Obituary Stories category, Page 9
‘He breathed and lived Gateway’: Scott Williams remembered for community service
Friends recall a favorite saying of the late Scott Williams of Monroeville. “There’s a right way, there’s a wrong way, and then there’s the Gateway.” A paraplegic since the age of 18, Williams, 59, died July 26, 2024, at UPMC Montefiore Hospital in Oakland after a prolonged battle with cancer....
Pittsburgh native, comedian who appeared on ‘Seinfeld,’ has diedVideo
Mitzi McCall was born in Pittsburgh in 1930, and she died in Los Angeles last week. She lived one heck of a life in the nearly 94 years in between those dates, making a name for herself as a comedian and actress. McCall, 93, worked alongside her husband, Charlie Brill,...
Chi Chi Rodriguez, Hall of Fame golfer known for antics on the greens, dies at 88Video
Juan “Chi Chi” Rodriguez, a Hall of Fame golfer whose antics on the greens during and inspiring life story made him among the sport’s most popular players during a long professional career, died Thursday. He was 88. Rodriguez’s death was announced by Carmelo Javier Ríos, a senator in Rodriguez’ native...
William Calley, who led the My Lai massacre that shamed U.S. military in Vietnam, has died
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — William Laws Calley Jr., who as an Army lieutenant led the U.S. soldiers who killed hundreds of Vietnamese civilians in the My Lai massacre, the most notorious war crime in modern American military history, has died. He was 80. Calley died on April 28, according to his...
John Mayall, tireless and influential British blues pioneer, dies at 90
LONDON — John Mayall, the British blues musician whose influential band the Bluesbreakers was a training ground for Eric Clapton, Mick Fleetwood and many other superstars, has died. He was 90. A statement on Mayall’s Instagram page announced his death Tuesday, saying the musician died Monday at his home in...
Bernice Johnson Reagon, whose powerful voice helped propel the Civil Rights Movement, has died
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Bernice Johnson Reagon, a musician and scholar who used her rich, powerful contralto voice in the service of the American Civil Rights Movement and human rights struggles around the world, died on July 16, according to her daughter’s social media post. She was 81. Reagon was probably...
Abdul ‘Duke’ Fakir, last of the original Four Tops, is dead at 88
NEW YORK — Abdul “Duke” Fakir, the last surviving original member of the beloved Motown group the Four Tops that was known for such hits as “Reach Out, I’ll Be There” and “Standing in the Shadows of Love,” has died at age 88. Fakir died Monday of heart failure at...
Bob Newhart mourned by Kaley Cuoco, Judd Apatow, Al Franken and more
LOS ANGELES — Former co-stars and famous fans paid tribute to comedian and actor Bob Newhart, known for his deadpan humor and the sitcoms he starred in bearing his name, after his death Thursday at age 94. — “What a dream it was to witness the genius that was Bob...
Lou Dobbs, conservative pundit and Fox Business host, dies at 78
NEW YORK — Lou Dobbs, the conservative political pundit and cable TV host who was a nightly presence on Fox Business Network for more than a decade, has died. He was 78. His death was announced Thursday in a post on his official X account, which called him a “fighter...
Bob Newhart, the low-key comedian and legendary sitcom star, has died at age 94
LOS ANGELES — Bob Newhart, the deadpan accountant-turned-comedian who became one of the most popular TV stars of his time after striking gold with a classic comedy album, has died at 94. Jerry Digney, Newhart’s publicist, says the actor died Thursday in Los Angeles after a series of short illnesses....
Joe ‘Jellybean’ Bryant, the father of Kobe Bryant, dies at 69
PHILADELPHIA — Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, the father of the late Basketball Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant, has died, his alma mater announced Tuesday. Bryant, who spent eight seasons in the NBA with three different franchises, was 69. The Philadelphia Inquirer, citing La Salle coach Fran Dunphy, reported that Joe Bryant...
Shannen Doherty, ‘Beverly Hills, 90210’ star, dies at 53
LOS ANGELES — Shannen Doherty, the “Beverly Hills, 90210” star whose life and career were roiled by illness and tabloid stories, has died at 53. After years with breast cancer, Doherty died Saturday, according to a statement from her publicist, Leslie Sloane. “The devoted daughter, sister, aunt and friend was...
Richard Simmons, a fitness guru who mixed laughs and sweat, dies at 76
NEW YORK — Richard Simmons, television’s hyperactive court jester of physical fitness who built a mini-empire in his trademark tank tops and short shorts by urging the overweight to exercise and eat better, died Saturday. He turned 76 on Friday. Simmons died at his home in Los Angeles, his publicist...
Shelley Duvall, star of ‘The Shining,’ ‘Nashville,’ dies at 75Video
Shelley Duvall, the intrepid, Texas-born movie star whose wide-eyed, winsome presence was a mainstay in the films of Robert Altman and who co-starred in Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining,” has died. She was 75. Duvall died Thursday in her sleep at her home in Blanco, Texas, her longtime partner, Dan Gilroy,...
Joe Bonsall, celebrated tenor in the country and gospel group Oak Ridge Boys, dies at 76
Joe Bonsall, Grammy award winner and celebrated tenor of the country and gospel group the Oak Ridge Boys, died Tuesday. He was 76. Bonsall died from complications of the neuromuscular disorder Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, according to a statement from representatives of his family. “Joe loved to sing. He loved to...
Former U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe, defense hawk who called human-caused climate change a ‘hoax,’ dies at 89
OKLAHOMA CITY — Former Sen. Jim Inhofe, a conservative firebrand known for his strong support of defense spending and his denial that human activity is responsible for the bulk of climate change, has died. He was 89. Inhofe, a powerful fixture in Oklahoma politics for over six decades, died Tuesday...
Pitt football pioneer Bobby Grier, 1st Black player in the Sugar Bowl, dies at 91
Robert “Bobby” Grier Sr., who was a fullback, linebacker and defensive back at Pitt but more significantly a civil rights pioneer in the 1950s, has died. Grier, who was 91, died June 30, according to a Pitt news release. Grier was the first Black player in the Sugar Bowl after...
John ‘Butch’ Liput: Voice of the Burrell Bucs, Alle-Kiski Valley hall-of-famer, aluminum bat pioneer, dies
John “Butch” Liput Jr. of Lower Burrell, was the “Voice of the Burrell Bucs” for more than four decades and one of the most recognizable voices in Lower Burrell sports history. Liput, who had been around Burrell football as the public address announcer at Buccaneer Stadium, died Friday at age...
Joanne Mertz, founding force behind Greensburg-area disaster unit and Mutual Aid EMS, dies at 93
When Joanne Mertz planned disaster drills for Greensburg firefighters, she didn’t have to look far for help to play victims. “Us as kids, we would be the patients,” said her daughter Sandy Young. Young and her siblings would run around and act hysterical, at their mother’s request, to help the...
Orlando Cepeda, the slugging Hall of Fame first baseman nicknamed ‘Baby Bull,’ dies at 86
SAN FRANCISCO — Orlando Cepeda, the slugging first baseman nicknamed “Baby Bull” who became a Hall of Famer among the early Puerto Ricans to star in the major leagues, has died. He was 86. The San Francisco Giants and his family announced the death Friday night, and a moment of...
Gus Kalaris, known as the ‘Ice Ball Man’ on Pittsburgh’s North Side, dies
August “Gus” Kalaris often gave free ice balls to people who couldn’t afford one — he was known as the “Ice Ball Man.” He will be missed from his spot at the bright orange cart near West Park on Pittsburgh’s North Side. Kalaris died Friday night. For seven decades, Kalaris...
Singer, songwriter, provocateur and politician Kinky Friedman dead at 79
AUSTIN, Texas — Singer, songwriter, satirist and novelist Kinky Friedman, who led the alt-country band Texas Jewboys, toured with Bob Dylan, sang with Willie Nelson, and dabbled in politics with campaigns for Texas governor and other statewide offices, has died. Friedman, 79, died Thursday at his family’s Texas ranch near...
Bill Cobbs, the prolific and sage character actor, dies at 90
NEW YORK — Bill Cobbs, the veteran character actor who became a ubiquitous and sage screen presence as an older man, has died. He was 90. Cobbs died Tuesday at his home in the Inland Empire, California, surrounded by family and friends, his publicist Chuck I. Jones said. Natural causes...
Donald Sutherland, towering actor whose career spanned ‘M.A.S.H.’ to ‘Hunger Games,’ dies at 88
NEW YORK — Donald Sutherland, the prolific film and television actor whose long career stretched from “M.A.S.H.” to “The Hunger Games,” has died. He was 88. Kiefer Sutherland, the actor’s son, confirmed his father’s death Thursday. No further details were immediately available. “I personally think one of the most important...
Willie Mays, Giants’ electrifying ‘Say Hey Kid,’ dies at 93Video
NEW YORK — Willie Mays, the electrifying “Say Hey Kid” whose singular combination of talent, drive and exuberance made him one of baseball’s greatest and most beloved players, has died. He was 93. Mays’ family and the San Francisco Giants jointly announced Tuesday night he had died earlier in the...
