Obituary Stories category, Page 9
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...
French actress Anouk Aimée, a Golden Globe winner, dies at 92
PARIS — French actress Anouk Aimée, winner of a Golden Globe for her starring role in “A Man and a Woman” by legendary French director Claude Lelouch, has died, her agent said Tuesday. She was 92. Agent Sébastien Perrolat said in an text message to The Associated Press that Aimée...
Howard Fineman, veteran political journalist and analyst, dies at 75
Howard Fineman, the political journalist who covered presidents from Reagan to Biden for a variety of outlets, died Tuesday at the age of 75. Fineman died from pancreatic cancer, which he had been battling for two years, his wife, Amy Nathan, said in a social media post Wednesday afternoon. “I...
Jerry West, a 3-time Hall of Fame selection and the NBA logo, dies at 86Video
Jerry West, who was selected to the Basketball Hall of Fame three times in a storied career as a player and executive, and whose silhouette is considered to be the basis of the NBA logo, died Wednesday morning, the Los Angeles Clippers announced. He was 86. West, nicknamed “Mr. Clutch”...
Bob Bozzone, former ATI CEO and chairman, remembered for leadership, community involvement
Bob Bozzone already was working at Allegheny Ludlum as a junior metallurgist in the early 1960s when the company’s Bagdad plant in Gilpin was being built. “I would watch it be constructed,” Bozzone told the Valley News Dispatch in 2010 when the Bagdad plant celebrated its 50th anniversary. “As they...
The Rev. James Lawson Jr., civil rights leader who preached nonviolent protest, dies at 95
LOS ANGELES — The Rev. James Lawson Jr., an apostle of nonviolent protest who schooled activists to withstand brutal reactions from white authorities as the Civil Rights Movement gained traction, has died, his family said Monday. He was 95. His family said Lawson died on Sunday after a short illness...
‘When her son was killed, God gave her a purpose’: Pittsburgh gun-violence opponent Valerie Dixon dies at 63
For more than 20 years, Valerie Dixon was a fixture in Pittsburgh’s fight against gun violence. Whether comforting victims and their loved ones in the Allegheny County Courthouse, lobbying politicians in the City-County Building, or doing outreach on Pittsburgh’s streets, it was Dixon’s life’s work — but not a job...
Youngstown explosion victim remembered as driven, community oriented
No one ever accused Akil Drake of slacking off, from his days as a Penn Hills football player to his burgeoning career in banking. Drake relied on a work ethic instilled by his mother to graduate from Youngstown State University with a bachelor’s degree in finance and start climbing the...
Larry Allen, a Hall of Fame offensive lineman for the Dallas Cowboys, dies suddenly at 52Video
DALLAS — Larry Allen, one of the most dominant offensive linemen in the NFL during a 12-year career spent mostly with the Dallas Cowboys, has died. He was 52. Allen died suddenly on Sunday while on vacation with his family in Mexico, the Cowboys said. A six-time All-Pro who was...
Bette Nash, who was named the world’s longest-serving flight attendant, dies at 88
NEW YORK — Bette Nash, who was once named the world’s longest-serving flight attendant, has died. She was 88. American Airlines, Nash’s employer, announced her passing on social media Saturday. The carrier noted that Nash spent nearly 70 years warmly caring for customers in the air. “Bette was a legend...
Bill Walton, Hall of Fame player who became a star broadcaster, dies at 71
Bill Walton, who starred for John Wooden’s UCLA Bruins before becoming a Hall of Famer for his NBA career and one of the biggest stars in basketball broadcasting, died Monday, the league announced on behalf of his family. Walton, who had a prolonged fight with cancer, was 71. He was...
Grayson Murray’s parents say the two-time PGA Tour winner died of suicide
Grayson Murray’s parents said Sunday their 30-year-old son took his own life, just one day after he withdrew from a PGA Tour event. The family asked for privacy and that people honor Murray by being kind to one another. “If that becomes his legacy, we could ask for nothing else,”...
Richard M. Sherman, who fueled Disney charm in ‘Mary Poppins’ and ‘It’s a Small World,’ dies at 95
NEW YORK — Richard M. Sherman, one half of the prolific, award-winning pair of brothers who helped form millions of childhoods by penning the instantly memorable songs for “Mary Poppins,” “The Jungle Book” and “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” — as well as the most-played tune on Earth, “It’s a Small...
Sam Butcher, artist who created Precious Moments figurines of teardrop-eyed children, dies at 85
CARTHAGE, Mo. — Sam Butcher, the artist who created the Precious Moments figurines depicting angelic teardrop-eyed children, has died. He was 85. The company said in a Facebook post that he died early Monday surrounded by family. It said his life’s mission was “to share God’s gift of love with...
Documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, who skewered fast food industry, dies at 53
NEW YORK — Documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, an Oscar-nominee who made food and American diets his life’s work, famously eating only at McDonald’s for a month to illustrate the dangers of a fast-food diet, has died. He was 53. Spurlock died Thursday in New York from complications of cancer, according...
Charlie Colin, founding member of the pop-rock band Train, dies at 58
NEW YORK — Charlie Colin, bassist and founding member of the American pop-rock band Train, best known for their early-aughts hits like “Drops of Jupiter” and “Meet Virginia,” has died. He was 58. Colin’s sister Carolyn Stephens confirmed her brother’s death to The Associated Press Wednesday. He died after slipping...
Oscar-winning composer of ‘Finding Neverland’ music, Jan A.P. Kaczmarek, dies at age 71
WARSAW, Poland — Polish composer Jan A.P. Kaczmarek, who won a 2005 Oscar for the musical score of “Finding Neverland,” died Tuesday. He was 71. Kaczmarek’s death was announced by Poland’s Music Foundation which had been informed of his passing by the composer’s wife. Kaczmarek had suffered from MSA, a...
Milene Mazeroski, wife of Pirates legend Bill Mazeroski, dies
Milene Mazeroski, wife of legendary Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Bill Mazeroski, has died. Milene, 85, died early Sunday morning in Lansdale, Pa., according to the Pirates. Milene was born in Braddock. She was married to Bill, 87, for 64 years. They met while she worked in the Pirates front office...
A snapshot of Michael Werries, who spent his life photographing the Alle-Kiski Valley
Take any sports event, emergency scene or community gathering in Springdale over the past 50-some years, and there’s a good chance Michael “Mick” Werries photographed it. A devoted documentarian and diehard Dynamo, Werries started capturing football games after graduating from Springdale Jr.-Sr. High School in 1969 and never looked back....
Alice Munro, Nobel literature winner revered as short story master, dead at 92
Nobel laureate Alice Munro, the Canadian literary giant who became one of the world’s most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history’s most honored short story writers, has died at age 92. A spokesperson for publisher Penguin Random House Canada said Munro, winner of the Nobel literary prize in 2013,...
