Interesting, overlooked, and significant obituaries from around the world, as they happen, emphasizing the positive achievements of those who have died. Member, Society of Professional Obituary Writers.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Alan Shallcross
TV producer -- via the Guardian. He produced some great television, including many of the "Complete Plays of Shakespeare" series for the BBC.
Cliff Dapper
Baseball player -- via signonsandiego.com. The first player ever traded for a broadcaster (at least it was Ernie Harwell).
Louis Balta
Social studies teacher, drive-in theater manager, Serbian music expert and radio host -- via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
David F. Friedman
Film producer -- via the New York Times. He pioneered the "sexploitation" film and the splatter film.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Len Lesser
Actor in film, TV and on stage -- via Yahoo News. He may be best remembered as Uncle Leo on the TV series "Seinfeld," but his 60-year career encompassed many comic and dramatic roles.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
Kenneth Mars
Comic actor -- via the Hollywood Reporter. Well, this one really hurts. Mars was one of the funniest performers of the 20th century -- his roles in Mel Brooks films such as "Young Frankenstein" (as the one-armed Inspector Kemp) and "The Producers" (as Franz Liebkind, crazy Nazi playwright of "Springtime for Hitler") make him immortal. He did so much more -- other films, TV, stage work -- nearly 200 IMDB credits alone! He was a voice master as well -- he could do any accent, instantly and with ease and facility. He was eloquently daffy, and somehow subtly slapstick. God bless him! Never forget -- "He vill currrzzz de dey he vasschh borrrrn a Frangeunshhtein!"
George Shearing
Great jazz pianist -- via the BBC. This amazing and prolific performer and composer wrote over 300 tunes, including the standard, "Lullaby of Birdland." He worked with just about everyone of note (so to speak) in nearly 75 years of work.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Marie Wuczynski
[Photo courtesy Jim Newberry -- jimnewberry.com] |
Betty Garrett
Actress, singer, dancer , comedian -- via tvseriesfinale.com. She will be best remembered for her TV roles in series such as "All in the Family" and "Laverne & Shirley," but Garrett started out as a theatrical and cabaret actress/singer/dancer before World War II. She made it to Broadway, then in to movies such as "On the Town," "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and "My Sister Eileen." After a period of blacklisting of her and her husband Larry Parks during the Second Red Scare, she came roaring back.
Gladys Caroline Frazier Benbow
Dancer, singer, actress, writer -- via legacy.com and the Winston-Salem Journal.
Tom Carnegie
Announcer most noted for his long association with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway -- via indystar.com.
Ahmed Massiouni
Artist and musician -- via voy.com. Died from asphyxiation due to tear gas during Egyptian street protests.
Joan Bonham
Singer with the Zimmers -- via ledzeppelinnews.com. Also, the mother of Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham.
Ernie Tyler
Umpires attendant for the Baltimore Orioles -- via baltimore.orioles.mlb.com. He worked for the team for 51 years, with a streak of 3,819 consecutive home games.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Barbara "Bookie" Weiner Grasgreen
An unique individual -- via legacy.com. This beautifully written summation of her life was found and pointed out by Alana Baranick!
Blanche Honegger Moyse
Conductor -- via sentinelsource.com. Often referred to as "one of classical music's best-kept secrets," she was considered the foremost interpreter of Bach in the world. Her concerts created deep new levels of meaning and feeling in their listeners.
Chuck Tanner
Major league baseball player and manager -- via MLB.com. An incurable optimist, he will be most noted as the last skipper to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to a World Series championship.
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