The LuLac Edition #4,653, December 27th, 2021

 

MOVING ON

2021

JANUARY 2021

 Floyd Little, 78, American Hall of Fame football player (Syracuse Orange, Denver Broncos), cancer.

Barry Austin, 52, British record holder, nation's heaviest man, heart attack.

Misty Morgan, 75, American country music singer (Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan), cancer.

Paul Westphal, 70, American Hall of Fame basketball player (Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns) and coach (Sacramento Kings), glioblastoma.

Tom Acker, 90, American baseball player (Cincinnati Redlegs)

Ronnie Burgess, 57, American football player (Green Bay Packers), cardiac arrest.

Tanya Roberts, 65, American actress (A View to a Kill, Charlie's Angels, That '70s Show), complications from a blood infection.

Gregory Sierra, 83, American actor (Barney Miller, Sanford and Son, The Other Side of the Wind), cancer.

Don Leppert, 90, American baseball player (Baltimore Orioles).

Gerald Hiken, 93, American actor (Reds, Car 54, Where Are You?, Invitation to a Gunfighter).

Tommy Lasorda, 93, American Hall of Fame baseball manager (Los Angeles Dodgers) and player (Brooklyn Dodgers, Kansas City Athletics), heart failure.

Neil Sheehan, 84, American journalist (The New York Times), Pulitzer Prize winner (1989), complications from Parkinson's disease.

Brian Sicknick, 42, American police officer (U.S. Capitol Police).

Ed Bruce, 81, American singer-songwriter ("Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys", "You're the Best Break This Old Heart Ever Had") and actor (Bret Maverick).

Steve Hendrickson, 54, American football player (San Francisco 49ers, San Diego Chargers, Houston Oilers).

Mike Henry, 84, American football player (Pittsburgh Steelers) and actor (Smokey and the Bandit, Tarzan and the Valley of Gold), Parkinson's disease and chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

John Reilly, 86, American actor (General Hospital, Sunset Beach, Passions), heart attack.

Margo St. James, 83, American women's rights activist and sex worker.

Tim Bogert, 76, American rock bassist (Vanilla Fudge, Beck, Bogert & Appice, Cactus), cancer.

Ben Hines, 85, American baseball coach (Los Angeles Dodgers).

John LaRose, 69, American baseball player (Boston Red Sox)

Peter Mark Richman, 93, American actor (Dynasty, Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan, Poolhall Junkies).

Ron Samford, 90, American baseball player (New York Giants, Detroit Tigers, Washington Senators)

Larry Willoughby, 70, American country singer-songwriter ("Building Bridges", "Operator, Operator") and music executive, vice-president of A&R at Capitol Records, COVID-19.

Perry Botkin Jr., 87, American composer and musician (Happy Days, Mork and Mindy, "Nadia's Theme"), Grammy winner (1978).

Joyce Hill, 95, American baseball player (South Bend Blue Sox, Peoria Redwings, Racine Belles)

Jimmie Rodgers, 87, American pop singer ("Honeycomb", "Kisses Sweeter than Wine".

Don Sutton, 75, American Hall of Fame baseball player (Los Angeles Dodgers, California Angels, Milwaukee Brewers) and broadcaster, cancer.

Mike Sadek, 74, American baseball player (San Francisco Giants), heart and lung disease.

Hank Aaron, 86, American Hall of Fame baseball player (Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers, Indianapolis Clowns) and civil rights activist.

Paul Foytack, 90, American baseball player (Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Angels)

Hal Holbrook, 95, American actor (Mark Twain Tonight!, All the President's Men, Into the Wild), Emmy winner (1971, 1974, 1976, 1989).

Larry King, 87, American Hall of Fame broadcaster (Larry King Live, Larry King Now, Politicking with Larry King), sepsis as a complication of COVID-19.’

 

J. D. Power III, 89, American marketing executive, founder of J.D. Power.

Dick Smith, 94, American baseball player (Pittsburgh Pirates).

Ron Johnson, 64, American baseball player (Kansas City Royals, Montreal Expos) and manager (Norfolk Tides), complications from COVID-19.

Cicely Tyson, 96, American Hall of Fame actress (Sounder, The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, The Trip to Bountiful), Tony winner (2013).

 John Chaney, 89 a zone defense innovator who led Temple to 17 NCAA tournament appearances and hall of Fame Coach was mourned by Temple fans. 

 Cloris Leachman was an American actress and comedienne whose career spanned more than seven decades. She won many accolades, including eight Primetime Emmy Awards from 22 nominations, making her the most nominated and, along with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, most awarded performer in Emmy history She won an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Daytime Emmy Award.

Born and raised in Des Moines, Iowa, Leachman attended Northwestern University and began appearing in local plays as a teenager. After competing in the 1946 Miss America pageant, she secured a scholarship to study under Elia Kazan at the Actors Studio in New York City, making her professional debut in 1948. In film, she appeared in Peter Bogdanovich's The Last Picture Show (1971) as the neglected wife of a closeted schoolteacher in the 1950s; she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance, and the film is widely considered to be one of the greatest of all time. Additionally, she was part of Mel Brooks's ensemble cast, appearing in roles such as Frau Blücher in Young Frankenstein (1974) and Madame Defarge in History of the World, Part I (1981). Leachman won additional Emmys for her role on The Mary Tyler Moore Show; television film A Brand New Life (1973); the variety sketch show Cher (1975); the ABC Afterschool Special production The Woman Who Willed a Miracle (1983); and the television shows Promised Land (1998) and Malcolm in the Middle (2000–06). Her other notable film and television credits include Gunsmoke (1961), The Twilight Zone (1961; 2003), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), WUSA (1970), Yesterday (1981), the English-language dub of the Studio Ghibli's Castle in the Sky (1998), Spanglish (2004), Mrs. Harris (2005), and Raising Hope (2010–2014). Leachman released her autobiography in 2009, and continued to act in occasional roles. 

Gerard Marsden was an English singer-songwriter, musician and television personality, best known for being leader of the Merseybeat band Gerry and the Pacemakers. He was the younger brother of fellow band member Freddie Marsden. Gerry and the Pacemakers had the distinction of being the first act to have their first three recordings go to number 1 in the UK charts. Although they never had a number 1 in the United States, they were the second-most successful group from Liverpool, after the Beatles, to have hits on the United States pop charts. Their 1965 musical film Ferry Cross the Mersey was co-written by Tony Warren.

  January 6th deaths 

Ashli Babbitt, 35 years old,  Cause of death – Gunshot.

Kevin Greeson, 55 years old,  Cause of death – Heart attack, natural.

Benjamin Phillips, 50 years old, Cause of death, Heart attack, natural.

Roseanne Boyland, 34 years old, Cause of death Amphetamine intoxication, accidental.

Officer Brian Sicknick, 42 years old, Cause of death – strokes.

 

FEBRUARY

Dustin Diamond, 44, American actor (Saved by the Bell, Purple People Eater) and comedian, small-cell carcinoma.

Robert C. Jones, 84, American film editor (It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner) and screenwriter (Coming Home), Oscar winner (1979).

Grant Jackson, 78, American baseball player (Philadelphia Phillies, Baltimore Orioles, Pittsburgh Pirates), World Series champion (1979), complications from COVID-19.

Willard Hunter, 85, American baseball player (Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets).

Wayne Terwilliger, 95, American baseball player (Chicago Cubs, Washington Senators, New York Giants) and coach, complications from dementia and bladder cancer.

Jim Weatherly, 77, American Hall of Fame singer-songwriter ("Midnight Train to Georgia", "Neither One of Us", "You're the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me").

Josh Evans, 48, American football player (Tennessee Titans, New York Jets), kidney cancer.

Susan Bayh, 61, American attorney, first lady of Indiana (1989–1997), glioblastoma.

Leon Spinks, 67, American boxer, WBA and WBC heavyweight champion (1978), Olympic champion (1976), prostate cancer.

George Shultz, 100, American politician, Secretary of State (1982–1989), Secretary of the Treasury (1972–1974), Secretary of Labor (1969–1970.

George Hasay, 73, American politician, member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives (1973–2006).

Stan Palys, 90, American baseball player (Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Redlegs, Tokyo Orions).

Phil Rollins, 87, American basketball player (Philadelphia Warriors, Cincinnati Royals, Pittsburgh Rens).

Marty Schottenheimer, 77, American football player (Buffalo Bills) and coach (Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs), complications from Alzheimer's disease.

Mary Wilson, 76, American Hall of Fame singer (The Supremes), hypertensive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Chick Corea, 79, American jazz keyboardist (Return to Forever) and songwriter ("Spain", "500 Miles High"), 23-time Grammy winner, cancer.

Stewart Greenleaf, 81, American politician, member of the Pennsylvania Senate (1979–2019) and House of Representatives (1977–1978)

Dick Bunt, 91, American basketball player (New York Knicks, Baltimore Bullets)

Billy Conigliaro, 73, American baseball player (Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Athletics).

Larry Flynt, 78, American publisher (Hustler), founder of Larry Flynt Publications, heart failure.

Fanne Foxe, 84, Argentine-born American stripper.

Frank Orr, 84, Canadian Hall of Fame sports journalist (Toronto Star).

Rush Limbaugh, 70, American Hall of Fame radio host (The Rush Limbaugh Show), author, and political commentator, complications from lung cancer.

Stan Williams, 84, American baseball player (Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland Indians) and coach (Cincinnati Reds).

Geoffrey Scott, 79, American actor (Dynasty, Dark Shadows, Hulk), Parkinson's disease.

Irv Cross, 81, American football player (Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams) and sportscaster (The NFL Today).

 Martin Edward Schottenheimer  was an American football linebacker and coach who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) from 1984 to 2006. He was the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs for ten seasons, the Cleveland Browns and the San Diego Chargers for five each, and the Washington Redskins for one. Eighth in career wins at 205 and seventh in regular season wins at 200, Schottenheimer has the most wins of an NFL head coach to not win a championship. After coaching in the NFL, he won a 2011 championship in his one season with the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League (UFL). He was inducted to the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame in 2010.

 

MARCH

 Flex-Deon Blake, 58, American pornographic actor.

Gil Rogers, 87, American actor (All My Children, koown as Mike Bauer on the Guiding Light).

Bunny Wailer, 73, Jamaican reggae singer (Bob Marley and the Wailers) and songwriter ("Electric Boogie"), Grammy winner (1991, 1995, 1997), complications from a stroke.

Joe Altobelli, 88, American baseball manager (San Francisco Giants, Baltimore Orioles), player (Cleveland Indians) and coach.

Nicola Pagett, 75, British actress (Upstairs, Downstairs, Anne of the Thousand Days, There's a Girl in My Soup), brain tumour.’ :Pictured here with Jean Marsh.

Norm Sherry, 89, American baseball player (Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets) and manager (California Angels).

Joe Tait, 83, American sportscaster (Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Indians, Cleveland Rockers).

Coot Veal, 88, American baseball player (Detroit Tigers, Washington Senators, Pittsburgh Pirates), neuropathy.

Amy Johnston, 66, American actress (The Buddy Holly Story, Welcome Back, Kotter, Brothers and Sisters) and drama coach, cancer.

Bob McKnight, 83, Canadian ice hockey player, Olympic silver medalist (1960)

Elgin Baylor, 86, American Hall of Fame basketball player (Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers), coach (New Orleans Jazz) and executive (Los Angeles Clippers.

George Segal, 87, American actor (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, The Goldbergs, A Touch of Class), complications from bypass surgery.’

Bill Brock, 90, American politician, member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1963–1971) and Senate (1971–1977), secretary of labor (1985–1987).

Dr. Bobby Brown, 96, American baseball player (New York Yankees) and executive, president of the American League (1984–1994.  He was also  a cardiologist. 

Beverly Cleary, 104, American children's author (The Mouse and the Motorcycle, Ramona, Dear Mr. Henshaw), Newbery Medal winner (1984)

Joe Cunningham, 89, American baseball player (St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago White Sox, Washington Senators).

Mike Bell, 46, American baseball player (Cincinnati Reds) and coach (Minnesota Twins), kidney cancer.

Howard Schnellenberger, 87, American football coach (Miami Hurricanes, Louisville Cardinals, Florida Atlantic Owls), national championship winner (1983).

Chuck Schilling, 83, American baseball player (Boston Red Sox)

Roger Mudd was an American broadcast journalist who was a correspondent and anchor for CBS News and NBC News. He also worked as the primary anchor for The History Channel. Previously, Mudd was weekend and weekday substitute anchor for the CBS Evening News, the co-anchor of the weekday NBC Nightly News, and the host of the NBC-TV Meet the Press and American Almanac TV programs. Mudd was the recipient of the Peabody Award, the Joan Shorenstein Award for Distinguished Washington Reporting, and five Emmy Awards.

 

APRIL

Lee Aaker, 77, American actor (The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, Hondo, Mister Scoutmaster), stroke.

Ramsey Clark, 93, American lawyer (Saddam Hussein, Slobodan Milošević), attorney general (1966–1969) and deputy attorney general (1965–1967).

Black Rob, 51, American rapper ("Whoa!", "Bad Boy for Life"), kidney failure

Jill Corey, American singer ("Love Me to Pieces", "Let It Be Me")

Walter Mondale, 93, American politician, vice president (1977–1981), member of the U.S. Senate (1964–1976), ambassador to Japan (1993–1996)

Jim Steinman, 73, American musician, composer and lyricist ("Total Eclipse of the Heart", "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)", "It's All Coming Back to Me Now"), kidney failure.

Tempest Storm, 93, American burlesque star and actress.

Joe Long, 88, American bassist (The Four Seasons), COVID-19.

Michael Collins, 90, American astronaut (Apollo 11), assistant secretary of state for public affairs (1970–1971), cancer.

Madeline Davis, 80, American LGBT activist and historian.

Johnny Crawford, 75, American actor (The Rifleman, Village of the Giants, The Space Children) and singer, complications from Alzheimer's disease and COVID-19.

Prince Philip, 99, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. He was the consort of the British monarch from Elizabeth's accession on 6 February 1952 until his death in 2021, making him the longest-serving royal consort in history. 

 James Hampton, best known as the bumbling bugler of "F Troop" and Michael J. Fox's understanding dad in "Teen Wolf," died Wednesday from complications due to Parkinson's, his family and agent said. The Lone Star state native and Forth Worth resident was 84.

 

MAY

Mary V. Ahern, 98, American radio and television producer.

Olympia Dukakis, 89, American actress (Moonstruck, Steel Magnolias, Tales of the City), Oscar winner (1988).

Bobby Unser, 87, American Hall of Fame racing driver, three-time Indianapolis 500 winner.

Lloyd Price, 88, American Hall of Fame R&B singer ("Personality", "Lawdy Miss Clawdy", "Stagger Lee"), complications from diabetes.

 

Hal Breeden, 76, American baseball player (Montreal Expos, Hanshin Tigers, Chicago Cubs)

Ray Miller, 76, American baseball coach and manager (Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles.

Del Crandall, 91, American baseball player (Boston Braves/Milwaukee Braves) and manager (Milwaukee Brewers)

Tawny Kitaen, 59, American actress (The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik-Yak, Bachelor Party, Witchboard), dilated cardiomyopathy.

Pete du Pont, 86, American politician, governor of Delaware (1977–1985), member of the Delaware (1969–1971) and U.S. House of Representatives (1971–1977).

Norman Simmons, 91, American pianist, arranger ("Wade in the Water"), and composer.

Patsy Bruce, 81, American country songwriter ("Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys")

Paul Mooney, 79, American actor (The Buddy Holly Story, Bamboozled), comedian (Chappelle's Show) and writer, heart attack.

Phil Lombardi, 58, American baseball player (New York Yankees, New York Mets), complications from brain cancer.

Joe Beckwith, 66, American baseball player (Los Angeles Dodgers, Kansas City Royals), World Series champion (1985), colon cancer.

Rusty Warren, 91, American comedian and singer (Knockers Up!)

Tom Shannon, 82, American disk jockey (WKBW, CKLW), pancreatic cancer.

B. J. Thomas, 78, American singer ("Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head", "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song", "Hooked on a Feeling"), five-time Grammy winner, lung cancer.

Arlene Golonka, 85, American actress (Mayberry R.F.D., The In-Laws, Hang 'Em High).

 

JUNE

Steve Broussard, 71, American football player (Green Bay Packers.

F. Lee Bailey, 87, American attorney (Sam Sheppard, O. J. Simpson, Patty Hearst)

Jim Fassel, 71, American football coach (University of Utah, New York Giants) and player (The Hawaiians), heart attack.

Larry Gelman, 90, American actor (The Bob Newhart Show, The Odd Couple, Maude), complications from a fall.

Art Ditmar, 92, American baseball player (New York Yankees, Philadelphia / Kansas City Athletics), World Series champion (1958).

John Gabriel, 90, American actor (Ryan's Hope, Stagecoach, The Mary Tyler Moore Show), complications from Alzheimer's disease.

Mudcat Grant, 85, American baseball player (Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins, Oakland Athletics)

Ned Beatty, 83, American actor (Network, Deliverance, Superman)

Frank Bonner, 79, American actor (WKRP in Cincinnati, Just the Ten of Us) and television director (City Guys), complications from Lewy body dementia.

Champ, 12, American dog, presidential pet (since 2021).

Mike Gravel, 91, American politician, U.S. senator (1969–1981), member (1963–1967) and speaker (1965–1967) of the Alaska House of Representatives, myeloma. 

 

JULY

Sanford Clark, 85, American rockabilly singer ("The Fool", "Houston"),.

Robert Downey Sr., 85, American film director (Putney Swope, Up the Academy) and actor (To Live and Die in L.A.), complications from Parkinson's disease.

Charlie Robinson, 75, American actor (Night Court, Sugar Hill, The Black Gestapo), complications from cancer.

Edwin Edwards, 93, American politician, member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1965–1972) and three-time governor of Louisiana, respiratory failure.

Tom O'Connor, 81, British comedian and game show host (Crosswits, The Zodiac Game, Name That Tune), complications from Parkinson's disease.

Chuck E. Weiss, 76, American songwriter and vocalist, inspiration for "Chuck E.'s in Love", cancer.

Jackie Mason, 93, American comedian and actor (The Simpsons, The Jerk, Caddyshack II), Emmy winner (1988, 1992)

Bob Moses, 86, American civil rights activist (SNCC), co-founder of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party.

Helen Nicol, 101, American baseball player (Kenosha Comets, Rockford Peaches.

Rick Aiello, 65, American actor (Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, Do the Right Thing, The Sopranos), pancreatic cancer.

Dusty Hill, 72, American Hall of Fame musician (ZZ Top) and songwriter ("Tush")

Richard Lamm, 85, American politician, governor of Colorado (1975–1987), complications from pulmonary embolism. Lamm was a personal friend of Jim Gibson, formerly of Kingston Pa an the son of the late Robert and Gladys Gibson.  

AUGUST

 

Richard Trumka, 72, American labor leader, president of the AFL–CIO (since 2009) and the United Mine Workers (1982–1995), heart attack.

Vito Valentinetti, 92, American baseball player (Chicago Cubs, Washington Senators, Cleveland Indians)

Herbert Schlosser, 95, American television executive, president and CEO of NBC (1974–1978).

Markie Post, 70, American actress (Night Court, The Fall Guy, Hearts Afire), cancer.

Jane Withers, 95, American actress (Giant, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Paddy O'Day. Later she did Comet commercials that were widely recieved by the public.

Joey Ambrose, 87, American Hall of Fame saxophonist (Bill Haley & His Comets).

Jay Greenberg, 71, American sports journalist (The Kansas City Star, Philadelphia Daily News, New York Post).

Joe Walton, 85, American football player (Washington Redskins, New York Giants) and coach (New York Jets)

Don Everly, 84, American Hall of Fame singer (The Everly Brothers) and songwriter ("Cathy's Clown", "So Sad (to Watch Good Love Go Bad)". I had the opportunity to see hi open with his brother at The Arena for Simon and Garfunkal. The last song the Everly's did was a Paul McCartney penned song "On the Wings Of A Nightingale"

Phil Valentine, 61, American talk radio show host (WWTN), COVID-19,

Lloyd Dobyns, 85, American news reporter (NBC News). Seen here with Linda Elerbee. 

Edmond H. Fischer, 101, American biochemist, Nobel Prize laureate (1992).

Ed Asner, 91, American actor (The Mary Tyler Moore Show , Lou Grantt Up), president of the Screen Actors Guild (1981–1985), seven-time Emmy winner.

 

Lee "Scratch" Perry, 85, Jamaican reggae musician (The Upsetters), songwriter ("Run for Cover", "Police and Thieves") and record producer.

Vicki Trickett, 80, American actress (The Three Stooges Meet Hercules, The Tab Hunter Show, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet).

Charlie Watts, 74, Rolling Stones drummer. 

 Bill Freehan, 11-time All-Star and Tigers catcher for 15 years, including for the 1968 World Series-championship team. He also coached baseball at his alma mater, Michigan.

Bobby Bowden, former Florida State head football coach. Bowden piled up 377 wins during his 40 years as a major college coach, from Samford to West Virginia and finally at Florida State, where he went 315-98-4.

J.R. Richard, pitcher for the Houston Astros, who drafted him No. 2 overall in 1969.

Michael Constantine was an actor best known for playing Toula’s father, Gus Portokalos, in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” and its sequel. He also was on ABC TV’s “Room 222”. 

 

SEPTEMBER

Anthony Johnson, 55, American actor (House Party, Friday, Menace II Society) and comedian.

Adlai Stevenson III, 90, American politician, U.S. senator (1970–1981), Illinois Treasurer (1967–1970) and member of the House of Representatives (1965–1967), complications from dementia.

Phil Schaap, 70, American disc jockey and jazz historian.

Mick Tingelhoff, 81, American Hall of Fame football player (Minnesota Vikings)

Bob Enyart, 62, American talk radio host and pastor, COVID-19.

Ruly Carpenter, 81, American baseball executive, president of the Philadelphia Phillies (1972–1981)

Bill Sudakis, 75, American baseball player. 

Gavan O'Herlihy, 70, Irish-born American actor (Never Say Never Again, Willow, Happy Days).

Joel Rapp, 87, American film director and television writer (High School Big Shot, McHale's Navy, Gilligan's Island)ll player (Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, New York Yankees)

Cloyd Boyer, 94, American baseball player (St. Louis Cardinals)

Willie Garson, 57 actor starred in "Sex and The City" as well as episodes of "The Blacklist".  

Melvin Van Peebles, 89, plsywright, film maker. novelist and painter.  

 Norm Macdonald, legendary comedian and noted sports fan and poker player who famously hosted the 1998 ESPYs. He also hosted the short-lived "Sports Show" on Comedy Central in 2011.

Mick Tingelhoff, center in the NFL from 1962-78, all with the Minnesota Vikings. He was a six-time Pro Bowler who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015, in his 32nd year of eligibility.

Willard Herman Scott Jr.  was an American weather presenter, radio and TV personality, actor, narrator, clown, comedian, and author, with a career spanning 65 years. He is best known for his television work on the Today show as weather reporter who also presented a tribute greetings segment for people celebrating their 100th or above birthdays as well as select marriage anniversaries. He was the creator and original portrayer of Ronald McDonald.

From 1955 to 1972, Scott teamed with Ed Walker as co-host of the nightly Joy Boys radio program on NBC-owned WRC radio (this was interrupted from 1956 to 1958 when Scott served on active duty with the Navy). Scott routinely sketched a list of characters and a few lead lines setting up a situation, which Walker would commit to memory or make notes on with his Braille typewriter (Walker was blind since birth). In a 1999 article recalling the Joy Boys at the height of their popularity in the mid-1960s, The Washington Post said they "dominated Washington, providing entertainment, companionship, and community to a city on the verge of powerful change". The Joy Boys show played on WRC until 1972 when they moved to cross-town station WWDC for another two years. Scott wrote in his book, The Joy of Living, of their close professional and personal bond which continued until Walker's death in October 2015, saying that they are "closer than most brothers".

 

OCTOBER

Rich Barry, 81, American baseball player (Philadelphia Phillies).

Garnett Brown, 85, American jazz trombonist.

Chito Gascon, 57, Filipino lawyer, chairman of the Commission on Human Rights (since 2015), COVID-19.

Ray Fosse, 74, AmJosé Ramón Ceschi, 80, Argentine Roman Catholic priest, writer, and television presenter.

Geoffrey Chater, 100, British actor (Mapp & Lucia, Callan, Barry Lyndon)erican baseball player (Cleveland Indians, Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners) and broadcaster, World Series champion (1973, 1974), cancer.

Peter Scolari, 66, Tom Hanks side kick in "Bosom Buddies". Won an Emmy for HBO's "Girls". 

Michael Laughlin, 82, American film director (Strange Invaders), producer (Two-Lane Blacktop), and writer (Town & Country), complications from COVID-19.

Sonny Osborne, 83, American bluegrass musician (Osborne Brothers) and banjo player, stroke.

Ginny Mancini, 97, American big band singer and philanthropis.Wife of the late Henry Mancini.

Dick Szymanski, 89, American football player and executive (Baltimore Colts).

Mike Trivisonno, 74, American radio broadcaster (WTAM).

Jerry Remy, 68, American baseball player (California Angels, Boston Red Sox) and broadcaster (NESN), cancer.

Gladys del Río, 79, Chilean actress and comedian.

Justus Rosenberg, 100, Polish-born American educator, Resistance member during World War II.

Mort Sahl, 94, humorist, satirist who paved the way for commentators like Bill Maher and Jon Stewart. He was a frequent guest on Merv Griffin and Johnny Carson in the 60s.  

James Michael Tyler, 59 was a featured player on "Friends" as the manager of the Central Perk coffee shop. 

 Colin Luther Powell, 84, politician, statesman, diplomat, and United States Army officer who served as the 65th United States secretary of state from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African-American secretary of state. He served as the 16th United States national security advisor from 1987 to 1989 and as the 12th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1989 to 1993.

 Eddie Robinson, major-league first baseman from 1942-57, including a brief sting with the Tigers in 1957. He was the oldest living major-leaguer until his death. Oct. 4. He was 100.

 Betty Lynn: Missouri born-and-bred  in Kansas City. Her name is as light, breezy and innocent as the characters she played on film and TV. She is pleasantly remembered for playing TV's sweet-as-apple-pie "Thelma Lou," who had the tough end of the bargain as the ever-patient girlfriend of Don Knotts's neurotic "Barney Fife" character on The Andy Griffith Show (1960). It took a second reunion decades later to finally get those two characters married. While Betty enjoyed other entertainment outlets such as film and the stage, it is her "Thelma Lou" character that remains indelibly etched in the minds of all her fans.

 

 

NOVEMBER

Arlene Dahl, 96, American actress (Journey to the Center of the Earth, A Southern Yankee, Reign of Terror.

Don Demeter, 86, American baseball player (Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers).

LaMarr Hoyt, 66, American baseball player (Chicago White Sox, San Diego Padres), cancer.

Noah Gordon, 95, American novelist (The Physician).

Doug Hill, 71, American meteorologist (WUSA, WJLA-TV)

Steve Smith, 57, American football player (Los Angele.s Raiders, Seattle Seahawks), complications from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Art LaFleur, 78, American actor (Field of Dreams, The Sandlot, The Santa Clause 2), Parkinson's disease.

Philip Margo, 79, American musician (The Tokens).

Petra Mayer, 46, American book review editor (NPR), pulmonary embolism.

Max Cleland, 79, American politician, senator (1997–2003), Georgia secretary of state (1983–1996) and administrator of veterans affairs (1977–1981).

Medina Dixon, 59, American basketball player (Old Dominion Lady Monarchs), Olympic bronze medalist (1992), pancreatic cancer.

Peter Aykroyd, 65, Canadian comedian (Saturday Night Live) and actor (Coneheads, Nothing but Trouble), sepsis.

Ruth Ann Minner, 86, American politician, governor of Delaware (2001–2009), member of the Delaware House of Representatives (1975–1983) and Senate (1983–1993.

Bill Virdon, 90, longtime major-league player and manager who was the 1955 NL rookie of the year and won two World Series titles as a player. He managed four teams, the Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Yankees, Houston Astros and Montreal Expos.

Bob Bondurant, Hall of Fame race-car driving in the Formula One circuit. 

Tom Matte, Ohio State quarterback who played 12 seasons in the NFL, won a Super Bowl and was a two-time Pro Bowler. He later became a broadcaster for Ravens games. Tom Matte was a running back for the1965 Colts when both Johnny Unitas and Gary Cuozzo went down with injuries during the crucial play off run. For the Colts' regular-season finale (a 20-17 win) against the Los Angeles Rams and the following weekend's one-game playoff at Green Bay (a 13-10 overtime loss), Colts head coach Don Shula put a list of plays on a wristband that Matte wore. The wristband is now on display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

 Doug Jones, 64, major-league relief pitcher for 16 seasons, mostly with the Cleveland Indians and Milwaukee Brewers, who recorded more than 300 saves and earned five All-Star selections.

Sam Huff, linebacker for the New York Giants and Washington who is in the College Football Hall of Fame (West Virginia) and Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was a five-time Pro Bowl selection.  A ground breaking documentary, "The Violent World of Sam Huff" was also part of his lrgacy.

 Eddie Mekka was born on June 14, 1952 in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA as Edward Rudolph Mekjian. He is known for his work on Laverne & Shirley (1976), Dreamgirls (2006) and A League of Their Own (1992). He was married to Yvonne Marie Grace and DeLee Lively. He died on November 27, 2021 in Santa Clarita, California, USA.

DECEMBER

Claude Humphrey, 77, American Hall of Fame football player (Atlanta Falcons, Philadelphia Eagles).

Robert Dole: Bob Dole, who overcame disabling war wounds to become a sharp-tongued Senate leader from Kansas, a Republican presidential candidate and then a symbol and celebrant of his dwindling generation of World War II veterans, has died. He was 98.   His wife, Elizabeth Dole, posted the announcement Sunday on Twitter.  Dole announced in February 2021 that he’d been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. During his 36-year career on Capitol Hill, Dole became one of the most influential legislators and party leaders in the Senate, combining a talent for compromise with a caustic wit, which he often turned on himself but didn’t hesitate to turn on others, too.

He shaped tax policy, foreign policy, farm and nutrition programs and rights for the disabled, enshrining protections against discrimination in employment, education and public services in the Americans with Disabilities Act. Today’s accessible government offices and national parks, sidewalk ramps and the sign-language interpreters at official local events are just some of the more visible hallmarks of his legacy and that of the fellow lawmakers he rounded up for that sweeping civil rights legislation 30 years ago.

 Anne Rice, 80, American author (The Vampire Chronicles), complications from a stroke.

Garth Dennis, 72, Jamaican reggae musician (Black Uhuru, The Wailing Souls).

Michael Nesmith, 78, American musician (The Monkees) and songwriter ("Different Drum", "Joanne"), Grammy winner (1982), heart failure. Nesmith also wrote "Some of Shelly's Blues" and won a Grammy in 1982 for "Elephant Parts". This type of video was said to inspire MTV's acceptance of similar videos.

 

 

Speedy Duncan, 79, American football player (San Diego Chargers, Washington Redskins)

Larry Sellers, 72, American actor (Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.

Demaryius Thomas, 33, American football player (Denver Broncos, New York Jets, Houston Texans), Super Bowl champion (2016).

Themsie Times, 72, South African actress (Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold, Dangerous Ground, Stander).

Al Unser, 82, American Hall of Fame racing driver, four-time Indianapolis 500 winner, IndyCar champion (1983, 1985), liver cancer.

Gil Bridges, 80, American musician (Rare Earth), complications from COVID-19.

Richie Lewis, 55, American baseball player (Florida Marlins, Detroit Tigers, Oakland Athletics).

Mark Pike, 57, American football player (Buffalo Bills), complications from non-Hodgkin lymphoma and COVID-19.

 J. D. Crowe, 84, American banjo player and bluegrass band leader (New South).

Joan Didion, 87, American writer (Run, River, Slouching Towards Bethlehem, The Year of Magical Thinking), complications from Parkinson's disease.

Sally Ann Howes, 91, English actress (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Brigadoon, The Admirable Crichton) and singer.]

Johnny Isakson, 76, American politician, member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1999–2005), Senate (2005–2019) and Georgia House of Representatives (1977–1991).

Joe Simon, 85, American soul and R&B singer ("The Chokin' Kind", "Get Down, Get Down (Get on the Floor)", "Power of Love").

 

Darlene Hard, tennis Hall of Famer who won a French Open and two U.S. Opens in singles as well as 13 major doubles championships.

Demaryius Thomas,33,  long-time NFL wide receiver, mostly with the Denver Broncos, for whom he was the franchise's second-leading receiver all-time.

 Desmond Tutu, 90, South African Anglican cleric and civil rights activist, bishop of Johannesburg (1985–1986) and archbishop of Cape Town (1986–1996), Nobel Prize laureate (1984).

 Sarah Weddington, a Texas lawyer who as a 26-year-old successfully argued the landmark abortion rights case Roe v. Wade before the U.S. Supreme Court, died at the age of  76. Susan Hays, Weddington’s former student and colleague, said she died in her sleep early Sunday morning at her Austin home. Weddington had been in poor health for some time and it was not immediately clear what caused her death, Hays told The Associated Press.

John Madden, 85. Yahoo News reported it this way. How you remember John Madden is likely a direct reflection of your age. He was one of football’s biggest titans, leaving his impact on the game in a myriad of ways. He became a Hall of Fame coach with the Oakland Raiders in the 1970s, worked as one of history’s best broadcasters for the three decades after that and today exists as the namesake of a video game franchise played by millions who never knew him as a coach or broadcaster. Put it this way: Not everyone knows John Madden for the same reason. But everyone knows John Madden.

Madden with the late Pat Summerall on CBS. 

 

Harry Mason Reid Jr.  was an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States Senator from Nevada from 1987 to 2017. He led the Senate Democratic Caucus from 2005 to 2017 and was the Senate Majority Leader from 2007 to 2015.  s major legislation of the Obama administration, such as the Affordable Care Act, the Dodd–Frank Act, and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. In 2013, under Reid's leadership, the Senate Democratic majority controversially invoked the "nuclear option" to eliminate the 60-vote requirement to end a filibuster for presidential nominations, other than nominations to the U.S. Supreme Court.[2] Republicans took control of the Senate following the 2014 United States Senate elections, and Reid served as Senate Minority Leader from 2015 until his retirement in 2017. Reid was succeeded as the Senate Democratic leader by Chuck Schumer, whose leadership bid had been endorsed by Reid. Along with Alben W. Barkley and Mike Mansfield, Reid was one of only three senators to have served at least eight years as majority leader.

 Nicholas Georgiade, a Greek-American, quit school in 1948 and joined the Army, lying about his age. A boxer in high school, he continued in the service. In 1952, he won the European Heavyweight title for the U.S. Army. After leaving the Army, he returned to New York City. He attained an athletic scholarship to Syracuse University but as he hadn't graduated from high school he had to pass an entrance exam. He majored in sociology and psychology. In his senior year, he married a fellow student, Anita Khanzadian (later known as Anita Raffi). He graduated in 1957. His best-known role was likely that of Eliot Ness's efficient, unsmiling, hunky right-hand man, Enrico Rossi, on The Untouchables. 

 

 Denis O’Dell, the British film producer whose association with The Beatles earned him the rare honor of being mentioned, if obliquely, in one of the group’s songs, died of natural causes at his home in Spain last night. He was 98.

Betty White Dies: Legendary ‘Golden Girls’ Star and Multiple Emmy Award Winner Was 99.  Multiple Emmy Award-winning actress and animal rights activist Betty White, who most famously starred in The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Golden Girls, has died, just days short of her 100th birthday. White passed peacefully Thursday night at her home, her agent Jeff Witjas confirmed to Deadline. “Even though Betty was about to be 100, I thought she would live forever,” Witjas said in a statement. “I will miss her terribly and so will the animal world that she loved so much. I don’t think Betty ever feared passing because she always wanted to be with her most beloved husband Allen Ludden. She believed she would be with him again.”

 

LOCALS WHO PASSED AWAY IN 2021 

 

Here's a link to The Citizens' Voice article on those prominent locals who passed in 2021.  

 In memoriam: Remembering those we lost in 2021 | News | citizensvoice.com

 

Your blog editor with the late Clayton Karembelas. 

 

 

Well-known members of the Wyoming Valley community who passed away in 2021 include:

 

January

Frank Orloski, 88, founder of Orloski’s Quik Mart — Jan. 1.

John Pietrzyk, 54, Nanticoke city councilman — Jan. 2.

The Very Rev. Mitred Archpriest Eugene P. Pianovich, 91, St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church in Nanticoke — Jan. 2.

Thomas F. Lavan, 85, former superintendent at SCI-Dallas — Jan. 4.

Mollie Farmer, 75, college educator in charge of King’s Study Abroad program — Jan. 9.

Tanner Kahlau, 22, former Crestwood star athlete — Jan. 12.

John Fixl, 84, longtime English professor at King’s College — Jan. 12.

Paul O’Malia, 75, former director of Luzerne/Schuylkill County Workforce Investment Board — Jan. 19.

Bernadine Humphreys, 91, started Humphreys Bootery in 1958 with her husband — Jan. 20

Dr. Harold Roth, Wilkes-Barre native who worked for NASA — Jan. 22

Pat Solano, 95, World War II veteran who worked in state government for nine governors — Jan. 23

John Lewis, Jr., 91, former Nanticoke school board member and president of Lewis Stucco & Exteriors for 65 years — Jan. 25

Dominic Fino, 86, founder of Fino’s Pharmacy — Jan. 26

Rev. Anita J. Ambrose, 88, longtime executive director of the Wyoming Valley Council of Churches — Jan. 30

February

George Hasay, 73, served 34 years in the state House of Representatives — Feb. 8

Paul Maher, 87, political and community leader who was a longtime aide to U.S. Rep. Paul Kanjorski — Feb. 19

Nancy McDonald, 86, longtime leader of the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts in the Back Mountain — Feb. 19

Agnes W. Urbanas, 100, worked on the Manhattan Project during World War II — Feb. 20

John J. Passan, 93, founder of Valley Distribution and Storage — Feb. 21

Tony “The Shoe Guy” Bonczewski, 91, worked 76 years in the shoe repair business — Feb. 23

Rosellen Meighan, professor who founded the Department of Nursing at the University of Scranton — Feb. 26

March

Gerald Temarantz, 75, local union leader — March 3

Richard Hislop, 84, former president of Bob Horlacher Little League — March 3

Joan Mullaney, 89, served professor and dean at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. — March 21

April

Dr. Patrick “Dr. D” DeGennaro, 83, one of the first full-time emergency room doctors at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital — April 15

James Lynn, 95, worked 41 years at Liberty Mutual and created the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf, the precursor to the PGA Senior Golf Tour — April 16

Joseph Drach, 90, spent 60-plus years playing and coaching fast-pitch softball and member of ASA of PA Softball Hall of Fame — April 18

Robert J. Ell, 95, King’s College alumni director from 1973 to 1992 — April 19

Mary Parente, 80, she and her late husband Charles were well-known philanthropists who publicly and privately supported many institutions and causes close to their heart — April 21

Ludwig “Lou” Rauscher, 90, former managing editor at The Sunday Independent newspaper — April 28

Doris J. Merrill, 97, a World War II veteran and beloved Nanticoke teacher who starred in the National Veterans Wheelchair Games later in life — April 29

George Tsioles, 99, Mr. Donut franchisee who was founder of Curry Donuts — April 30

May

Sam Greenberg, 93, World War II veteran and past commander of the Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America — May 8

Ruth A. Fino, 84, co-founded Fino’s Pharmacy with her husband and contributed to the Back Mountain community — May 14

Raymond Clarke, 87, a member of the Huber Breaker Preservation Society — May 18

June

Rev. Robert J. Thomas Sr., 84, served pastors for more than 60 years — June 7

Eugene Roth, 85, attorney and partner in Rosenn, Jenkins & Greenwald law firm for more than 60 years — June 9

Dominick J. Ortolani, 80, owner and operator of Robo car washes in Wyoming Valley and developer of Courthouse Towers and Lexington Village — June 10

Cyril Stretansky, 86, spent 35 years as professor of music and choral director at Susquehanna University, where a performance venue was named after him — June 4

July

Dr. Carol Crawford, 69, one of 20 scientists chosen as a NASA research fellow at the Johnson Space Center — July 1

Jill Garrett, 66, former WNEP health reporter and region's first Black news anchor — July 6

Bill Lawler, 73, 13-time club champion at Fox Hill Country Club who influenced local golf for four decades — July 19

August

Angel Jirau, 68, well known community activist in Wyoming Valley — Aug. 18

Robert Barbieri, longtime Pittston Area educator and football coach — Aug. 22

September

Joyce Dombroski-Gebhardt, 64, treasurer of the Republican Women of Luzerne County and member of the Luzerne County Board of Elections — Sept. 1

Sandy Rifkin, 94, she and husband owned A. Rifkin Co. — Sept. 11

Dr. Harold E. Cox, 90, professor of history at Wilkes University for 52 years — Sept. 13

Richard Kutz, 69, longtime director of the CEO Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank — Sept. 21

Sarah “Sally” Mae Konefal, 88, owned Konefal’s in Edwardsville for more than 60 years — Sept. 27

Gerhard Baut, 68, head artist and creative director at The Baut Studios of Swoyersville — Sept. 27.

Gifford Robert Cappellini, 69, Back Mountain attorney — Sept. 27

Dr. Gary Marshall Smith, 75, served 30 years as a physician in Wyoming Valley — Sept. 30

October

Jeanne Devers White, 85, appointed the first Food and Drug Administrations White House liaison — Oct. 23

November

Leonard Snyder, 84, prominent local dentist — Nov. 1

Clayton Karambelas, businessman, community volunteer, and philanthropist beloved by the Wilkes University community — Nov. 15

Kelly Bishop, 80, founder of the Music Box Dinner Playhouse in Swoyersville — Nov. 21

Michael Anderson, 62, owner of Magic Cleaning Company — Nov. 22

Michael Kaye, 81, well known broadcaster who won state awards — Nov. 19

John Brogan, 92, owner of Brogan’s Clothing Store in Pittston — Nov. 27

Robert Gimble, 88, Meyers graduate who became president of the PIAA Board of Control — Nov. 26

December

Louis J. Mastrini DDS, dentist in northeast Pennsylvania for 45 years — Dec. 24

Quentin Heller, 93, patriarch of Heller’s Orchards in Wapwallopen, Dec. 24