Obituary Stories category, Page 23
French actor Gaspard Ulliel, 37, dies after ski accident
French actor Gaspard Ulliel, known for appearing in Chanel perfume ads as well as film and television roles, died Wednesday after a skiing accident in the Alps, according to his agent’s office and local authorities. He was 37. Ulliel portrayed the young Hannibal Lecter in 2007’s “Hannibal Rising” and fashion...
Nancy B’s Bakery owner in West Homestead dies
The Pittsburgh cookie table community is a little less sweet today. The city lost Nancy Bertram Runco, owner of Nancy B’s Bakery in West Homestead. She died at 11:36 p.m. Monday from an infection, according to her son, Michael Runco. She was 78. “I was so lucky to work with...
Irwin’s Ruth Shuster, 100-year-old McDonald’s employee, remembered fondlyVideo
If Ruth Shuster spent any time standing still, it came as a surprise to her family. From nearly three decades of working at McDonald’s Big Mac Museum in North Huntingdon, to hosting holidays well into her 90s, to twice-weekly square dances, the 100-year-old never seemed to slow down. As a...
Celebrated Tuskegee Airman Charles McGee dies at 102
Charles McGee, a Tuskegee Airman who flew 409 fighter combat missions over three wars, has died. He was 102. Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III on Sunday announced his death on Twitter, both of them calling McGee an American hero. “While I am saddened...
‘60s icon Ronnie Spector, who sang ‘Be My Baby,’ dies at 78
LOS ANGELES — Ronnie Spector, the cat-eyed, bee-hived rock ‘n’ roll siren who sang such 1960s hits as “Be My Baby,” “Baby I Love You” and “Walking in the Rain” as the leader of the girl group the Ronettes, has died. She was 78. Spector died Wednesday after a brief...
Hall of Fame receiver Don Maynard dead at age 86
Don Maynard, a Hall of Fame receiver who made his biggest impact catching passes from Joe Namath in the wide-open AFL, has died. He was 86. The Pro Football Hall of Fame confirmed Maynard’s death on Monday through his family. Maynard was the main target for Namath with the New...
Bob Saget, known for ‘Full House,’ ‘America’s Funniest Home Videos,’ dead at 65Video
Bob Saget, the actor-comedian known for his role as beloved single dad Danny Tanner on the sitcom “Full House” and as the wisecracking host of “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” died while on a stand-up tour. He was 65. Deputies in Orange County, Florida, were called Sunday about an “unresponsive man”...
Sidney Poitier — Oscar winner, groundbreaking star — dead at 94
Sidney Poitier, the groundbreaking actor and enduring inspiration who transformed how Black people were portrayed on screen, became the first Black actor to win an Academy Award for best lead performance and the first to be a top box-office draw, has died. He was 94. Poitier, winner of the best...
Longtime NFL, college coach Greg Robinson dies at 70
Greg Robinson, who won two Super Bowl rings with the Denver Broncos while spending nearly four decades coaching in the NFL and college, has died. He was 70. Robinson’s wife, Laura, said he died Wednesday from a form of Alzheimer’s Disease. “A lot of special memories,” she said Thursday. “That’s...
Mark Patrick Flaherty, former Allegheny County controller, dies from covid complications
Mark Patrick Flaherty came from a well-known family of Democratic public servants. His father served as an Allegheny County commissioner and a state Commonwealth Court judge. His uncle was Pittsburgh mayor, deputy attorney general and later a county commissioner. It seemed inevitable then, that he would follow in their footsteps....
Oldest U.S. veteran of WWII, Lawrence N. Brooks, dies at 112
NEW ORLEANS — Lawrence N. Brooks, the oldest World War II veteran in the U.S. — and believed to be the oldest man in the country — died on Wednesday at the age of 112. His death was announced by the National WWII Museum and confirmed by his daughter. Most...
Former Bengals defensive lineman Ross Browner, father of Max Starks, dies at 67
Ross Browner, a two-time All-American at Notre Dame and one of four brothers who played in the NFL, has died. He was 67. Browner’s son, former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Max Starks, posted on Twitter early Wednesday morning that his father had died. “The world has lost a Titan,” Starks...
Pittsburgh Home & Garden Show founder John DeSantis dies at age 69
John DeSantis gave the best advice. “Growing up, my friends would always ask my dad for advice and my sons always asked him for advice. They felt comfortable around him – and he gave great advice. They would talk to him in confidence and know he wouldn’t tell anyone what...
Austrian Holocaust survivor ‘Mrs. Gertrude’ dies at 94
The Holocaust survivor Gertrude Pressburger, who became famous during Austria’s 2016 presidential campaign with a video message in which “Mrs. Gertrude” warned of hatred and exclusion triggered by the far right, has died at 94. Pressburger died Friday after a long illness, her family told the Austrian press agency APA...
Final goodbye: Recalling influential people who died in 2021
They both carved out sterling reputations as military and political leaders over years of public service. But both also saw their legacies tarnished by their actions in the long, bloody war in Iraq. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell and former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld are among the many noteworthy...
Laurel Valley coaching icon Jerry Page dies at age 89
A local coaching giant is gone but his legacy lives on. Longtime Laurel Valley football and baseball coach Jerry Page died Wednesday morning due to complications from pneumonia, WCCS radio out of Indiana County reported. He was 89. Page coached the Rams, who later merged with Ligonier Valley and kept...
bell hooks, groundbreaking feminist thinker, dies at 69
NEW YORK — bell hooks, the groundbreaking author, educator and activist whose explorations of how race, gender, economics and politics intertwined helped shape academic and popular debates over the past 40 years, has died. She was 69. In a statement issued through William Morrow Publishers, hooks’ family announced that she...
Michael Nesmith, the Monkee for all seasons, dies at 78
LOS ANGELES — Michael Nesmith, the singer-songwriter, author, actor-director and entrepreneur who will likely be best remembered as the wool-hatted, guitar-strumming member of the made-for-television rock band The Monkees, has died at 78. Nesmith, who had undergone quadruple bypass surgery in 2018, died at home Friday of natural causes, his...
Al Unser, a 4-time winner of Indianapolis 500, dies at 82
Al Unser, one of only four drivers to win the Indianapolis 500 a record four times, died Thursday following a long illness. He was 82. Unser died at his home in Chama, New Mexico, with his wife, Susan, by his side, Indianapolis Motor Speedway said early Friday. He had been...
‘Laverne & Shirley’ star Eddie Mekka dead at 69
Longtime “Laverne & Shirley” actor Eddie Mekka was reportedly discovered dead last Saturday at his California home. He was 69. Mekka, who portrayed Carmine Ragusa on the popular sitcom, had battled blood clots recently, his brother told TMZ. Authorities went to Mekka’s home in Newhall after receiving reports that Mekka...
1983 AL Cy Young Award winner LaMarr Hoyt dies at 66
CHICAGO — LaMarr Hoyt, who won the 1983 AL Cy Young Award with the Chicago White Sox, has died. He was 66. The White Sox announced his death on Wednesday. The team said he died Monday in his hometown of Columbia, S.C., following a lengthy illness. Hoyt went 98-68 with...
Daystar CEO Marcus Lamb dies after covid diagnosis
DALLAS — Marcus Lamb, CEO and founder of the conservative Christian Daystar Television Network who was outspoken against covid-19 vaccines, has died at age 64 after contracting the virus. Daystar confirmed his death Tuesday. “It’s with a heavy heart we announce that Marcus Lamb, president and founder of Daystar Television...
Lee Elder, 1st Black golfer to play Masters, dies at age 87
Lee Elder, who broke down racial barriers as the first Black golfer to play in the Masters and paved the way for Tiger Woods and others to follow, has died at the age of 87. The PGA Tour announced Elder’s death, which was first reported Monday by Debert Cook of...
Celebrated snowboarder Marko Grilc dies in Austria after hitting head on snow-covered rock
Slovenian snowboarder Marko Grilc died Tuesday in a tragic accident in the Austrian ski resort of Solden, authorities said. He was 38. Police in the western Austrian state of Tyrol released a press release late on Tuesday saying that a “38-year-old Slovene” had “suffered fatal head injuries” after a snowboarding...
Ligonier man worked for Coke, Disney, Steelers, Pitt, and drove limousines
Lelia Tosh can remember being in a grocery store, several thousand miles away from home on one of her family’s many motor home trips, and catching her father straightening up the store’s Coca-Cola display. “We’d say, ‘C’mon, Dad, we’re on vacation!’ ” Tosh said. “But he was just so proud.”...
