Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Jesus "Chuco" Perales

Stephanie Kwolek

Chemist; inventor of Kevlar -- via the New York Times.



Johnny Mann

Stuart Vaughan aka John Walker Vaughan

Murali Nagavally

Film director -- via mathrubhumi.com.

OBIT READER: Our weekly roundup of stories on death & dying


Miriam Burbank, posed in death as she loved to be in life. [Photo by Percy McRay, via Reuters]
The New York Times reports that "out of the box" funerals, with corpses posed in unique ways, is the flavor of the month -- written by Campbell Robertson and Frances Robles.

When will the dead outnumber the living on Facebook? As early as 2065. Via Mashable, Sylvan Lane gives us a thorough, comprehensive, and user-friendly guide to what happens to you digitally after your death. 

DEATH

In Psychology Today, Sheila Kohler wonders about our denial of death

From Parenthood magazine, a list of books that my help children come to terms with death

In Hong Kong, fear of death decreases and taboos fall as discussion and information increase, according to Jasmine Siu in The Standard

Demystifying death: USA Today's Dan Reimold talks to Erika Hayasaki, author of the new book "Death Class: A True Story about Life"

From Foreign Policy magazine, Anna Nemtsova meditates on the death of two fellow journalists in the war zone of Ukraine

Mortician Jennifer Mairo Akporehe makes a mission statement

In Australia, a terminally ill man campaigns for the right for people to choose how and when they die -- from Michael Short of The Age

The Canadian Medical Association hears from both sides on the right-to-die issue, via the CBC

Andy Campbell, HuffPo Crime Editor, discusses how police departments can get reporters out of their faces during deadly shootings. The short answer: information and transparency.

Mike D., the A-Unicornist, gives an eloquent atheist perspective on the consciousness of impending death

In Oregon, hospices attempt to negotiate a relationship with that state's Death with Dignity laws -- from Christen McCurdy of the Lund Report


FUNERAL HOMES

Chris Radomile and T. Addams get brutally honest about "5 Horrifying Truths about Funeral Homes (from an Undertaker)" in Cracked

In Venezuela, too many bodies, not enough coffins --via Girish Gupta of Reuters

From Crystal Chow in Sensa Nostra, a mortician's confession

Can you become a Certified Funeral Celebrant? From the Isanti County News

Undertaker Ken McKenzie has a new, "morbidly humorous" new book out concerning his profession -- interview by Ashley Fowler of the Long Beach Signal Tribune

In South Africa, an undertaker is charged with mutilation after sawing off a corpse's legs to make it fit into its casket -- via IOL News.

Philadelphia-area funeral director finds community opposition to the construction of a crematorium, despite a vastly increased demand for the procedure in recent years -- by Ben Finley of the Philadelphia Inquirer

In West Virginia, the indigent will continue to be buried, despite the state running out of funds to pay for it -- story by Greg Jordan of the Bluefield Daily Telegraph

Tim Wynkoop of Lehigh Valley Live reports on a funeral home's commission of a chopper-driven hearse

From the Daily Mail: Sarah Dean and Louise Cheer report on a funeral home director forced to keep a corpse in her car overnight with the air conditioning on

MOURNING

Fredrica Duke plans her own funeral in HuffPo -- it's a doozy

Larry Mayer's moving memorial to his father in the Jewish Daily Forward

Funerary and mourning traditions in Kuwait from Expat and the City

In Swaziland, a movement to reduce the traditional three-year mourning period for widows; by Sandile Nkambule in the Swazi Observer

In Brain Pickings, Maria Popova reviews Meghan O'Rourke's memoir of grieving her mother's death, "The Long Goodbye"

MISC

In the midst of life: The Wooster Group's Liz LeCompte runs into death on her way back to a party

"Saving lives in death" -- Annie Sciacca of the Petaluma Argus-Courier reports on postmortem organ donation

From the Times of India: Youth beaten to death by mob for posting obituary posters on marriage hall

Terry Richards

Pauline Wagner

Actress; doubled for Fay Wray in the climactic scene of the original "King Kong" -- via the Hollywood Reporter. In first clip, Pauline is seen in far shots on ledge of Empie State Building as Kong fights the planes.





Pauline (Polly) Wagner McCourtney's 100th Birthday Party Part 1 of 2 from Ron M on Vimeo.

Charles Barsotti

Cartoonist -- via the New York Times.


Pierre D'Archambeau

Violinist -- via The Strad.

Barry Moss

Casting director -- via Theatermania.

Monday, June 23, 2014

Julian Koenig

Josefa Wonenburger Planells

Mathematician -- via La Voz de A Coruna.

Alberto CaƱas Escalante

Andrei Kharlov

Chess grandmaster -- via chessdom.com.

Fathiya Assal

Writer and feminist activist -- via Ahram Online.

Arthur Oldham

Composer and choirmaster -- via the Guardian. The first of the "great flying choirmasters," he founded the Edinburgh Festival Chorus . . . then the Chorus of the Orchestre de Paris . . . then the Concertgebouw Orchestra Chous; and worked with many other choirs as well.





Nick Nostro aka Nick Howard


Director and screenwriter -- via westernboothill.blogspot.com. Directed such entries as "Spartacus and the Ten Gladiators" and "Superargo versus Diabolikus."



Acie L. Byrd Jr.

Veteran and veterans activist -- via the Washington Post.

Joe "Shoes" Pittman

Former MLB player -- via Wikipedia.

Alhaj Zahirul Haque

Photojournalist -- via em.thereport24.com.


Mabon 'Teenie' Hodges

Guitarist, singer, prodcuer, and songwriter; composer of the great "Take Me to the River" and "Love and Happiness," among others -- via the Memphis Commercial Appeal. As a member in Hi Records' in-house Hi Rhythm band, played on recordings with Otis Clay, Al Green, Syl Johnson, and Ann Peebles! A soul and R & B master.










Steve Rossi aka Joseph Charles Tafarella

David MacLennan

Actor, writer, and producer -- via the Guardian.

Tadahiko Hirano

Baritone -- via Herotaku. Famous as the singer of the opening theme of the hit anime series "Kimba the White Lion."

Telangana Shakuntala aka Swamakka

Actress -- via the Hans India.




Sunday, June 22, 2014

Friday, June 20, 2014

Tom Rounds

Creator of the rock festival, music-video pioneer, and co-creator of "American Top 40" -- via Rolling Stone. The KRFC Fantasy Fair and Magic Mountain Music Festival took place on Mount Tamalpais on June 10-11, 1967 -- beating Monterey Pop by one week to be the first rock festival ever, and the birthplace of the Summer of Love and hippie culture.


Pier NiccolĆ² “Bambi” Fossati

Billy McCool

Former MLB pitcher -- via legacy.com.


Gene Slott

Impresario and idea man -- via the Tampa Bay Times.

Maciej Lukaszczyk

Pianist -- via the Echo Online.

Sam Kelly

Actor -- via the BBC.





Jim Keays

Kefee aka Kefee Obareki Don-Momoh aka The Branama Queen

Singer -- via the BBC.

Mark Ballinger


Former MLB pitcher -- via Buxton Bass Okeechobee Funeral Home.