illness, sources told CNN Saturday. Thomas covered 10 presidents over nearly half a century, and became a legend in the industry. She was a fixture at White House news conferences — sitting front and center late in her career — where she frequently exasperated …

Glee star Cory Montieth was found dead in a Vancouver hotel room yesterday. He was 31. Police said Monteith was with other people Friday night. An examination of hotel video footage showed him returning to his room alone early Saturday morning. Police believe he was alone when he died. No cause of death was given and no foul play is …

Actor James Gandolfini has died of an apparent heart attack at the age of 51. Gandolfini was on holiday in Rome, said Mara Mikialian, HBO’s vice president for program publicity. The actor was scheduled to make an appearance at the Taormina Film Fest in Sicily this week, according to the festival. Gandolfini won three Emmy Awards for his portrayal of …

ABC News has the obituary: Esther Williams, the swimming champion turned actress who starred in glittering and aquatic Technicolor musicals of the 1940s and 1950s, has died. She was 91. Williams died early Thursday in her sleep, according to her longtime publicist Harlan Boll. Following in the footsteps of Sonja Henie, who went from skating champion to movie star, Williams …

Actress Jean Stapleton, famed for her portrayal of  Edith Bunker on All In The Family, has died at her New York City home at the age of 90. Stapleton died of natural causes, her family announced Saturday. She had been a veteran of stage, film and television when she was cast in the CBS sitcom opposite Carroll O’Connor’s loud-mouthed, bigoted …

Ray Manzarek, founding member of the iconic band The Doors, has died at the age of 74. Manzarek founded The Doors after meeting then-poet Jim Morrison in California. The band went on to become one of the most successful rock ‘n’ roll acts to emerge from the 1960s and continues to resonate with fans decades after Morrison’s death brought the …

Television psychologist and frequent chat show guest Dr. Joyce Brothers died at her New Jersey home yesterday at the age of 85. Throughout the 1960s, and long beyond, one could scarcely turn on the television or open a newspaper without encountering her. She was the host of her own nationally syndicated TV shows, starting in the late 1950s with “The …