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.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Googie Withers aka Georgette Lizette Withers
Actress on stage ,and in film and TV -- via the Guardian. A beautiful and wickedly intelligent performer, she can be seen in such classic films as "Dead of Night," "Night and the City," "Shine" and "The Lady Vanishes."
Friday, July 15, 2011
George M. Ross aka George Martin Rosenkoff
Philanthropist -- via the New York Times. His persistence and funding gave birth to the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Theodore Roszak
Historian, writer and teacher -- via the San Francisco Chronicle. He originated the concpet of a "counter culture."
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Sherwood Schwartz
Writer for radio and television comedy, TV producer, and creator of "Gilligan's Island" and "The Brady Bunch" -- via the Los Angeles Daily News. For better or worse, his 60's sitcoms hugely influenced everyone, especially me. Schwartz started off writing for Bob Hope's radio show, then for Ozzie and Harriet and "The Alan Young Show." He moved to TV, writing for "I Married Joan" and Red Skelton. He created the hit series "Gilligan's Island," "The Brady Bunch" and a little-known, really bad show I really liked about time-traveling astronauts and cavemen called "It's About Time," with Imogene Coca, Joe E. Ross and Mike Mazurki. Schwatrz even helped write his show's theme songs! Schwartz always intended his shows to impart moral lessons . . . I learned that they never could get off the island.
Rob Grill
Lead singer for the Grass Roots -- via CBS News. With the loss of Grill and drummer Rick Coonce, who died on Feb. 25, this leaves only guitarists Creed Bratton (best known now as a cast member of "The Office") and Warren Entner from the original group.
Pete Duranko aka Diesel
Football player -- via the Johnstown, PA Tribune-Democrat. An early standout for the Denver Broncos, he was quite frightening.
Sam Denoff
TV comedy writer -- via the New York Times. With Bill Persky, he wrote most of the great episodes of "The Dick van Dyke Show," and convinced me that writing comedy would be the best career path ever!
Billy Blanco
Composer and performer -- via AP. Known as "the diamond of Bossa Nova," he wrote more than 300 songs.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Raymond Jones
Keyboardist, composer, producer -- via eurweb.com. Played with Chic, Sister Sledge, Patti Labelle and the films of Spike Lee.
John Sweet
Actor and teacher -- via powell-pressburger.org. This amateur actor had a leading role in Michael Powell's "A Canterbury Tale" of 1944. He donated his earnings for the film to the NAACP. After some post-war acting, he returned to teaching, and lived a good life.
What if death took a holiday?
The Haymarket Martyrs' Monument by Albert Weinert, in the German Waldheim Cemetery in Forest Park. Ironically, the Haymarket affair resulted in advances for unionized labor. |
Wes Covington
Major league left fielder -- via the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. His play helped the Braves beat the Yankees in the 1957 World Series.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Allan W. Eckert
Historian, historical novelist and pageant writer, naturalist -- via the Springfield News-Sun.
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