Tag Archives: obituary

The BBC reports: Stephen Hawking – who died aged 76 – battled motor neurone disease to become one of the most respected and best-known scientists of his age. A man of great humour, he became a popular ambassador for science and was always careful to ensure that the general public had ready access to his work. His book A Brief …

The Guardian reports: Hubert de Givenchy, the aristocratic French fashion designer whose understated style represented a golden age of elegance, has died aged 91. Givenchy dressed Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Kennedy and is famous for the “little black dress”. He died at the Renaissance chateau near Paris that he shared with his partner and fellow designer Philippe Venet. At 6ft …

Variety reports: David Ogden Stiers, best known for his role as the arrogant surgeon Major Charles Emerson Winchester III on “MASH,” died Saturday. He was 75. His agent, Mitchell K. Stubbs, tweeted that he died of bladder cancer at his home in Newport, Ore. For his work on “MASH,” Stiers was twice Emmy nominated for outstanding supporting actor in a …

The Huffington Post reports: Billy Graham, the famed televangelist who became known as “America’s Pastor,” has died at the age of 99, MSNBC and CBS reported.  Born in 1918 in Charlotte, North Carolina, William Franklin Graham Jr. was the oldest of the four children of William and Morrow Graham. He was raised on a dairy farm, and little in his …

TMZ reports: John Mahoney, the beloved dad on “Frasier,” has died in Chicago … TMZ has learned. According to John’s publicist … he passed away Sunday in hospice care. The British-born actor famously played Martin Crane, the father of Kelsey Grammer and David Hyde Pierce’s characters, for 11 seasons of “Frasier.” John most recently had a recurring role in “Hot …

People Magazine reports: Mark Salling has died in an apparent suicide weeks before being sentenced to prison for possession of child pornography. He was 35. “I can confirm that Mark Salling passed away early this morning. Mark was a gentle and loving person, a person of great creativity, who was doing his best to atone for some serious mistakes and …

Bob Smith’s partner Michael Zam writes on Facebook: It’s with great sadness, but also a lifetime of happy memories that I’m writing to share that my beloved Bob Smith passed away this morning at age 59 after a remarkable 12-year battle with ALS. He was the funniest and most optimistic person I’ve ever known, as well as the most committed …

Activist Peter Staley writes on Facebook: My greatest AIDS hero died a few hours ago. Dr. Mathilde Krim, founder of amfAR, warrior against homophobia and AIDS-related stigma, dedicated defender of science and public health, and mother-figure and mentor to countless activists, will leave a deep hole in the continued fight against AIDS — a fight she dedicated her life to. …

The BBC reports: The Cranberries lead singer Dolores O’Riordan has died in London at the age of 46, her publicist says. The Irish musician, originally from Limerick, led the band to international success in the 90s with singles including Linger and Zombie. A statement from her publicist said: “The lead singer with the Irish band The Cranberries was in London …

CBS News reports: Legendary astronaut John Young — who twice ventured into space in pioneering two-man Gemini capsules, orbited the moon and then walked on its cratered surface before commanding two space shuttle missions, including the program’s maiden flight — has died, ending one of the most storied careers in space history. NASA said he died Friday night following complications …

The Associated Press reports: Thomas S. Monson, the 16th president of the Mormon church, has died after overseeing the religion for nine years. He was 90. Monson died Tuesday night at his home in Salt Lake City, according to church spokesman Eric Hawkins. Monson spent more than five decades serving in top church leadership councils — making him a well-known …

Variety reports: Rose Marie, best known for her role as Sally Rogers on “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” who had a nine-decade career in show business, died Thursday in Van Nuys, Calif. She was 94. Publicist Harlan Boll confirmed her death. Rose Marie was Emmy nominated three times for her work on “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” in which she …

The San Francisco Chronicle reports: San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee died early Tuesday morning at age 65, his office said. The sudden news came in an email from the office at 2:23 a.m. It read: “It is with profound sadness and terrible grief that we confirm that Mayor Edwin M. Lee passed away on Tuesday, December 12 at 1:11 a.m. …

New York Magazine reports: John B. Anderson of Illinois, who died today at the age of 95, served in Congress for 20 years. But what gave him national fame was a briefly sensational independent candidacy for president in 1980, running against President Jimmy Carter and soon-to-be-president Ronald Reagan. By doing so, Anderson represented two milestones in modern political history: He …

From the Hollywood Reporter: Jim Nabors, who starred as Gomer Pyle on The Andy Griffith Show and on his own sitcom before retiring the wide-eyed, countrified character at the height of his popularity, has died. He was 87. Nabors died early Thursday morning, Hawaii News Now reports. A native of Alabama, Nabors also recorded more than two dozen albums with …

Variety reports: David Cassidy, pop culture idol of the 1970s, has died as a result of complications from dementia. The musician and actor was 67. His publicist JoAnn Geffen confirmed his death, with a statement from his family. “On behalf of the entire Cassidy family, it is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, our uncle, …

Variety reports: Della Reese, who segued from pop and jazz singing stardom in the ‘50s and ‘60s to a long career as a popular TV actress on “Touched by an Angel” and other shows, died Sunday night at her home in California. She was 86. “She was an incredible wife, mother, grandmother, friend, and pastor, as well as an award-winning …

Rolling Stone reports: Malcolm Young, guitarist and co-founder of AC/DC, died Saturday at the age of 64. Young had been suffering with dementia for the past three years, an illness that forced his retirement from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-inducted band he founded with his brother Angus Young in 1973. “Today it is with deep heartfelt sadness that …

The Washington Post reports: Antoine “Fats” Domino, the jovial New Orleans entertainer whose bluesy singing and boogie-woogie piano style helped launch rock-and-roll in the 1950s with such rollicking songs as “Blueberry Hill,” “Ain’t That a Shame” and “I’m Walkin’,” died Oct. 24. He was 89. Among the early rockers, Mr. Domino was rivaled only by Elvis Presley in record sales. …

Variety reports: Emmy Award-winning actor Robert Guillaume, best known as the title character in the TV sitcom “Benson,” died Tuesday. He was 89. His wife Donna Brown Guillaume told the Associated Press he died at their Los Angeles home of complications of prostate cancer. Guillaume often played acerbic, dry-witted, but ultimately lovable characters like the butler Benson Du Bois, which …