Obituary Stories category, Page 13
Texas man who used an iron long for decades after contracting polio as a child dies at 78Video
DALLAS — A Texas man who spent most of his 78 years using an iron lung chamber and built a large following on social media, recounting his life from contracting polio in the 1940s to earning a law degree, has died. Paul Alexander died Monday at a Dallas hospital, said...
Steve Lawrence, singer, entertainer and half of popular stage duo Steve & Eydie, dies at 88
NEW YORK — Steve Lawrence, a singer and top stage act who as a solo performer and in tandem with his wife Eydie Gorme kept Tin Pan Alley alive during the rock era, died Thursday. He was 88. Lawrence, whose hits included “Go Away Little Girl,” died from complications due...
‘Star Wars,’ ‘Gremlins’ voice actor dies at age 64
Mark Dodson, who provided the voices for characters like Salacious B. Crumb in “Return of the Jedi” and the Mogwai in “Gremlins” has died at the age of 64. His death was announced on social media by his agent, Peter DeLorme, of Stellar Appearances. His daughter told TMZ that he...
Chris Mortensen, an award-winning reporter who covered the NFL, dies at 72
Chris Mortensen, the award-winning journalist who covered the NFL for close to four decades, including 32 as a senior analyst at ESPN, died Sunday morning. He was 72. ESPN confirmed Mortensen’s death on Sunday. There was no immediate word on the cause or place of death. “Mort was widely respected...
Super Bowl champion, former Steelers linebacker Andy Russell dies at 82
Andy Russell, the seven-time Pro Bowl linebacker who won two Super Bowl rings with the Pittsburgh Steelers, has died. Russell, a 16th-round draft pick who played 12 seasons with the Steelers, was 82. A source confirmed Russell’s death to TribLive. A cause of death was not immediately known. News partner...
Stacy Wakefield dies less than 5 months after her husband, World Series champion Tim Wakefield
Stacy Wakefield, the widow of former Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher and two-time World Series champion Tim Wakefield, has died. Her family said in a statement released through the Red Sox that she died Wednesday at her Massachusetts home, less than five months after her husband died at...
Humorously morose comedian Richard Lewis, who recently starred on ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm,’ dies at 76
NEW YORK — Richard Lewis, an acclaimed comedian known for exploring his neuroses in frantic, stream-of-consciousness diatribes while dressed in all-black, leading to his nickname “The Prince of Pain,” has died. He was 76. Lewis, who revealed he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2023, died at his home...
‘Porky’s,’ ‘Die Hard 2′ actor dies at age 64
Actor Tony Ganios, who is best known for playing the character Meat in the “Porky’s” films, died on Sunday at age 64. His fiancée, Amanda Serrano-Ganios, confirmed the news on X, formerly known as Twitter, writing “The last words we said to each other were “I love you.” Love is...
Mark Smail, 62, carried on the family automotive business, was active in community
While Mark A. Smail had the responsibility of operating the family’s successful automotive dealerships east of Greensburg, he also made it a priority to spend quality time with his family and enjoy life. Smail enjoyed boating in the Florida Keys in the summer, going to the family’s lodge in Ontario’s...
Longtime NPR ‘Morning Edition’ host Bob Edwards dies at age 76
NEW YORK — Bob Edwards, who anchored National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition” for just under 25 years and was the baritone voice who told many Americans what had happened while they slept, has died. Edwards, who died Saturday, was 76 years old. NPR had no further details. He became co-host...
Singer-songwriter Toby Keith dies after battling stomach cancer
NORMAN, Okla. — Toby Keith, a sometimes polarizing figure in country music who crafted an identity around his macho, pro-American swagger, has died. He was 62. The “Beer For My Horses” singer-songwriter, who was battling stomach cancer, died peacefully Monday surrounded by his family, according to a statement posted on...
Wayne Kramer, co-founder of revolutionary rock band the MC5, dead at 75Video
NEW YORK — Wayne Kramer, the co-founder of the protopunk Detroit band the MC5 that thrashed out such hardcore anthems as “Kick Out the Jams” and influenced everyone from the Clash to Rage Against the Machine, has died at age 75. Kramer died Friday at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles,...
Actor Carl Weathers, who starred in ‘Rocky’ movies and ‘The Mandalorian,’ diesVideo
NEW YORK — Carl Weathers, a former NFL linebacker who became a Hollywood action movie and comedy star, playing nemesis-turned-ally Apollo Creed in the “Rocky” movies, facing off against Arnold Schwarzenegger in “Predator” and teaching golf in “Happy Gilmore,” has died. He was 76. Matt Luber, his manager, said Weathers...
Tony Award-winner Hinton Battle, original Scarecrow in ‘The Wiz,’ dies at 67
Hinton Battle, who won Tony Awards (featured actor in a musical) for his performances in “Miss Saigon,” “Sophisticated Ladies” and “The Tap Dance Kid,” has died at 67. No cause of death was mentioned. A choreographer, director, actor and writer, Battle made his Broadway debut as the original Scarecrow at...
Chita Rivera, revered and pioneering Tony-winning dancer and singer, dies at 91Video
NEW YORK — Chita Rivera, the dynamic dancer, singer and actress who garnered 10 Tony nominations, winning twice, in a long Broadway career that forged a path for Latina artists and shrugged off a near-fatal car accident, died Tuesday. She was 91. Rivera’s death was announced by her daughter, Lisa...
N. Scott Momaday, Pulitzer Prize winner and giant of Native American literature, dead at 89
NEW YORK — N. Scott Momaday, a Pulitzer Prize-winning storyteller, poet, educator and folklorist whose debut novel “House Made of Dawn” is widely credited as the starting point for contemporary Native American literature, has died. He was 89. Momaday died Wednesday at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, publisher...
Gerald McGinnis, Respironics founder who invented CPAP machine, dies at 89
Thanks to Gerald McGinnis, millions of people across the world can breathe easier. The international businessman and founder of Respironics, which created the first machine to treat sleep apnea, died Thursday. He was 89. McGinnis was born in 1934 in Ottawa, Ill. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering...
Melanie, singer-songwriter of ‘Brand New Key’ and other ’70s hits, dies at 76Video
Melanie, the singer-songwriter who rose through the New York folk scene, performed at Woodstock and had a series of 1970s hits including the enduring cultural phenomenon “Brand New Key,” has died. Her publicist Billy James told The Associated Press that Melanie died Tuesday. She was 76 and lived in central...
Charles Osgood, CBS host on TV and radio and network’s poet-in-residence, dies at age 91Video
NEW YORK — Charles Osgood, a five-time Emmy Award-winning journalist who anchored “CBS Sunday Morning” for more than two decades, hosted the long-running radio program “The Osgood File” and was referred to as CBS News’ poet-in-residence, has died. He was 91. CBS reported that Osgood died Tuesday at his home...
Dexter Scott King, son of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., dies of cancer at 62
ATLANTA — Dexter Scott King, who dedicated much of his life to shepherding the civil rights legacy of his parents, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, died Monday after battling prostate cancer. He was 62. The King Center in Atlanta, which Dexter King served as chairman,...
Mary Weiss, lead singer of the Shangri-Las, dies at 75Video
Mary Weiss, the lead singer of the 1960s pop group the Shangri-Las, whose hits included “Leader of the Pack,” has died. She was 75. Miriam Linna, founder of Weiss’ label, Norton Records, said Sunday that Weiss died Friday in Palm Springs, Calif. No cause of death was given. Rolling Stone...
Adam Harrison, son of ‘Pawn Stars’ celebrity Rick Harrison, dead in Las Vegas at age 39
LAS VEGAS — Adam Harrison, one of three sons of reality TV show “Pawn Stars” celebrity Richard “Rick” Harrison, has died in Las Vegas, a family representative said Saturday. He was 39. Harrison family spokesperson Laura Herlovich confirmed Adam Harrison died Friday, said his death was from a suspected drug...
‘The Honeymooners’ actress Joyce Randolph has died at 99; played Ed Norton’s wife, Trixie
NEW YORK — Joyce Randolph, a veteran stage and television actress whose role as the savvy Trixie Norton on “The Honeymooners” provided the perfect foil to her dimwitted TV husband, has died. She was 99. Randolph died of natural causes Saturday night at her home on the Upper West Side...
Elmore Nickleberry, a Memphis sanitation worker who marched with Martin Luther King, has died at 92
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Elmore Nickleberry, a longtime Memphis sanitation worker who participated in the pivotal 1968 strike that brought the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to the city where the civil rights leader was killed, has died at age 92. Nickleberry died on Dec. 30 in Memphis, according to an...
David Soul, the actor who portrayed the blond half of TV’s ‘Starsky and Hutch,’ dies at 80
LONDON — Actor-singer David Soul, a 1970s heartthrob who co-starred as the blond half of the crime-fighting duo “Starsky & Hutch” and topped the music charts with the ballad “Don’t Give Up on Us,” has died at the age of 80. His wife, Helen Snell, said Friday that “David Soul...
