Edited for brevity. Many more at link. - John Toland, 91. Won 1971 Pulitzer for nonfiction for "The Rising Sun," on the Japanese empire during World War II. Jan. 4.
- Tug McGraw, 59. Relief pitcher with Mets, Phillies; known for slogan "You Gotta Believe." Father of country music star Tim McGraw. Jan. 5. Brain cancer.
- Alfred Pugh, 108. Last known combat-wounded U.S. veteran of World War I. Jan. 7.
- Bob Keeshan, 76. Gently entertained generations of youngsters as TV's walrus-mustachioed Captain Kangaroo and became an outspoken opponent of violence in children's television. Jan. 23.
- Daniel J. Boorstin, 89. Former Librarian of Congress; million-selling historian, social critic. Feb. 28.
- Abul Abbas, 56. Palestinian who planned hijacking of the Achille Lauro passenger ship. March 8. Natural causes in U.S. custody.
He could have left us much, much earlier, as far as I'm concerned.
- Pat Tillman, 27. NFL player who traded in multimillion-dollar contract to serve as Army Ranger in Afghanistan. April 22. Killed in action.
- Retired Gen. Robert F. Seedlock, 91. Led arduous construction of the Burma Road during World War II. May 5.
- Col. Robert Morgan, 85. Commander of famed Memphis Belle B-17 bomber during World War II. May 15.
- Tony Randall, 84. Comic actor; the fastidious Felix Unger in "The Odd Couple" and fussbudget pal in several Rock Hudson-Doris Day movies. May 17.
- Ronald Reagan, 93. The cheerful crusader who devoted his presidency to winning the Cold War, trying to scale back government and making people believe it was "morning again in America." June 5.
God bless ya, Ronnie!
- Ray Charles, 73. Transcendent talent who erased musical boundaries with hits such as "What'd I Say," "Georgia on My Mind" and "I Can't Stop Loving You." June 10.
- Marlon Brando, 80. Revolutionized American acting with "A Streetcar Named Desire"; created the iconic character of Vito Corleone in "The Godfather." July 1.
- Charles W. Sweeney, 84. Piloted the plane that dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki. July 15.
- Fay Wray, 96. The damsel held atop the Empire State Building by the ape in "King Kong." Aug. 8.
- Julia Child, 91. Brought the intricacies of French cuisine to Americans through her television series and books. Aug. 13.
- Johnny Ramone, 55. Co-founded supremely influential punk band "The Ramones." Sept. 15. Prostate cancer.
- Russ Meyer, 82. Producer-director who helped spawn the "skin flick" — and later gained a measure of critical respect — for such films as "Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!" Sept. 18.
- Rodney Dangerfield, 82. The bug-eyed comic whose self-deprecating "I don't get no respect" brought him stardom in clubs, television and movies. Oct. 5.
- Christopher Reeve, 52. "Superman" actor who became the nation's most recognizable spokesman for spinal cord research after a paralyzing accident. Oct. 10.
- Theo van Gogh, 47. Outspoken Dutch filmmaker; great-grandnephew of Vincent. Nov. 2. Murdered, apparently by Islamic radicals.
- Yasser Arafat, 75. Palestinian guerrilla leader turned Nobel Peace Prize winner, but also reviled as a sponsor of terrorism. Nov. 11.
Hot enough for ya?
- Reggie White, 43. NFL defensive great for the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers. Dec. 26. Respiratory ailment suspected in death.
- Susan Sontag, 71. National Book Award-winning author, essayist and activist. Dec. 28.
- Jerry Orbach, 69. Star of stage, screen and television, most notably for role as world-weary cop on "Law & Order." Dec. 28. Died of prostate cancer.
Rest in peace, Lennie! |
