Obituary Stories category, Page 10
Renowned forensic pathologist Cyril Wecht dies
Known as much for his brilliant mind as his profanity, for his controversial opinions as his work ethic, for his love of family as his inflated sense of self, Dr. Cyril H. Wecht was a study in contrasts. While the forensic pathologist — who had both medical and law degrees...
Longtime Alle-Kiski Valley pediatrician remembered as devoted ‘country doctor’
Dr. Charles Ashe is a familiar name for many Alle-Kiski Valley natives — he may even have been one of the first people they ever met. For about 40 years, Ashe worked as a private practice doctor and, later, as an Allegheny Valley Hospital pediatrician. He was willing to drop...
Actor Bernard Hill, of ‘Titanic’ and ‘Lord of the Rings,’ has died at 79
LONDON — Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” and went down with the ship as the captain in “Titanic,” has died. Hill, 79, passed away Sunday morning, agent Lou Coulson said....
Judy O’Connor, wife of former Pittsburgh mayor Bob O’Connor, dies
Judy O’Connor loved to laugh. “When I’d come home to take care of her the last few months, we’d almost always listen to one of comedian Jim Gaffigan’s stand-up albums,” said her son, Rev. Terrence O’Connor of the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Judy Levine O’Connor, wife of former Pittsburgh Mayor Bob...
Duane Eddy, twangy guitar hero of early rock, dead at age 86
NEW YORK — Duane Eddy, a pioneering guitar hero whose reverberating electric sound on instrumentals such as “Rebel Rouser” and “Peter Gunn” helped put the twang in early rock ‘n’ roll and influenced George Harrison, Bruce Springsteen and countless other musicians, has died at 86. Eddy died of cancer Tuesday...
Paul Auster, prolific and experimental man of letters and filmmaker, dies at 77Video
NEW YORK — Paul Auster, a prolific, prize-winning man of letters and filmmaker known for such inventive narratives and meta-narratives as “The New York Trilogy” and “4 3 2 1,” has died at age 77. Auster’s death was confirmed Wednesday by his literary representatives, the Carol Mann Agency, which did...
South African boxer Dingaan Thobela, ‘The Rose of Soweto,’ dies aged 57Video
JOHANNESBURG — South African boxer Dingaan Thobela, a two-weight world champion known as “The Rose of Soweto,” has died, the ministry of sports said on Tuesday. He was 57. Thobela won the WBO lightweight title in 1990 and the WBA lightweight title in 1993, when he beat American Tony Lopez...
100-year-old British D-Day veteran dies before he can honor fallen comrades one more timeVideo
LONDON — British army veteran Bill Gladden, who survived a glider landing on D-Day and a bullet that tore through his ankle a few days later, wanted to return to France for the 80th anniversary of the invasion so he could honor the men who didn’t come home. It was...
William Strickland, a longtime civil rights activist, scholar and friend of Malcom X, has died
BOSTON — William Strickland, a longtime civil rights activist and supporter of the Black Power movement who worked with Malcom X and other prominent leaders in the 1960s, has died. He was 87. Strickland, whose death April 10 was confirmed by a relative, first became active in civil rights as...
TikTok star, ‘Club Rat’ creator dies at age 29
TikTok star Eva Evans, who created and starred in the Amazon Prime series “Club Rat” and was known for her videos about life in New York City, has died. She was 29. Evans’ sister Lila announced the news on Sunday in an Instagram post. “Yesterday my family received news that...
Terry Anderson, AP reporter abducted in Lebanon and held captive for years, dies at 76
LOS ANGELES — Terry Anderson, the globe-trotting Associated Press correspondent who became one of America’s longest-held hostages after he was snatched from a street in war-torn Lebanon in 1985 and held for nearly seven years, has died at 76. Anderson, who chronicled his abduction and torturous imprisonment by Islamic militants...
Former Pittsburgh radio host Larry O’Brien, known via ‘O’Brien & Garry’ show, dies at 81
Pittsburgh radio host Larry O’Brien, who comprised half of the popular morning duo “O’Brien & Garry” for 20 years, has died. “He was a funny, bright man, and he kept up on Pittsburgh sports until the very end,” his wife, Winkie O’Brien, said from their home in Hilton Head, S.C....
Mandisa, Grammy-winning singer and ‘American Idol’ alum, dies at 47
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Mandisa, a contemporary Christian singer who appeared on “American Idol” and won a Grammy for her 2013 album ‘Overcomer’, has died. She was 47. A representative for the singer told The Associated Press that the singer was found dead in her home in Nashville, Tennessee, on Thursday....
Allman Brothers Band co-founder and legendary guitarist Dickey Betts dies at 80Video
Guitar legend Dickey Betts, who co-founded the Allman Brothers Band and wrote their biggest hit, “Ramblin’ Man,” has died. He was 80. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer died at his home in Osprey, Florida, David Spero, Betts’ manager of 20 years, confirmed. Betts had been battling cancer for...
TikTok star dies at 36, family reveals
Popular TikTok creator Kyle Marisa Roth died last week at the age of 36, according to multiple media reports. Roth was known for sharing and discussing controversial blind items and gossip news about the entertainment world. Her sister, Lindsay Roth, announced the news this week on Instagram. “My sister Kyle...
Bob Graham, ex-U.S. senator and Florida governor, dies at 87
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Former U.S. Sen. and two-term Florida Gov. Bob Graham, who gained national prominence as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee in the aftermath of the 2001 terrorist attacks and as an early critic of the Iraq war, has died. He was 87. Graham’s family announced the death...
Ken Holtzman, MLB’s winningest Jewish pitcher who won 3 World Series with Oakland, dies at 78
CHICAGO — Ken Holtzman, MLB’s winningest Jewish pitcher who threw two no-hitters for the Chicago Cubs and helped the Oakland Athletics win three straight World Series championships in the 1970s, has died, the Cubs announced Monday on social media. He was 78. Holtzman’s brother Bob Holtzman told the St. Louis...
O.J. Simpson, legendary football player and actor brought down by his murder trial, dies at 76
LAS VEGAS — O.J. Simpson, the football star and Hollywood actor acquitted of charges he killed his former wife and her friend in a trial that mesmerized the public and exposed divisions on race and policing in America, has died. He was 76. The family announced on Simpson’s official X...
Sumo legend Akebono, first U.S.-born yokozuna, dies at 54 in Japan
TOKYO — Hawaii-born Akebono Taro, one of the greats of sumo wrestling and a former grand champion, has died. He was 54. He was the first foreign-born wrestler to reach the level of “yokozuna” — or grand champion — in Japan. “It is with sadness that we announce Akebono Taro...
Peter Higgs, who proposed the existence of the ‘God particle,’ has died at 94
LONDON — Nobel prize-winning physicist Peter Higgs, who proposed the existence of the so-called “God particle” that helped explain how matter formed after the Big Bang, has died at age 94, the University of Edinburgh said Tuesday. The university, where Higgs was emeritus professor, said he died Monday following a...
Rostraver firefighter remembered for dedication to department
There was an important rule to remember at the Bunardzya house — don’t turn down the volume of the scanner. Also, keep quiet when the fire sirens are blaring. Chryste Zimmerman said she quickly learned those moments were key for her dad John “Bill” Bunardzya to know where the emergency...
Former Penn Hills Councilman Jim Getsy remembered as fixture of civic life
Jim Getsy’s ties to Penn Hills ran deep. That’ll happen when a person described by friends and family as a dedicated community servant and believer in bureaucracy lives in one community for 57 years. Getsy, 85, a former Penn Hills councilman and fixture of civic life, died March 15. He...
‘SCTV’ star, comedian, Pittsburgher Joe Flaherty has died at 82 after illness
TORONTO — Comedian Joe Flaherty, a founding member of the Canadian sketch series “SCTV,” has died. He was 82. His daughter Gudrun said Tuesday that Flaherty died Monday following a brief illness. Flaherty, who was born and raised in Pittsburgh’s Homewood-Brushton neighborhood, spent seven years at The Second City in...
Allderdice grad Larry Lucchino, force behind retro ballpark revolution and drought-busting Red Sox, dies at 78
BOSTON — Larry Lucchino, the force behind baseball’s retro ballpark revolution and the transformation of the Boston Red Sox from cursed losers to World Series champions, has died. He was 78. Lucchino had suffered from cancer. The Triple-A Worcester Red Sox, his last project in a career that also included...
Mike Feinsilber fought the epic AP-UPI rivalry from both camps with wit and grace
WASHINGTON — Mike Feinsilber, whose masterful way with words and mischievous wit enlivened American journalism for five decades, the bulk of them at The Associated Press, died Monday. He was a month shy of 90. Feinsilber died at home, said his wife of 55 years, Doris Feinsilber, a pioneering computer...
