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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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