Deaths of the Rich and Famous - July, 2020

Arts & Letters   ––   Business   ––   Miscellaneous


Movies, Stage, & Television   ––   Politics & Government   ––   Music   ––   Sports

Arts and Letters

Back to top

Business

Irwin Molasky (age 93) - Molasky dropped out of college to work in construction in California before moving to Vegas in 1951. That's where he and three other men founded a real-estate development company. The Molasky group developed commercial and resort properties throughout the Southwest an built the first hospital in Las Vegas. Molasky was also co-founder of Lorimar Productions and was instrumental in the development of UNLV. He died July 4, 2020.

Back to top

Miscellaneous

Scott Erskine (age 57 - Erskine was sentenced to death in 2003 for the killing of two boys aged nine and 13. He had already spent four years in prison during his late teens and twenties for rape and attempted rape. Court records say that, at age 10, Eskine had attempted to sodomize his six-year-old sister. He died in San Quentin prison July 3, 2020, of the COVID-19 virus.

Mary Kay Letournea (age 58) - Letourneau, a former schoolteacher, was convicted in 1997 of molesting a former student, 13-year-old Samoan-born Vili Fulaau. After serving a 3-month prison sentence and being paroled, she was caught with Fulaau again. Two daughters resulted from their... mating, the second of whom was born in prison. After her release in 2005, she married Fulaau. Letournau died of colon cancer July 6, 2020.

Reckful (age 31) - Byron Bernstein, aka "Reckful," was a Twitch streamer and a professional eSports player best known as a master of World of Warcraft. He was also a low-level professional poker player. Like his older brother before him, the Israeli-American Bernstein committed suicide, dying July 2, 2020.

Rubble (age 32) - Rubble, a resident of Exeter in England, was born May 5, 1988. That wouldn't be so interesting if he were human, but Rubble was a domestic feline; certified by Guinness as the oldest living cat. The Maine coon cat's death was announced July 3, 2020.

Back to top

Movies, Television, and Stage

Hugh Downs (age 99) - Downs began his career so long ago that he started in radio, an announcer at a staion in Lima, Ohio (home of the "Glee" kids). His first TV appearance was in - get this - 1945. He hosted the game show "Concentration, announced from a variety of shows, and hosted "Good Morning America for almost a decade. At one time he held the record for most hours appearing on television. Downs died July 1, 2020.

Brndis Kemp (76) - Kemp was a character actress in films and television in addition to her stage appearances. Her longest-running roles were the part of Alma on "AfterMASH" and as a member of the ensemble cast on ABC's version of SNL, "Fridays." She made multiple guest appearances as well, and had small parts in many films. Kemp succumbed to COVID-19 and brain cancer on July 4, 2020.

Kevin Rafferty (age 73) - Rafferty was a cinematographer and director of documentary films, among them The Atomic Cafe (1992) and Blood in the Face (1991).  Michael Moore credits Rafferty with teaching him the art of documentary during the filming of Roger and Me, for which Rafferty was cinematographer.  Strangely enough, he was a cousin of President George W. Bush. Rafferty died of cancer July 2, 2020.

Naya Rivera (age 33) - Rivera was an actress and singer, best-known for her role as snarky cheerleader Santana Lopez in the television series "Glee," although she also had a role in the show "The Royal Family" as a pre-teen. After the show closed, she had a brief career as a singer. Rivera was reported missing from a boat in Ventura County, California, on July 8, 2020. Her body was located July 13; her death ruled an accidental drowning.

Back to top

Music

Charlie Daniels (age 83) - Daniels was an Country and Western artist whose blockbuster crossover hit, "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," made him a household name in 1979 and won him a Grammy Award. He made multiple appearances in films as himself, and also appears on a number of record albums from the 1960s and 70s as a sideman. Daniels was a member of the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame. He died July 6, 2020, after a stroke.

Ennio Morricone (age 91) - Morricone was a composer and conductor, best known in the US for his film and television scores. He collaborated with director Sergio Leonoe on a fistful of "spaghetti westerns" before he was picked up by Hollywood. Among his dozens of American film scores are those for Brian De Palma's The Untouchables and Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds. His works collected Oscar and Grammy nomnations like kids collect rocks. He died after a fall on July 6, 2020.

Joe Porcaro (age 90) - Porcaro, a jazz drummer, compiled a long list of appearances as a sideman with such acts as Rosemary Clooney, Gerry Mullligan, Richard Marx, and Harry Connick Jr. He may have been most proud of his appearances with the band Toto, founded by his sons Jeff, Mike, and Steve. His work appears on the soundtrack of Enter the Dragon due to collaboration with Lalo Schifrin. Porcaro died July 5, 2020.

Back to top

Politics

Amadou Gon Coulibaly (age 61) - Coulibaly was the sitting Prime Minister of Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire) at the time of his death, a position he had held since being chosen in 2017. At the time of his death, he was front-runner in his country's 2020 presidential election.  He had previously served as secretary general in the administration of the previous President, Alassane Ouattara. Coulibaly, who had undergone heart surgery in 2012, became ill and died July 8, 2020.

Jay Severin (age 69) - Severin parlayed a twenty-year career as a Republican political consultant into a gig as a conservative AM radio talk-show host on Boston and New York stations. He was fired in Boston for a history racist statements about Muslims and Latinos and sexual innuendo about co-workers. He later spent four years as a commentator on Glenn Beck's "The Blaze" network. Severin died July 7, 2020, after a massive stroke.

Back to top

Sports

Mike Ryan (age 78) - Ryan was a light-hitting (lifetime .193) catcher who spent eleven seasons in the bigs with Boston, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh. He is distinguished mainly for having the second-lowest career batting average in MLB history, hanging on on the strength of his defensive skill. After retiring in 1974, he coached at the minor league level and spent fifteen years as a coach with the Phillies. Ryan died July 7, 2020.

Tommy Vaughan (age 77) - Vaughan spent seven seasons in the NFL, all of them with the Detroit Lions. He was drafted in 1965 and retired in 1971 after a head injury. Vaughan started more than sixty games at free safety and was a punt and kickoff returner. After retiring, he was an assistant coach for several colleges. Vaughan died July 4, 2020,

Back to top

Deaths in June, 2020 ---

Deaths of the Rich and Famous - June, 2020

Arts & Letters   ––   Business   ––   Miscellaneous


Movies, Stage, & Television   ––   Politics & Government   ––   Music   ––   Sports

Arts and Letters

Rudolfo Anaya (age 82) - Best known for his Chicano coming-of-age novel  Bless Me, Ultima, Anaya was a native new Mexican who stayed in Albuquerque to teach at the University of New Mexico. Besides Ultima, which has been published in both Spanish (Benediceme, Ultima) and English, Anaya also wrote a series of mysteries about Latino private eye Sonny Baca. Anaya died June 28, 2020, after a long illness.

Bruce Jay Friedman (age 90) - Friedman wrote novels, plays, and screenplays; with a special emphasis on dark humor in a deadpan voice. He was most active in the early mid-century, including the screenplays for The Heartbreak Kid and Stir Crazy. He also published several novels and short-story collections, as well as non-fiction. Friedman died June 3, 2020.

Milton Glaser (age 91) - Glaser was best known as a graphic designer who designed the logos for many well-known entities, including DC Comics, Stony Brook University, and a psychedelic Bob Dylan album cover. His best-known work is undoubtedly the logo I ♥ NY, which he designed in the 1970s. Glaser also teamed up with a friend to found New York magazine, and created his own font, Glaser Stencil. He died on his 91st birthday, June 26, 2020.

David Perlman (age 101) - Perlman was a long-time journalist for the San Francisco Chronicle, who took over the newspaper's science reporting in 1957. He remained with the Chronicle throughout his career, becoming science editor emeritus at the age of 98. The American Geological Union created an award in his honor in 2000, and he received awards from multiple societies and the USGS. Perlman died June 19, 2020.

Charles Webb (age 81) - Webb was a novelist with some nine titles to his name. His second most famous might have been The Marriage of a Young Stockbroker, but few who survived the sixties will forget his most famous work, The Graduate. Despite the success of his novel and the film based on it, Webb lived a blue-collar life working low-wage jobs. He died June 16, 2020.

Back to top

Business

Back to top

Miscellaneous

Thomas Edward Blanton, Jr. (age 82) - In 2001, Blanton was convicted of murder in the 1963 bombing of a black church in Birmingham, Alabama. He and another man were the two remaining suspects out of four in the case, all members of the local Kyu Klux Klan chapter, and were both sentenced to four consecutive life sentences. Blanton died in prison on June 26, 2020.

Sergei Kruschev (age 84) - The son of Soveit Premier Kikita Kruschev, Sergei was an engineer and sometime college professor. A naturalized American citizen, he taught at the Naval War College. Kruschev died of a gunshot wound, apparently self-inflicted, on June 19, 2020.

Emidio Soltsyk (age 44) - "Mimi" Soltsyk was a California socialist - the real thing, not a Bernie Sanders Social Democrat - who ran for U. S. President on the Socialist ticket in 2016, receiving less than 3,000 votes nationwide. . He also ran for state assemblyman in California in 2016. Soltsyk died of liver cancer June 28, 2020.

Antonio Veciana (age 91) - The Cuban-born Veciana was an accountant in his native country when he was recruited by the CIA in a plot to kill newly-installed president Fidel Castro after the Bay of Pigs invasion failed. Veciana fled Havana in 1961, settling in Miami where he founded a fiercely anti-Castro group, Alpha 66.  He died June 18, 2020, in Miami.

Jack Whittaker (age 72) - At the time a construction worker, Jack Whittaker won almost $$315 million in a 2002 PowerBall lottery game. His good luck, however, did not guarantee happiness.  Whittaker's life was... troubled, including association with drug overdoses, lawsuits, a DUI, and the death of his granddaughter. Whittaker died June 27, 2020.

Back to top

Movies, Television, and Stage

Mary Pat Gleason (age 70) - Gleason's list of film and television credits runs into the hundreds of entries. She was active from the 1980s until 2019, including a three-year stint on "The Guiding Light" in the early 1980s. She also won a writing Emmy Award for the same soap. Although never a featured actor, she made guest appearances on dozens of television shows from "NYPD Blue" to "Mom." She died of cancer on June 2, 2020.

Dan Hicks (age 68) - Primarily known for his appearances in horror films, Hicks spent thirty years in Hollywood. He broke into the biz in 1987's Evil Dead II and speared in thirty-plus other films up to 2019's The Blood Hunter. Hicks revealed that he had stage 4 cancer on June 5, 2020, and died on June 30, 2020.

Sir Ian Holm (age 88) - Holm was a Tony-winning (1967, The Homecoming) British actor who also made numerous film appearances. He was a BAFTA winner and an Oscar nominee for his role in Chariots of Fire.  More recently, be played the role of "older" Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Holm died June 19, 2020, of complications of Parkinson's Disease.

Carl Reiner (age 98) - Reiner was a fixture in television and movies from the '50s up to his last years. He is known for his many comedy roles, including Dick van Dyke's boss, Alan Brady, on his eponymous show. He made hundreds of other appearances in television and films. His late wife, Estelle, had a cameo appearance in When Harry Met Sally, directed by their son, Rob, in which she delivered the iconic line, "I'll have what she's having." Reiner died June 29, 2020.

Back to top

Music

Hux Brown (75) - Lynford "Hux" Brown was a Jamaican rocksteady and reggae guitarist with a long discography over his 50-year-career. In the US, he is known for his work with Paul Simon and Jimmy Cliff, and for a three-and-a-half decade stint with Toots and the Maytalls. Brown died suddenly on June 18, 2020.

Dame Vera Lynn (age 103) - Lynn's renditions of "The White Cliffs of Dover" and "We'll Meet Again" and her tireless performances for the troops have long been credited with helping the British endure World War II; an accomplishment for which she received the OBE. She was acclaimed as a national treasure, and performed up until her death. She passed away 18 June, 2020.

Johnny Mandel (age 94) - Mandel was a Oscar- and Grammy-winning composer and arranger who wrote music for television and movies. He is best-known for songs such as "The Shadow of Your Smile" (from The Sandpiper), "Emily" (from The Americanization of Emily), and "Suicide Is Painless" (theme song of both the movie and television series, M*A*S*H). He also arranged the Grammy-winning version of "Unforgettable" that reunited Nat King and Natalie Cole. Mandel died June 29, 2020.

Bonnie Pointer (age 69) - Bonnie and her three sisters (June, Anita, and Ruth),  collectively known as The Pointer Sisters, were a hot Soul/R&B act in the 1970s, charting such hits as "Yes We Can Can." The group collected three Grammy Awards in the '70s and '80s, two of them after Bonnie left in 1977. As a solo act, Pointer met moderate success. She died of cardiac arrest on June 8, 2020.

Back to top

Politics

Jean Kennedy Smith (age 92) - Smith, youngest sister of President John F. Kennedy, was a humanitarian and philanthropist. She founded Very Special Arts, an international non-profit supporting the differently abled. In 1993, President Clinton appointed her U. S. Ambassador to Ireland, where she was instrumental in the peace process in Northern Ireland. President Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011. Smith died June 17, 2020.

Back to top

Sports

Joe Arenas (age 94) - Arenas was a halfback and kick returner for the 49ers in the 1950s, also filling in as a defensive back. He amassed a startling 3800 kick return yards; averaging more then 27 yards per return, still ninth best in NFL history. He was one of the first LatinX players in the NFL. Arenas died June 30, 2020.

"Killer" Brooks(age 72) - Tim Brooks was an American wrestler who competed... appeared under the nickname "Killer." He began his career in the Midwest before nationalization of the sport in the 1980s, ultimately working in such circuits as the WWE, WWF, WWG, WWH, WWI...  you know what we mean. Much of his career was spent in the NWA, which we thought was a rap group. Whatever. Brooks died of cancer on June 30, 2020.

Joe Bugel (age 80) - Although he did not play organized football after high school, Bugel became one of the most respected assistant coaches in professional football. He started with a small college in 1964 before becoming a Big Ten coach and moving into the pros in 1975 with the Lions. OVer the next 35 years, Bugel was an assistant with six different pro teams and the head coach of the Cardinals and Raiders in the '90s, His Redskins offenses won two Super Bowls. Bugel died June 28, 2020.

Reche Caldwell (age 41) - The Florida native played six seasons as an NFL wide receiver, four tiwht he Chargers and one each with the Redskins and Patriots. He finished with 152 receptions and 1851 yards for eleven TDs. Caldwell died as a result of a gunshot wound in his native Tampa on June 6, 2020, allegedly during an attempted robbery.

Adrian Devine (age 68) - Devine was a right-handed pitcher for the Braves and Rangers in the 1970s, compiling a 26-22 record. Oriinally a starting pitcher, he became a middle reliever, also recording 31 career saves. Devine, who recovered twice from tongue cancer, died after a long battle with the disease on June 27, 2020.

Eddie Kasko (age 88) - Kasko was a slap-hitting infielder with a strong glove who toiled for several MLB teams (Red Sox, Colt .45s-Astros, Reds, and Cardinals) in the '50s and '60. He was an All-Star while playing with the Reds in 1961, and retired with a lifetime .264 batting average and 261 RBIs. He managed the Red Sox from 1970-73, compiling a 345-295 W-L record, and is in the Sox Hall of Fame. Kasko died June 24, 2020.

Jim Kiick (age 73) - Kiick was a stalwart running back alongside Larry Csonka for the Miami Dolphins from 1968 to 1974 and later with the Broncs and Redskins, racking up 3700-plus rushing yards and more than 2300 receiving yards. He was a two-time AFL All-Star and a member of the Dolphins undefeated team in 1972-3. Kiick succumbed to Alzheimer's Disease on June 20, 2020.

Ken Riley (age 72) - Riley spend fifteen seasons in the NFL as a cornerback, all with the Cincinnati Bengals. He was a three-time All-Pro, racking up 65 picks over the years. In the final game of the 1976 season, he collected three interceptions, including two of Joe Namath. After retiring as a player, he coached at the college level for Florida A&M. Riley died June 7, 2020.

Paul Rochester (age 81) - "Rocky" Rochester spent ten seasons in professional football, the entirety of the existence of the old AFL. The defensive tackle/end played four seasons  (1960-63)  for the Texans/Chiefs and the remainder of his career (1964-69) with the Jets. He was an All-Stat in 1961 and won a Super Bowl with the Jets in 1968. Rochester died June 9, 2020.

Kurt Thomas (age 64) - Thomas was the first ever American man to win gymnastics gold in the world championships, a feat he accomplished three times in the 1970s. He had a short, undistinguished career as an actor and also worked as a gymnastics commentator for television. He died June 5, 2020, as the result of a stroke two weeks earlier.

Wes Unseld (age 74) - Unseld was only the second NBA player to be named league MVP in his rookie year, joining Wilt Chamberlain. He spent all fourteen of his seasons with the Bullets, collecting 5 All-Star berths, a playoffs MVP, Rookie of the Year, and a retired number. He finished with more than 10,000 points and almost 14,000 rebounds; and is a member of both the NBA and College basketball Halls of Fame. He also coached the Bullets for seven seasons. Unseld passed away as a result of pneumonia on June 2, 2020.

Back to top

Deaths in May, 2020 --- July, 2020

Deaths of the RIch and Famous - May, 2020

Arts & Letters   ––   Business   ––   Miscellaneous


Movies, Stage, & Television   ––   Politics & Government   ––   Music   ––   Sports

Arts and Letters

Peter Alexander (age 81) - Alexander was a sculptor, part of Southern California's "Light and Space" movement during the 1960s. His early medium was resin, often translucent. His sculptures have appeared in several films. Alexander stopped sculpting with resin for more than thirty years, during which he painted. His work is shown in galleries and one of his murals is on display at teh Walt Disney Concert Hall. Alexander died May 26, 2020.

Stanley Bing (age 68) - Bing, real name Gil Schwartz, split his time between two careers, that of an executive for CBS (VP of corporate communications) and a writer and humorist. In that latter vocation, Bing wrote for Esquire and Fortune magazines for a total of thirty years, chiefly business writing and satire of the business and political worlds. He published thirteen books. Bing died of a heart attack on May 2, 2020.

Larry Kramer (age 84) - Kramer was a playwright and public health advocate, known mainly for founding the gay-rights organization Act Up in the 1980s to focus attention on the AIDS epidemic. He was a two-time Obie Award winner and a finalist for the 1992 Pulitzer Prize for drama. Kramer died of pneumonia May 27, 2020.

Michael McClure (age 87) - McClure was a multi-talented wordsmith; writing reportage, poetry, plays, novels, and song lyrics. He first became famous as a Beat Generation poet who hung around with Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac. He also appeared in a handful of films. McClure passed away after a stroke on May 4, 2020.

Back to top

Business

S. David Freeman (age 94) - Freeman, an electrical engineer by trade, picked up a law degree in his late 20s and became an attorney for the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). He eventually headed that agency, as well as the LCRA in Texas and the public utilities of NYC, Sacramento, and LA. He also served as an energy policy advisor to presidents Johnson and Carter, especially on renewables. Freeman suffered a heart attack and died May 12, 2020.

Samuel Horchow (age 91) - Horchow founded the mail-order business that still bears his name in 1971, a luxury mail-order business that was the first of its kind without a brick-and-mortar store. He sold the company to Nieman-Marcus seventeen years later. He then turned to theatre, becoming a Broadway producer, winning a Tony his first time out for Crazy for You base on George Gershwin's musical Girl Crazy. Horchow died of Cancer May 2, 2020.

Carolyn Reidy (age 71) - Reidy's career in publishing lasted from her first days at Random House in the early '70s until her death. During her years at Random House, she headed up the Vintage Books and Avon Books imprints. She joined Simon and Schuster in 1992, eventually becoming CEO in 2008. Reidy died of a heart attack on May 12, 2020.

Back to top

Miscellaneous

Gregg Bemis (age 91) Bemis was a marine explorer and diver who, through a series of purchases and court battles, became the sole owner of the wreck of the RMS Lusitania. The wreck lies off the Irish coast near Kinsale Head. Bemis died of cancer on May 21, 2020.

David Owen Brooks (age 65) - Brooks, a native of Houston, was convicted of murder in 1975 as an accomplice of two other men. In all the three were alleged to have killed at least 28 men and boys in 1970-73. Brooks was sentenced to life in prison and died May 28, 2020.

Barry Farber (age 90) - Farber was a nationally-syndicated radio talk-show host, the capstone to a career in radio that stretched across the second half of the twentieth century. He was still contributing to CRN Digital Talk Radio at his death. Farber was also adjunct professor of linguistics (he studied 25 different languages) at St. Johns and a one-time candidate for mayor of New York. Farber died May 6, 2020.

Wilson Roosevelt Jerman (age 91) - With a name combining the surnames of two  presidents, Jerman was almost type-cast for the job he held over a 45-year career, a staffer in the White House. In that time, he served in various roles from cleaner to butler under eleven presidents, from Eisenhower to Obama. Jerman died of COVID-19 on May 16, 2020.

Darrin Patrick (age 49) - Patrick founded The Journey, a St. Louis-based megachurch, in 2002; and was its lead pastor until he was removed from the ministry in 2016. After a "restoration process," he re-entered the ministry as an associate of Seacoast Church in 2017. Patrick died of what appears to have been a self-inflicted gunshot wound on May 7, 2020.

Saturn (age 83?) - Saturn, an American-born alligator, was a resident of the Berlin Zoological Garden and a favorite of Adolf Hitler. Although the zoo was destroyed by Allied bombing, Saturn survived and was moved to Moscow. He died of old age May 22, 2020.

Ronald Shurer (age 41) - Shurer was awarded the Medal of Honor in 2018 for his actions during a battle in Afghanistan in 2008. The former Special Forces medic became a Secret Service agent after leaving the army. He was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2017 and succumbed to the disease on May 14, 2020.

Robert Weighton (age 112) - At his death on May 28, 2020. the Englishman was the oldest living person. He was born in 1908 and lived through two world wars and the Spanish Influenza. He died of cancer.

Oliver E. Williamson (age 87) - Williamson was Professor Emeritus of economics in the Edgar F. Kaiser chair at Cal Berkeley. He had previously taught at University of Pennsylvania and Yale. He shared the 2009 Nobel Prize in Economics with Elinor Ostrom. Williamson died of pneumonia on May 21, 2020.

Greg Zanis (age 69) - Zanis, by trade a carpenter, began building and installing crosses in memory of the victims of gunshot deaths. He is said to have built, delivered, and installed more than 26,000 crosses; recording his work in a handwritten ledger. Zanis succumbed to bladder cancer May 4, 2020, after arranging for a Lutheran charity to continue his mission.

Back to top

Movies, Television, and Stage

Phyllis George (age 70) George's chief claim to fame is probably being one of the first female sport hosts on a national television show, an honor bestowed on the former Miss America (1971) when she began co-hostint the GBS pregame show for NFL football in 1975. She also hosted the SBS Morning News for three years and was the First Lady of Kentucky when her husband, John Y. Brown, was elected. George died of complications of a blood disease on May 14, 2020.

Richard Herd (age 87) - Herd's face is familiar to both film and television viewers from more than forty years in show business. Among his many film appearances were roles in All the President's Men and Dog Days of Summer. On the small screen, Herd played a police captain in "T. J. Hooker" and made multiple appearances in "Seinfeld" and "Star Trek Voyager." Herd died of cancer on May 26, 2020.

Lynn Shelton (age 54) - Shelton came late to her career as a film director after a decade or more of other jobs in the industry, including editor. After her first feature film, We Go Way Back, won critical acclaim, Shelton directed a number of independent and art house films including Sword of Trust (2109) and Outside In (2017). She also directed episode of TV shows. Shelton died of a blood disorder on May 16, 2020.

Jerry Stiller (age 92) - Stiller's fame is cross-generational, as he is best known to those of his generation as half of the comedy duo Stiller and Meara, but is far more familiar to later generations as a character on the television comedies "Seinfeld" and "King of Queens." A quintessentially Jewish comedian from the 1950s, Stiller parlayed an obnoxious stage personality into roles beloved of a certain demographic. The three-time Emmy nominee was also the father of "comedic actor" Ben Stiller, and shares a Hollywood Walk of Fame star with his late wife, Anne Meara. Stiller died May 11, 2020.

Fred Willard (age 86) - Willard had a long and funny career as an actor, mostly on the small screen; however his most enduring roles came in Christopher Guest's "mocumentaries" such as This Is Spinal Tap and A Mighty Wind. On television, he appeared in "Fernwood 2 Night" and multiple episodes of "Everybody Loves Raymond" and "Roseanne," among hundreds of roles. Willard was nominated for an Emmy four times and won an American Comedy Award (2001). He died May 15, 2020.

Back to top

Music

Sweet Pea Atkinson (age 74) - Hillard Atkinson was an R&B vocalist, perhaps best known as a member of the 1970's band Was (Not Was). He also had a brief solo career, and sang backup on a wide range of artists' albums including Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, and Iggy Pop. He was a founding member of the little-known band The Boneshakers. Atkinson succumbed to a heart attack on May 5, 2020.

Bucky Baxter (age 65) - Baxter was a multi-instrumentalist on strings, mainly the guitar and pedal steel guitar. He was a founding member of the backup band for Steve Earle and appeared on four of Earle's albums. He played pedal steel in Bob Dylan's touring band in the 1990s, also appearing on Dylan's Grammy-winning "Time Out of Mind" in 1996. Baxter died May 25, 2020.

Jimmy Cobb (age 91) - Cobb was a respected jazz drummer with a long career. He may be best known for his work on the iconic Miles Davis album, "Kind of Blue." He played with dozens of jazz musicians afterwards, including such legends as Wes Montgomery, Stan Getz, and Richie Cole. Cobb succumbed to lung cancer on May 24, 2020.

Richie Cole (age 72) - Cole was a jazz musician, primarily an alto saxophonist. He also composed and arranged music for a number of jazz groups. Over the years, Cole was associated with such bad leaders as Lionel Hampton, Doc Severinsen, and Buddy Rich. His discography stretches to nearly a hundred performances as both a leader and a sideman. Cole died May 2, 2020, of natural causes.

Cady Groves (age 30) - The Kansas native Groves was a singer-songwriter who released a handful of singles and EPs of pop music. Her best-known work is probably "This Little Girl," which she released at the age of 21. Groves died May 2, 2020, of unstated causes, apparently natural.

Little Richard (age 87) - Born Richard Penniman, "Little Richard" was considered a pop icon for much of the past seventy years. His earliest work dates to the 1950s, although his influence reaches across pop to rook to blues to hip-hop. He received a lifetime achievement Grammy Award in 1993, and is a member of the Songwriters, R&B, Blues, and Rock and Roll halls of fame; as well as having a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Little Richard died of bone cancer on May 9, 2020.

Frederick Tillis (age 90) - Tillis composed and taught jazz music, as well as performing on saxophone and writing poetry. He retired from teaching but remained a professor emeritus at U. Mass, Amherst. He published a dozen or so books of poetry and authored a textbook on jazz theory. Tillis died May 4, 2020.

Betty Wright (age 66) - Wright was a singer, songwriter, and background singer in soul and R&B. Her biggest hit came in 1971, when she released "Clean Up Woman," though she had already been a recording since she was thirteen. Wright picked up a Grammy in 1974 for "Where Is the Love?" She released dozens of singles over a fifty-year career and appeared as a background vocalist on many more. She died of cancer on May 10, 2020.

Back to top

Politics

Sam Johnson (age 89) - Johnson spent almost thirty years in the U. S. House as a Republican congressman from the Dallas area in Texas. He had been an Air Force pilot in both the Korean and Vietnam Wars. IN the second, he was captured by the North Vietnamese and held in the notorious Hanoi Hilton. Johnson retired after being re-elected in 2018. He died May 27, 2020.

Back to top

Sports

Ashley Cooper (age 83) - Cooper was a professional tennis player from Australia who competed in the 1950s and 1960s. He collected four each singles and doubles wins in the Grand Slam Series from 1957 to 1958. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1991. He died May 22, 2020.

Ernie Gonzalez (age 59) - Gonzalez, a native Californian, was a professional golfer who played on PGA tour during the 1980s. His one tour win was the 1986 Pensacola Open, making him only the third lefty to win a tour event. He taught in Nevada after leaving the tour. He dies of early-onset Alzheimer's disease on May 15, 2020.

Matt Keough (age 64) - Keough pitched all or part of ten seasons in the majors, the first six with the Oakland Athletics from 1977-1983. A "legacy" player, Matt was the son of outfielder Marty Keough. He started 175 of his 215 games, finishing with a 58-84 W-L record and seven shutouts with a 4.17 ERA and 590 Ks. He made the AL All-Star team in 1978. Keough passed away May 1, 2020.

Johnny McCarthy (age 86) - McCarthy played six seasons in the NBA for such teams as Rochester / Cincinnati, St Louis, Pittsburgh, and the Celtics. His chief claim to fame is having recorded a triple-double in his first game, against the Lakers in 1960. He finished his career with 2450 points and 1184 assists. McCarthy died May 9,2020, after a fall.

Biff Pocoroba (age 66) - Yes, his birth name was "Biff." Go figure... Podoroba spend all or part of ten seasons in the majors as a back-up catcher, all of them with the Atlanta Braves. He was an All-Star in 1978, mainly for his defensive skills. After retiring in 1984, he and two brothers operated Sausage World, a meat business in the Atlanta area. He died May 24, 2020.

Mary Pratt (age 101) - Pratt was a pitcher on three different teams in the celebrated All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, as chronicled in A League of their Own.  She finished her career with a 28-51 record, including a no-hitter while pitching for Kenosha in 1944. After retiring, Pratt became a teacher. She died May 6, 2020.

Don Shula (age 90) - Shula spent six seasons as an NFL defensive back (Browns, Colts, Redskins) before retiring to the college coaching ranks in 1958. By 1960 he was back in the NFL as a defensive backs coach for the Lions, finally taking over as head coach of the Colts in 1963. After six seasons with Baltimore, he moved to Miami where he remained until 1995. He was a 2-time Super Bowl champ and a 4-time coach of the year, including the Dolphins' perfect-season year, 1972. Shula was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1997. He died May 4, 2020.

Jerry Sloan (age 78) - Sloan played eleven seasons in the NBA, primarily with the Chicago Bulls. After retiring in 1976, he became an NBA coach, spending three seasons with his old team before moving to the Utah Jazz in 1985. As a player he was a two-time All-Stat, collecint more than 10,000 points and 5,000 rebounds. As a coach, he had a career 1221-803 record, earning him a berth in the NBA Hall of Fame as a coach. Sloan died of complications of Parkinson's Disease on May 22, 2020.

Mike Storen (age 84) - Storen joined the NBA Chicago Zephyrs straight out of college, and stayed in pro basketball for the remainder of his career. He was general manager of the ABA Indiana Pacers and then part-owner of the Kentucky Colonels before becoming the league commissioner in 1973. He was, at one time, general manager of the Hawks, commissioner of the CBA, and commissioner of the IPFL before retiring in 2002. Storen died of cancer on May 7, 2020.

Roosevelt Taylor (age 82) - Rosey Taylor spend 12 seasons as a safety in pro football, the bulk of it with the Chicago Bears. He was twice a Pro Bowler and a three-time ALl-Pro, while never missing a game in nine seasons with the Bears. He finished his career with the Redskins in their 1972 Superbowl season. Taylor died May 29, 2020.

John Teerlinck (age 69) - Teerlinck had a brief, injury-shortened NFL career with the Chargers in the mid-'70s. After his playing career ended, Teerlinck spent several seasons as a college coach before being tapped by the Browns as a Defensive line coach. He held that position with six different NFL teams, including two Super Bowl-winning seasons with the Broncos and one with the Colts. He was fired by the Colts in 2011, and retired. Teerlinck died May 10, 2020.

Ryan Wetnight (age 49) - Wetnight plpayed eight NFL seasons as a tight end, the first seven with the Bears. He accounted for 175 receptions for 1542 yards, including 9 TDs. He retired in 2000, returning to his native California where he became a realtor. Wetnight succumbed to stomach cancer on May 1, 2020.

Back to top

Deaths in April, 2020 --- Deaths in June, 2020

Deaths of the Rich and Famous - April, 2020

Arts & Letters   ––   Business   ––   Miscellaneous


Movies, Stage, & Television   ––   Politics & Government   ––   Music   ––   Sports

Arts and Letters

Patricia Bosworth (age 87) - Bosworth, born Patricia Crum, began modeling in college and segued to the stage. In the '50s and '60s, she had a brief career as an actress, appearing on television and in film (her most famous role was in the Audrey Hepburn vehicle, The Nun's Story). In the 1960s, she became a journalist and author, wiring tor Vanity Fair and editing Screen Stars. She wrote several biographies, including Montgomery Cift, Marlon Brando, Jane Fonda, and Diane Arbus. Bosworth died of the COVID-19 virus on April 2, 2020.

Mort Drucker (age 91) - Drucker was a cartoonist and caricaturist. His best-known works are most certainly the  satirical drawings he published in "Mad Magazine" for more than fifty years. Drucker also illustrated film posters, coloring books, and at least one comic strip ("Benchley"). He was a multiple award winner in the field of comics, including a Reuben Award and induction into the National Cartoonists Society Hall of Fame. Drucker died April 8, 2020.

Glenna Goodacre (age 80) - Goodacre was a sculptor and artist-in-residence in Santa Fe, the mother of model/actress Jill Goodacre and mother-in-law of Harry Connick, Jr. Among Goodacre'd best-known works are the Vietnam Women's Memorial in Washington, DC, and the face of Sacagewa on the dollar coin. Goodacre passed away April 13, 2020.

Nick Kotz (age 87) - Nathan "Nick" Kotz was an journalist and author specializing in politcal science. He is best known for his book about the personalities involved in the passage of the civil rights laws in the 1960s, in particular President Johnson and the Reverend King. Kotz was killed in a freak auto accident on April 26, 2020.

Matty Simmons (age 93) - Simmons, the one-time executive VP of Diner's Club, sidestepped into media as the CEO of Twenty-First Century Communications. He and a friend created the company to publish a humor magazine that eventually led to National Lampoon. The company also produced such films as Animal House and the National Lampoon franchise of comedies. Simmons passed away April 29, 2020.

Back to top

Business

James Beggs (age 94) - Beggs was a VP at General Dynamics and an undersecretary in the Department of Trasnportation under the Nixon administration. Ronald Reagan tapped him to lead NASA in 1981, a position he held until resigning after the Challenger disaster in 1986. Beggs died April 25, 2020.

Earl Graves, Sr. (age 85) - Graves was an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and publisher. He founded Black Enterprise magazine and was the chairman of his eponymous company. He sat on the Small Business administration during the Johnson administration. The business school at his alma mater, Morgan State University, is named for Graves. He died April 6, 2020, of Alzheimer's Disease.

Arne Wilhelmsen (age 90) - The Harvard-educated Wilhemsen  leveraged his shipping company, Anders Wilhelmsen, to co-found Royal Caribbean Cruise Line in 1968 with two other shipping magnates. The company went public in 1993, leaving the Norwegian a billionaire. Wilhelmsen died April 11, 2020.

Back to top

Miscellaneous

Bennie Adkins (age 86) - Adkins spent more than twenty years in the U. S. Army, risint to the rank of Command Sergeant Major before retiring in 1978. In 2013, Adkins was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in a 1966 firefight in Vietnam. Adkins died from COVID-19 on April 17, 2020.

Ira Einhorn (age 79) - Einhorn's girlfriend disappeared in 1977, and he fled the country and hid in Europe for more than twenty years. After being returned to the US in 2000, he claimed that she had been assassinated by government agents. He was convicted and died in prison on April 3, 2020.

Ed Genson (age 78) - Geonson, a Chicago attorney, was well-known for representing high-profile clients in criminal and civil trials. Among those he defended are former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, Chicago Sun-Times owner Conrad Black, and hip-hop musician R. Kelly. Genson died of cancer April 15, 2020.

Gerald Glenn (age 70) - Glenn, an evangelical Christian pastor, continued to hold services at his Richmond, Virginia, church in defiance of social-distancing orders by issued by state authorities. He continued to hold services until at least 22 March, 2020. Glenn died April 12, 2020, of COVID-19. According to news reports, his wife is also ill with the disease.

Gale Halderman (age 87) - Halderman was a member of  the four-man team responsible for the initial design of Ford's iconic pony car, the Mustang. The model has sold over 10 million units in its more than 50-year run. Halderman passed away April 27, 2020, of liver cancer.

Donald Kennedy (age 88) - Kennedy, a biologist by training, began as a non-tenured professor at Stanford University in 1960. He rose through the ranks except for a hiatus as Head of the FDA during the Carter administration. After leaving the post, Kennedy returned to Stanford as provost, assuming the university presidency in 1980. He held that position until 1992. Kennedy was editor in chief of Science and remained professor emeritus at Stanford. He died of COVID-19 on April 21, 2020.

Teruyuki Okazaki (age 88) - Okazaki, a ju-dan black belt in Shotokan Karate, was the founder of the International Shotokan Federation. He came to North America in the early 1960s to spread the style to the western hemisphere. In addition to his Philadelphia dojo, Okazaki also held faculty positions at Temple University and other colleges in Pennsylvania. Okazaki died April 21, 2020, of COVID-19.

Linda Tripp (age 70) - Tripp was a White House employee in the George H. W. Bush administration who remained on the job after the Clinton transition. She was moved to the Pentagon in 1994, where she met and befriended a White House intern named Monica Lewinsky. She secretly recorded telephone conversations between Lewinsky and Clinton, which she later turned over to Kenneth Starr during the impeachment process. Tripp died of pancreatic cancer April 8, 2020.

Back to top

Movies, Television, and Stage

Honor Blackman (age 94) - Although the British know Blackman for her starring role in their version of "The Avengers," any man who came of age in the early 1960s will remember her as Pussy Galore in Goldfinger opposite Sean Connery in the role of James Bond. Blackman was also a singer who released several records in the UK. She died April 5, 2020.

Timothy Brown (age 82) - Brown was an NFL running back for the Eagles and Colts, three times a Pro-Bowler After retirement, he embarked on an acting career, where he held such roles as "Spearchucker" Jones in the film and television version of M*A*S*H  and Nashville. He also recorded several record albums under the nickname Timmy Brown. He succumbed to dementia on April 4, 2020.

Brian Dennehy (age 81) - Dennehy was a star of both the large and smaall screens and the stage as well in a career that spanned 40 years. He was twice a Tony Award Winner, a SAG Award winner, and a Golden Globe winner; along with multiple Emmy nominations. Among his best-known roles are Harrison in The Man from Snowy River and guest roles on numerous television dramas and comedies. Dennehy died April 15, 2020, from sepsis after a heart attack.

Malcolm Dixon (age 66) - The four-foot-one Dixon carved out a career as an actor, appearing in many films and televisions shows. He once appeared as one of Snow White's dwarfs (Sleepy, if you're interested) and more recently played an Ewok in Return of the Jedi. He appeared in other Steve Lucas films as well, including Labyrinth and Willow. For three years, he played the role of Bilbo in a stage production of The Hobbit. Dixon's death was announced on April 9, 2020.

Shirley Douglas (age 86) - Douglas was an actor and a political activist in the United States and her native Canada. She appeared in more then ten films between 1955 and 2000, and made many television appearances, in particular as a voice actor. Douglas was awarded the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012. The mother of Kiefer Sutherland died April 5, 2020, of pneumonia.

James Drury (age 85) - The handsome Irish-American Drury is probably best known for his lead role in "The Virginian," which ran from 1962-1971. He appeared as a guest in many television shows of the '60s and '70s, as well as making appearances in films. He was the 1995 winner of The Golden Boot Award. Drury died April 6, 2020.

Allen Garfield (age 80) - Garfield's IMDB credits run to more than 100 film and televiFsion roles, often typecast as villain, sometimes reluctant and sometimes evil. He played police chief Harold Lutz in Beverly Hills Cop II, for instance. Garfield had been confined to a treatment home since having a massive stroke in 2004. He succumbed to COVID-19 infection on April 7, 2020.

Shirley Knight (age 83) - Knight was a triple-threat actress, appearing on noth the large and small screens and on the Broadway stage. She was a two-time Oscar nominee in the early 1960s, picked up a Tony in 1976, and accumulated a number of Emmy awards for guest stints on television. Her career stretched from the mid-1950s to 2018. She passed away April 22, 2020.

Tom Lester (age 81) - Forever typecast as the hayseed sidekick, Lester's career stalled after he played Eb Dawson in "Green Acres" and two other shows of the era. He had occasional guest appearances up until 2009, but concentrated on farming in his native Mississippi and Christian motivational speaking. Lester died of Parkinson's Disease on April 20,2020.

Sam Lloyd (age 56) - Lloyd's acting career was capped by a recurring role as the lawyer Ted Buckland in the sitcom "Scrubs," but he had dozens of other credits on the small screen as well as appearances on the silver screen in films like Flubber and Galaxy Quest. Lloyd, the nephew of Christopher Lloyd, also played in a Beatles cover band called the Blanks. Lloyd died of metastatic lung cancer on April 30, 2020.

Thomas L. Miller (age 79) - Along with his partner Robert Boyett, Miller was a principal partner in the prolific Miller-Boyett Production company, which he founded in 1969 as Miller-Milkis. The company produced dozens of televisions shows, mainly sitcoms, as well as theatrical releases. Among its products were such comedies as "Good Times," "Bosom Buddies" (which launched Tom Hanks' career) and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. The company ceased operation in 1999. Miller died April 5, 2020, of heart disease.

Logan Williams (age 16) - The Canadian-born Williams was a child actor who began acting at age ten. He made appearances in several television series, including "Supernatural," "When Calls the Heart," and "The Flash." In that last he played the title character as a young child. Williams died of unknown causes April 2, 2020.

Back to top

Music

Tony Allen (age 79) - Allen was a Nigerian-born percussionist best known for his early collaboration with guitarist Fela Kuti, among other acts. He is often cited as one of the originators of the music genre called "Afrobeat." After leaving Kuti's band in 1979, Allen formed his own bands, including "The Good, the Bad, and the Queen" and "Rocket Juice." Allen suffered a ruptures aortic aneurysm and died April 30, 2020.

Hamilton Bohannon (age 78) - Bohannon was a percussionist, record producer, and band leader; often credited as one of the leading performers of the disco era. He had been a studio musician in Detroit, working with many Motown acts, before founding his own label specializing in the bass-heavy beat associated with disco. Bohannon died April 24, 2020.

Steve Farmer (age 71) - Farmer was a member of the group The Amboy Dukes in 1968 when he collaborated with Ted Nugent to write "Journey to the Center of the Mind." The two collaborated on another twenty-odd songs on the Dukes' three studio albums. The band broke up in 1970 and, except for a single performance at the Fillmore Detroit in 2000. Farmer died April 7, 2020.

Ellis Marsalis, Jr. (age 85) - Marsalis, a jazz pianist and teacher, was the patriarch of his legendary New Orleans musical family. Among his many students are his own sons, Bradford and Wynton Marsalis, and Harry Connick, Jr. He was a member of the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame, and an NEA Jazz Master. Marsalis contracted COVID-19 and died in a New Orleans hospital on April 1, 2020.

Bucky Pizzarelli (age 94) - Pizzarelli was a jazz guitarist and sometime session musician; the father of jazz musicians John and Martin Pizzarelli. He spent almost eighty years as a musician, from the big band era through pop and rock to jazz. He played with Benny Goodman's orchestra and others, including appearances at the White House for three different presidents. Pizzarelli contracted the COVID-19 virus and died April 1, 2020.

John Prine (age 83) - A mailman turned singer-songwriter, Prine is best known as a teller of blue-collar tales. Many of his best-known works are cover versions by other artists,  songs such as "Illegal SMile," "Hello In Ther," "Angel from Montgomery," and "Grandpa Was a Carpenter." Prine received eleven Grammy nominations between 1972 and 2018, winning twice, and received a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020. He died of complications from the COVID-19 virus on April 7, 2020.

Harold Reid (age 80) - Reid was a founding member of the Statler Brothers in 1955, singing bass next to his younger brother Don. The group, none of whom is named Statler, received multiple CMA Awards and three Grammy Awards over the years before officially retiring in 2002. The elder Reid succumbed to kidney failure on April 24, 2020.

Adam Schlesinger (age 52) - Schlesinger was a guitarist and vocalist, a founding member of Fountains of Wayne. He was a multiple Emmy Award winner and a Grammy winner, and was nominated for an Oscar and a Tony. Besides FoW, Schlesinger also composed for film, television (mainly themes and award show compositions) and for the stage, including a musical adaptation of Cry Baby. Schlesinger died April 1, 2020, of COVID-19.

Gene Shay (age 85) - Shay was a long-time radio DJ in the Philadelphia area, broadcasting from 1962 to 2015 on several different stations, both AM and FM. He was active in the city's folk music scene, helping to found the Philadelphia Folk Music Festival. Shay is credited with discovering Bob Dylan, bringin him to Philly in 1963 for his first-ever concert. Shay also interviewed such stars as Joni Mitchel, Jackson Browne, and Tom Waits. He died of COVID-19 on April 17, 2020.

Back to top

Politics

John A. Gordon (age 73) - Gordon served in the U. S. Air Force from 1968 to 2000, rising to the rank of General. He retired to take the position of Deputy Director of the CIA under George W. Bush,. He also held the positions of head of the Nuclear Security Administration, Deputy NSA Advisor, and Homeland Security Advisor. General Gordon died April 19, 2020.

Jane Hull (age 84) - Hull was an Arizona teacher turned politician, first elected as a state representative in 1978. In 1997 Hull assumed the governorship of the state upon the resignation of Fife Symington when the latter was convicted of fraud. Hull, at the time the Secretary of State, served out his term and was re-elected in 1998. Hull passed away April 16, 2020.

Ron Marlenee (age 84) - Marlenee, a Republican, was an eight-term Congressman from his native Montana. The rancher served in the House from 1977 until being ousted when forced to run against a sitting Democrat after the state lost one of its two seats in the House. Marlenee, dubbed one of the House's "Dirty Dozen" for his voting record on environmental legislation, died April 26, 2020.

Paul O'Neill (age 84) - O'Neill was  a businessman, at one time the CEO of Alcoa (Aluminum Corporation of America) and chair of the think tank RAND Corporation. He was tapped by the administration of George W. Bush to be Secretary of the Treasury, a position he held from January, 2001, to December, 2002. He was fired, allegedly for disagreeing with the invasion of Iraq, among other issues. O'Neill succumbed to lung cancer on April 18, 2020.

Back to top

Sports

Glenn Beckert (age 79) - Beckert spent more than a decade in the big leagues, playing second for the Cubs (1963-73) and the Padres (1974-5). He was a four-time All-Star for the Cubbies, finishing his career with a.283 career average. The light-hitting Beckert managed 22 home runs and 360 RBIs; but also led the league in fewest Ks per at bat. Beckert passed away April 12, 2020.

Ed Biles (age 88) - BIles spent more than thirty years as a football coach, starting as a hich-school assistant in 1953 and rising to the position of head coach of the Houston Oilers in the 1981-1983 seasons. He was resigned after an 0-6 start in 1983. He briefly coached indoor football teams but retired in 2006. Biles died of leukemia on April 5, 2020.

Colby Cave (age 25) - Saskatchewan native Colby Cave played parts of two seasons in the NHL for the Bruins and Edmonton Oilers. On April 7, 2020, he suffered a brain insult due to a colloid cyst and underwent emergency surgery. He subsequently died on April 11, 2020. Cave's NHL career comprised 67 games, most with the Oilers, and accounted for 9 points on 5 goals.

Mike Curtis (age 77) - "Mad Dog" Curtis played linebacker for in three different NFL  teams from 1965 to 1975, spending eleven seasons with the Colts where he was a first-round draft pick in 1965. He was a 4-time Pro-Bowler and the AFC Defensive Player of the Year for 1970. In 166 games he had 25 picks, returning two for TDs. Curtis died April 20, 2020

Willie Davis (age 85) - Davis played twelve seasons in the NFL. the last ten with the Green Bay Packers. As a Packer, he was on two Super Bowl winners and five NFL championship teams, and made five trips to the Pro Bowl. He was briefly a color commentator for NBC's football broadcasts, and was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame in 1981. Davis died of kidney failure on April 15, 2020.

Tom Dempsey (age 73) - Dempsey was one of the last NFL place-kickers to use the "straight-on" style instead of approaching at an angle like a soccer player. His success as a kicker was probably a result of having been born without toes on his kicking foot. He held the NFL record for longest field goal for more than forty years. He finished an eleven-year career with 729 points; playing for the Saints, Eagles, Rams, Oiler, and Bills. Dempsey died of health complications exacerbated by the COVID-19 disease on April 4, 2020.

Ed Farmer (age 70) - Farmer was a major-league pitcher, mainly in relief. He spent all or part of thirteen seasons in the majors, wearing nine different uniforms. His longest stints were with the Indians (1971-73) and White Sox (1979-81). He was an All-Star in 1980. After retiring, Farmer was a scout and a broadcaster for the White Sox. He died of kidney disease April 1, 2020.

Howard Finkel (age 69) - Finkel was the first person hired by Vince McMahon, Sr., when he began building the WWE, then known as the WWWF. He was already a ring announcer at the time, and was hired away from Madison Square Garden. Finkel remained with various versions of professional wrestling until suffering a stroke in 2019. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009. Finkel died April 16, 2020, after years of ill health.

Jim Frey (age 80) - Although he never had the obligatory "cuppa coffee in the bigs" as a player, Jim Frey managed two different major league teams in the 1980s. In his first year, he piloted the Royals into the World Series, but was canned the following year. In 1984, Frey took the helm for the Cubs, where he remained until early in the 1986 season. Once again, his team won a division pennant in his first season, but lost in the NLCS. Frey passed away April 12, 2020.

Dámaso Garcia (age 63) - Garcia was briefly a member of the Dominican national soccer team before signing with the Yankees organization. He spent eleven seasons in the big leagues, most of them as a speedy second basemen for the Blue Jays. He finished his career with a.283 batting average, two All-Star berths, and 203 stolen bases. After brain surgery to remove a malignant tumor Garcia ran a basem\ball camp in the Dominican Republic. He died April 15, 2020.

Tarvaris Jackson (age 36) - Jackson spent ten seasons in the NFL as a backup quarterback for the Vikings, Bills, and Seahawks (twice). He played in 59 games, starting 34 of them. ABout half were in the 2011 season for the Seahawks. He finished his career with more than 7,000 passing yards and 39 TDs vs.35 picks. He left the NFL after the 2015 season. Jackson was killed in an auto accident on April 12, 2020.

Bart Johnson (age 70 - Johnson was a right-handed pitcher for the Chicago White Sox through eight seaons, amassing a 43-51 W-L record and 520 Ks. After retiring from the field, Johnson was a scout for the Sox. He passed away April 22, 2020, from Parkinson's Disease.

Al Kaline (age 85) - "Tiger Al" spent twenty-two seasons in the big leagues, every game of them in a Detroit uniform. He was an 18-time All-Star, the 1955 AL batting champion, and a first-round inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1980. He finished his career with a .297 batting average, 3,007 hits, and 399 home runs. After retiring from the field, Kaline worked as a broadcaster with his old team. He died April 6, 2020, in a Detroit suburb.

Bob Lazier (age 81) - Lazier was a race-car driver in the CART series, debuting as CART Rookie of the Year for 1981 after competing in Formula 5000 during the '70s. He qualified once for the Indianapolis 500, finishing 19th in 1981. Lazier, father of race car drivers Buddy and Jacques Lazier, died of COVID-19 on April 18, 2020.

Pellom McDaniels (age 52) - McDaniels played eight seasons in the NFL for the Chiefs and Falcons as a defensive end. His career path was interesting, including a period working for Proctor and Gamble as a sales representative and two seasons in the WLAF. After retiring from football, McDaniels returned to college and earned a PhD. He became a professor or African American Studies at Missouri-KC, publishing two scholarly books. McDaniels' death was announced April 19, 2020.

Mark McNamara (age 60) - McNamara was drafted out of Cal Berkeley by the 76ers, and completed eight seasons in the NBA with five different teams. The power forward's 6'-11" size also allowed him to work in film as a body double for Peter Mayhew in the role of Chewbacca. In his NBA career, he played in 278 games, scoring 980 points. McNamara died of heart failure on April 27, 2020.

Bobby Mitchell (age 84) - Mitchell labored in the NFL for eleven seasons, seven of them with the Washington Redskins. The first African-American player on the Redskins, he was a four-time pro-bowler and five time All-Pro, a member of the Redskins Ring of Fame and the Browns Ring of Honor. After retiring from the field, he was a front-office executive for the Redskins from 1969 through 2002. Mitchell died April 5, 2020.

Bob Oliver (age 77) - Oliver broke into MLB in 1965 with a "cupppa coffee" with the Pirates, but returned to the minors until being drafted by the expansion Royals in 1969. He was the first KC player to hit a grand slam and the first to collect six hits in a 9-inning game. He went on to play for the Angels and Orioles before retiring as a Yankee in 1975. His son, Darren, was also a MLB player. The elder Oliver died April 19, 2020.

Emmitt Peters, Jr. (age 79) -  Better known as the Yukon Fox, Peters was  championship dog musher. He won the third Iditarod in his first attempt in 1975 and finished in the top ten six of the next seven years, retiring after a training accident in 1986. He raced one more time in 2000 with a leased team, finishing 40th. Peters died April 2, 2020, of natural causes.

Pete Retzlaff (age 88) - "Pistol Pete" Retzlaff was a running back and receiver for eleven NFL seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1956-1966, although he was initially a "washout" with the :ions in the 1953 draft. Retzlaff finished his career with more than 7000 receiving yards and 47 TDs, and was a five-time Pro-Bowler. The Eagles retired his number (44). He died April 10, 2020.

Pat Stapleton (age 79) - Stapleton was a defenseman in the NHL and the WHA and later coached Wayne Gretzky with the Indianapolis Racers. In ten NHL (mainly with the Blackhawks) and five WHA seasons, Stapleton racked up 70 goals and 506 assists. He was twice a member of Team Canada, and was inducted into the WHA  Hall of Fame in its inaugural class. Stapleton suffered a stroke and died on April 8, 2020.

Hank Steinbrenner (age 63) - Steinbrenner, one of two sons of George Steinbrenner, was part-owner of the New York Yankees. He and his brother Hal inherited the team on the death of their father in 2010. Although the elder brother, Hank ceded most of the day-to-day operation of the team to Hal, preferring to remain in his home in Florida. He died April 14, 2020, after a long illness.

Back to top

Deaths in March, 2020 --- Deaths in May, 2020