Friday, May 28, 2010

Jack Birkett


British dancer, singer and actor best known for his work with Lindsay Kemp and Derek Jarman -- via the Guardian. Unbeknownst to many, he performed for 20 years despite failing eyesight!

Patricia Stevens


Actress was best known for her TV roles ("M*A*S*H") and as one who voiced the character of Velma in the "Scooby-Doo" cartoons -- via the Worchester Telegram and Gazette

Gary Coleman

 Child actor -- via the New York Times. He had a difficult life -- many of his sitcom co-stars did too. May he rest in peace.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Julius Cesar Giraldi


Restaurateur and violinist was a Denver fixture -- via the Denver Post

Mikhail Shatrov


Soviet playwright exposed audiences to Stalin's abuses -- via the New York Times

James R. "Jim" Van de Walker


Jukebox repairman -- via the Chicago Tribune

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Siphio Ntshebe


Opera singer dies at 34, before he had the chance to perform at South Africa's World Cup opening ceremony -- via the BBC

Art Linkletter


TV and radio host -- via the New York Times. It's difficult to remember now, but he was one of the most omnipresent personalities of his time. He hosted "People Are Funny" and "House Party," and was most famous for writing the book "Kids Say the Darndest Things," based on interviews with children. He could also be seen on our home's version of the Game of Life, above the statement, "I Heartily Endorse this Game."

Mary Page Stegner

Mary and Walace Stegner on their wedding day in 1934.
Widow of writer Wallace Stegner -- via the Salt Lake Tribune. The obituary acknowledges that the concept of a woman helping her spouse achieve his artistic goals seems contra-feminist; however, it also includes this quote from Stegner, who obviously treasured her:

"She has had no role in my life except to keep me sane, fed, housed, amused, and protected from unwanted telephone calls, also to restrain me fairly frequently from making a horse's ass of myself in public, to force me to attend to books and ideas from which she knows I will learn something; also to mend my wounds when I am misused by the world, to implant ideas in my head and stir the soil around them, to keep me from falling into a comfortable torpor, to agitate my sleeping hours with problems that I would not otherwise attend to; also to remind me constantly (not by precept but by example) how fortunate I have been to live for fifty-three years with a woman that bright, alert, charming, and supportive."

Theresa Flannery


Soldier who was former beauty queen served with distinction in Iraq, dies at 32 -- via the Bellingham Herald

Keith Jessop


Deep-sea diver and treasure hunter -- via the Telegraph

Joe Schubert


Philadelphia banker (not pictured above) was big part of the city's Mummers tradition -- via the Philadelphia Inquirer

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Gabriel Vargas


Mexican cartoonist created the popular "Familia Burron" series -- via ABC News

Raoul Abdul


Opera singer, classical music writer and editor, musicologist, and secretary to Langston Hughes -- via the New York Amsterdam News

David Squibb


Renowned English choirmaster -- via the Times of London

Anneliese Rothenberger


Lyric soprano sang worldwide -- via Yahoo News

Warren Chandler


Longtime weatherman on Denver's Channel 7 -- via the Denver Post. A heck of a nice guy!

Monday, May 24, 2010

Paul Gray


Slipknot bassist was only 38 -- via Entertainment Weekly

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Jose Lima


Former Major league pitcher was only 37 -- via the L.A. Times

Beverley Jean Morrison aka Beaver


New Zealand jazz singer and actress -- via TVNZ

Michael Kuchwara


Drama critic and theater writer for the Associated Press -- via the New York Times

Martin Gardner


Mathematical gamesman, debunker of pseudoscience and writer -- via Discover magazine. Here's the New York Times obit, which contains a wonderful summation of his religious philosophy -- "He ultimately found no reason to believe in anything religious except a human desire to avoid 'deep-seated despair.' So, he said, he believed in God."

Saturday, May 22, 2010

"Gulf Oil Spill: Remembering Deepwater Horizon's dead"


The daunting task of memorializing 11 men killed in the Gulf catastrophe. A brilliant piece by Anna M. Tinsley of the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram

Obit Patrol: criteria for inclusion


What qualifies someone to enter the lists of the Obit Patrol? I have been running this blog for a few months now, and as I read more, learn more and make more choices, some rules emerge.

First, you have to be dead. I have seen that some folks track the state of the aged and ill who are notable, even to the extent of running odds on the speculated times of their demises. Although there is a vulturous aspect to we who follow obituaries, I won't cross the line into anticipating a death.

Second, I can't pretend to attain comprehensiveness. The flood of death notices that fill the pages of publications and websites globally would have to be attended to by a small army. Additionally, those who are well-known in other parts of the world may not come to my attention, no matter how diligently I scan the non-American news. Sheer necessity and time constraints impose selectivity.

I believe that everyone deserves an obituary. We are all unique and memorable souls, and I hope that when we are done with this world our passing will be marked with respect and affection. Sometimes, when catastrophes and violence take hundreds of thousands of lives at a stroke, that will not happen. Tragically, to my sensibilities at least, lives are wasted, ignored, overlooked, destroyed, and are otherwise subject to the caprices of fate. If you lose someone, my heart is there for you, but I probably won't be able to recognize it here.

Moving into specifics -- violent, tragic and unusual death in itself doesn't merit coverage here. Murders, suicides and misadventures, by and large, are subjects more fit for news reports.

Also, you won't always find the saluted or historically significant here. Heads of state, military leaders and others who receive de facto obituary coverage from all the major media outlets are not likely to get onto my list. They are well-honored in the public arena.

As my motto states, I focus on those who have made positive contributions in their time, especially those whose lives involved the arts and entertainment.The songbirds, the writers, the filmmakers, artists, dancers, funny folk -- anyone who has put more into the world than they took is welcome here. For example, the man who helped create the bazooka died recently. I'm sure he was a decent, honorable man, but I didn't put him in, although it is arguable that his invention helped stop more deaths from occurring.


You also get points for being interesting. Did you live your life with flair? Did you maintain a positive attitude in the face of discouragement? Did you retain your sense of humor? Did you serve as a good example? Then you're in.

And, if you played baseball, I got your back. It's just a personal preference -- I love baseball.

I hope that I can present a full spread of significant and inspiring life stories to you. I hope to include young and old, men and women, all races and creeds. If you have nominations for people I may have missed, or any other questions or input, please let me know. Thank you for sharing this interest with me!

Gesang Martohartono


Indonesian singer and songwriter -- via the San Francisco Chronicle