Friday, December 27, 2013

2013 - A Continued Look Back at Those Who Died


Another year is winding down. This week we’ll wrap up our look back at those who died during 2013.



July ~
In July, we lost a man whose ingenuity has had a profound influence on everyone reading this, and a woman who blazed a trail for others in the media.

Douglas Engelbert
Douglas Engelbart was an American inventor, and an early computer pioneer. He believed there was a way to make human-computer interaction simple, and his invention is still with us today.

Apple Mouse
Engelbart began working with computers in 1957 in California. He published a report about his vision of human-computer interaction in 1962, and in 1967, he applied for a patent for the first computer mouse. Engelbart said the device was nicknamed a “mouse” because of the cord that trailed along behind. But Engelbart received no royalties for his invention due to a conflict of claims between SRI (Stanford Research Institute) International and Engelbart.

Douglas Engelbert
In 1988, he and his daughter founded the Bootstrap Institute where he offered a series of three-day seminars touting the coming age of computers and how it would affect our lives.

Douglas Engelbart died on July 2, 2013 of kidney failure at his home in Atherton, California. He was 88 years old. Although not a household name, his understanding of computers, and his engineering abilities will influence our lives for years to come.





Helen Thomas
July also incurred the lose of someone who was one of the most influential women in America. Helen Thomas was a news service reporter, columnist and member of the White House press pool during her 70-years working in the media. She was also a pioneer who broke the glass ceiling for women journalists.

Kennedy & Thomas
Thomas covered the administrations of eleven U.S. presidents, beginning with Eisenhower and ending with Obama. Thomas was always vocal about the press allowing women to report news along side men and not be foisted off on “lighter stories” or those with “women’s angles.”


Her persistence paid off and Thomas headed up a list of "firsts" for women in the media including first female officer of the National Press Club, the first female member and president of the White House Correspondent’s Association, and the first female member of the Gridiron Club – one of the most prestigious journalistic organizations in Washington.

Helen Thomas
Helen Thomas died on July 20, 2013, two weeks shy of her 93rd birthday, at her home in Washington D.C. Thomas was cremated and her ashes were buried in an undisclosed Detroit cemetery.





August ~
Margaret Pellegrini in the Wizard of Oz
You might not recognize her name but if you’ve ever watched the Wizard of Oz you have seen her. Margaret Pellegrini was best known for playing one of the Munchkins in the 1939 movie.

Pellegrini began performing with Henry Kramer’s Midgets, traveling around the country, entertaining at state fairs. At the age of 15 she became one of MGM’s 124 Munchkins. In the movie Pellegrini wore a flowerpot hat and danced to the news that the Wicked Witch was dead.

Pellegrini at an Oz Parade
Pellegrini later married boxer William Pellegrini and had two children. She attended the Wizard of Oz festivals and events around the country for years.

Margaret Pellegrini died on August 7, 2013 in Phoenix of complications from a stroke. She was 89 years old. Pellegrini was one of the three last surviving Munchkins.





Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gorme'
She was a part of one of the few husband-wife acts that managed not only to stay together but blossom under Hollywood’s skeptical eye. Eydie Gorme’ began singing in 1950 with the Tommy Tucker Orchestra. By 1951 she was performing on radio shows, and she made her first solo record in 1952.

In 1953, she met Steve Lawrence on the Tonight Show. They were married in 1957, and began starring together in the Steve Lawrence-Eydie Gorme Show in 1958. The two continued to perform together through much of their married lives. But Gorme’ also kept up her solo career winning a Grammy Award for Best Female Vocal Performance in 1967 and topping various music charts during the 60’s and 70’s.

Eydie Gorme'
Eydie Gorme’ died on August 10, 2013 six days before her 85th birthday, at a medical center in Las Vegas where she had been admitted following a brief, undisclosed illness. Her husband, Steve Lawrence, survives her. Eydie Gorme’ was interred at Hillside Memorial Park in Culver City, California.





September ~
David Frost
He was a media personality known for his interesting interviews and sense of humor on both sides of the Atlantic. David Frost began his career in 1962 hosting a satirical program called That Was the Week That Was in the UK. Frost began broadcasting a show in the U.S. in 1968, as a serious interviewer and television host.

Frost with Nixon
Frost is known for The Nixon Interviews, a series of five 90-minute interviews he conducted with former President Richard Nixon in 1977. A stage production, Frost/Nixon, which focused on the interviews, was presented in London in 2006. In 2008, the play was adapted into a movie by Ron Howard.

Frost continued broadcasting in England in a variety of programs, among them Breakfast with Frost, Through the Keyhole, and Frost Over the World. He was the only person to have interviewed all eight British Prime Ministers from 1964 – 2010. He was knighted in 1993 and his television career spanned over 40 years.

Sir David Frost
Sir David Frost died on September 1, 2013 on board the cruise ship the MS Queen Elizabeth. The apparent cause of death was a heart attack. He was 74 years old. David Frost was buried in Nuffield, Oxfordshire, England.






Ray Dolby
And now we pay tribute to yet another 20th century inventor who has affected all of our lives. Ray Dolby invented the noise reduction system known as Dolby sound in 1965.

Dolby sound was originally used to reduce tape hiss in reel-to-reel tape and analog cassette recordings. The first movie to use Dolby sound was A Clockwork Orange in 1971. Dolby stereo was released in 1975 and film cinemas around the world were outfitted with the new sound system. Dolby surround sound hit the film industry with the movie, Batman Returns. His Dolby sound process is now mainstream, being used in digital audio, phones, and cameras.

Video Tape Recorder
Besides Dolby sound, he also helped develop the VTR (video tape recorder) while working at Ampex in 1956. The VTR was a breakthrough tape recorder that recorded video on magnetic tape. News crews could go into the field and record an event, then return to the station and play the video back on air without waiting for film to develop. Plus this method was cheaper.

Ray Dolby

Ray Dolby died of leukemia on September 12, 2013 at his residence in San Francisco. He was 80 years old. According to Dolby officials, a celebration of his life would be held sometime in the future.







October ~
In a month filled with haunting tales, a writer whose “spooks” always kept us thrilled passed away, and a never-to-be-forgotten voice was silenced.

Tom Clancy
Tom Clancy was an American author, known for his espionage and military science thrillers. Seventeen of his novels made it to the bestseller list, and over 100 million copies of his books are in print.

Clancy’s career took off when he wrote The Hunt for Red October in 1982. The book was released in 1984 and received praise for its credible storyline and technical accuracy.

Clancy followed up this success with Patriot Games in 1987, Clear and Present Danger in 1989, and The Sum of All Fears in 1991. All were made into action movies, which helped cement, Clancy’s reputation in the spy thriller genre. He also wrote several nonfiction books for various departments of the U.S. Armed Forces.

In 2008, Clancy sold the use of his name to a video game manufacturer to promote its action-packed games.

Tom Clancy
Tom Clancy died on October 1, 2013 of an undisclosed illness near his home in Baltimore, Maryland. He was 66 years old. No burial information was provided.







Marcia/Edna
Mrs Krabappel
Her voice was heard on The Simpson's for over 20 years. Marcia Wallace was the voice of elementary school teacher Edna Krabappel for over 100 episodes. She won an Emmy for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance in 1992 for her role on the show.

Carol Kester
Before that she played Carol Kester the quick-witted receptionist on the 1970s sitcom The Bob Newhart Show, a role that was specifically designed for her.

Wallace appeared on numerous sitcoms, game shows, and dramas, along with many theatre productions around the country during her 50+ years of performing.

Marcia Wallace
Marcia Wallace died on October 25, 2013 after an undisclosed illness. She was 70 years old. Wallace was cremated following a private funeral service.  Her Simpson’s character, Mrs. Krabappel will be retired in her honor.




November ~
November brought the loss of a global chef and a global code breaker.

Charlie Trotter
American chef and restaurateur, Charlie Trotter made a name for himself with his Chicago restaurant, where no dish was repeated. It was 1987 when Trotter, a self-taught chef, opened his “Charlie Trotter” restaurant in the Windy City. Word of his amazing meals spread quickly and diners flocked to his restaurant.



In 1999, Trotter hosted a PBS cooking show The Kitchen Sessions with Charlie Trotter. He was also named Outstanding Chef in the U.S. by the James Beard Foundation. Wine Spectator magazine declared his restaurant the best in the country, and Trotter’s restaurant also received a James Beard Award for Outstanding Service in 2002. He was also inducted into the Culinary Hall of Fame.

Charlie Trotter
Trotter wrote 14 cookbooks and was known an innovative chef, both at home and around the world, for his food and restaurant. He was deeply involved with his philanthropic organization Charlie Trotter Culinary Education Foundation. Trotter closed his Chicago restaurant in 2012 so that he could travel. His other various restaurants were also closed by 2012.

Charlie Trotter died on November 5, 2013 from a stroke resulting from high blood pressure. He was 54-years-old. His funeral was held at Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago. Burial was not disclosed.




Enigma Machine
Mavis Batey
Her code breaking contributions during World War Two helped to make D-Day a success. Mavis (Lever) Batey was an English code breaker at Bletchley Park during the war. In 1940, she was recruited to work as a general code breaker. One year later she broke a message between Belgrade and Berlin that aided the English in figuring out the Abwehr Enigma machine, which had been considered to be unbreakable.

Mavis Batey
Mavis married a fellow code breaker, Keith Batey. After the war, she raised three children and spent her spare time involved with the preservation and conservation of gardens in England. She wrote several books about the subject.

Mavis Batey died on November 12, 2013. She was 92 years old.



December ~
In December we lost a well-known author and a country music legend.

Janet Dailey
She has been called one of the best-selling female writers in the country. Janet Dailey was one of the reigning American authors in the romance genre for almost 40 years. Her first book No Quarter Asked was published in 1976 and sold over 1 million copies.

Dailey wrote books for Harlequin, Pocket Books and Silhouette Books, turning out two and three novels a year. Her heroines were strong, independent women who appealed to the working women of the 1970s, and beyond. There are over 325 million copies of her books in print.

Janet Dailey
Janet Dailey died on December 14, 2013 at her home in Branson, Missouri from complications due to a recent aneurysm. She was 69 years old. Dailey was buried in Ozarks Memorial Park Cemetery in Branson.






Ray Price
Cherokee Cowboys
The man had a music career spanned seven decades. Country music singer and songwriter, Ray Price formed his first band, The Cherokee Cowboys in 1953.  It was made up of names that would become country music legends in their own right; Roger Miller, Willie Nelson, and Johnny Paycheck, to name a few. Price stuck to the 1950s honky tonk music until the late 60’s when he began experimenting with the Nashville Sound. Soon he had a No. 1 hit with For the Good Times. During the 1970s he had three more hits before his final chart topper of 1982, Diamonds in the Stars.

Ray Price
Price wrote over 100 chart singles. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1996. Price released several albums, most notable For the Good Times, which won Album of the Year in 1970, and Lost Highway, which scored Best Country Collaboration with Vocals with Willie Nelson in 2008.

Ray Price died on December 16, 2013 of pancreatic cancer at his home in Mt. Pleasant, Texas. He was 87 years old. His funeral was planned for December 28 in Dallas.


So concludes our look back at those who passed on in 2013.

Here’s wishing you a happy, safe, and prosperous New Year 2014!

~ Joy

Friday, December 20, 2013

2013 - A Look Back at Those Who Have Passed



Another year is drawing to a close and I am amazed at how quickly it has gone by. It is time once again to take a look back and remember those who have passed. This year, it seems a lot of talented people left us...

January ~
The first month of the year brought the loss of two well-known women, one who helped the country raise its morale, and the other who advised us how to keep our morals.



Pauline Ester Phillips
Pauline Ester (Friedman) Phillips was better known by her pen name “Abigail Van Buren – Dear Abby.”  She was born in Sioux City Iowa to Russian Immigrants on July 4, 1918.  Her twin sister, Ester Pauline Friedman later wrote an advice column under the name Ann Landers.

Dear Abby
“Dear Abby” began writing advice columns in 1956 for the San Francisco Chronicle.  She developed her pen name from a biblical verse, from the Book of Samuel: Then David said to Abigail ... ‘Blessed is your advice and blessed are you.  The last name, Van Buren, she borrowed from the eighth president of the United States, Martin Van Buren.

Phillips offered advice for over forty-six years in syndicated columns throughout the country.  She retired in 2002, after the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, and her daughter Jeanne took over the writing.

Pauline Phillips died January 16, 2013 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  She was 94 years old.  There is no mention of where she is buried.



Another notable January loss was Patty Andrews of the Andrews Sisters.
Patty Andrews
Born Patricia Marie Andrews on February 16, 1918, Patty and her two sisters, LaVerne and Maxene made up the wildly popular WW II singing group, The Andrew Sisters. 

The three were known for their close harmonies during the swing and boogie-woogie eras. Maxene sang soprano, Patty sang mezzo-soprano and was the lead vocalist of the group, and LaVerne sang contralto. Their first record, Bei Mir Bist Du Schon (To Me, You Are Beautiful,) was played nationally on the radio in 1937.  After that, the group became an overnight sensation and spent WW II traveling the world, performing for the troops. They were named the “Sweethearts of the Armed Forces Radio Service.”

The Andrew Sisters
The Andrew Sisters recorded over 600 songs, 47 of them with crooner Bing Crosby. Forty-six of their songs hit the Top 10 on the Billboard Chart … more than Elvis or the Beatles.  They were best known for their hit, “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.”  The girls also appeared in 17 Hollywood films.

Patty Andrews
The trio broke up in 1951 but reunited in 1956 and continued to sing together until LaVerne’s death in 1967.  The sisters were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998.  The Andrew Sisters have been called the most popular female vocal group during the first half of the 20th century.

Patty Andrews'  Grave
Patty Andrews was the last surviving member of the Andrew Sisters.  She died on January 30, 2013 in Los Angles at the age of 94.  Andrews is buried at Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angles, California.




February ~
In the month of February we lost two well-known political figures, a New York mayor, and a U.S. surgeon general.



Mayor Ed Koch
On February 1st, Edward “Ed” Koch, former mayor of New York City died. Koch was a life-long politician serving as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1969 to 1977. He was elected the 105th Mayor of New York City in 1977 and served from January 1, 1978 to December 31, 1989. Koch made a run for the office of Governor of New York in 1982 but lost to Mario Cuomo.

Koch and Colin Powell
During the 1990s, Koch became a partner in a New York law firm, and took to the media as a political commentator for radio, television and newspapers.

In 2004, Koch and Colin Powell headed up the U.S. delegation for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) – a conference on anti-Semitism held in Berlin.

Ed Koch's Grave
Ed Koch died on February 1st of heart failure. He was 88 years old. He was buried in Trinity Church Cemetery. In 2008, after purchasing a cemetery plot there, he joking said, “I don’t want to leave Manhattan, even when I'm gone. This is my home. The thought of having to go to New Jersey was so distressing to me."




C. Everett Koop
According to the Associated Press he was “the only surgeon general to become a household name.” That was the legacy of C. Everett Koop.

Koop served under Presidents Reagan and Bush, from 1982 to 1989.  During his tenure as U.S. Surgeon General he dealt with several volatile issues.

Although an opponent of abortion, Koop did not give in to the Regan administration's pressure for a report that said abortion was psychologically harmful to a woman.  Instead, despite his personal views, Koop declared, in what came to be known as the “Koop Report”, that abortion was not a public health issue, but rather a moral one.

AIDS Policy
Koop also wrote the first official U.S. policy on AIDS.  He managed to upset gay activists by targeting gay sex as a primary risk for spreading the disease, and the religious right, by advocating the use of condoms, thereby encouraging frank discussions about sexual practices, and the need to teach sex education in schools.


Warning Label
Koop was also known for his stance on tobacco.  In 1984, Congress voted to allow health-warning labels to appear on all cigarette packages and advertising.  In 1988, Koop released a report that said nicotine had similar addictive qualities as heroine or cocaine.  He was the first to correlate a link between smoking and the effects of second hand smoke on an involuntary public.  During his time in office, smoking rates declined over 10% in this country.

Koop was also known for championing the rights of handicapped children.  He had pioneered infant surgery used to separate conjoined twins.

In the 1990s, he became an advisor to President Bill Clinton’s health care reform task force.

C Everett Koop died February 25, from kidney failure at his home in Hanover, New Hampshire.  He was 95.  Koop was cremated and his ashes given to the family.




March~
You wouldn’t think a sitcom about a single mom raising two girls in Indianapolis, Indiana in the 1970s would have much of an effect on the country – but it did.

Bonnie Franklin
Actress Bonnie Franklin starred as working mom Ann Romano in the show One Day at a Time from 1975 to 1984. Franklin began working in television at the age of 9 when she appeared on the Colgate Comedy Hour. In 1970, she made her debut on Broadway in Applause. Franklin directed several episodes of Charles in Charge in the 1980s, and appeared in guest slots on numerous television shows.


One Day at a Time
But it was her role in the sitcom/drama show, One Day at a Time that garnered her an “Innovators Award” for the show’s down-to-earth dealings with such taboo subjects as suicide, pre-marital sex, and sexual harassment.

During the 80s and 90’s, Franklin performed in playhouses across the country. With the turn of the century she began taking part in staged readings and appeared in several theatre benefit performances.

Bonnie Franklin's Grave
Bonnie Franklin died on March 1, 2013 of pancreatic cancer. She was 69. Franklin is buried at Mount Sinai Memorial Park in Los Angles, California.







Another performer to die in March was English drummer, Clive Burr.
Iron Maiden
Burr was a member of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden from 1979 to 1982. Before that he had been a member of the band, Samson.

The Number of the Beast Album
Burr played on the first three Iron Maiden albums, including the break out album The Number of the Beast, before being fired from the band. He continued to play with various groups around England.




Clive Burr







Burr made a huge impact on other rock and heavy metal drummers throughout the world. In 2005, his white drum kit was donated to the Hard Rock Café in London.

Burr was diagnosed with MS and had to use a wheel chair before his death. Clive Burr died on March 12, just four days after his 56th birthday from complications related to MS.  Burr was cremated and the location of his ashes is not known.






April ~
April is the cruelest month and this year two foremost souls departed within her care.

Roger Ebert, film critic, journalist, and television host died on April 4th. Ebert and fellow journalist Gene Siskel began a show in 1975 where they reviewed movies. The program was called Coming to a Theatre Near You. In 1978, PBS picked it up and the men were headed toward film critic stardom.

Ebert & Siskel
The fact that they did not care for one another made the show even more entertaining. Siskel was always the more reserved, thoughtful critic, while Ebert was more pretentious and long-winded in his reviews.

Roger Ebert
It wasn’t until the 1990s that the men settled into a more mellowed relationship that eventually grew into a real friendship after almost 25 years of working together. Siskel died in 1999 from a brain tumor.

But the show must go on – and so it did. Ebert selected Richard Roper as Siskel’s replacement and At the Movies continued to keep fans informed and entertained.

Roger Ebert
In 2002 Ebert was operated on for thyroid cancer. By 2006 the cancer had spread and part of Ebert’s jaw had to be removed. Due to complications from the surgery, Ebert lost his voice and was unable to eat or drink. He refused to give up, and through his struggles, helped draw attention to the use of computer-generated voice.

After more than a decade of battling cancer, Roger Ebert died on April 4th in Chicago, Illinois. He was 70 years old. Roger Ebert is buried at Graceland Cemetery in Chicago.




A Young Margaret Thatcher
Prime Minister
Known as the Iron Lady, she was one of the leading political figures of the 20th century.
Margaret Thatcher was Britain’s first female prime minister and served three consecutive terms in office. Thatcher began her career in politics in 1959 when she was elected Member of the Parliament. In 1970, she was appointed as Secretary of State for Education and Science. In 1975, Thatcher defeated the Conservative Party candidate to become Leader of the Opposition, and the first woman to lead a major political party in the United Kingdom.

In Parliament
In 1979, Thatcher was elected prime minister on her platform to reverse high unemployment and end the recession. In 1983, she was reelected for her stance on the Falklands War. And in 1987, she was reelected for a third term. However, her support for a “poll tax” was unpopular and she resigned in 1990.

Margaret Thatcher
In 1992, she was given life peerage as a baroness, which allowed her to sit in the House of Lords. In 2002, she began suffering small strokes and was advised to withdraw from public life.

On April 8, Margaret Thatcher died from a stroke in London. She was 87 years old. Thatcher was cremated and her ashes were buried at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, along side her husband Denis, who died in 2003.




May ~ 
Spring brought us losses in both sports and acting ...




David McMillan
David McMillan was a professional football player. He was a defensive end for the Cleveland Browns from 2005 to 2007. He played in 28 games where he recorded 8 tackles and recovered a fumble for Cleveland. McMillan was signed by the Toronto Argonauts in 2009, but was cut at the end of training camp.

David McMillan
McMillan was shot to death in the early morning hours of May 18 in Decatur, Georgia, the victim of an apparent armed robbery attempt. He was 31 years old. David McMillan was buried at Hillcrest Memorial Park in Augusta, Georgia.





A talented actress for over 60 years, she was best remembered as Archie Bunker’s endearing “dingbat” wife. Jean Stapleton worked as an actor on the stage and in films and television from 1941 to 2001. But it was her role as Edith Bunker in the television sitcom, All in the Family that made her a household name.

Jean Stapleton & Carroll O'Connor
For eight years, Stapleton played the wife of working class bigot Archie Bunker. The show broke ground concerning the major taboo issues of the times such as racism, abortion, rape, homosexuality, menopause, breast cancer, impotence, and the Vietnam War. Stapleton won three Emmys and two Golden Globes during the show.

Jean Stapleton
In the early 80s she declined to be cast as the lead in the television show, Murder, She Wrote. Instead, she starred in a one-woman stage show called Eleanor where she portrayed First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Stapleton continued taking small parts in television shows and movies until 2001.

Jean Stapleton died on May 31st in New York City of natural causes. She was 90 years old. On June 5, 2013 the lights on Broadway were dimmed for one minute in honor of her memory.


June ~
With the onset of summer, we think of fun in the sun, sandy beaches, and swimming, a favorite pursuit of one who died this month...





Ester Williams
What began as competitive swimming ended up making her a star.  Throughout her life, Ester Williams was a swimmer first, then a model, actress, and businesswoman later in life.

She was “discovered” in a newspaper story and photo about the 1940 Olympic team’s cancelled plans to attend the games in Tokyo. Billy Rose thought she had the perfect All-American Girl good looks wrapped up in an athletic body. The nation agreed and Ester Williams was soon promoted to the star of the movie Bathing Beauties, while seasoned actor Red Skelton was demoted to supporting lead.

The Million Dollar Mermaid
This was Hollywood’s first swim movie and it captured America’s interest. Williams became a pin-up girl during the war and went on many hospital tours to raise the morale of the soldiers. Williams appeared in over 25 movies during the next 20 years.

During the 50’s, she appeared in several films including Pagan Love Song, Dangerous When Wet, Easy to Love and Million Dollar Mermaid.

Pin-Up Girl
Williams married actor Fernando Lamas and retired from making movies in the 1960’s, at his request. But she was soon out and about again with a line of retro swimwear and a series of backyard swimming pools bearing her name.

In 1966, she was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.  And she was a commentator for synchronized swimming during the 1984 Summer Olympics.


Ester Williams
Ester Williams died on June 6th at her home in Los Angeles. She was 91 years old. Williams was cremated and her ashes were scattered on the Pacific Ocean; a fitting tribute for the woman who once said, "I can't remember a time when I wasn't in a swimsuit”





Jiroemon Kimura
Although you may not recognize his name, Jiroemon Kimura accomplished something no other man has – he lived to be the oldest known man in history, and was the oldest person in the world.

Kimura was born Kinjiro Miyake on April 19, 1897 in the Japanese village of Kamiukawa. He married a neighbor girl in the 1920s and took her last name because her family had no male heirs.

Eating Light
During his long life, Kimura worked in local post offices. He retired in 1962. When asked his secret to such a long life he replied that it might have something to do with the light meals he has always eaten. Kimura was the last man to have been born in the 19th century.

Jiroemon Kimura died of natural causes on June 12th in a hospital in Japan. His age was 116 year and 54 days.



“Live long and prosper,” and we’ll conclude the year with a look at those who passed from July through December next week.

~ Joy