The RIP Famous Person Thread

[Boon Mee]

Rodney King dead at 47...

Probably did more to destroy the LA Police Dept than anyone alive.

[Cujo]

Rodney King dead at 47...

Probably did more to destroy the LA Police Dept than anyone alive.

Dead of what?

[Boon Mee]

Rodney King dead at 47...

Probably did more to destroy the LA Police Dept than anyone alive.

Dead of what?

Drowned in his swimming pool.
That's all they've released so far.

[Gallowspole]

If only he could've got along to the side.

Drowned in his swimming pool.

[Mr Lick]

Cricketer Tom Maynard dies after being hit by Tube train



Surrey cricketer Tom Maynard has died after being struck by a London Underground train.

The batsman, 23, from Cardiff, played for his county in the t20 game against Kent on Sunday.

Monday's incident involved a District Line train at Wimbledon Park station.

Police said a man matching Maynard's description ran away after a car being driven "erratically" was stopped shortly before. The police watchdog IPCC is investigating.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "At approximately 04:15 BST on Monday, 18 June, officers stopped a vehicle after it was seen being driven erratically in Arthur Road, SW19.

"The male driver of the vehicle - a black Mercedes C250 - made off on foot. Officers were unable to locate the man.

"At approximately 05:10 BST the body of a man fitting the same description was found on tracks near Wimbledon Park station."

London Ambulance Service medics were called but Maynard was pronounced dead at the scene

[Mr Lick]

Actor and ex-Flying Pickets singer Brian Hibbard dies



The actor and performer Brian Hibbard has died at the age of 65 after suffering from prostate cancer.

Born in Ebbw Vale, he became famous as the singer of the chart-topping Flying Pickets before his acting career.

He had parts in the films Twin Town and Rancid Aluminium and appeared in Emmerdale, EastEnders, Coronation Street and the Welsh soap Pobol Y Cwm.

His close friend and fellow actor Boyd Clack said he was a "fantastic actor, fantastic singer and fantastic man".

He came to prominence after forming the a cappella band Flying Pickets with a group of other actors who used to sing in a coach on the way to appearances.

Their hit, Only You, took them to number one in the charts in 1983 for five weeks.

[Cujo]

Cricketer Tom Maynard dies after being hit by Tube train



Surrey cricketer Tom Maynard has died after being struck by a London Underground train.

The batsman, 23, from Cardiff, played for his county in the t20 game against Kent on Sunday.

Monday's incident involved a District Line train at Wimbledon Park station.

Police said a man matching Maynard's description ran away after a car being driven "erratically" was stopped shortly before. The police watchdog IPCC is investigating.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "At approximately 04:15 BST on Monday, 18 June, officers stopped a vehicle after it was seen being driven erratically in Arthur Road, SW19.

"The male driver of the vehicle - a black Mercedes C250 - made off on foot. Officers were unable to locate the man.

"At approximately 05:10 BST the body of a man fitting the same description was found on tracks near Wimbledon Park station."

London Ambulance Service medics were called but Maynard was pronounced dead at the scene

Bummer, but

Tom Maynard dies after being hit by Tube train

That'll do it.

[Mr Lick]

Victor Spinetti, actor and star of Beatles films, dies



Victor Spinetti, Welsh-born star of stage and screen, has died at the age of 82.

Born to an Italian-Welsh father and Welsh mother in Cwm, Ebbw Vale, he was a regular performer in London's West End as well as with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

He appeared in more than 30 films, including the Beatles' movies and Dylan Thomas's Under Milk Wood, starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.
He had been diagnosed with cancer.

Spinetti's agent, Barry Burnett, said: "He had cancer for a year, but he was very cheerful to the end. I spoke to him on Friday and he was talking about his plans and everything."



Britt Ekland, actor and singer, wrote: "Just heard my wonderful friend, co writer and director Victor Spinetti died. Am devastated to have lost a true acting genius."

Welsh actor Sian Phillips told BBC Wales she was shocked and saddened, adding: "He was such a force of joy and vitality. When one saw him across a crowded room, one couldn't wait to get together with him and have a chat and a catch-up."

Barbara Windsor, his co-star in the West End stage play Oh! What a Lovely War which transferred to Broadway and a lifelong friend, had visited Spinetti last Thursday.

"We were very close. He was another of my great friends from that era. He was such a great man," she said.

[Mr Lick]

Writer Gitta Sereny dies aged 91



Journalist and author Gitta Sereny has died at the age of 91.

Born in Vienna, she saw first-hand the rise of Nazism and spent her life exploring the nature of evil.

Ms Sereny, who moved to the UK in the 1950s, wrote books on Nazi architect and armaments minister Albert Speer and child murderer Mary Bell - causing controversy by sharing her fee with her.

Her publisher said she died last week in Cambridge's Addenbrooke's hospital

She was awarded the CBE for her services to journalism in 2004.

She grew up in Vienna, the daughter of a Hungarian aristocrat and a German actress, and as a young girl attended a Nazi rally at Nuremberg, which she said both excited and frightened her. She later saw Nazi leader Adolf Hitler address a crowd in Vienna.

In 1945, she briefly attended the Nuremberg war crime trials where she caught her first glimpse of Speer in the dock.

Half a century later, Ms Sereny befriended Speer and his wife to try to find out exactly how much he had known about the Holocaust while he was working for Hitler.
Ms Sereny admitted to liking the former Nazi despite his delusions of innocence.

But in her book, Albert Speer: His Battle With Truth, she presented a damning portrait of a man who knew about the plan to exterminate the Jews but went along with it because of his love for Hitler.

After working with abandoned children in post-war Europe, Ms Sereny moved to the UK in the 1950s with her husband and two children.

Her 1998 book Cries Unheard, was a development of her 1972 study, The Case of Mary Bell, who at the age of 11 killed two young boys in Newcastle.

[can123]

Not a good few days for the Welsh, unfortunately. Three down.

[Humbert]

Hack Artist Leroy Neiman Finally Dies at age 91

NEW YORK — Painter and sketch artist LeRoy Neiman, best known for evoking the kinetic energy of the world's biggest sporting and leisure events with bright quick strokes, died Wednesday at age 91.
Neiman was the official painter of five Olympiads and was a contributing artist at Playboy magazine for many years. His longtime publicist, Gail Parenteau, confirmed his death at a Manhattan hospital on Wednesday but didn't disclose the cause.

Link

[alwarner]

Rodney King dead at 47...

Probably did more to destroy the LA Police Dept than anyone alive.

Dead of what?

Drowned in his swimming pool.
That's all they've released so far.

LAPD similar to BiB really.

No water in the pool.

"Tragically drowned"

[Mr Lick]

Doctor Who actress Caroline John dies aged 72



British actress Caroline John, known to many for playing Doctor Who assistant Liz Shaw, has died at the age of 72.

A funeral was held in south-west London on Wednesday for the Yorkshire-born actress, who starred opposite Jon Pertwee's Doctor in the BBC series.

John played Liz Shaw in four Doctor Who adventures in 1970, later reprising her role in 1983's The Five Doctors.

Both she and husband Geoffrey Beevers went on to work on several Doctor Who audio and straight-to-video spin-offs.

Born in 1940, John trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama and later toured with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre.

In recent years, John was seen in episodes of Doctors, Midsomer Murders and Silent Witness.

"Carry was always delighted to return to Liz Shaw and reprised the role several times in our audio series," said David Parkinson of production company Big Finish.

"She was a brilliant actress and a lovely, kind soul who was a joy to be around and who was interested in everyone. She will be greatly missed."

[Humbert]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/26/nora-ephron-dead-dies-age-71_n_1627757.html

Nora Ephron Dead at 71

This really bummed me out when I heard about it today. A very funny and gifted lady.

[harrybarracuda]

Oh dear, there will be candlelit vigils.

[david44]

.... and veganlit canoodling for the dishlexicl

[Humbert]

Oh dear, there will be candlelit vigils.

So says Teakdoor's self-appointed hall monitor. Grow up Harry.

[Mr Lick]

Shock at death of ex-Norther Ireland captain Alan McDonald, 48




The sudden death of former Northern Ireland football captain Alan McDonald at the age of 48 is devastating news, a close friend from the sport said.Sammy McIlroy said he was stunned to hear of the loss of his former team mate.The QPR stalwart won 52 caps for his country and was a member of Northern Ireland's World Cup side in 1986.

McDonald went on to manage Glentoran, winning the Irish League title in 2009, and also coached his country's under-21 side.An Irish Football Association spokesman said: "We are deeply shocked at the death of Alan, who won over 50 caps for Northern Ireland.

To die at such a young age is terrible."Former Northern Ireland manager Sammy McIlroy, a close friend and former team-mate of McDonald's, said: "I'm shell-shocked. Words can't even enter my head at the moment."Forty-eight is so young.

Alan was always larger than life - during his career and after."I've just spoken to Norman Whiteside and he is devastated."The Belfast-born footballer was said to have died suddenly while playing golf.A short statement was also posted on the IFA's official website.

[harrybarracuda]

Oh dear, there will be candlelit vigils.

So says Teakdoor's self-appointed hall monitor. Grow up Harry.

Don't be fucking silly, a chick flick queen like that?

I bet Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan are already pouring their hearts out on Good Morning America.

Don't get me wrong, I've watched many a good film with a happy ending.

[harrybarracuda]

Former Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Shamir mourned




By Jennifer Lipman, July 1, 2012
Follow Jennifer on Twitter
Yitzhak Shamir, who led Israel for two terms as prime minister, has died at the age of 96.
The statesman, who was 96, is to be buried on Monday. His body will lie in state at the Knesset until then.
The Likud politician, prime minister between 1983 and 1984 and 1986 and 1992, retired from public life in 1996. He was later diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and lived in a care home before his death.
A former Mossad agent and a hardliner who embraced a view of Greater Israel, Mr Shamir also served as Israel’s foreign minister and the Knesset speaker. His time as prime minister saw him oversee Israel during the first Gulf War, when Iraq fired scud missiles at the Jewish state, as well as after the first Intifada began in 1987.
Before the declaration of independence in 1948, Mr Shamir was active in Lehi, the militant anti-British underground fighters group.
He was born in Poland but moved to Mandate Palestine before the Holocaust, in which members of his family perished.
He was the second-longest serving prime minister in Israeli history, after David Ben-Gurion.
“He belonged to the generation of giants that founded the state of Israel and fought for the freedom of the Jewish people in its own land," said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a tribute. “He led Israel with deep loyalty to both the people and the land."
“Yitzhak Shamir dedicated his life to the state of Israel,” said the White House in a statement. “From his days working for Israel's independence to his service as prime minister, he strengthened Israel's security and advanced the partnership between the United States and Israel.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and the people of Israel.”

[Primo]

Before the declaration of independence in 1948, Mr Shamir was active in Lehi, the militant anti-British underground fighters group

Lehi was a terrorist organisation with links to the Nazis.So Shamir was a terrorist.

During World War II, Lehi initially sought alliance with Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany, offering to fight alongside them against the British.[13] On the belief that Nazi Germany was a lesser enemy of the Jews than Britain, Lehi twice attempted to form an alliance with the Nazis.[14]Lehi assassinated United Nations mediator Folke Bernadotte . The United Nations Security Council called the assassins "a criminal group of terrorists,"[21]

Lehi (group) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[S Landreth]

Actor Andy Griffith, 86, a beloved icon of US television for programs including “The Andy Griffith Show” in the 1960s and the popular legal drama “Matlock,” died Tuesday.

President Barack Obama led tributes to the star, calling him “a performer of extraordinary talent,” adding that he “was beloved by generations of fans and revered by entertainers who followed in his footsteps.

“He brought us characters from Sheriff Andy Taylor to Ben Matlock, and in the process, warmed the hearts of Americans everywhere. Our thoughts and prayers are with Andy’s family,” he said in a White House statement.

Griffith, who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by then president George W. Bush in 2005, died at his North Carolina home, according to media reports.

He became a household name for his eponymous series. He also played Sheriff Taylor in “Mayberry RFD,” set in the same fictional town as “The Andy Griffith Show,” said to be modeled on his hometown of Mount Airy, North Carolina.

As a child, Griffith sang in church, and joined a university drama club before becoming a teacher after graduating, according to industry daily Variety.

He got his big break in the 1950s when Ed Sullivan began featuring him on his national television show.

His most notable big screen role was in Elia Kazan’s “A Face in the Crowd” (1957), playing a country boy who rises to TV stardom in a performance described as “stunning” by industry database IMDb.

After a stint on Broadway he launched “The Andy Griffith Show,” along with a young Ron Howard, who was later Richie Cunningham in “Happy Days” before a successful film career.

Howard tweeted Tuesday that Griffith’s “pursuit of excellence and the joy he took in creating served generations and shaped my life. I’m forever grateful. RIP Andy.”

Griffith formed his own production company in 1972, making several films and TV series, and was nominated for an Emmy award in 1981 for for his portrayal in the 1981 television show “Murder in Texas.”

Apart from the “The Andy Griffith Show” his other most famous role came as as attorney Ben Matlock in the TV series “Matlock,” which ran originally ran from 1985 to 1986.

In 2010, Griffith appeared in TV ads supporting the Health Care Reform bill proposed by Obama. The ads were withdrawn after he received hundreds of death threats from opponents of the bill, IMDb said.

Flowers were to be placed on his sidewalk star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame to honor him, organizers said.

He is survived by his third wife, Cindi Knight, and an adopted daughter from his first marriage. An adopted son died in 1996.

Iconic television actor Andy Griffith dies at 86 | The Raw Story

[nedwalk]

^thats sad..

[misskit]

^^ Oh no. I never missed an episode of The Andy Griffith Show; always fun to watch.

He looks just like my dad. Nearly the same age too.

Good-bye Andy.

[Cujo]

That's a real pity.