Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Alana Baranick

Award-winning obituarist, journalist, and writer -- via the Cleveland Plain Dealer. An exceptional artist, her book "Life on the Death Beat: A Handbook for Obituary Writers" started me on the path to Obit Patrol. Her idea was that obituaries were fascinating and instructive inspired me to find a way to bring them, and many of lesser-known worthies they celebrate, to light. A quote from her adorns the website and reminds me every day that "By writing or reading obituaries, we can discover ways to make our time on earth more worthwhile, more productive, more meaningful to others." I feel quite lucky that I was able to express my gratitude to her while she was alive. Life is short; Alana Baranick made the most of it. Good job, m dear.


Jess Marquis

DJ -- via the Village Voice. AKA Jess Imler.

Alex Soto

Actor, comedian, and drag queen -- via ibtimes.com.


Al Bunetta

Bill Arhos

Deathcetera: the week in death and mourning

DEATH


What’s it like to work on Death Row? – from Kim Bellware in the Huffington Post




The changing causes of death – from Nick Triggle at the BBC



What do you do with a dead astronaut? – by Daniel Oberhaus in Slate

Death a big moneymaker for Legacy.com – via Melanie Payne at the News-Press (FL)


Taxidermy classes at the Morbid anatomy Museum – by Stuart Miller at the New York Times


MOURNING


Mourning Gunter Grass – via Deutsche Welle

Balloonists salute slain bride – via Yahoo News

Coverage of FDR’s death, 70 years ago – from Roger DuPuis in the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader

More memories of FDR’s death – from Kelly Hopper in the Dayton Daily News

His year of traditional Jewish mourning closes – from Howard Barbanel in the Huffington Post

“How the world mourned Lincoln” – by Matt Ford in the Atlantic


FUNERALS

Coverage of Lincoln’s funeral odyssey, 150 years ago – from Alma Gaul at the Quad-City Times

Welcome to my funeral! – by Stu Bykofsky at philly.com


Funerals for the two victims of NYC gas blast – via Robert Stolarik in the New York Times


Funeral homes expand into catering, reception offerings – from Hanna Raskin in The Post and Courier

Local funeral homes squawk as big company muscles in – via Patti Mengers in the Mainline Media News

‘Grave Matters’ teaches evolution of funeral industry – by Eric Hrin in the Daily Review

Video: Comedian pulls pranks at mom’s funeral – via teamcoco.com

Ira Lewis

Actor and playwright -- via legacy.com. AKA Ira Metsky.



Keith McCormack

Singer, guitarist, and songwriter -- via myplainview.com. He had a hit with the String-A-Longs ("Wheels") and unfortunately co-wrote "Sugar Shack."




Jack Halkides



Musician and bandleader -- via IndeOnline.

Emiliano "Emilio" Nevarez

Bassist and vocalist for the Lucky Eejits -- via the San Jose Mercury News. Hit by a stray bullet.

Thea St. Omer

Artist -- via cnycentral.com.

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Percy Sledge

Singer -- via the TimesDaily (AL). Best known for his classic interpretation of "When a Man Loves a Woman."

Eduardo Galeano

Writer -- via the New York Times.

Richard Post

Scientist and inventor -- via the L.A. Times.

Steve Kowit

Poet -- via the L.A. Times.

Mario Wallenda

High-wire artist -- via the Herald-Tribune (FL). Paralyzed since the infamous 1962 circus accident that decimated the famous family of acrobats.

Jose Ciuha

Artist -- via rtvslo.si.

Monday, April 13, 2015

Rudy Nappi

Illustrator -- via theredpillroom.blogspot.com. A supreme painter of sleazy cover art for exploitation and romance pulp novels (and hey, even some Jean-Paul Sarte -- see above), he also did many of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew covers as well!



Vera Pap

Actress --via hvg.hu. Best known for her role as the protagonist in "Angi Vera."

Gerry Corr

Gerry third from right in photo.
Musician and leader of the Corrs -- via the (Irish) Independent.

Paul Almond

Filmmaker and writer -- via the Hollywood Reporter.


Gerald Perman

Founder of the Vocal Arts Society -- via the Washington Post.


Monte Merrick

Nina Companeez

Screenwriter and director -- via Le Figaro.

Lukacs Bicskey

Actor -- via westernboothill.blogspot.com.


Rogvold Sukhoverko

Actor -- via Tass.

Jayakanthan

Writer, filmmaker, critic, and activist -- via The Hindu. AKA JK.

Ivan Doig

Writer -- via the New York Times.

Richie Benaud

Cricketer and sports broadcaster -- via the New York Times.

Robert Walker

Animator and director -- via the Animation World Network. Co-directed "Brother Bear."


Eddie Aiona

Prop master -- via Variety.


Ralph Clemente

Filmmaker and educator -- via the Orlando Sentinel.

Gunter Grass

Nobel-winning writer, and poet, playwright, essayist, sculptor, and activist -- via the New York Times. He has a jacked-up legacy. A person who condemned his countrymen for their involvement with Nazism, he revealed 60 years on that he himself was a member of the SS during World War II. This severely compromised the integrity of his calls for an honest facing up to the past.

His writing is still meaningful and inspiring. An early wielder of magic realism, Grass taught us how to weld together fantasy, realism, and cultural observation in effective and profound ways. Although he will be best remembered for "The Tin Drum," two other books of his had a far greater effect on me personally -- "The Flounder" and "On Writing and Politics." I forgive him.

Sunday, April 12, 2015

Richard L. Bare

Director, producer, and screenwriter -- via Variety. A well-traveled but little-hailed comic creator, he started off with a string of 63 comedy shorts for Warners featuring Joe McDoakes (George O'Hanlon) a beleaguered Everyman. (O'Hanlon is best remembered as the voice of George Jetson.) He moved on to television, where he helmed episodes of such series as "77 Sunset Strip," "Maverick" (he is rumored to have "discovered" James Garner), "The Twilight Zone" (most notably the classic episode "To Serve Man"), and "Petticoat Junction."

His biggest achievement was guiding "Green Acres" to success. One of the most bizarre sitcoms made, its air of deadpan surreality was unique -- no doubt in part of Bare's direction.



Eugene Louis "Luigi" Facciuto

Choreographer and dance teacher -- via Broadway World.

Stanley Kutler

Historian -- via the New York Times.

Jose Capellan

Former MLB pitcher -- via the New York Daily News.

Ion Trewin

Journalist, editor, and publisher -- via the Guardian.


Friday, April 10, 2015

Judith Malina

Director, actor, and writer; co-fonder of the Living Theater -- via the New York Times. A theatrical revolutionary who with Julian Beck created controversy, scandal, discussion, and advanced the boundaries of performance in America. Prodcutions such as "The Connection," The Brig," and "Paradise Now" changed everything.






Lisa Simon

TV producer and director -- via Deadline.

Gardner Taylor

Minister -- via the San Jose Mercury News.

Malcom Bennett

Poet and writer -- via the Guardian.

Leonard J. "Sam" Linde

Former drummer for the Charlatans -- via legacy.com. He was replaced by Dan Hicks.

Emily Debrayda Phillips

Leon Bass

Educator -- via philly.com. His life was changed by arriving at Buchenwald a day after it was liberated. He spent much of his life testifying regarding it. An eloquent witness in the cause of human rights and truth.




Lon Simmons

Sports broadcaster known for his calls of 49ers and Giants games -- via sfate.com. He calledJim Marshall's wrong-way fumble recovery and safety; he was there for the earthquake game in the '89 Series.



Evelyn Starks Hardy

Billy DeLury

Dodgers employee for almost 65 years -- via the Los Angeles Daily News. Hired, 1950. 

William P. "Billy" O'Connor

Original drummer for Blondie -- via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He bailed before their first album -- he did not like New York in the mid-'70s. Clem Burke replaced him. (Billy was a smart guy -- it was terrifying.)

Klaus Rifbjerg

Writer -- via dr.dk.