The RIP Famous Person Thread

[misskit]

'HUSTLER' FOUNDER DEAD AT 78

Larry Flynt -- the famous and controversial publisher known for launching a porn empire -- has died ... TMZ has learned.


Family sources tell us the mogul passed Wednesday morning in Los Angeles from heart failure.


For nearly 50 years, Flynt's been one of the biggest names in the adult entertainment industry. He launched "Hustler" magazine in 1974, which brought him fame and fortune as it skyrocketed in popularity ... and also brought countless legal issues.

Many of these First Amendment battles were chronicled in the Oscar-nominated 1996 film, "The People vs. Larry Flynt," starring Woody Harrelson.

Flynt's magazine and notoriety also led to him being shot in 1978 in a murder attempt by serial killer Joseph Paul Franklin. The shooting left Larry paralyzed from the waist down and confined to a wheelchair, and he suffered from constant pain and other medical issues as a result.


Along with being the name behind the Hustler brand, Flynt's the president of Larry Flynt Publications ... which produces other magazines like "Barely Legal," pornographic videos and Hustler TV.


He also opened the famous Hustler Casino near L.A. in 2000.

Flynt dabbled in politics, controversially of course, by attempting a brief presidential run in 1984 and running for Governor of California in the 2003 recall election. He also weighed in during Bill Clinton's impeachment trial by offering $1 million for evidence of sexual transgressions to publish his "The Flynt Report."


As for his personal life ... Flynt was married 5 times. He married his current wife, Elizabeth Berrios, in 1998. He has 5 daughters and a son, along with many grandchildren and great-grandkids.


Larry was 78.



Hustler Founder Larry Flynt Dead at 78

[cisco999]

I hope most will remember Larry Flint as a champion for freedom of expression and not as a "purveyer of smut". In the final analysis, he did a lot of good.

[russellsimpson]

Flynt's magazine and notoriety also led to him being shot in 1978 in a murder attempt by serial killer Joseph Paul Franklin. The shooting left Larry paralyzed from the waist down and confined to a wheelchair, and he suffered from constant pain and other medical issues as a result.

This at thrity eight years of age.

He did good work.

[harrybarracuda]

I spent a night in his Vegas club a couple of years ago. Expensive, but completely worth it.

[misskit]

Chick Corea, jazz great with 23 Grammy Awards, dies at 79

NEW YORK (AP) — Chick Corea, a towering jazz pianist with a staggering 23 Grammy Awards who pushed the boundaries of the genre and worked alongside Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock, has died. He was 79.


Corea died Tuesday of a rare form of cancer, his team posted on his website. His death was confirmed by Corea's web and marketing manager, Dan Muse.

More. Chick Corea, jazz great with 23 Grammy Awards, dies at 79

[harrybarracuda]

An incredible talent although I often found it hard to get my head around his music. Such complexity.

[Happy As Larry]

He was one of the artists that introduced me to jazz, along with the likes of Weather Report, Return to Forever & The Mahavishnu Orchestra.
When I was a teenager I bought a fair number of his albums

[misskit]

^ Me, too. Corea’s style is easily recognizable.

My favorite was always Stanley Clark, though. If I could only play a bass like Stan Clark!

[harrybarracuda]

^ Me, too. Corea’s style is easily recognizable.

My favorite was always Stanley Clark, though. If I could only play a bass like Stan Clark!

I had the pleasure of watching the Clark/Duke project at the Bush Theatre for a recording of The Old Grey Whistle Test.

And then racing home to watch it again on the telly.

Halcyon days.

Fuck... found it on Youtube!

[harrybarracuda]

One of those people whose name most cinemagoers would have seen at least once. Casted 391 movies, a huge number of which were hits.

Lynn Stalmaster, Venerable Casting Director for ‘Tootsie,’ ‘Harold and Maude’ and More, Dies at 93



Casting director Lynn Stalmaster, who jumpstarted the careers of stars like Christopher Reeve and John Travolta, died Feb. 12. He was 93.
The Hollywood Reporter, which first reported the story, said the Casting Society of America’s Laura Adler confirmed Stalmaster’s death Friday.
“We are heartbroken to share the news that Lynn Stalmaster, the iconic and beloved casting director, passed away this morning at his home in Los Angeles. A pioneer of our craft, Lynn was a trailblazer with over half a century of world-class film and television casting credits. He was a friend and mentor to many of us, Casting Society of America co-presidents Russell Boast and Rich Mento said in a statement.
“We offer our condolences to his family and friends. Lynn will be deeply, deeply missed. Lynn was the first casting director to receive an Oscar. This photo is from the Academy’s 2016 Governors Awards ceremony in which Lynn received his honorary Oscar. There will be an obituary released at some point over the weekend, however David Rubin was given permission to share this sad news today with the CSA membership.”
“Thank you, Lynn, for showing us the way.”


Stalmaster was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1927 and received a master’s in theater arts at UCLA. He began in entertainment as an actor and was cast in the 1950s TV series “Big Town,” but soon joined the casting department and ultimately changed careers entirely.
Notable television shows Stalmaster cast included “Three’s Company,” “Hogan’s Heroes” and “Gunsmoke.” He was also the casting director for over 300 episodes of “Gunsmoke” and all total had over 400 credits.
Stalmaster became the first casting director to receive an Academy Award in November 2016 when he received an honorary Oscar; in his speech, Stalmaster extoled the virtues of keeping an open mind: “Open is one of my favorite words, because as I’ve said many times, you never know where or when you will find the answer,” Stalmaster said. “And I’ve found the answer in some very strange places.”
Also Read:Chick Corea, Jazz Pianist Who Played With Miles Davis and Stan Getz, Dies at 79
At that ceremony, Jeff Bridges credited Stalmaster for giving him an entry into Hollywood, saying “I gotta thank you, man, for heading me down that road.” Stalmaster cast him in 1970’s “Halls of Anger,” his first film, and later in “The Iceman Cometh.”
Other notables Stalmaster helped break into stardom include Dustin Hoffman in “The Graduate,” John Travolta in “Welcome Back, Kotter” and Christopher Reeve in “Superman.” Stalmaster also cast William Schatner in “Judgement at Nuremberg,” lifted LeVar Burton from his sophomore year at USC to a star in ABC’s series “Roots,” and cast Sam Shepard as Chuck Yeager in the film “The Right Stuff” — Shepard was nominated for an Oscar for the role.
Stalmaster also cast films such as “Tootsie,” “Harold and Maude,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” and “New York, New York.”
Actor Bruce Dern, who worked with Stalmaster on 1977’s “Black Sunday,” said in a speech about Stalmaster, “Lynn gave me and my entire generation the opportunity to dare to dream that we could make a difference or matter. He dared us to go out on the edge, dared us to take parts that nobody else would take.”

If you have not seen at least one movie on this list, I would be very surprised.

Lynn Stalmaster - IMDb

Lynn Stalmaster, Venerable Casting Director for 'Tootsie,' 'Harold and Maude' and More, Dies at 93

[harrybarracuda]

Carlos Menem, former President of Argentina, dies at 90




Buenos Aires (CNN)Former Argentine President Carlos Menem died on Sunday, his daughter, Zulema Menem, has confirmed to CNN. He was 90 years old.

Menem took office in July 1989 and promoted laws to reform the government and the economy after his predecessor, Raúl Alfonsín, resigned in the middle of a deep financial crisis caused by hyperinflation. Menem privatized some companies that had until that point been under state authority and was able to get inflation under control.

Menem left office in 1999 after unsuccessfully trying to modify the constitution to run for a third term. He ran again for the presidency in 2003, obtaining the highest percentage of votes during the first round of elections, but ultimately decided against advancing to the second round.

He remained active in politics by becoming a senator with the Justicialist Party representing La Rioja province from 2005 until 2019. He then joined forces with the Peronist coalition called "Front of All" and was re-elected to another term that would have run until 2023.

Menem had three children with his wife Zulema Yoma, before the couple divorced in 1991. He later married Chilean TV host and actress Cecilia Bolocco, with whom he had one child. Their marriage ended 10 years later.

Argentina's current President Alberto Fernández decreed three days of national mourning starting Sunday in honor of Menem.

Carlos Menem, former President of Argentina, has died - CNN

[harrybarracuda]

Rush Limbaugh, 70. And that's about all that needs to be said.

[Backspin]

Flint and Limbaugh. Fairly good cleanup this week. Just can't wait for the lizard devil himself , Soros, to die.

[cisco999]

Ahmed Zaki Yamani, Who Helped Lead 1973 Oil Embargo, Dies

Such a great contributor to the planet.

[harrybarracuda]

Ronald Pickup death: The Crown and Darkest Hour star dies aged 80




British actor Ronald Pickup has died, aged 80.

His agent announced the news, telling PA: “Ronald Pickup passed away peacefully yesterday after a long illness surrounded by his wife and family. He will be deeply missed.”

Pickup’s career began in the early 1960s with a small unnamed role in Doctor Who, for which he was paid £30.

His film roles included thriller The Day of the Jackal (1973), Bond film Never Say Never Again (1982) and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012), in which he played the bachelor Norman Cousins.

He reprised his role for the 2015 sequel.

Over the years, Pickup had roles in TV shows such as The Bill, Foyle’s War, Silent Witness and Doc Martin. He also appeared in a 2008 episode of Midsomer Murders alongside his daughter, Rachel Pickup.

He had a recurring role on BBC sitcom The Worst Week of My Life playing Fraser Cook, the uncle of Sarah Alexander’s lead character.

In 2016, Pickup played the Archbishop of Canterbury Geoffrey Fisher in four episodes of Netflix drama The Crown.

The following year, he played Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain in the Oscar-winning Churchill film Darkest Hour.

Pickup also had a cameo in the ITV soap Coronation Street playing an OAP who celebrated a birthday party at the Rovers Return with Michelle Connor (Kym Marsh). The episode was broadcast in 2014.

He previously trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (Rada) where he went on to become an Associate Member.

Pickup is survived by his wife Lans Traverse, whom he married in 1964 after meeting at Rada, as well as his daughter, Rachel, and son, Simon.

Ronald Pickup death: The Crown and Darkest Hour star dies aged 80 | The Independent

[harrybarracuda]

Allan McDonald, the man who tried to stop the Challenger launch, 83.

Remembering Allan McDonald: He Refused To Approve Challenger Launch, Exposed Cover-Up



On Jan. 27, 1986, Allan McDonald stood on the cusp of history.

McDonald directed the booster rocket project at NASA contractor Morton Thiokol. He was responsible for the two massive rockets, filled with explosive fuel, that lifted space shuttles skyward. He was at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the launch of the Challenger "to approve or disapprove a launch if something came up," he told me in 2016, 30 years after Challenger exploded.

His job was to sign and submit an official form. Sign the form, he believed, and he'd risk the lives of the seven astronauts set to board the spacecraft the next morning. Refuse to sign, and he'd risk his job, his career and the good life he'd built for his wife and four children.

"And I made the smartest decision I ever made in my lifetime," McDonald told me. "I refused to sign it. I just thought we were taking risks we shouldn't be taking."

McDonald persistently cited three reasons for a delay: freezing overnight temperatures that could compromise the booster rocket joints; ice forming on the launchpad and spacecraft that could damage the orbiter heat tiles at launch; and a forecast of rough seas at the booster rocket recovery site.

He also told NASA officials, "If anything happens to this launch, I wouldn't want to be the person that has to stand in front of a board of inquiry to explain why we launched."

Now, 35 years after the Challenger disaster, McDonald's family reports that he died Saturday in Ogden, Utah, after suffering a fall and brain damage. He was 83 years old.

"There are two ways in which [McDonald's] actions were heroic," recalls Mark Maier, who directs a leadership program at Chapman University and produced a documentary about the Challenger launch decision.

"One was on the night before the launch, refusing to sign off on the launch authorization and continuing to argue against it," Maier says. "And then afterwards in the aftermath, exposing the cover-up that NASA was engaged in."

Twelve days after Challenger exploded, McDonald stood up in a closed hearing of a presidential commission investigating the tragedy. He was "in the cheap seats in the back" when he raised his hand and spoke. He had just heard a NASA official completely gloss over a fundamental fact.

McDonald and his team of Thiokol engineers had strenuously opposed the launch, arguing that freezing overnight temperatures, as low as 18 degrees F, meant that the O-rings at the booster rocket joints would likely stiffen and fail to contain the explosive fuel burning inside the rockets. They presented data showing that O-rings had lost elasticity at a much warmer temperature, 53 degrees F, during an earlier launch.

The NASA official simply said that Thiokol had some concerns but approved the launch. He neglected to say that the approval came only after Thiokol executives, under intense pressure from NASA officials, overruled the engineers.

"I was sitting there thinking that's about as deceiving as anything I ever heard," McDonald recalled. "So ... I said I think this presidential commission should know that Morton Thiokol was so concerned, we recommended not launching below 53 degrees Fahrenheit. And we put that in writing and sent that to NASA."

Former Secretary of State William Rogers chaired the commission and stared into the auditorium, squinting in the direction of the voice.

"I'll never forget Chairman Rogers said, 'Would you please come down here on the floor and repeat what I think I heard?' " McDonald said.

The focus of the commission's investigation shifted to the booster rocket O-rings, the efforts of McDonald and his colleagues to stop the launch and the failure of NASA officials to listen.

Morton Thiokol executives were not happy that McDonald spoke up, and they demoted him.

That alarmed members of the presidential commission and members of Congress. Rep. Edward Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, introduced a joint resolution in the House that threatened to forbid Thiokol from getting future NASA contracts given the company's punishment of McDonald and any other Thiokol engineers who spoke freely.

The company relented, and McDonald was promoted to vice president and put in charge of the effort to redesign the booster rocket joints that failed during the Challenger launch.

In 1988, the redesigned joints worked successfully as shuttle flights resumed.

McDonald continued to work at Thiokol until 2001 and retired after 42 years. He later co-authored one of the most definitive accounts of the Challenger disaster — Truth, Lies, and O-Rings: Inside the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster.

In retirement, McDonald became a fierce advocate of ethical decision-making and spoke to hundreds of engineering students, engineers and managers. He and Chapman University's Maier held leadership and ethics seminars for corporations and government agencies, including U.S. Space Command.

Maier says that one of McDonald's key moments in his talks helps explain his ability to reconcile his brush with history.

"What we should remember about Al McDonald [is] he would often stress his laws of the seven R's," Maier says. "It was always, always do the right thing for the right reason at the right time with the right people. [And] you will have no regrets for the rest of your life."

"It's really that simple if you just keep it focused that way," McDonald told me in 2016.

He also framed regret another way, paraphrasing a favorite quote from the late journalist Sydney J. Harris.

"Regret for things we did is tempered by time," McDonald said, his expression firm. "But regret for things we did not do is inconsolable." McDonald then paused and added, "That's absolutely true."

He seemed inconsolable immediately after the Challenger explosion in tearful calls home. He recalls the painful conversations in his book. "I feel like it's my fault," he told his daughter Lisa, a nursing student in Boston at the time. "Don't blame yourself, Dad," she said, also crying.

Maier believes McDonald lived out his life with neither blame nor regret. "He died with serenity and equanimity," he says. "I will miss him dearly."

Allan McDonald leaves behind his wife, Linda, and four children — and a legacy of doing the right things at the right times with the right people.

https://www.npr.org/2021/03/07/97453...-exposed-cover

[harrybarracuda]

The King of the Zulu



King Goodwill Zwelithini of the Zulu nation in South Africa has died in hospital where he was being treated for diabetes-related issues.


The king, 72, was the leader of South Africa's largest ethnic group and an influential traditional ruler.


He had been admitted to hospital in KwaZulu-Natal last week to monitor his ongoing diabetes condition.


The king's prime minister thanked South Africa for its "continued prayers and support in this most difficult time".

Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini dies in South Africa aged 72 - BBC News

[harrybarracuda]

Awwwwww Manolito!

Henry Darrow, the pride of Puerto Rico who starred as the charming Manolito Montoya, the son of a wealthy Mexican land baron, on the 1967-71 NBC Western The High Chaparral, has died. He was 87.

Darrow died Sunday at his home in Wilmington, North Carolina, his former publicist, Michael B. Druxman, announced.

The actor also played San Diego police detective Manny Quinlan alongside David Janssen in the first season of the 1974-76 ABC series Harry O and received a Daytime Emmy in 1990 for his turn as Rafael Castillo, the father of A Martinez's character, on the NBC daytime serial Santa Barbara.

For the 1981 CBS animated series The New Adventures of Zorro, Darrow provided the voice of the masked swordsman, then portrayed an elderly Don Diego de la Vega on the 1983 CBS series Zorro and Son and the father of a new Zorro (replacing Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) on a 1990-93 Family Channel show that starred Duncan Regehr.

Darrow was appearing on stage in a Los Angeles production of Ray Bradbury's The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit opposite F. Murray Abraham when he was spotted by producer David Dortort, who had created Bonanza and was now casting The High Chaparral.

"I said I'd like to speak in Spanish and that I would learn Indian sign language," he recalled in a 2015 interview for Richard Armstrong's Classic Film & TV Café website. "I said, 'I'm ready to read for the part.' And David Dortort replied: 'You don't have to. You've got it. You talked us into it."

He played the son of Mexican rancher Don Sebastián Montoya (Frank Silvera) and brother of Linda Cristal's Victoria Cannon, wife of Leif Erickson's Big John Cannon, on 97 episodes of the series, which featured a Latino family on an equal level with an Anglo clan, a rarity for its time.

Darrow said he "styled [Manolito] after two Shakespearean characters I played: Mercutio from Romeo and Juliet, which added a comedic touch, and Iago from Othello, which mixed a little darkness to the character," he said. "He was a free spirit!"

Wrote Lisa McKenzie on a website dedicated to High Chaparral: "Whether playing poker in a saloon, wooing a potential conquest, breaking a political prisoner out of jail, cradling a lost child in his arms or waxing philosophical beneath the stars, there is nothing simple about Manolito Montoya.

"He stands tall with the rest of the Cannons; formidable, discerning and loyal, yet restless, self-indulgent and ever searching — a collection of contradictions hidden by a pair of warm brown eyes and a roguish smile."

Darrow was born Enrique Tomás Delgado Jr. in Manhattan on Sept. 15, 1933. His parents, Gloria and Enrique, ran an inn/restaurant in nearby Bedford Village frequented by the likes of Humphrey Bogart and Tallulah Bankhead.

When he was 13, his parents brought the family to their native Puerto Rico.

He studied political science and acting at the University of Puerto Rico, then won a scholarship to the Pasadena Playhouse in 1954. He acted in plays and took music, dance, tap, fencing and phonetic classes before graduating two years later (his classmates included future Laugh-In star Ruth Buzzi).

In 1957, he auditioned for the lead in the Disney-ABC series Zorro. He didn't get the part — Guy Williams did — but said he benefited from the experience.

"I overacted, and I remember the director walking away and then announcing to the rest of the cast and crew, 'It
looks like we have a Spanish Barrymore on our hands,'" he said in a 2016 interview. "I thought, 'Oh boy!' I wrote my mother and she replied, 'Honey, I thought [Lionel] Barrymore was a ham.' So, I learned to do less."

In one of his first movies, he played a villain in Revenge of the Virgins (1959), written by Ed Wood.

He went onto portray a drug kingpin in Badge 373 (1973), starring Robert Duvall, while also appearing in other films like Summer and Smoke (1961), The Glass Cage (1964), St. Helens (1981), The Hitcher (1986), Runaway Jury (2003) and Soda Springs (2012).

Darrow did loads of television, working as a regular on The Bold and the Beautiful and showing up on episodes of Gunsmoke, The Wild Wild West, Mission: Impossible, The Outer Limits, Mod Squad, Kojak, Baretta, Hawaii Five-O, The Waltons, Dallas, Benson, T.J. Hooker and Star Trek: Voyager, among many other shows.

His memoir, Henry Darrow: Lightning in the Bottle, was published in 2012. That year, he also received the Ricardo Montalban Lifetime Achievement Award at the ALMA Awards. He had helped Montalban launch the Nosotros Organization, which aims to assist Latinos in the entertainment industry, in 1970.

Survivors include his second wife, Lauren, whom he married in 1982.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ne...ral-dies-at-87

[Backspin]

Sometimes clicking on this thread really disappoints. It's called rip famous person thread

[Latindancer]

Marvin Hagler : great who saw his life as a fight against boxing's dark forces.



Marvin Hagler: great who saw his life as a fight against boxing's dark forces | Boxing | The Guardian

[harrybarracuda]

Yaphet Kotto, Bond Villain and ‘Alien’ Star, Dies at 81




Yaphet Kotto, an actor known for his performances in “Alien,” the James Bond film “Live and Let Die” and the television series “Homicide: Life on the Street,” has died, his agent Ryan Goldhar confirmed to Variety. He was 81.

Kotto’s wife, Tessie Sinahon, first posted about Kotto’s death on Facebook Monday night.

“I’m saddened and still in shocked of the passing of my husband Yaphet of 24 years. He died last night around 10:30pm Philippine time,” sge wrote. “…You played a villain on some of your movies but for me you’re a real hero and to a lot of people also. A good man, a good father, a good husband and a decent human being, very rare to find. One of the best actor in Hollywood a Legend. Rest in Peace Honey, I’m gonna miss you everyday, my bestfriend, my rock.”

In 1973’s “Live and Let Die,” Kotto pulled double-duty portraying the corrupt Caribbean dictator Dr. Kananga as well as his drug pushing alter ego Mr. Big. Described in the novel as a monstrously obese kingpin with yellow eyes, gray skin and a head twice the size of a normal man, Kotto’s dapper version of the character dispensed with the physical grotesqueries and added a charismatic dose of stylish villainy.

Kotto also famously played technician Dennis Parker in 1979’s “Alien” and William Laughlin alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1987 action film “The Running Man.” He had a strong career in television as well, playing Al Giardello in the NBC series “Homicide: Life on the Street” from 1993 to 1999.

Kotto was born in New York City on Nov. 15, 1939, and began studying acting at the age of 16 at the Actors Mobile Theater Studio. By 19, he made his professional theater debut in “Othello,” and continued on to perform on Broadway in “The Great White Hope.” Kotto’s first few film projects included “Nothing But a Man” in 1964 and “The Thomas Crown Affair” in 1968. In 1969, Kotto held a guest-starring role as Marine Lance Corporal on “Hawaii Five-O.”

After landing the role in “Live and Let Die,” Kotto also nabbed roles in 1974’s “Truck Turner” and 1978’s “Blue Collar” as Smokey. Following his starring turn in “Alien,” Kotto went on to hold a supporting role as Richard “Dickie” Coombes in “Brubaker” in 1980 and starred alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1987 action film “The Running Man.” Kotto’s other TV roles include an appearance on “The A-Team” in 1983, “For Love and Honor,” “Murder She Wrote,” “Death Valley Days” and “Law & Order.”

One of Kotto’s last and longest roles was that of Al Giardello on “Homicide: Life on the Street,” for which he also holds several scriptwriting credits. He also starred in “Homicide: The Movie” in 2000, and most recently voiced Parker in the “Alien: Isolation” video game.

He is survived by his wife and six children.

Yaphet Kotto Dies: Bond Villain and 'Alien' Actor Was 81 - Variety

[harrybarracuda]

NASA Remembers Legendary Flight Director Glynn Lunney

(Glynn Lunny, 2nd left)


Legendary NASA Flight Director Glynn Lunney, 84, died Friday, March 19.

Lunney was a flight director for the Apollo 11 Moon landing mission, and was lead flight director for Apollo 7, the first crewed Apollo flight, and Apollo 10, the dress rehearsal for the first Moon landing, in NASA’s Mission Control Center in Houston. He led the mission control team credited with key actions that made it possible to save three Apollo 13 astronauts aboard a spacecraft disabled on the way to the Moon.

Throughout his career, he was a key leader of NASA human spaceflight operations, beginning as a member of the original Space Task Group at NASA’s Langley Research Center established shortly after NASA was formed to manage America’s efforts to put humans into space. After moving to Houston, the task group eventually became the Manned Spacecraft Center, now NASA’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center.

“Glynn was the right person for the right time in history. His unique leadership and remarkably quick intellect were critical to the success of some of the most iconic accomplishments in human space flight,” said Johnson Director Mark Geyer. “Although he retired from the agency many years ago, he is forever a member of the NASA family. While he was one of the most famous NASA alumni, he was also one of the most humble people I have ever worked with. He was very supportive of the NASA team and was so gracious in the way he shared his wisdom with us.”

Using the call sign “Black Flight,” he was selected in the Class of 1963 with John Hodge and Gene Kranz, and became NASA’s fourth flight director. Flight directors are responsible for leading teams of flight controllers, research and engineering experts, and support personnel around the world, and making real-time decisions critical to keeping NASA astronauts and missions safe and successful in space.

Lunney worked on the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, and Space Shuttle programs. He retired from NASA in 1985 as manager of the Space Shuttle Program, but continued to lead human spaceflight activities in private industry with Rockwell International and, later, United Space Alliance until his retirement in 1995.

At NASA, he also was a flight director for Apollo missions Apollo-Saturn-201, 4, 7, 8, 11, 13, 14, and 15. He served as lead flight director for Gemini missions 10 and 12, and was a flight director for Gemini missions 9 and 11.

He took on a leadership role in the planning and negotiations that led to the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) which culminated in the docking of an American Apollo and a Russian Soyuz spacecraft July 17, 1975. The effort led the way for today’s cooperative international efforts on the International Space Station.

One of the most notable events in his career came April 13, 1970, after an oxygen tank in the Apollo 13 service module exploded on the way to the Moon. His team reacted quickly and effectively to prepare the astronauts and their spacecraft to complete a safe-return trajectory around the Moon and return home safely. Under Lunney’s direction, the team innovated and worked with the astronauts to deliberately shut down the command module systems so that the lunar module could be used as a lifeboat for the crew during the journey home to Earth. His team’s work was widely credited with keeping the crew alive and safe while longer-term plans were developed for a successful reentry and splashdown.

Lunney received the Presidential Medal of Freedom as part of the Apollo 13 Mission Operations Team.

In Lunney’s own words from his NASA oral history:

“I felt that the Black Team shift immediately after the explosion and for the next 14 hours was the best piece of operations work I ever did or could hope to do. It posed a continuous demand for the best decisions often without hard data and mostly on the basis of judgment, in the face of the most severe in-flight emergency faced thus far in manned space flight. There might have been a ‘better’ solution, but it still is not apparent what it would be. Perhaps, we could have been a little quicker at times but we were consciously deliberate.”

He was born Nov. 27, 1936, in Old Forge, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania.

NASA Remembers Legendary Flight Director Glynn Lunney | NASA

[Neverna]

Nawal El Saadawi, Egyptian doctor, activist and author has died.

Egyptian author and women's rights icon, dies. The famed writer, feminist and activist passed away at the age of 89




Nawal El Saadawi, Egyptian author and women’s rights icon, dies | Arts and Culture News | Al Jazeera

[harrybarracuda]

George Segal. A brilliant actor.

George Segal dies at 87

George Segal – who found a new generation of fans through US sitcom The Goldberg after an illustrious career in dramatic acting – has died at the age of 87.
His wife, Sonia Segal confirmed the news, saying in a statement: ‘The family is devastated to announce that this morning George Segal passed away due to complications from bypass surgery," she said in a statement.’
He was nominated for an Oscar in his role in the 1966 movie version of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? opposite Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton and won two Golden Globes.
For the past eight years, he had been a series regular on the 1980s-set family comedy The Goldbergs as Albert ‘Pops’ Solomon. The last episode he filmed before his death is set to air on the ABC network in the US on April 7.
Before that he was starred in sitcom Just Shoot Me!, which ran for 149 episodes from 1997 to 2003.
His lengthy movie career includes Stanley Kramer’s Ships Of Fools, Roger Corman’s The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, Carl Reiner’s Where’s Poppa? Robert Altman’s California Split and Melvin Frank’s A Touch of Class.

George Segal dies at 87 : News 2021 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide

[harrybarracuda]

Shame, made some good bets on some of his nags. Others, not so much.

Sheik Hamdan Al Maktoum, eight-time champion owner in Britain and influential breeder, dies aged 75 after 30 years of success with some of racing's best known horses



Sheik Hamdan Al Maktoum, champion owner in Britain eight times including 2020 and a dual Derby winner, has died at the age of 75.
The older brother of Sheik Mohammed, Sheik Hamdan was the Deputy Ruler of Dubai and one of the most influential owner-breeders in Flat racing over the last 30 years with some of the sport's best known horses running in the blue and white colours of his Shadwell Stud.
They included Nashwan, the winner of the 2,000 Guineas, Derby, Eclipse Stakes and King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 1989, Dayjur, the sizzling sprinter who landed the Nunthorpe Stakes and Prix De L'Abbaye in 1990, and Erhaab the 1994 Derby winner.

Sheik Hamdan Al Maktoum, eight-time champion owner in Britain and influential breeder, dies aged 75 | Daily Mail Online