Monday, June 30, 2014

Dermot Healy

Poet and novelist -- via the Guardian.





Yuval Peleg

Archaeologist -- via zwingliusredivivus.wordpress.com.

Wolf Koenig

Vic Izay

Actor, writer, director, and Shakespeare scholar -- via westernboothill.blogspot.com.

Steve Viksten

OBIT READER: Our weekly roundup of stories on death, dying, mourning, and more

VA employee Paula DeWenter
TOP STORIES


As Jennifer Schuessler reports in the New York Times, our friends at Morbid Anatomy just opened a museum in Brooklyn

Joy Neighbors just opened an interesting new blog, A Grave Interest, that details many other funeral and death-care museums

DEATH

Via Rabbi Elliott N. Dorff in the Jewish Journal, the importance of preparing advance end-of-death directives and living wills. (Why are many advance directives changed or ignored? " . . . because afrter the patient dies, the patient will not sue the doctor, but any one of the family members might.")

How about a prebituary? Terry Wright of the Hunterdon County Democrat says it might clue our friends and family in about the hidden corners of your life

MOURNING

An interview with Kate Sweeney, author of the new book on the history of U.S. mourning, "American Afterlife," from Greta Johnsen of WCQS

Jeffrey Hatcher's new play, "Three Viewings," is set in a funeral home. The review from Carol Montana of the Middletown Times-Register

MISC


In England, Quaker Social Action fights excessive funeral costs for the impoverished, per Nayler.

Kate Petersen in The Millions writes about her dad, who mails her a lot of newspaper clippings -- of obituaries

Undertaker stole charity donations to balance books, writes Stephanie Linning of the Daily Mail

Nelson Mandela's personal assistant outlines the farcical doings at his funeral -- per Aislinn Laing in the Telegraph

Robert Gardner

Anne G. Sterling aka Anne G. Bergman aka Chana Sterlin aka 'The Polish Ava Gardner'

Actress -- via Dignity Memorial. Starting off in Yiddish theater and film, she went on to play gypsy girls in many Universal horror films of the Golden Age.


John Mast

Jazz pianist and composer -- via the Toledo Blade.

Nancy Garden

Novelist and LGBT activist -- via Publishers Weekly. Her 1982 book, "Annie on My Mind," was a pioneering effort to tell a non-tragic story about a lesbian relationship.


Suzanne Salmane

Sunday, June 29, 2014

Meshach Taylor

Actor -- via the New York Times.

Leonard Simon

Actor --via http://monsterkidclassichorrorforum.yuku.com.


Shogo Kubo

Skateboarder -- via TMZ.






Raul Ramirez

Actor -- via El Universal.


Jacques Bergerac

Actor -- via Quest-France.




Lee McBee

Blues musician and singer -- via Ljworld.com.





Gina Collens aka Geraldine Elaine Silverman

Actress, playwright, and director -- via the Hollywood Reporter. Originated the role of Flora in "The Rose Tattoo"!


John Harney

Tea entrepreneur -- via the New York Times.

Ana Maria Matute

Writer -- via ABC News.

Masood Hasan

Humorist -- via The News. A beautiful tribute from Khusro Mumtaz.

Malgorzata Braunek

Actress and zen master -- via wiadomosci.wp.pl.

MC Sparks aka Sean Jones

Rapper -- via madnewsuk.com.

Michael Coetzee

Anti-apartheid activist -- via IOL News.



Jay H. Harris

Theater producer -- via the Miami Herald.

Akio Yokoyama

Actor -- via tv-tokyo.co. 

Saturday, June 28, 2014

Bobby Womack aka The Preacher

Soul music legend -- via the New York Times. Started off as a gospel singer with his brothers (he was the son of a preacher); he was a a strong guitarist as well. Sang backup for Sam Cooke, played guitar for Aretha. The first big hit he wrote, "Looking for a Love," was an adaptation of the the gospel song "Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray". He then wrote the classic "It's All Over Now," a cover of which was the Rolling Stones' first big hit. He wrote "Breezin'" and "Trust Me" and "That's the Way I Feel About Cha"; he worked on "There's a Riot Goin' On," and recorded the iconic "Across 110th Street." In later life, guested on many recordings. His greatest achievement may be the 1981 album "The Poet."

One of the links between gospel and soul, his influence spread across all genres. His contribution to American music is pervasive and incalculable.


























Friday, June 27, 2014

Teddy Rakel

Pianist and entertainer --via cincinnati.com.

http://communitypress.cincinnati.com/videonetwork31618071501971/1878632335001/Teddy-Rakel-at-the-piano

Felix Dennis

Poet, editor, and publisher -- via the New York Times.








Charles Kakuk

Managing director of Next Act Theatre -- via the Milwaukee Business Journal.

Eddie Zondi

Radio host -- via The Independent.

Sara Widen

Soprano -- via findagrave.com.

Salwa Bugaighis

Human rights activist -- via the Guardian.



Mary Rodgers Guettel

Jennifer Wynne Reeves

Artist -- via Art in America.





German Andres Aguilar

Kerry Lou Ketchum King

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Bob Abrahamian

Soul music collector, historian, and radio host -- via the Chicago Sun-Times. His invaluable work can be found here; unfortunately, he did not think his work was significant enough and he committed suicide at the age of 35.

Mickey Deems

Jimmy C. Newman aka The Alligator Man

Musician of the Grand Ole Opry -- via People magazine.



Anthony Goldschmidt

Josephine Pullein-Thompson

Julius Rudel

Conductor and music director; leading light of the late, lamented New York City Opera -- via the New York Times. One of the most significant figures in American opera in the 20th century, this marvelous leader delivered a diverse array of innovative and affordable opera for the East Coast. He nurtured talents such as Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo, Sherrill Milnes, and most importantly, Beverly Sills.

I had the extreme privilege of enjoying his direction of "The Magic Flute" years ago; after a delightful performance, I got to meet and thank him. An unassuming, gracious, and approachable maestro!









John McClure

Music producer and recording engineer -- via the New York Times. Until reading this obituary, I did not realize that this gentleman was responsible for the classical recordings that really turned me on to the genre. These include: the Bruno Walter Beethoven and Brahms, Stravinsky conducting Stravinsky, and all the Bernstein renderings of Mahler and much more. Even some Firesign Theatre! The clarity, balance, and depth of these albums set my soul on fire, and still do.