Dan Jenkins (age 90) - Jenkins was a sportswriter and novelist who often published in "Playboy" and had more than 500 bylines in "Sports Illustrated." He won several sportswriting awards and also published more than 25 novels. His best-known novel may be the football novel Semi-Tough, which was made into a 1977 movie. Jenkins passed away March 7, 2019.
W. S. Merwin (age 91) - William Stanley Merwin's back list comprised more than fifty books of poetry, prose, and translated poetry. Merwin was named the U. S. Poet Laureate in 2010 and received the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry twice (1971 and 2009). His favorite themes included nature and pacifism. Merwin died March 15, 2019.
David Palladini (age 72) - Palladini was a well-known artist and illustrator, known equally for his "Aquarian Tarot" deck and for his illustrations of children's books. His best-known work may be as illustrator for Stephen King's Eyes of the Dragon and Jane Yolen's The Girl Who Cried Flowers and other tales. Palladini passed away on March 13, 2019.
Tom Ryan (age 90) - Ryan drew the cartoon strip Tumbleweeds from 1965 until his retirement in 2007, including a nine-year period in which Garfield creator Jim Davis was his assistant. The strip featured the residents of the tiny western town of Grimy Gulch and the neighboring cavalry fort manned by the 6-7/8 Cavalry. Ryan died March 15, 2019.
Bill Thompson III (age 57) - Thompson, an avid bird watcher, served both as publisher and editor of the magazine Bird Watcher's Digest, as well as posting his musings in a blog. Thompson authored Bird Watching for Dummies and wrote or authored several other books on the subject of birding. Thompson succumbed to pancreatic cancer on March 25, 2019.
Ed Westcott (age 97) - Westcott had a decades-long career as a photographer for the U. S. Army and later for the Atomic Energy Commission. He is best known for a stint ans the official photographer of the Manhattan Project in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, during World War II. Westcott died March 29, 2019.
Joseph Boardman (age 69) - Boardman was a commissioner of the New York Department of Transportation from 1997 until he resigned in 2005 to become the head of the Federal Railroad Association. From that position, he was appointed to head Amtrak in 2008, a position he held until his retirement in 2016. Boardman died as a result of a stroke on March 7, 2019.
Zhores Alferov (age 66) - Alferov shared the 2000 Nobel Prize in physics for his work in the field of electronics, specifically semiconductors. After his academic career, Alferov became a politician, serving in the lower house of the Russian parliament or Dhuma. Alferov passed away on March 1, 2019.
Harry "Taco" Bowman (age 69) - Bowman was, at one time, president of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club. During his tenure, the club had some 50 chapters in 30 U.S. cities and four foreign countries. Bowman was indicted on RICO charges in 1999, and died in prison while serving two consencutive life sentences for murder. Bowman died March 3, 2019.
Francesco Cali (age 51) - "Franky Boy" Cali is believed to have assumed leadership of the Gambino crime family, New York City's Sicilian mafia. Cali ascended to the position from that of a street lieutenant after marrying the niece of family boss John Gambino. Cali was shot in an apparent assassination on March 13, 2019.
Juan Corona (age 85) - The Mexican-born Corona was convicted of twenty-five counts of murder for a killing spree that took place in northern California. Authorities believe that the true number of his victims will never be known. All known victims were migrant farm workers, killed and buried in Sutter County. Corona was sentenced to life in prison, where he died March 4, 2019.
Alphonse D'Arco (age 86) - A one-time lieutenant in New York's Lucchese crime family, D'Arco turned government witness in 1991 while acting as the family boss. After testifying in more than ten trials, D'Arco disappeared into the Witness Protection Program. His death from kidney disease was announced on March 28, 2019.
Jack Lyon (age 101) - Lyon was captured by German forces after the RAF plane on which he was a navigator crash-landed. Along with 76 others, Lyons staged an escape from Stalag Luft III in 1944 by digging a tunnel; but the tunnel was discovered before he could escape. Seventy-three of the 76 escapees were recaptured and 50 were executed. The attempt was the subject of a 1963 film, The Great Escape. Lyons died in England March 8, 2019.
Arlen Ness (age 79) - Ness was an acclaimed designer of custom motorcycles and a member of the motorcycle hall of fame. His work included such designs as "Ness-Stalgia," inspired by the tailfins of a '57 Chevy, and a fanciful design with two engines. Ness died March 22, 2019.
William Powers, Jr. (age 72) - Powers was the 28th president of the University of Texas at Austin, serving from 2006 to his resignation in 2015. Before assuming the presidency, Powers was dean of the university's college of law. He served on the board of Enron Corp., and was chair of the committee that investigated corporate malfeasance. Powers died March 10, 2019.
Kevin Roche (age 96) - The Irish-born Roche joined the architecture firm founded by Eero Saarinen in 1950, and after the principal's death founded his own firm to finish the open projects. His firm designed such landmarks as Dulles International Airport and the CBS Building (NYC). Roche won the Pritzker Prize in 1982. He died March 1, 2019.
Lotte van der Zee (age 19) - Van der Zee, a native of The Netherlands, was crowned Miss Teenage Universe in 2017. She was on a ski trip with her family when she fell ill and suffered a heart attack. Van der Zee died March 7, 2019.
Jed Allan (age 84) - Although he spent the bulk of his career on daytime soap operas ("Days of Our Lives," "Santa Barbara," and "General Hospital"), Allan may be best remembered as Ranger Turner in two seasons of "Lassie." He also hosted "Celebrity Bowling" in the 1970s and appeared in "Beverly Hills 90210." Allan succumbed March 9, 2019.
Eunetta Boone (age 63) - Boone broke into television as a comedy writer for such sitcoms as "The Hughleys" and "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" before shifting into production. She produced the sitcom "One on One" and at the time of her death was showrunner for the Disney Channel series "Raven's Home." Boone died March 20, 2019.
Denise DuBarry (age 63) - DuBarry had a brief career in television and movies ("Black Sheep Squadron," Being There) in the '70s and '80s before switching careers to become an infomercial pitchwoman in a "direct response company." DuBarry died of a rare fungal infection on March 23, 2019.
Larry Cohen (age 82) - Cohen cut his teeth as director, producer, and screenwriter with '70s and '80s horror and science fiction vehicles, including It's Alive and Return to Salem's Lot. In later years, Cohen concentrated on script-writing for television and movies. Cohen passed away March 23, 2019.
Richard Erdman (age 93) - A prolific character actor, Erdman boasts more than 150 credits on his IMDB listing. Perhaps his most well-known role was in the motion picture Stalag 17, but he made many television appearances in the 1960s and 70s, including six different roles on the original "Perry Mason" series. Erdman died March 16, 2019.
Maury Laws (age 93) - For more than twenty years, Laws was the music director for the television company that would eventually become Rankin-Bass. In that position, Laws scored many of the animated classics that appeared on television screens, including such animated features as "Frosty the Snowman," "The Hobbit," and "The Last Unicorn." Laws passed away on March 28, 2019.
Luke Perry (age 54) - Perry may be best-known for the role of Dylan McKay on "Beverly Hills, 90210." He also appeared in such series as "Riverdale," where he played the role or Archie's father, Fred Andrews, and "Oz," as Rev. Jeremiah Cloutier. On the big screen, Perry appeared in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Fifteh Element, among others. Perry suffered a stroke on February 27 and died as a result on March 4, 2019.
Hal Blaine (age 90) - Blaine is best known as a session drummer in the loose-knit group of such musicians self-styled "the Wrecking Crew." His work appears on more than 40 Billboard #1 hits and on television and film soundtracks. Blaine was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000 and received a Grammy Lifetime Award in 2018. Blaine died March 10, 2019.
Dick Dale (age 81) - Born Richard Monsour, he adopted the pseudonym "Dick Dale" as a country singer in the 1950s. Dale, a surfer himself, became the "King of Surf Guitar" with suh songs as "Let's Go Trippin'" and "Misirlou." Dale was one of the first to ply a Fender Stratocaster and worked with legendary Leo Fender to develop amplifiers that could stand up to his playing style. Dale died of heart failure on March 16, 2019.
Stephan Ellis (age 69) - Ellis played bass for the rock band Survivor during the periods 1981-87 and 1996-99. He's credited as the bassist on four of Survivor's albums, including what's arguably the band's best-known song, "Eye of the Tiger," which was the main theme song for the movie Rocky III. Ellis passed away on March 1, 2019.
Nipsey Hussle (age 33) - Born Ermian Ashgedon, Nispey Hu$$le was an LA-based rapper. His debut album "Victory Lap" was released in 2018 to critical acclaim and was nominated for a the 2019 Best Rap Album Grammy award. Hussle also owned a clothing store in LA, Marathon Clothing, which was where he was shot and killed on March 31, 2019.
Ranking Roger (age 56) - Born Roger Charlery, Ranking Roger was a British musician best known as a vocalist in The Beat (aka English Beat in North America) and in General Public. He provided guest vocals for many ska, punk, and two-tone groups after the breakup of General Public, and resurrected a touring version of The Beat in later years. Roger died of cancer March 26, 2019.
Scott Walker (age 76) - Born Noel Engel in Ohio, Walker was a highly popular musical artist in Britain. He adopted the name Scott Walker based on his middle name and his membership in '60s band The Walker Brothers. The band was never particularly popular in the US, but topped the charts multiple times in Britain. After the band's final breakup, Walker continued as a solo artist and producer. He died March 22, 2019.
David White (age 79) - White (David White Tricker) was a founding member of the doo-wop groups Danny and the Juniors and The Spokesmen and later joined the Crystal Mansion. He wrote or co-wrote several doo-wop hits including "At the Hop," "1-2-3," and "Rock and Roll Is Here to Stay"; as well as the Lesley Gore hit "You Don't Own Me." Danny and the Juniors are members of several halls of fame, including the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. White passed away on March 17, 2019.
Birch Bayh (age 91) - Bayh served three terms in the U. S. Senate as a Democrat from Indiana. During his tenure, Bayh authored Title IX of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and not one but two amendments to the U. S. Constitution (Amendments XXV and XXVI). As such, he is the only non-Founding Father to have written more than one amendment. He was defeated for re-election by future vice President Dan Quayle in 1980. His son, Evan, filled the same seat from 1999-2011. Bayh died of pneumonia March 14, 2019.
Ralph Hall (age 95) - Hall served as a U. S. Congressman from northeastern Texas for more than two decades, beginning in 1981 and lasting until he was beaten in the 2014 Republican primary and left office in 2015. In the years 1981-2004, he was a "blue-dog" Democrat but switched parties in 2004. Hall died March 7, 2019.
Alan Krueger (age 58) - Kreuger, a professor of economics at Princeton University, was the Chair of the White House Council under President Obama from 2012-13; before which he was an Assistant Secretary of the Treasury. During his career, he specialized in exploding economic memes such as "raising the minimum wage will result in loss of jobs." Kreuger died of suicide March 16, 2019.
"King Kong" Bundy (age 61) - Real name Christopher Alan Pallies, Bundy was a professional wrestler on the WWF circuit in the 1980s and 90s, including the World Wrestling Federation championship fight in Wrestlemania 2. Pallies died March 4, 2019.
Kelly Catlin (age 23) - A member of the 2016 U. S. Olympic track cycling team, Catlin turned professional after the games, signing with Rally UHC Cycling. She had been a graduate student at Stanford University when she committed suicide on March 7, 2019.
Mike Cofer (age 58) - Cofer, a linebacker, recorded 62.5 sacks in an 10-year NFL career with the Detroit Lions. He was the Lions' third-round pick in the 1983 draft; out of Tennessee. He was chosen for the Pro Bowl after the 1988 season. Cofer succumbed to amyloidosis on March 21, 2019.
Clem Daniels (age 81) - Daniels broke into the American Football League in 1960 with the Dallas Texans, but was traded to the Oakland Raiders the following year. He came into his own with the Raiders, being chosen for an All-Star for four consecutive years and leading the league in rushing in 1967. He is the AFL's all-time rushing leader. Daniels died March 23, 2019.
Cedrick Hardman (age 70) - Hardman had a thirteen-year career in the NFL as a defensive end. He played for the San Francisco 49ers from 1970-79 before moving across the bay to play his last two seasons for the Oakland Raiders. His 107 quarterback sacks still rank as the most all-time for a 49er. Hardman died March 8, 2019.
Harry Howell (age 86) - Howell spent seventeen years as a defenseman on the NHL's New York Rangers, and another five years on California team before jumping to the fledgling WHA in 1973; playing in another three seasons. He still holds the team record for the most games as a Ranger. He played in seven All-Star games and was inducted into the Hall of fame in 1979. Howell passed away March 9, 2019.
Randy Jackson (age 93) - Ransom "Randy" Jackson had a ten-year career in major league baseball that included two appearances as an All-Star. He played for the Cubs and Dodgers in the NL and the Indians in the AL before returning to Wrigley to close out. A lifetime .261 hitter, one of Jackson's 103 home runs happens to be the last ever hit by a Brooklyn Dodger. Jackson died March 20, 2019.
Johnny Jones (age 61) - "Lam" Jones, an Olympic sprinter (U.S. 4x100m relay team, gold medal in 1976) was a first-round draft pick by the NFL's New York Jets in 1980. Althugh a speedy receiver who could outrun coverage, he had difficulty in catching the ball. In seven years with the Jets and the Dallas Cowboys, Jones caught 138 passes for 2322 yards and 13 TDs. Jones died of myeloma March 15, 2019.
Ted Lindsay (age 93) - Lindsay played 13 seasons for the NHL Detroit Red Wings, most of them on the famous "Production Line" with hall-of-famers Gordie Howe and Sid Abel; including four Stanley Cup finals. He was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in 1958, allegedly in retaliation for his activities in starting a players' union. Lindsay returned to Detroit for the 1964-5 season after four years in retirement, finishing his career where he started. Lindsay died March 4, 2019.
Johnny Romano (age 84) - Romano was a four-time MLB All-Star catcher in the 1960s, primarily with the Cleveland Indians. He played for the Chicago White Sox in 1958-9 and 1965-6, and completed his career with the St. Louis Cardinals. Best-known as a defensive catcher, Romano once led the league in baserunners caught stealing. Romano died March 4, 2019.
