The Rest In Peace & Remembrance Thread

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Former National League manager Gomez dies at 85

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Preston Gomez, who managed the expansion San Diego Padres and later guided the Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs during a six-decade career in baseball, died Tuesday. He was 85.

Gomez died in Fullerton, Calif. He never fully recovered from head injuries sustained last March when he was hit by a pickup truck while walking to his car in Blythe, Calif.

Gomez worked for the Angels for more than 25 years, and was on his way back from the team's spring training camp in Tempe, Ariz., when he was struck. The Angels announced his death.

Before the accident, Gomez had been a fixture around the ballpark and had been in the Angels' organization since 1981, most recently as an assistant to the general manager. Angels manager Mike Scioscia annually invited Gomez to instruct in camp.
 
American painter Andrew Wyeth dies at 91

Jan. 16, 2009, 10:03 AM EST
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Artist Andrew Wyeth, who portrayed the hidden melancholy of the people and landscapes of Pennsylvania's Brandywine Valley and coastal Maine in works such as "Christina's World," died early Friday. He was 91.

Wyeth died in his sleep at his home in the Philadelphia suburb of Chadds Ford, according to Hillary Holland, a spokeswoman for the Brandywine River Museum.

The son of famed painter and book illustrator N.C. Wyeth, Andrew Wyeth gained wealth, acclaim and tremendous popularity. But he chafed under criticism from some experts who regarded him as a facile realist, not an artist but merely an illustrator.

"The world has lost one of the greatest artists of all time," George A. Weymouth, a friend of Wyeth's who is chairman of the board of the Brandywine Conservancy, said in a statement.
 
'Lost in Space' actor Bob May dies at 69 in Calif.
Jan 18, 8:26 PM (ET)

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Bob May, who donned The Robot's suit in the hit 1960s television show "Lost in Space," has died. He was 69.

May died Sunday of congestive heart failure at a hospital in Lancaster, said his daughter, Deborah May.

He was a veteran actor and stuntman who had appeared in movies, TV shows and on the vaudeville stage when he was tapped by "Lost in Space" creator Irwin Allen to play the Robinson family's loyal metal sidekick in the series that debuted in 1965.

Although May didn't provide the robot's distinctive voice (that was done by announcer Dick Tufeld), he developed a following of fans who sought him out at memorabilia shows.

The grandson of famed vaudeville comedian Chic Johnson, May was introduced to show business at age 2 when he began appearing in the "Hellzapoppin" comedy revue with Johnson and his partner, Ole Olsen.

He went on to appear in numerous films with Jerry Lewis and in such TV shows as "The Time Tunnel,""McHale's Navy and "The Red Skelton Show." He was also a stuntman in such 1950s and '60s TV shows as "Cheyenne,""Surfside 6,""Hawaiian Eye,""The Roaring 20s" and "Stagecoach."
 
Browns Hall of Fame WR Lavelli dies at 85

CLEVELAND (AP) - Hall of Famer Dante "Gluefingers" Lavelli, a sure-handed receiver who helped the Cleveland Browns build a dynasty in the 1940s and 50s, has died. He was 85.

Fairview Hospital spokeswoman Denise Smith said Lavelli died Tuesday night. He had been hospitalized with congestive heart failure and had been treated for bladder and kidney infections, said Browns alumni relations director Dino Lucarelli.

Best known for his great hands, Lavelli was a favorite target of legendary Browns quarterback Otto Graham, who remained his close friend years after both had retired from football.

Lavelli was part of four championship teams when the Browns dominated the All-America Football Conference in the 1940s. After Cleveland joined the NFL in 1950, Lavelli was a member of three title teams while playing for coach Paul Brown and alongside Graham, Marion Motley and Lou Groza — all Hall of Famers.

He was enshrined in Canton in 1975.

"We are deeply saddened to learn of Dante's passing," said Hall of Fame president Steve Perry. "He was not only a good friend to all of us at the Pro Football Hall of Fame but also to the many legions of Cleveland Browns fans across the country."
 
Jazz musician David 'Fathead' Newman dies at 75

Jan. 21, 2009, 11:49 PM EST
KINGSTON, N.Y. (AP) -- David "Fathead" Newman, a jazz musician who played with the Ray Charles Band and won fame as a tenor sax soloist, has died at age 75.

Newman played and recorded with a wide range of jazz and soul luminaries, such as Herbie Mann, Aretha Franklin and Aaron Neville. He also led a successful solo career.
He was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1990 for his work with Art Blakey and Dr. John.

Manager Karen Nemman says the jazz musician died Tuesday of pancreatic cancer in a Kingston, N.Y., hospital.

According to his Web site, Newman spent 12 years with the Ray Charles Band beginning in 1954. He began as the baritone sax player and became the star tenor sax soloist.
 
Brazil model who lost hands, feet dies
Jan 24, 8:03 AM (ET)

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AP) - Health officials say a Brazilian model whose feet and hands were amputated because of an infection has died.

Officials said in a statement early Saturday that 20-year-old Mariana Bridi's condition deteriorated overnight. She died at 2:30 a.m.

The Espirito Santo State Health Secretariat said in the statement she died from complications related to a generalized infection. It was caused by the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which is known to be resistant to multiple kinds of antibiotics.

Bridi had been in the hospital in the city of Serra in southeastern Brazil since Jan. 3. She fell ill in December and doctors originally diagnosed her with kidney stones, local media said.

Bridi was twice a finalist in the Brazilian stage of the Miss World pageant.
 
NC State’s Hall of Fame women’s coach Kay Yow dies
By AARON BEARD, AP Sports Writer

(AP)—Her resume had almost everything a coach could want, from conference titles and NCAA tournament trips to an Olympic gold medal and more than 700 career victories.

Yet Kay Yow was about so much more than basketball.

The North Carolina State coach was a symbol of hope and courage even as she faced the cancer that ultimately took her life Saturday morning after a two-decade fight. She inspired people who never met her or cared about the sport, even the fans at rival schools in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

In the end, all that coaching success almost became an afterthought.

“Kay showed us how to handle one of the most difficult things—cancer—in the most dignified and courageous manner,” Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer said in a statement. “She taught us what it is to have real passion for the sport, any sport. She continued to fight and went about doing what she loved best: coaching.

“She used every ounce of energy she had left to give to those young ladies. She was and will always be an inspiration to so many people.”
 
I was very saddened this morning to hear about the passing of Kay Yow. She was a great coach, and such an inspiration.
 
Supernatural Executive Producer-Director Kim Manners Dies after Cancer Battle
Jan 26, 2009 09:32 PM ET
by Matt Mitovich

Supernatural executive producer and director Kim Manners passed away Sunday night in Los Angeles, following a battle with cancer.

"Everyone at Supernatural is walking around in a daze, shocked and absolutely devastated," series creator Eric Kripke says in a statement. "Kim was a brilliant director; more than that, he was a mentor and friend. He was one of the patriarchs of the family, and we miss him desperately. He gave so much to Supernatural, and everything we do on the show, now and forever, is in memory of him."

Likewise, cast member Jim Beaver (who plays Bobby) remembers Manners as "one of the best friends and best directors" he has ever known.

In addition to his work on the CW show, Manners produced and directed The X-Files (where he was part of a four-time Emmy-nominated directing staff) and directed episodes of series such as 21 Jump Street, Simon & Simon and Charlie's Angels.

On Supernatural, Manners most recently directed this season's premiere, "Lazarus Rising," as well as "Metamorphosis."
 
Iconic American writer John Updike dead at age 76
Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist published more than 50 books in his career

NEW YORK - John Updike, the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, prolific man of letters and erudite chronicler of sex, divorce and other adventures in the postwar prime of the American empire, died Tuesday at age 76.

Updike, a resident of Beverly Farms, Mass., died of lung cancer, according to a statement from his publisher, Alfred A. Knopf.

A literary writer who frequently appeared on best-seller lists, the tall, hawk-nosed Updike wrote novels, short stories, poems, criticism, the memoir "Self-Consciousness" and even a famous essay about baseball great Ted Williams. He was prolific, even compulsive, releasing more than 50 books in a career that started in the 1950s.

Updike won virtually every literary prize, including two Pulitzers, for “Rabbit Is Rich” and “Rabbit at Rest,” and two National Book Awards.
 
Lynyrd Skynyrd keyboardist dies at Florida home

Jan. 28, 2009, 12:53 PM EST
ORANGE PARK, Fla. (AP) -- A keyboardist for the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd has died at his northeast Florida home.

Orange Park Police Lt. Mark Cornett says 56-year-old keyboard player Billy Powell called 911 about 12:55 a.m. Wednesday saying he was having trouble breathing.

Rescue crews performed CPR, but he was pronounced dead at 1:52 a.m.

Cornett says no foul play is suspected and an autopsy will not be performed.

He says Powell missed a Tuesday appointment with his doctor for a cardiac evaluation. A heart attack is suspected.

Powell was one of two surviving band members who were with the group before a 1977 plane crash that killed three of its members.
 
British songwriter John Martyn dead at 60
Jan. 29, 2009, 1:14 PM EST

LONDON (AP) -- British singer-songwriter John Martyn, whose soulful songs were covered by the likes of Eric Clapton, died Thursday. He was 60.

Martyn's official Web site said the musician, who lived in Ireland, died Thursday morning. It did not give a cause of death.

A skilled guitarist and earthy vocalist influenced by folk, blues and jazz, Martyn performed with — and was admired by — musicians including Clapton, Pink Floyd's David Gilmour and Phil Collins.
 
Cramps founder and punk pioneer Lux Interior dies

LOS ANGELES – Lux Interior, co-founder and lead singer of the pioneering horror-punk band the Cramps, has died, the group's publicist said. He was 60.

Interior — whose real name was Erick Lee Purkhiser — died Wednesday of a pre-existing heart condition at a hospital in Glendale, Calif., publicist Aleix Martinez said in a statement.

Interior met his future wife Kristy Wallace — who would later take the stage name Poison Ivy — in Sacramento in 1972.
 
Versatile actor James Whitmore dies
LOS ANGELES – James Whitmore, the many-faceted character actor who delivered strong performances in movies, television and especially the theater with his popular one-man shows about Harry Truman, Will Rogers and Theodore Roosevelt, died Friday, his son said. He was 87.
The Emmy- and Tony-winning actor was diagnosed with lung cancer the week before Thanksgiving and died Friday afternoon at his Malibu home, Steve Whitmore said.


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CSI fans will remember James Whitmore as the cute, lovable character of Milton in Season 8 Ending Happy.
 
I'm sad to see James Whitmore has passed away :( He was a very talented actor. RIP James Whitmore. And I will remember him in Ending Happy.
 
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