Obituary Stories category, Page 2
Duck Dynasty patriarch and conservative cultural icon Phil Robertson dies
WEST MONROE, La. — Phil Robertson, who turned his small duck calling interest in the sportsman’s paradise of northern Louisiana into a big business and conservative cultural phenomenon, died Sunday, according to his family. He was 79. Robertson’s family announced in December on their Unashamed With the Robertson Family podcast...
Colts’ music-loving owner Jim Irsay dies at age 65
INDIANAPOLIS — Jim Irsay, the Indianapolis Colts owner who leveraged the popularity of Peyton Manning into a new stadium and a Super Bowl title, died Wednesday at age 65. Pete Ward, Irsay’s longtime right-hand man and the team’s chief operating officer, made the announcement in a statement from the team....
George Wendt, who played a beloved barfly on ‘Cheers’ and found another home onstage, dies at 76
NEW YORK — George Wendt, an actor with an Everyman charm who played the affable, beer-loving barfly Norm on the hit 1980s TV comedy “Cheers” and later crafted a stage career that took him to Broadway in “Art,” “Hairspray” and “Elf,” has died. He was 76. Wendt’s family said he...
Owner of Janet’s Dance Studio in Irwin inspired generations of students
Janet Naughton had the spirit of a Broadway hoofer and the calling to share her talent with generations of younger aspiring dancers. Naughton, who died Thursday at 88, wasn’t tall enough to realize her dream of becoming a Radio City Rockette. But she was overjoyed when students at her Irwin...
Former Supreme Court Justice David Souter, a Republican who became a liberal darling, dies at 85
WASHINGTON — Retired Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter, the ascetic bachelor and New Hampshire Republican who became a darling of liberals during his nearly 20 years on the bench, has died. He was 85. Souter died Thursday at his home in New Hampshire, the court said in a statement...
Julia Parsons, U.S. Navy code-breaker during World War II, dies
Julia Parsons, a U.S. Navy code-breaker during World War II who kept a military secret about her assignment for decades, including from her Army husband, Don, died April 18 A longtime resident of Forest Hills, she was 104. “Julia was a pioneer for women’s roles in American Society,” said Todd...
Ligonier Valley School Board member Joseph Vella dies suddenly at home
The Ligonier Valley School District community was shocked this week by the unexpected death of school board member Joseph Vella. Vella, 54, who was midway through his first term on the board, died Tuesday at his Ligonier Township home. The cause of death has yet to be determined, according to...
Ruth Buzzi, comedy sketch player on groundbreaking series ‘Laugh-In,’ dies at 88
LOS ANGELES — Ruth Buzzi, who rose to fame as the frumpy and bitter Gladys Ormphby on the groundbreaking sketch comedy series “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In” and made over 200 television appearances during a 45-year career, has died at age 88. Buzzi died Thursday at her home in Texas, says...
Jill Sobule, the singer-songwriter known for ‘I Kissed a Girl,’ dies in a fire
Jill Sobule, the award-winning singer-songwriter whose witty and poignant writing first attracted widespread attention with the gay-themed song “I Kissed a Girl,” died in a house fire Thursday. She was 66. Her death was confirmed by her publicist, David Elkin, in an email Thursday afternoon. It was not immediately clear...
Chicago Bears great Steve McMichael dies at 67 after battle with ALS
CHICAGO — Steve McMichael, a star defensive tackle on the Chicago Bears’ famed 1985 Super Bowl championship team whose larger-than-life personality made him a fixture in the Windy City for decades and a natural for professional wrestling, has died following a battle with ALS. He was 67. McMichael died Wednesday...
Wink Martindale, the genial game-show host and an early TV interviewer of Elvis Presley, dies at 91
LOS ANGELES — Wink Martindale, the genial host of such hit game shows as “Gambit” and “Tic-Tac-Dough” who also did one of the first recorded television interviews with a young Elvis Presley, has died. He was 91. Martindale died Tuesday at Eisenhower Health in Rancho Mirage, California, according to his...
Clem Burke, multifaceted drummer of iconic rock group Blondie, has died
Clem Burke, whose versatile drumming propelled the iconic rock group Blondie during its decades performing everything from new-wave punk to disco-infused tunes, has died. He was 70. The band said in a statement on its website Monday that he died from cancer but no additional details were provided. “Clem was...
Denis Arndt, Tony-nominated star of ‘Heisenberg’ and veteran of David E. Kelley TV shows, dies at 86
NEW YORK — Denis Arndt, a character actor and favorite of TV writer and producer David E. Kelley, getting cast in “L.A. Law,” “Picket Fences” and “Chicago Hope,” and later earning a Tony nomination for his Broadway debut at age 77 in a play about mismatched lovers, has died. He...
Former Penguins goaltender Greg Millen dies
Were it not for a summer vacation, the fortunes of Greg Millen and the Penguins could have been very different. After the Penguins nearly upset the St. Louis Blues in a preliminary round series during the 1981 playoffs, Millen was a restricted free agent in the ensuing offseason. He and...
Jay North, TV’s mischievous Dennis the Menace, dies at 73
LAKE BUTLER, Fla. — Jay North, who starred as the towheaded mischief maker on TV’s “Dennis the Menace” for four seasons starting in 1959, has died. He was 73. North died Sunday at his home in Lake Butler, Florida, after battling colon cancer, said Laurie Jacobson, a longtime friend, and...
Val Kilmer, ‘Top Gun’ and Batman star with an intense approach, dies at 65
LOS ANGELES — Val Kilmer, the brooding, versatile actor who played fan favorite Iceman in “Top Gun,” donned a voluminous cape as Batman in “Batman Forever” and portrayed Jim Morrison in “The Doors,” has died. He was 65. Kilmer died Tuesday night in Los Angeles, surrounded by family and friends,...
Pittsburgh DJ, conservative radio host Jim Quinn dies at 82
Friends are recalling longtime radio host Jim Quinn as a force in Pittsburgh media. Quinn died Sunday at 82. A cause of death was not immediately released. The New Jersey native spent decades on Steel City stations, from his start at KQV in the 1960s to WTAE in the late...
Richard Chamberlain, TV actor who starred in ‘Dr. Kildare,’ dies at 90
LOS ANGELES — Richard Chamberlain, the handsome hero of the 1960s television series “Dr. Kildare” who found a second career as an award-winning “king of the miniseries,” has died. He was 90. Chamberlain died Saturday night in Waimanalo, Hawaii of complications following a stroke, according to his publicist, Harlan Boll....
Kitty Dukakis, wife of former governor and presidential candidate, dies at 88
BROOKLINE, Mass. — Kitty Dukakis, the wife of former Massachusetts governor and Democratic presidential candidate Michael Dukakis, who spoke openly about her struggles with depression and addiction, has died. She was 88. Dukakis died on Friday night surrounded by her family, her son, John Dukakis, said on Saturday by telephone....
George Foreman, the glowering heavyweight who became a lovable champion, dies at 76
George Foreman, the fearsome heavyweight who lost the “Rumble in the Jungle” to Muhammad Ali before his inspiring second act as a 45-year-old champion and a successful businessman, died Friday night. He was 76. Foreman’s family announced his death on social media, not saying how or where he died. “A...
Report: Belgian actor Émilie Dequenne dies at 43 of rare cancer
Émilie Dequenne, the Belgian actor who won a top Cannes Film Festival prize for her breakout role in “Rosetta,” has died, a news report says. She was 43. Her family and agent told the news agency Agence France-Presse that Dequenne died Sunday of a rare cancer in a hospital outside...
Former U.S. Sen. Alan Simpson of Wyoming, who bridged partisan gaps with his quick wit, dies at age 93
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Former U.S. Sen. Alan Simpson, a political legend whose quick wit bridged partisan gaps in the years before today’s political acrimony, has died. He was 93. Simpson died early Friday after struggling to recover from a broken hip in December, according to a statement from his family...
Democratic Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva of Arizona dies at 77
WASHINGTON — Democratic U.S. Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva of Arizona, who championed environmental protection during his 12 terms in Congress, died Thursday of complications from cancer treatments, his office said. Grijalva, who was 77, had risen to chair the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee and was the top Democrat on...
John Feinstein, Washington Post columnist who wrote ‘A Season on the Brink’ and other books, dies
WASHINGTON — John Feinstein, one of the country’s foremost sports writers and the author of numerous bestselling books, including the groundbreaking “A Season on the Brink” about college basketball coach Bob Knight, died unexpectedly Thursday. Feinstein was 69. He died of natural causes at his brother’s home in McLean, Virginia,...
Authorites reveal causes of death for Gene Hackman, his wife
SANTA FE, N.M. — Authorities revealed Friday that actor Gene Hackman died of heart disease and showed severe signs of Alzheimer’s disease a full week after his wife died of hantavirus in their home. Authorities initially ruled out foul play after the bodies were discovered Feb 26. Immediate tests for...
