Obituary Stories category, Page 5
Elaine Effort, former KQV news reporter, dies
Elaine Effort, an award-winning pioneer of Pittsburgh journalism and a longtime broadcaster on news station KQV Radio, unexpectedly died Wednesday, according to the Pittsburgh Black Media Federation, of which she was a founding member. “Mrs. Effort was always willing to listen to new ideas and roll up her sleeve to...
Bob Bordonaro Sr., longtime owner of Hillcrest Volkswagen and Gunny’s Lounge, remembered as ‘personable guy’
At first, Bob Bordonaro Sr. wasn’t too sure about getting into the car business. It was 1962 when he tagged along with a friend buying a car at Hillcrest Motors in Lower Burrell when the owner at the time encouraged him to work there. “Meanwhile, he was only 19, just...
Bernie Marcus, Home Depot co-founder and billionaire philanthropist, dies at 95
NEW YORK — Bernard “Bernie” Marcus, the co-founder of The Home Depot, the world’s largest home improvement chain, a billionaire philanthropist, and a big Republican donor, has died. He was 95. Marcus died Monday in Boca Raton, Florida, surrounded by family, according to a Home Depot spokesperson. Marcus was Home...
Quincy Jones, music titan who worked with everyone from Frank Sinatra to Michael Jackson, dies at 91
Quincy Jones, the multi-talented music titan whose vast legacy ranged from producing Michael Jackson’s historic “Thriller” album to writing prize-winning film and television scores and collaborating with Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and hundreds of other recording artists, has died at 91. Jones’ publicist, Arnold Robinson, says he died Sunday night...
Jeffrey D. Smail, Unity auto dealer, enjoyed family, life
Jeffrey D. Smail was a man who worked hard in his family’s successful automobile dealerships east of Greensburg while dedicating himself to his family and enjoying traveling around the world with his wife. “He was one of the most kind and caring and generous persons. He made everyone feel welcome....
Teri Garr, the offbeat comic actor of ‘Young Frankenstein’ and ‘Tootsie,’ has died
LOS ANGELES — Teri Garr, the quirky comedy actor who rose from background dancer in Elvis Presley movies to co-star of such favorites as “Young Frankenstein” and “Tootsie,” has died. She was 79. Garr died Tuesday of multiple sclerosis “surrounded by family and friends,” said publicist Heidi Schaeffer. Garr battled...
Retired Lutheran pastor had passion for her faith, helping others
The Rev. Elaine Marie Hower, who was a pastor at Lutheran churches in Spring Church, Natrona Heights and Lower Burrell for more than 20 years, grew up in the church, had a passion for her faith and a compassion for helping others in need, said one of her three sons....
Grammy-winning crooner Jack Jones, known for singing ‘The Love Boat’ theme song, dies at 86
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. — Jack Jones, a Grammy-winning crooner known for “The Love Boat” television show theme song, has died. He was 86. Jones died Wednesday night at a hospital in Rancho Mirage, California, after battling leukemia for more than two years, according to a statement from his manager, Milt...
Ron Ely, TV’s ‘Tarzan’ in the 1960s, dies at 86
LOS ANGELES — Ron Ely, the tall, musclebound actor who played the title character in the 1960s NBC series “Tarzan,” has died at age 86. Ely’s daughter, Kirsten Casale Ely, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that her father died Sept. 29 at his home in Los Alamos, California, an...
Fernando Valenzuela, Mexican-born pitcher whose feats for Dodgers fueled ‘Fernandomania,’ dies at 63
LOS ANGELES — Fernando Valenzuela, the Mexican-born phenom for the Los Angeles Dodgers who inspired “Fernandomania” while winning the NL Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year in 1981, has died. He was 63. The team said he died Tuesday night at a Los Angeles hospital, but did not...
Ethel Kennedy, social activist and widow of Robert F. Kennedy, has died
BOSTON, Mass. — Ethel Kennedy, the widow of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy who raised their 11 children after he was assassinated and remained dedicated to social causes and the family’s legacy for decades thereafter, died on Thursday, her family said. She was 96. Kennedy had been hospitalized after suffering a...
Bob Butter, Pittsburgh’s ‘patriarch of public relations,’ dies
Tree of Life Congregation Rabbi Jeffrey Myers made a daily call to Bob Butter for comfort and advice. Butter, a public relations giant in Pittsburgh, helped Myers handle the media onslaught after the Oct. 27, 2018, attack on Tree of Life in Squirrel Hill. “We knew we would need extra...
Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston’s mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91
LOS ANGELES — Cissy Houston, the mother of the late Whitney Houston and a two-time Grammy winner who performed alongside superstar musicians like Elvis Presley, and Aretha Franklin, has died. She was 91. Houston died Monday morning in her New Jersey home while under hospice care for Alzheimer’s disease, her...
Frank Fritz, longtime co-host of ‘American Pickers’ and a ‘bearded charmer,’ dies at 60
Frank Fritz, the antiques enthusiast and reality TV personality who co-hosted “American Pickers,” has died. Fritz died Monday, the History Channel and “American Pickers” producer Cineflix Productions confirmed in a joint statement to The Times. Additional information, including a cause of death, was not revealed. Fritz was 60. “We will...
John Amos, patriarch on ‘Good Times’ and an Emmy nominee for the blockbuster ‘Roots,’ dies at 84
LOS ANGELES — John Amos, who starred as the family patriarch on the hit 1970s sitcom “Good Times” and earned an Emmy nomination for his role in the seminal 1977 miniseries “Roots,” has died. He was 84. Amos’ publicist, Belinda Foster, confirmed the news of his death Tuesday. No other...
Drake Hogestyn, ‘Days of Our Lives’ star, dies at 70
Drake Hogestyn, the “Days of Our Lives” star who appeared on the show for 38 years, died Saturday, his family confirmed. He was 70. The actor was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and his family said in a statement Hogestyn died after “putting up an unbelievable fight” against the disease. “He...
Pete Rose, baseball’s banned hits leader, has died at age 83
Pete Rose, baseball’s career hits leader and fallen idol who undermined his historic achievements and Hall of Fame dreams by gambling on the game he loved and once embodied, has died. He was 83. Stephanie Wheatley, a spokesperson for Clark County in Nevada, confirmed on behalf of the medical examiner...
Gavin Creel, Tony Award winner and musical Broadway veteran, dies at 48
NEW YORK — Gavin Creel, a Broadway musical theater veteran who won a Tony Award for “Hello, Dolly!” opposite Bette Midler and earned nominations for “Hair” and “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” died Monday of a rare and aggressive form of cancer. He was 48. Publicist Matt Polk said Creel died at...
Dikembe Mutombo, a Hall of Fame player and tireless advocate, dies at 58 from brain cancer
Dikembe Mutombo, a Basketball Hall of Famer who was one of the best defensive players in NBA history and a longtime global ambassador for the game, died Monday from brain cancer, the league announced. He was 58. His family revealed two years ago that he was undergoing treatment in Atlanta...
Kris Kristofferson, singer-songwriter and actor, dies at 88
LOS ANGELES — Kris Kristofferson, a Rhodes scholar with a deft writing style and rough charisma who became a country music superstar and A-list Hollywood actor, has died. Kristofferson died at his home on Maui, Hawaii on Saturday, family spokeswoman Ebie McFarland said in an email. He was 88. McFarland...
John Ashton, ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ actor, dies at 76
NEW YORK — John Ashton, the veteran character actor who memorably played the gruff but lovable police detective John Taggart in the “Beverly Hills Cop” films, has died. He was 76. Ashton died Thursday in Fort Collins, Colorado, his family announced in a statement released by Ashton’s manager, Alan Somers,...
Maggie Smith, star of stage, film and ‘Downton Abbey,’ has died aged 89
LONDON — Maggie Smith, the masterful, scene-stealing actor who won an Oscar for “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” in 1969 and gained new fans in the 21st century as the dowager Countess of Grantham in “Downton Abbey” and Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films, died Friday. She...
Avonworth grad Mercury Morris, part of Dolphins’ 2 Super Bowl wins and perfect season, dies at 77
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Eugene “Mercury” Morris, who starred for the unbeaten 1972 Miami Dolphins as part of a star-studded backfield and helped the team win two Super Bowl titles, has died, the team said Sunday. Morris, a three-time Pro Bowl selection who graduated from Avonworth in 1965, was 77....
Tito Jackson, member of beloved pop group the Jackson 5, dies at 70
Tito Jackson, one of the brothers who made up the beloved pop group the Jackson 5, has died. He was 70. Jackson was the third of nine children, including global superstars Michael and Janet, and was part of a music-making family whose songs have sold hundreds of millions of copies....
Legendary Pitt-Johnstown wrestling coach Pat Pecora dies at age 70
Pat Pecora, who built the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown wrestling program into a national power and led the Mountain Cats to more wins than any other coach in college wrestling history, died Sunday after a long, inspirational battle with cancer. He was 70 years old. Former Mountain Cats wrestler...
