Obituary Stories

‘Buck Rogers’ star Gil Gerard dies at 82

Actor Gil Gerard, best known for playing the title character in the popular TV series “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century,” has died. He was 82. Gerard died on Tuesday of “a rare and viciously aggressive form of cancer,” according to a Facebook post from his wife, Janet Gerard. “From...
Anthony Geary, ‘General Hospital’ legend and 8-time Daytime Emmy winner, dies at 78

Anthony Geary, the Daytime Emmy winner who played half of “General Hospital’s” supercouple Luke Spencer and Laura Baldwin, died Sunday. He was 78. “The entire #GeneralHospital family is heartbroken over the news of Tony Geary’s passing. Tony was a brilliant actor and set the bar that we continue to strive...
Rob Reiner, ‘When Harry Met Sally’ director, ‘All in the Family’ actor and political activist, dead at 78

Rob Reiner, the son of a comedy giant who became one himself as one of the preeminent filmmakers of his generation with movies such as “The Princess Bride,” “When Harry Met Sally …” and “This Is Spinal Tap,” has died. He was 78. Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer, were...
Sophie Kinsella, author of the millions-selling ‘Shopaholic’ novels, dies at 55

LONDON — Writer Sophie Kinsella, whose effervescent rom-com “Confessions of a Shopaholic” sparked a millions-selling series, died Wednesday, her family said. She was 55 and had been diagnosed with brain cancer. The family said in a statement on Kinsella’s Instagram account that “she died peacefully, with her final days filled...
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, actor who performed in ‘Mortal Kombat,’ has died at 75

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, a Tokyo-born actor known for his roles in the film “Mortal Kombat” and TV series “The Man in the High Castle” has died. He was 75. Tagawa died surrounded by his family in Santa Barbara from complications due to a stroke, his manager, Margie...
Steve Cropper, guitarist and member of Stax Records’ Booker T and the M.G.’s, dies at 84Video

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Steve Cropper, the lean, soulful guitarist and songwriter who helped anchor the celebrated Memphis backing band Booker T. and the M.G.’s at Stax Records and co-wrote the classics “Green Onions,” “(Sittin’ on) the Dock of the Bay” and “In the Midnight Hour,” has died. He was...
Eugene Hasenfus, key figure in 1980s Iran-Contra affair, dies at 84

MADISON, Wis. — Eugene Hasenfus, who played a key role in unraveling the Iran-Contra affair after his CIA-backed supply plane was shot down over Nicaragua in 1986, has died. Hasenfus died on Nov. 26 in Menominee, Michigan, after a nine-year battle with cancer, according to his obituary from the Hansen-Onion-Martell...
Fuzzy Zoeller, 2-time major champion haunted by racist joke about Tiger Woods, dies at 74

Fuzzy Zoeller, a two-time major champion and one of golf’s most gregarious characters whose career was tainted by a racially insensitive joke about Tiger Woods, has died, according to a longtime colleague. He was 74. A cause of death was not immediately available. Brian Naugle, the tournament director of the...
One of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre’s last survivors, Viola Ford Fletcher, dies at 111Video

DALLAS — Viola Ford Fletcher, who as one of the last survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre in Oklahoma spent her later years seeking justice for the deadly attack by a white mob on the thriving Black community where she lived as a child, has died. She was 111....
Jimmy Cliff, reggae giant and star of landmark film ‘The Harder They Come,’ dead at 81

NEW YORK — Jimmy Cliff, the charismatic reggae pioneer and actor who preached joy, defiance and resilience in such classics as “Many Rivers to Cross,” “You Can Get it If You Really Want” and “Vietnam” and starred in the landmark movie “The Harder They Come,” has died at 81. His...
News industry veteran Robert Hammond remembered for dedication, friendship

Rob Hammond, who rose through the ranks at Trib Total Media to become general manager of The McKeesport Daily News, was remembered by former colleagues this week as much for his leadership as for his passion for the news industry. Hammond, of Elizabeth Township, died Monday at age 75. “Rob...
Former Duquesne journalism professor Maggie Patterson dies

Maggie Jones Patterson, a revered journalism professor who mentored generations of student reporters at Duquesne University, returned to campus in October to help celebrate the student newspaper’s 100th anniversary. Just weeks later, the longtime educator and advocate for young journalists died Monday of a heart attack following surgery, leaving behind...
Paul Tagliabue, NFL commissioner who ran league in era of riches and expansion, dies at 84

NEW YORK — Paul Tagliabue, who helped bring labor peace and riches to the NFL during his 17 years as commissioner but was criticized for not taking stronger action on concussions, died Sunday from heart failure. He was 84. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said Tagliabue’s family informed the league of...
Victor Conte, who sold undetectable steroids to elite athletes in baseball and track, has died at 75

Victor Conte, the architect of a scheme to provide undetectable performance-enhancing drugs to professional athletes including baseball stars Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi and Olympic track champion Marion Jones decades ago, has died. He was 75. Conte died Monday, SNAC System, a sports nutrition company he founded, said in a...
Dick Cheney, one of the most powerful and polarizing vice presidents in U.S. history, dies at 84

Dick Cheney, the hard-charging conservative who became one of the most powerful and polarizing vice presidents in U.S. history and a leading advocate for the invasion of Iraq, has died at age 84. Cheney died Monday night due to complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease, his family said...
Diane Ladd, 3-time Oscar nominee, dies at 89

OJAI, Calif. — Diane Ladd, the three-time Academy Award nominee whose roles ranged from the brash waitress in “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” to the protective mother in “Wild at Heart,” has died at 89. Ladd’s death was announced Monday by daughter Laura Dern, who issued a statement saying her...

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