In Memoriam: Entertainment Industry Celebrity Deaths

[amaranta]

Condolences to those here, and to Jimmy Fallon, who have recently lost a parent.  Very unexpectedly I lost my Mom in June.  We spoke on the phone every night, had been doing so for years.  To talk about nothing, or everything.  She sounded fine, happy and well; already teasing me about my birthday a full 6 weeks early.  But that was Mom; she'd start talking about Christmas during September and would finish her shopping before Halloween.  She woke up about 5am, short of breath and dizzy.  She called 911 but by the time they got there she was gone.  And no one quite knows why.  She just... stopped.

I wish Jimmy - and my fellow posters - well.  I've learned there is no set grieving time - it takes as long as it takes.

[riley702]

I'm so sorry, amaranta.

[Annber03]

Oh, geez, amaranta, what a frightening story. I'm so sorry. 

Condolences to you as well, BW and legaleagle. 

Edited November 6, 2017 by Annber03

[cpcathy]

My condolences, Amaranta. My mother died when I was 17, but I was prepared for it. I can't imagine something like that being a surprise.

[legaleagle53]

9 hours ago, amaranta said:

Condolences to those here, and to Jimmy Fallon, who have recently lost a parent.  Very unexpectedly I lost my Mom in June.  We spoke on the phone every night, had been doing so for years.  To talk about nothing, or everything.  She sounded fine, happy and well; already teasing me about my birthday a full 6 weeks early.  But that was Mom; she'd start talking about Christmas during September and would finish her shopping before Halloween.  She woke up about 5am, short of breath and dizzy.  She called 911 but by the time they got there she was gone.  And no one quite knows why.  She just... stopped.

That's pretty much what happened to MY mother.  She went to take a nap, and she just never woke up.  I simply figured that after everything she'd been through over the previous year (including a nasty fall that resulted in a broken hip and a probable concussion and most recently, a pacemaker implant just a couple of weeks before she died), her body had just decided that it had had enough and called it quits.

My condolences to you and your family.

Edited November 7, 2017 by legaleagle53

[katie9918]

Former Blue Jays/Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay died in a plane crash in the Gulf of Mexico today.

 

This one guts me. He was only forty years old with two kids and probably would have been a Hall of Famer.

[blueray]

On 11/6/2017 at 0:47 PM, amaranta said:

Condolences to those here, and to Jimmy Fallon, who have recently lost a parent.  Very unexpectedly I lost my Mom in June.  We spoke on the phone every night, had been doing so for years.  To talk about nothing, or everything.  She sounded fine, happy and well; already teasing me about my birthday a full 6 weeks early.  But that was Mom; she'd start talking about Christmas during September and would finish her shopping before Halloween.  She woke up about 5am, short of breath and dizzy.  She called 911 but by the time they got there she was gone.  And no one quite knows why.  She just... stopped.

I wish Jimmy - and my fellow posters - well.  I've learned there is no set grieving time - it takes as long as it takes.

I'm sorry for your loss :(

 

And for Jimmy's. 68, wow she wasn't that old :(

Edited November 7, 2017 by blueray

[BW Manilowe]

3 hours ago, blueray said:

I'm sorry for your loss :(

 

And for Jimmy's. 68, wow she wasn't that old :(

And, sadly, the former MLB player who died in the plane crash was almost 30 years younger than Jimmy Fallon's mom. That sucks even worse than Jimmy's mom's age when she died. Although I doubt there's really any "good" age for someone (especially our family, friends, & other loved ones not specified) to die at, other than as old as possible. 

 

From USA Today: Robert Knight, Who Recorded the Original Version of the Song "Everlasting Love", Dead at 72.

I think there's a YouTube audio post with his version of the song embedded in the linked obit, by the way.

[rcc]

Everlasting Love is one of my all-time favorite songs. RIP Robert Knight.

[praeceptrix]

Robert De Cormier has died. I was lucky enough to sing under his direction a few times at The New York Choral Society's summer sings, but regret missing out on actually rehearsing and performing with him.

http://www.providencejournal.com/news/20171108/robert-de-cormier-singer-and-arranger-who-bridged-classical-and-folk-dies-at-95

[BetterButter]

Karin Dor, Bond Girl in 'You Only Live Twice,' Dies at 79

[BW Manilowe]

From the Honolulu Star-Advertiser: Actor John Hillerman, Who Played Higgins on 'Magnum, P.I.', Dead at 84

Edited November 10, 2017 by BW Manilowe
To fix a punctuation issue.

[Enigma X]

13 minutes ago, BW Manilowe said:

From the Honolulu Star-Advertiser: Actor John Hillerman, Who Played Higgins on "Magnum, P.I., Dead at 84

:(

[merylinkid]

Not Higgins.   

[riley702]

Higgy baby! I has a sad.

[Jaded]

1 hour ago, BW Manilowe said:

From the Honolulu Star-Advertiser: Actor John Hillerman, Who Played Higgins on 'Magnum, P.I.', Dead at 84

I feel guilty about this one. I watched a Magnum marathon on one of the Encore channels for almost the entire weekend.
 

Edited November 10, 2017 by Jaded

[AimingforYoko]

Of course he was best known for Higgins, but I always wondered what TC would have to say about this:

R.I.P.

[GHScorpiosRule]

1 hour ago, merylinkid said:

Not Higgins.   

Ditto!

????

[AntiBeeSpray]

5 hours ago, merylinkid said:

Not Higgins.   

Word. Couldn't think of his (the character's) name at first, but I don't ever forget a face. Dammit 2017. You just had to go and take Higgins.

RIP Mr. Hillerman and thanks.

[ABay]

I'm going to pretend Higgins has been reunited with the lads.

Thanks for remembering his role in Blazing Saddles, @AimingforYoko.

[BW Manilowe]

From Hawaii News Now.com: An updated version of John Hillerman's obituary ,which includes comments by his nephew & the info that he didn't want any services held marking his death.

[Jaded]

Chuck Mosley, Former Faith No More Frontman, Dies at 57

[bmasters9]

On 11/10/2017 at 9:52 AM, ABay said:

I'm going to pretend Higgins has been reunited with the lads.

Thanks for remembering his role in Blazing Saddles, @AimingforYoko.

And I've been doing the same on the deaths of Barbara Hale and Mary Tyler Moore, among others:

--With Barbara, having her reunited as Della with Perry and Paul in that great Mason detective office in the sky.

--And with MTM, having her reunited with the face of her production label, that great kitten/cat named Mimsie.

[Jaded]

Liz Smith, Premier Gossip Columnist, Dies at 94

[merylinkid]

1 hour ago, Jaded said:

Liz Smith, Premier Gossip Columnist, Dies at 94

Aww Fuck.   That is all.

[roamyn]

3 hours ago, merylinkid said:

Aww Fuck.   That is all.

Honestly, I didn't realize she was still alive.  94 is a great age.

[BetterButter]

Red Sox legend Bobby Doerr dies at age 99

[BW Manilowe]

On 11/7/2017 at 4:48 PM, katie9918 said:

Former Blue Jays/Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay died in a plane crash in the Gulf of Mexico today.

 

This one guts me. He was only forty years old with two kids and probably would have been a Hall of Famer.

From NBC News' Today.com: Roy Halladay's Wife Honors Her Husband with a Brave and Powerful Eulogy

[magdalene]

It's sad for family having to say good bye no matter what age you are when you die. But if you make it into your nineties you lived a long life and I don't feel the same as when someone like Bowie goes at 69.

[BW Manilowe]

On 9/3/2017 at 9:47 AM, BetterButter said:

Steely Dan’s Walter Becker Passes Away at 67

And earlier this week (I get so busy posting in other forums/threads, I sometimes miss posting stuff in others. Sorry!), Walter's widow wrote a letter to Walter's fans about his death, which was posted in the media. She says, among other things (& I thought the whole letter/statement was worth reading), he died of an extremely aggressive form of esophageal cancer (insert the obligatory F Cancer! here), the diagnosis of which, during a routine physical, took him & his loved ones by surprise; between the aggressiveness of the cancer & the toxicity of the chemotherapy regimen Walter was on, he died less than 4 months after the diagnosis.

[UYI]

Actress Ann Wedgeworth has passed away. Many will remember her as Lana from Three's Company, but I remember her as Dylan McDermott's Aunt Fern in Steel Magnolias, who made a mean bleeding armadillo groom's cake (but didn't have enough counter space to make a snake-shaped cake, mind you)! RIP, Ann.

http://www.welovesoaps.net/2017/11/ann-wedgeworth-dead-at-83.html

Edited November 17, 2017 by UYI

[Bastet]

7 minutes ago, UYI said:

Actress Ann Wedgeworth has passed away. Many will remember her as Lana from Three's Company, but I remember her as Dylan McDermott's Aunt Fern in Steel Magnolias, who made a mean bleeding armadillo groom's cake (but didn't have enough counter space to make a snake-shaped cake, mind you)!

That was just on TV one night this week, and of course I had to watch it yet again, even though I've seen it numerous times and have the DVD.  I primarily associate her with Steel Magnolias, Evening Shade, and Roseanne (Dan's mom, even though she only played the role in one episode).

[UYI]

7 minutes ago, Bastet said:

That was just on TV one night this week, and of course I had to watch it yet again, even though I've seen it numerous times and have the DVD.  I primarily associate her with Steel Magnolias, Evening Shade, and Roseanne (Dan's mom, even though she only played the role in one episode).

I LOVED her in that Thanksgiving episode as Dan's mom. MUCH better than how they portrayed her by the time that episode with Debbie Reynolds in the role rolled around. 

[Silver Raven]

2 hours ago, UYI said:

Actress Ann Wedgeworth has passed away. Many will remember her as Lana from Three's Company, but I remember her as Dylan McDermott's Aunt Fern in Steel Magnolias, who made a mean bleeding armadillo groom's cake (but didn't have enough counter space to make a snake-shaped cake, mind you)! RIP, Ann.

http://www.welovesoaps.net/2017/11/ann-wedgeworth-dead-at-83.html

NOOOOO!!!  Not Lahoma!!!

She also won a Tony.

[BetterButter]

Project Runway Fashion Designer Wendy Pepper Has Died

[merylinkid]

Awww Lana, well Mr. Furley can try for a date again.   

RIP Ms. Wedgeworth.

[bmasters9]

23 hours ago, magdalene said:

It's sad for family having to say good bye no matter what age you are when you die. But if you make it into your nineties you lived a long life and I don't feel the same as when someone like Bowie goes at 69.

That is quite true, especially of Barbara Hale and Monty Hall!

[HoboClayton]

Woah! Wendy Pepper!? That's the second person from Project Runway to pass in less than a month. She was an interesting bird she was. Jay and her going at it, made for good tv. I remember she had a young daughter when she was on the show. Hope she's doing alright. 

[BW Manilowe]

From Rolling Stone: Malcolm Young, AC/DC Guitarist and Co-Founder, Dead at 64

[amaranta]

AC/DC guitar legend Malcom Young has died, age 64

*Posted at the same time as BW Manilowe*

I'll leave it, links to the memorial posts on Twitter.

Edited November 18, 2017 by amaranta

[Enigma X]

Oh no. I heard he was sick a couple of years ago. Malcolm was one of my favorite guitarists.

[roamyn]

Enjoy your trip on the Highway to Heaven, Mr. Young.

We love AC/DC and aren't surprised by this news.  He was too young to get Dementia, pun intended.

[HunterHunted]

Azzedine Alaia, the fashion designer dubbed The King of Cling, has died.

http://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-features/azzedine-alaia-dies-in-paris-11053101/amp/

He dressed Marie-Hélène de Rothschild, Louise de Vilmorin, Greta Garbo, Tina Turner, Raquel Welch, Grace Jones, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Brigitte Nielsen, Naomi Campbell, Stephanie Seymour, Michelle Obama, Carla Bruni, Victoria Beckham, Shakira, Franca Sozzani, Carine Roitfeld, and Carla Sozzani.

He created some of the costumes for Grace Jones in A View to a Kill

https://girlsdofilm.wordpress.com/2014/12/20/a-view-to-a-kill-bond-finally-meets-his-match/

He was referenced by Cher in Clueless.

He was referenced by Madonna in the Bad Girl video. 

[merylinkid]

AC/DC was iconic for my childhood.   Back in Black ranks up there with PUrple Rain as best album ever for me.

[magdalene]

Dementia at 64?  I didn't know you could get it that young.  Scary.  And so sad.

[doodlebug]

2 minutes ago, magdalene said:

Dementia at 64?  I didn't know you could get it that young.  Scary.  And so sad.

You can get it even younger than that.  Early onset dementia has been seen in people in their 30's.  It's not very common but tends to progress more rapidly and result in death sooner than in older folks.

[magdalene]

2 minutes ago, doodlebug said:

You can get it even younger than that.  Early onset dementia has been seen in people in their 30's.  It's not very common but tends to progress more rapidly and result in death sooner than in older folks.

Shudders. That's what some football players also get, isn't it?

[Mindthinkr]

35 minutes ago, magdalene said:

Shudders. That's what some football players also get, isn't it?

 I believe that you are referring to Chronic Tramatic Encephalopathy. Beloved to be due to too many concussions. 

[UYI]

1 hour ago, magdalene said:

Dementia at 64?  I didn't know you could get it that young.  Scary.  And so sad.

This is slightly different, but Rita Hayworth died at 68 from Alzheimer's; she was diagnosed at a pretty young age with the disease. 

[merylinkid]

CTE and Alzheimer's are slightly different.   But have a lot of the same markers in the brain.   Quite frankly, for the patient not sure what the difference is in the long run.   

It's sad at any age.