The RIP Famous Person Thread

[daveboy]

British pop star Dave Dee has died at the age of 65, following a three-year battle with cancer.
The singer continued playing gigs with band members Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich until close to the end of his life, record plugger Sean Cooney said.
"He didn't let it get him down. He was defying it," Mr Cooney added.
The group had eight top 10 hits, including a UK number one single in 1968 with The Legend of Xanadu, in which Dee famously cracked a whip.
A spokeswoman for the family said that Dee died in Kingston Hospital, south-west London on Friday morning following "a long and courageous battle" with cancer.

[Jet Gorgon]

Interesting that Kawasaki disease (Jett Travolta's prob) was "discovered" in Japan. None of my apartos there had carpets. Lino in the kitchen and tatami in the living/bedrooms.

[daveboy]

Veteran BBC sports broadcaster David Vine has died of a heart attack at the age of 73.
Vine fronted a huge list of shows, including Match of the Day, A Question of Sport, Grandstand and Ski Sunday.
He also hosted the BBC's Olympic, snooker and tennis coverage, It's A Knock Out, Miss World and the Eurovision Song Contest.
Vine celebrated his birthday on 3 January and died on Sunday at home, near Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire.
He had triple heart by-pass surgery several years ago

[Moss]

BBC - WW2 People's War - William Stone - Memories of Dunkirk and Russian Convoys

William Stone 109, veteran of two world wars, led the last Remembrance Day March, died today.

Rest in Peace

Moss

[chitown]

Ricardo Montalban dies at 88


LOS ANGELES - Ricardo Montalban, the Mexican-born actor who became a star in splashy MGM musicals and later as the wish-fulfilling Mr. Roarke in TV's "Fantasy Island," died Wednesday morning at his home, a city councilman said. He was 88.

Montalban's death was announced at a meeting of the city council by president Eric Garcetti, who represents the district where the actor lived. Garcetti did not give a cause of death.

"The Ricardo Montalban Theatre in my Council District _ where the next generations of performers participate in plays, musicals, and concerts _ stands as a fitting tribute to this consummate performer," Garcetti said later in a written statement.

Montalban had been a star in Mexican movies when MGM brought him to Hollywood in 1946. He was cast in the leading role opposite Esther Williams in "Fiesta." He also starred with the swimming beauty in "On an Island with You" and "Neptune's Daughter."

A later generation knew Montalban as the faintly mysterious, white-suited Mr. Roarke, who presided over an island resort where visitors were able to fulfill their lifelong dreams. "Fantasy Island" received high ratings for most of its 1978-1984 span on ABC television and still appears in reruns.

In a 1978 interview, he analyzed the series' success:

"What is appealing is the idea of attaining the unattainable and learning from it. Once you obtain a fantasy it becomes a reality, and that reality is not as exciting as your fantasy. Through the fantasies you learn to appreciate your own realities."

[Propagator]

Patrick McGoohan Dies




Patrick McGoohan, the Emmy-winning actor who created and starred in cult classic TV show The Prisoner, has died. He was 80 years of age. His film producer son-in-law Cleve Landsberg made the announcement.
His death came after a short illness but the much-lauded actor has left a memorable legacy. He won two Emmys for his work on Columbo, the hit detective drama which starred Peter Falk. More recently, he appeared as King Edward Longshanks in the 1995 Mel Gibson film Braveheart. However, he remains best known as the title character Number Six in the surreal 1960s British series The Prisoner. Born in New York, Patrick McGoohan was raised in Ireland and England. He trod the boards but his first real brush with fame came courtesy of Danger Man, a 1960s Brit spy series. The work he did in The Prisoner, his next big TV project, stayed with him for the rest of his life. It was this show that brought us the iconic phrase: "I am not a number! I am a free man!"
First airing on ITV between 1967 and 1968, The Prisoner is viewed by many critics as one of the most radical, thought-provoking dramas in the history of television. Slick and intelligent, the 17-episode series explores numerous themes: from democracy and freedom, conformity and rebellion to the nature of the individual and revolution. Widely regarded as a political commentary which is as relevant today as it was 40 years ago, The Prisoner continues to fascinate. ITV are even remaking it with The Passion Of The Christ's Jim Caviezel in McGoohan's role and Ian McKellen as Number Two, the Chief Administrator of The Village.
At the time of his death, Patrick McGoohan was mostly retired and living in Los Angeles with his wife of 57 years, Joan Drummond McGoohan. In our gallery below, we pay tribute to the show that made his name.

• How will you remember Patrick McGoohan? Share your tributes

[melvbot]

TV presenter Tony Hart dies at 83


Tony Hart appeared on the shows Vision On and Take Hart

Artist and children's presenter Tony Hart has died, aged 83.
Mr Hart had suffered from health problems for a number of years, including two strokes. His family said he died peacefully.
Mr Hart appeared on art programmes for nearly 50 years before retiring in 2001 because of health problems.
He first appeared on Saturday Special as an illustrator before fronting his own shows such as Vision On, Take Hart and Hart Beat.
The artist served as an officer in the 1st Gurkha Rifles in World War II, before joining a course at the Maidstone College of Art.
It was a chance meeting in 1952 with a BBC TV producer and a demonstration of his quick art skills on a paper napkin that secured his on-screen career.

BBC NEWS | UK | TV presenter Tony Hart dies at 83

Good old Tony Hart, used to run home to watch him when I finished school.

[Loy Toy]

Funeral of Mike Franklin

Pattaya People 17.01.2009 18:55




The Funeral of the late Michael (Mike) Franklin took place on the 15th January at Wat Chaimongkol on South Pattaya Road.





Mike Franklin who died on the 7th January was a well known and highly respected figure in Pattaya, being a popular television presenter and former Golf Chairman at the Pattaya Golf Society. Often known as Mr. Golf, Mike Franklin was responsible over the years for raising the prominence and standards of golf in the area. The service was attended by 500 people, many of which were his friends and colleagues.

I was shocked to learn of Mikes untimely death! He may not have been a global celebrity but certainly Mike was loved and respected in this part of the world.

He was a wonderful man who went out of his way to help people not as fortunate as himself. Many people benefitted from his kindness and good nature and I send my sincere condolences too Mike's family and friends.

RIP.

[Texpat]

John Hoyer Updike (March 18, 1932 - January 27 2009) was an American novelist, poet, short story writer, art critic, and literary critic. Updike's most famous work is his Rabbit series (Rabbit, Run; Rabbit Redux; Rabbit Is Rich; Rabbit At Rest; and Rabbit Remembered). Rabbit is Rich and Rabbit at Rest received the Pulitzer Prize. Describing his subject as "the American small town, Protestant middle class," Updike was widely recognized for his careful craftsmanship, his highly stylistic writing, and his prolific output, having published more than twenty-five novels and more than a dozen short story collections, as well as poetry, art criticism, literary criticism and children's books. Hundreds of his stories, reviews, and poems appeared in The New Yorker, starting in 1954. He also wrote regularly for The New York Review of Books. His work attracted a significant amount of critical attention and he was considered one of the most prominent contemporary American novelists.

[DrivingForce]

Adam West and Robin, the fag.

actually I think that Adam West was the fag as I recall..

[chitown]

Actor James Whitmore dies - Entertainment News, Legit News, Media - Variety
Actor James Whitmore dies

Versatile Tony and Emmy-award winning actor James Whitmore died Friday at his Malibu home. He was 87.His son Steve Whitmore told the Associated Press his father died of lung cancer, which was diagnosed in November.
Whitmore was a many-faceted character actor who delivered strong performances, often in movies, television and especially the theater with his popular one-man shows about Truman, Will Rogers and Theodore Roosevelt. He also appeared in numerous Western TV shows, as well as crime and war pics.
His 1949 Tony award came early, for outstanding performance by a newcomer, as the Sergeant in the Broadway production of "Command Decision." The Emmy came near the end of his career as outstanding guest actor in a drama for "The Practice" in 2000.
Though Whitmore went on to appear in hundreds of films and TV shows after leaving New York for Hollywood, he remained passionate about the theater, starring in plays such as "Our Town," "Inherit the Wind" and "Death of a Salesman."
The husky, gruff-voiced actor received a supporting actor Oscar nomination for another military role in his second film, the 1949 WWII drama "Battleground."
Interesting character roles came his way in films including "Black Like Me," where he played a white man passing for black, "Planet of the Apes," as an authoritative simian and as a crook in "The Asphalt Jungle." Other notable films included "Them!," "Kiss Me Kate," "Oklahoma!," "Tora! Tora! Tora!," "The Shawshank Redemption" and "The Majestic."
But he was best known for his one-man shows, playing Harry Truman in "Give 'Em Hell, Harry!," Roosevelt in "Bully" and Rogers in "Will Rogers' U.S.A." Whitmore was Oscar-nommed for the 1975 film version of the show "Give 'Em Hell, Harry."
An avid gardener, he was later known as the pitchman for Miracle-Gro plant food.
Born in White Plains, N.Y, he played for the Yale football team coached by future President Gerald R. Ford, but suffered knee injuries and turned his attention to drama on the advice of a girlfriend. He joined the Marines during his senior year, then studied acting in New York after WWII ended at the American Theater Wing.
Whitmore starred in three TV series: drama "The Law and Mr. Jones," detective show "My Friend Tony" and sitcom "Temperatures. Rising." Working consistently until recently, his last appearance was on "C.S.I.." Numerous TV guest appearances included "Gunsmoke," "The Virginian" and "Route 66."
He recently lent his name to the Barack Obama campaign, appearing at several fundraising events.
His first marriage was to Nancy Mygatt, mother of his three sons, and his second to actress Audra Lindley, with whom he often performed onstage.
In addition to his son Steve, he is survived by his third wife, Noreen; sons James Jr., an actor and director; and Dan; eight grandchildren; and several great-grandchildren

[daveboy]

Former EastEnders actress Wendy Richard has died after suffering from cancer.


Wendy Richard was best known for her role as Pauline Fowler


The television star died in the Harley Street Clinic in London with her husband John Burns by her side.
Her agent Kevin Francis said: "She was incredibly brave and retained her sense of humour right to the end."
Wendy, 65, was best known for her 20-year role as Pauline Fowler in EastEnders.
But she became a household name before that in the cult department store sitcom Are You Being Served?
Wendy also appeared in Carry On films, alongside Barbara Windsor.
She battled breast cancer in the mid-1990s and in 2002 before the disease went into remission for several years.
But she was told last year that it had returned in an aggressive form, attacking her kidneys, bones and spine.
In October, she revealed in a newspaper interview that her cancer was terminal.

[bkkmadness]

Well, at least she had a good run at life. RIP Wendy.

[hillbilly]

Legendary broadcaster Paul Harvey dies



Paul Harvey, the legendary radio host whose career sharing "the rest of the story" with listeners spanned more than 70 years, has died, according to ABC Radio Networks.

Legendary broadcaster Paul Harvey dies - CNN.com

[Rural Surin]

Sorry Hilly, never heard of him.

[DrivingForce]

Legendary broadcaster Paul Harvey dies



Paul Harvey, the legendary radio host whose career sharing "the rest of the story" with listeners spanned more than 70 years, has died, according to ABC Radio Networks.

Legendary broadcaster Paul Harvey dies - CNN.com

Good day.....RIP Paul...

[daveboy]

Boxing mourns champion Finnegan


Finnegan won gold in 1968

British ex-Olympic boxing champion Chris Finnegan has died aged 64.
The former Buckinghamshire bricklayer won gold at Mexico 1968 when he beat the Soviet Union's Aleksey Kiselyov.
He turned professional soon after, taking British, Commonwealth and European titles at light-heavyweight but the world crown eluded him.
His big chance came against American champion Bob Foster in 1972 in an epic 14-round duel at Wembley, but he failed to overcome the favourite.
Finnegan's younger brother Kevin, a former British middleweight champion, passed away last October at the age of 60. "Chris Finnegan was a southpaw with a tendency to cut, but a teak-hard fighting spirit," said BBC Radio 5 Live boxing correspondent Mike Costello.
"It was a very different boxing game in 1972 and there were fewer opportunities to win, or even challenge, for world titles.
"The one opportunity he got he had the misfortune to come up against Foster at Wembley. He lost in the 14th round, but such was his struggle it was voted fight of the year by Ring Magazine.
"He very nearly got there and it's not stretching it to say that were he around today, boxing in this era, he probably would have been a world champion."

[DrivingForce]

This was a total surprise to me as I didn't even know he was ill?? He must have been fighting this while he was doing the West Wing episodes, I appreciated his style but especially in those episodes that depicted the presidential elections. I always confused him with Andy Garcia though strangely enough, they look very similar... He had a lot of top roles and movies to his credit..

By DAVID GERMAIN, AP Movie Writer David Germain, Ap Movie Writer – 2 hrs 36 mins ago
AP – In this Aug. 30, 2004 file photo, actor Ron Silver speaks at the evening session of the first day of …



Actor Ron Silver, who won a Tony Award as a take-no-prisoners Hollywood producer in David Mamet's "Speed-the-Plow" and did a political about-face from loyal Democrat to Republican activist after the Sept. 11 attacks, died Sunday at the age of 62.
"Ron Silver died peacefully in his sleep with his family around him early Sunday morning" in New York City, said Robin Bronk, executive director of the Creative Coalition, which Silver helped found. "He had been fighting esophageal cancer for two years."
Silver, an Emmy nominee for a recurring role as a slick strategist for liberal President Jed Bartlet on "The West Wing," had a long history of balancing acting with left-leaning social and political causes.
But after the 2001 terrorist attacks, longtime Democrat Silver turned heads in Hollywood with outspoken support of President George W. Bush over the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Silver spoke at the 2004 Republican National Convention, began referring to himself as a "9/11 Republican" and reregistered as an independent.
In an interview with The Associated Press a month later, Silver said his support for the war on terror was costing him work in liberal-minded Hollywood.
"It's affected me very badly. I can't point to a person or a job I've lost, but this community is not very pluralistic," Silver told the AP. "I haven't worked for 10 months."
His switch to a more conservative image threatened to overshadow an esteemed career on stage, television and film, along with his long history of activism, which included co-founding the nonpartisan Creative Coalition, an advocacy group for entertainers.
"He was a talented actor, a scholar and a great believer in participatory democracy," Bronk said Sunday evening. "He was an activist who became a great artist and his contributions will never be forgotten."
His big-screen credits included "Ali," "Reversal of Fortune," "Enemies: A Love Story," "Silkwood" and "Semi-Tough."
Besides "The West Wing," Silver was a regular or had recurring roles on such TV shows as "Veronica's Closet," "Chicago Hope" and "Wiseguy." He directed and costarred in the 1993 TV movie "Lifepod," a science-fiction update of Alfred Hitchcock's "Lifeboat."
Silver's Tony for "Speed-the-Plow" came in 1988, a year after he earned his first Emmy nomination, for the murder thriller "Billionaire Boys Club."
Silver still found work despite his conservative shift, appearing in episodes of "Law & Order" and "Crossing Jordan" and such movies as "Find Me Guilty" and the Ten Commandments comedy "The Ten."
He continued his recurring role on "The West Wing," joking that he faced some taunting over his views from co-workers on the show which took place in a fiercely liberal White House administration.
"Often when I walked onto the set of 'The West Wing' some of my colleagues would greet me with a chanting of 'Ron, Ron, the neo-con.' It was all done in fun but it had an edge," Silver wrote in a Nov. 15, 2007, entry of his blog on the Pajamas Media Web site.
Silver's on-screen work rankled liberals, too. He narrated 2004's "Fahrenhype 9/11," a deconstruction of Michael Moore's Bush-bashing hit documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11."
"Michael Moore and that faction of the party was one of the factors that did not let me support the Democratic nominee this year," Silver told the AP in 2004. "He is a charlatan in a clown suit."
Born July 2, 1946, in New York City, he was the son of Irving and May Silver. His father worked in New York's garment industry and his mother was a teacher.
Earning a bachelor's degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a master's degree in Chinese history from St. John's University, Silver studied drama at the Herbert Berghof Studio and the Actors Studio.
In the 1970s, he gradually moved from theater work in New York City into television and film. His early credits included "The Mac Davis Show," "Rhoda" and "The Stockard Channing Show."
Silver and ex-wife Lynne Miller had a son, Adam, and daughter, Alexandra.
Whichever end of the political spectrum his activism fell, Silver viewed such involvement as something of a duty for entertainers.
"I think there's almost an obligation," he said in a 1991 interview with the AP. "Many of us are very well compensated for work which a lot of people would love to do. And we also have a lot of leisure time in between jobs. ...
"They say that Hollywood is sex without substance, and Washington is substance without sex, so maybe the marriage of the two is mutually intriguing."


On a more positive note; Maybe there's some salvation on the horizon for Patrick Swayze as a new very promising new treatment for advanced pancreatic cancer was just approved by the FDA so he can receive it now. It was so promising they cut the trials short and approved it, that's very encouraging..

[Red dragon]

British actress Natasha Richardson has died from head injuries sustained in a skiing accident in Canada.
Richardson, 45, the daughter of actress Vanessa Redgrave, fell on a beginners' slope at the Mont Tremblant resort in Quebec on Monday.
The family were devastated by the death of their "beloved Natasha", her husband Liam Neeson's publicist said.
Richardson died in a New York hospital, close to the home she shared with Irish actor Neeson and their two sons.
The accident happened while the actress was taking a supervised skiing lesson at the Quebec resort. She was one of the few modern actresses who was as smart as she was pretty


Film director Ken Russell


Richardson initially showed no sign of injury but about an hour later she was taken to a nearby hospital after feeling unwell. It was later confirmed her injuries were critical.
Irish actor Neeson, 56, flew from the set of his new film in Toronto to be with his wife as soon as he heard news of the accident.
He accompanied her as she was flown from Canada to Lenox Hill Hospital, in New York, on Tuesday.
Neeson, her mother Oscar-winning actress Vanessa Redgrave, 72, and two sons, Michael, 13, and Daniel, 12, had gathered at her bedside. Richardson and Neeson married in 1994


Her sister, the Nip/Tuck actress Joely Richardson, was also pictured visiting the hospital.
Richardson's death was announced shortly before midnight GMT. Neeson left the Manhattan hospital in a people carrier at about 2030 local time (0030 GMT).
Alan Nierob, Neeson's publicist, said: "Liam Neeson, his sons, and the entire family are shocked and devastated by the tragic death of their beloved Natasha.
"They are profoundly grateful for the support, love and prayers of everyone, and ask for privacy during this very difficult time."
Richardson starred in films and TV but won most acclaim for her stage work.
Part of the Redgrave acting dynasty, she was the daughter of Redgrave and director Tony Richardson.
'Great actress'
Film-maker Ken Russell, who directed Richardson in her debut movie Gothic, said she was "always poised, prepared, focused and very, very bright".
Writing in The Times, the 81-year-old added: "She was one of the few modern actresses who was as smart as she was pretty, and as gentle as she was fierce."
Oscar-winning film director Sam Mendes said Richardson was "one of a kind, a magnificent actress." Mendes, who directed Richardson in the stage production of Cabaret, added: "It defies belief that this gifted, brave, tenacious, wonderful woman is gone."



The Sunday Telegraph's theatre critic, Tim Walker, said she never needed to ride on the coat-tails of her famous relations.
He said Richardson took the decision early in her career to "stand or fall on her own" and left London to begin her career in Leeds at the West Yorkshire Playhouse.
"The world of acting has been deprived of a great actress, really in her prime," he said.
"She had a sort of luminous presence on the stage, but off-stage she was a very shy, easy-going, almost self-deprecating character who didn't like being made a fuss of."
Richardson, whose father director Tony died of Aids-related causes in 1991, was on the board of the US-based charity amfAR, The Foundation for Aids Research.
A spokeswoman for the charity said she was a "dedicated Aids advocate" and an "eloquent spokesperson for amfAR".
"Our hearts go out to her family. This is a catastrophic loss for them, and it is a terrible loss for amfAR and the fight against Aids," she said.
"She generously contributed her time and resources to amfAR for over 15 years."
Head injuries
It is not known exactly what happened to Richardson.
However, leading neurosurgeon Chris Chandler said a seemingly minor blow on the head can cause life-threatening injuries.
Mr Chandler, from King's College Hospital in south London, said the effects of a blow to the head may not become apparent until several hours afterwards and, if untreated, a patient can fall into a coma.
"A blow to the head can cause a bruise or rupture a blood vessel that slowly swells, causing pressure to build up inside the skull," he said.
"In the skull there is nowhere for the brain to move to so pressure continues to grow and that swelling can cause the brain to malfunction because it can limit circulation. "If that pressure is not relieved it can kill."

[melvbot]

Never heard of her until she died.

[SEA Traveler]

Never heard of her until she died.

Me either! But still RIP is offered.

[The Gentleman Scamp]

I'm reserving this space for Jade.

[Rural Surin]

Why do we care so much towards the deaths of celebrities and public figures before our own?

[melvbot]

Why do we care so much towards the deaths of celebrities and public figures before our own?

We're not dead yet.

[DrivingForce]

Why do we care so much towards the deaths of celebrities and public figures before our own?

We're not dead yet.

kind of hard to make note of it after the fact too..