Notable Deaths in December 2022
Who Died Recently
December 31, 2022
NOTABLE deaths
Anita Pointer, 74
(January 23, 1948 – December 31, 2022)
American singer-songwriter (The Pointer Sisters).
Cause of death: No cause of death was provided.
Anita Pointer, a founding member of the Pointer Sisters, passed away on Saturday, according to her family. She was 74.
The daughters of a pastor in Oakland, California, who also had two elder sons, Ruth, Anita, Bonnie, and June grew up singing in his church. The quartet's show featured a distinctive combination of funk, soul, jazz, scat, and pop from the 1940s, and they frequently wore vintage clothing reminiscent of their forebears the Andrews Sisters.
Before releasing their self-titled debut album in 1973, they performed as backup singers for artists like the Taj Mahal, Boz Scaggs, Elvin Bishop, and others. "Yes We Can Can," a groovy anthem that promotes tolerance and unity became their breakthrough success.
The song "Fairytale," which Bonnie and Anita co-wrote, is about a failing marriage. They were given a historic opportunity to sing at the Grand Ole Opry as a rare African American act thanks to the song, and they went on to win their first Grammy for best group country vocal performance.
The Pointer Sisters achieved greater degrees of popularity with "Fire" (1978), "He's So Shy" (1980), "Slow Hand" (1981), and "I'm So Excited" in the late 1970s and early 1980s (1982).
Break Out, the trio's 1983 record, earned the group two additional Grammy Awards and multi-platinum status. In 1977, Bonnie Pointer broke away from the trio and signed a solo contract with Motown Records.
As a result of her departure, her three sisters—who were about to break up—regrouped, discarded their retro aesthetic in favor of a more contemporary pop sound, and went on to become one of the biggest acts of the 1980s with hits like "He's So Shy," "Jump (For My Love)," and "Neutron Dance."
Benedict XVI, 95
(16 April 1927 – 31 December 2022)
Benedict XVI (born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger), a German Roman Catholic prelate and theologian (Introduction to Christianity), was Pope from 2005 to 2013 and archbishop of Munich and Freising (1977–1982).
Cause of death: No cause of death was provided.
Former Pope Benedict XVI died at the age of 95 at his Vatican residence, nearly a decade after stepping down due to illness. He led the Catholic Church for less than eight years before becoming the first pope to resign since Gregory XII in 1415 in 2013.
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, was born and baptized on Holy Saturday, April 16, 1927, in Marktl on the Inn, Diocese of Passau, Germany. Joseph Ratzinger grew up in Traunstein, a small town on the Austrian border 30 kilometers from Salzburg.
In such a setting, which he labeled "Mozartian," he received a Christian, human, and cultural education. His adolescence was difficult. His faith and family upbringing had prepared him for the difficult experience of those times when the Nazi regime maintained a hostile atmosphere toward the Catholic Church. Before going to mass, Joseph witnessed the Nazis beating the priest.
In such a difficult situation, he had to discover the beauty and truth of faith and Christ, where the attitude of his family played a crucial role, always giving a clear testimony of goodness and hope, rooted in conscious belonging to the Church.
During the final months of WWII, he was drafted into the auxiliary anti-aircraft service. He studied philosophy and theology at the University of Philosophy and Theology in Freising and the University of Munich in Bavaria from 1946 to 1951. On June 29, 1951, he was ordained as a priest. He began teaching at Freising College a year later.
In 1953, he obtained a doctorate in theology on the topic "The People and the House of God in Augustine's Doctrine of the Church". He defended his habilitation thesis "Theology of the History of St. Bonaventure" four years later, under the supervision of the well-known professor of fundamental theology Gottlieb Söhngen.
After teaching dogmatics and fundamental theology at the University of Philosophy and Theology in Freising, he went on to teach at several other universities, including Bonn from 1959 to 1963, Münster from 1963 to 1966, and Tübingen from 1966 to 1969.
In that same year, he was appointed as a professor of dogmatics and dogmatic history at the University of Regensburg, where he immediately assumed the position of vice president. He founded the theological journal Communio in 1972 with Hans Urs von Balthasar, Henri de Lubac, and other great theologians.
On March 25, 1977, Pope Paul VI appointed him Archbishop of Munich and Freising, and on May 28, he received episcopal orders. After 80 years, he was the first diocesan priest to take over pastoral leadership of that vast Bavarian archdiocese.
He lectured on the mission of the Christian family in the modern world at the Synod of Bishops' 5th regular general assembly in 1980, and President VI. regular general assembly in 1983 on Reconciliation and penance in the Church's mission.
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was elected as Pope John Paul II's successor at the conclave on April 19, 2005.
On April 24, he attended the papal inauguration mass, where he received the pallium and the Fisherman's ring. On May 7, the great basilica of St. Ivan Lateranski joined in possession of its cathedral church.
He made 24 foreign trips for papal duties. The first was held in August 2005 in Cologne, Germany, for World Youth Day. Following his resignation, Pope Emeritus John Paul II retired to the converted monastery of Mother Church in the Vatican Gardens.
He unexpectedly left the Vatican in June 2020 to visit his sick brother Georg in Regensburg, where he died on July 1, 2020. Because of the coronavirus pandemic and other health issues, pope emeritus had to watch his funeral via video transmission.
December 30, 2022
NOTABLE deaths
Barbara Walters, 93
(September 25, 1929 – December 30, 2022)
American television journalist (Today, 20/20) and talk show host (The View).
Cause of death: natural causes.
Barbara Walters, a trailblazing ABC News television news anchor, and correspondent who smashed the glass ceiling and ascended to prominence in a field previously dominated by males have died. She was 93 years old.
Walters joined ABC News in 1976 as the first female nightly news anchor. She began presenting "The View" in 1997, three years after joining "20/20" as a co-host. Walters won 12 Emmys during his five-decade career, 11 of which she received while working at ABC News.
In 2014, Barbara Walters made her last appearance as a co-host on "The View," although she continued to serve as the program's executive producer and to conduct occasional interviews and specials for ABC News. Dena and Louis "Lou" Walters welcomed Barbara Jill Walters into the world on September 25, 1929, in Boston.
Before gaining a job as a writer on NBC's "Today" show in 1961, Walters worked as a publicist and television writer after earning a degree from Bronxville, New York's Sarah Lawrence College in the 1950s. In 1974, she was hired as the show's first female co-host. The following year, she earned her first Emmy for Outstanding Talk Show Host.
As the first female co-anchor of an evening news program, Walters made history in 1976 when she relocated to ABC's "Evening News." With co-anchor Harry Reasoner, Walters secured an exclusive interview with Earl Butz, who had recently resigned as Secretary of Agriculture under President Gerald Ford when it was discovered he made a racist remark, for her first show on October 4, 1976.
Anwar Sadat, the president of Egypt, was also interviewed by satellite on his intentions to put a stop to warfare with Lebanon. After Castro's passing in 2016, Walters said in a statement that the dictator referred to their two interviews as "fiery arguments."
She started the "Most Fascinating People" special in 1994, which was shown in December and gave her the chance to interview the most important newsmakers of the year. An estimated 74 million people watched Walters' interview with Monica Lewinsky in 1999 to learn more about the former White House intern's relationship with then-President Bill Clinton. What will you tell your children when you have them? Walters questioned Lewinsky toward the end of the interview.
From the Nixons through the Obamas, Walters spoke with every president and first lady of the United States. Before they visited the White House, she conducted interviews with both First Lady Melania Trump and President Donald Trump.
Her visage was immortalized in wax in 2001 at Madame Tussauds in New York City, and she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2007.
Her alma institution, Sarah Lawrence College, as well as Ohio State University, Temple University, Marymount College, Wheaton College, Hofstra University, and Ben-Gurion University in Jerusalem all awarded her honorary doctorates.
In 1989, after 25 years in the industry, Peter Jennings, the host and senior editor of ABC's "World News Tonight," gave her the honor of being inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame.
In May 2014, a section of ABC News New York headquarters was dubbed "The Barbara Walters Building."
Don West, 59
(June 20, 1963 – December 30, 2022)
American wrestling broadcaster (Impact Wrestling).
Cause of death: lymphoma.
Don West, a well-known IMPACT Wrestling announcer, and legendary salesman died at the age of 59 after a long battle with brain lymphoma. Mike Tenay, a friend and former TNA coworker of West's, tweeted the news.
Although West's family thought he had recovered from his lymphoma diagnosis in 2021, doctors later discovered that his brain tumor had returned and was now "twice the size." West underwent stem cell therapy, but the tumor had grown far too large. West remained unwavering and optimistic in his belief that he would prevail in his battle.
Scott D'Amore's family originally started a GoFundMe page to help them pay for his medical expenses because IMPACT Wrestling and Scott D'Amore agreed to match any money raised over the summer. Wrestling fans began to recognize West's voice as he and Tenay broadcast for TNA Impact. Additionally, they got along really well.
West served as the organization's primary spokesperson for the promotion of its product sales thanks to his experience as a salesperson for the Shop From Home Network and his background in broadcasting. Jeff Jarrett introduced West to the company in 2002, when it was still known as Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.
December 29, 2022
NOTABLE deaths
Keenan Cahill, 27
(March 20, 1995 – December 29, 2022)
YouTube star known for his lip sync videos.
Cause of death: the cause of death has not been released yet.
YouTube celebrity Keenan Cahill died unexpectedly at the age of 27. On Thursday, December 29th, a family representative confirmed the death to WGN-TV.
Maroteaux-Lamy syndrome, a degenerative disorder in which various tissues and organs expand, become inflamed or scarred and finally degrade, afflicted the 27-year-old. He received a number of therapies after being diagnosed at the age of one, including a bone marrow transplant in 1997 and surgery to reduce intracranial strain. He announced on Instagram earlier this month that he will be undergoing open heart surgery on December 15.
The Chicago, Illinois-based online personality came to notoriety on the video-sharing site by lip-syncing to famous tunes.
His cover of Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream," which has had 58 million views as of this writing, is what originally made him famous in 2010. As a result, Cahill's channel has included a number of well-known celebrities as guests, including Maroon 5, Katy Perry, Jennifer Aniston, 50 Cent, and Justin Bieber.
Along with Adam Levine, Sia, and Ryan Tedder, Keenan also had an appearance in Sara Barilles' Uncharted music video outside of his YouTube career. At the 2011 American Music Awards, Cahill shared the stage with the American electronic dance music group LMFA
Ian Tyson, 89
(September 25, 1933 – December 29, 2022)
Canadian folk singer (Ian & Sylvia) and songwriter ("Four Strong Winds", "Someday Soon").
Cause of death: Multiple ongoing health problems.
Ian Tyson, the Canadian folk big legend turned cowboy storyteller who co-authored "Four Strong Winds" with Ian & Sylvia and wrote "Four Strong Winds," has died at the age of 89. According to his manager, Paul Mascioli, the Victoria native died Thursday at his ranch outside Longview, Alta., after a long battle with health issues.
On September 25, 1933, he was born to parents who had moved from England. In 1959, Tyson met a like-minded person named Sylvia Fricker and began an onstage and offstage romance. They went to New York together and met manager Albert Grossman, who steered Peter, Paul, and Mary and would soon have Bob Dylan as a client.
Their 1962 self-titled debut featured a considerable number of traditional songs. The duo's second album, 1964's "Four Strong Winds," which featured one of the record's only original songs and featured the melancholy title tune, was the duo's biggest commercial triumph. The pair wed in 1964 and kept putting out new music often after that. The pair moved to Nashville and started fusing rock and country elements into their music.
Great Speckled Bird, a pioneering country-rock band founded by the Tysons in1969, debuted with their self-titled album in 1970. Ian Tyson decided to go back to the ranch life when their marriage ended, training horses and working as a cowboy in Pincher Creek, Alberta.
In 1987, Tyson self-released the album "Cowboyography," which unexpectedly became a word-of-mouth smash and revived Tyson's touring career in both Canada and the US. He won multiple awards for his work, and in 2019 he was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.
He received a Juno Award in 1987 for best country male vocalist, and Sylvia Tyson and he were both inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame five years later. Tyson continued to put out music into his latter years, releasing the song "You Should Have Known" in 2017 and the album "Carnero Vaquero" in 2015.
His voice, however, was irreversibly impaired as a result of medical examinations connected to a heart attack and subsequent open-heart surgery in 2015.
Vivienne Westwood, 81
(8 April 1941 – 29 December 2022)
English fashion designer and businesswoman.
Cause of death: natural causes.
Vivienne Westwood, the famous fashion designer, has died, according to her media representative. Her age was 81. "Vivienne Westwood passed away peacefully today in Clapham, South London, surrounded by her family. People like Vivienne are needed to make the world a better place "Her fashion house announced the news on Twitter.
Dame Vivienne Isabel Westwood was a fashion designer and businesswoman from England who is credited with popularizing punk and new-wave aesthetics. Rebellion and political involvement were hallmarks of Vivienne Westwood's career.
She was a staunch activist who brought her passions to the catwalks, such as fighting climate change, and pollution, and supporting Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.
Westwood rose to prominence in the 1970s by designing clothes inspired by punk and rock music and selling them in the King's Road boutique SEX, which she co-owned with her husband at the time, Malcolm McLaren, manager of the legendary punk band Sex Pistols. The aforementioned shop was frequented by the early members of London's punk scene.
Westwood's life was full of twists and turns. She began designing clothes inspired by rock'n'roll. She was creative and taught herself how to make clothes. She combined pieces of vintage clothing from the 1950s to create new collections. In the end, such models defined her entire career.
She used to make outlandish claims, such as, 'There was no punk before me and Malcolm. And the first thing you should know about punk is that it was a real explosion... And what I'm doing now is punk, and it will always be present in my work in some form or another.'
Pelé, 82
Edson Arantes do Nascimento
(23 October 1940 – 29 December 2022)
Brazilian footballer (Santos, national team), world champion (1958, 1962, 1970).
Cause of death: colon cancer.
The world of sports was saddened by the passing of the greatest soccer player in history. Edward Arantes Nascimento The 83-year-old Pelé passed away today. Edward Arantes Nascimento Pelé had been receiving palliative care for the past few weeks as he battled colon cancer.
During Pelé's final days, his family members said their final goodbyes to their father, grandfather, and uncle. Many believe that Pele, the greatest football player in history, has passed away. Edward Arantes Nascimento Pelé, the genius of Brazilian football, did not last; he ascended into the light with the ball, where only the greatest pass was.
It was evident that Pele was leaving us in the final days of his valiant battle.
He so to speak played that last game bravely and with heart. One of the greats in life and sport, someone who future generations will remember, study, and aspire to be like... Nascimento is where Edson Arantes went. To Maradona, another great man who has left us, Pelé goes to heaven.
Edward Arantes Nascimento The 83-year-old Pelé passed away today. According to AFP, Pele, a legendary soccer player who is widely regarded as the greatest football player ever, has reportedly entered heaven. His family has issued the following statement: "You are the reason we are everything we are. It has an impossible and unending appeal to us. Enjoy your peace, "daughter Kely Nascimento wrote.
Edson Arantes do Nascimento, also known by his alias Pelé, was born on October 23, 1940, in Três Coraçes, and he was raised in abject poverty. When he was 11 years old, former Brazilian football player Waldemar de Brito spotted him and contacted the Santos Futebol Clube's management in So Paulo, who hired Pelé for a salary of 6 criteria.
Santos' coach included him in the first team when he was 16 years old, and he scored in the opening match. According to rumors, the talented young man was invited to the match between Brazil and Argentina in Rio de Janeiro by Brazilian coach Silvio Pirila.
Pelé's goal and graceful movements won him instant fans. Pelé led Santos in goals that year with 58 and was invited to the 1958 World Cup in Sweden. At the time, he was 17 years old, making him the football world's youngest champion.
He participated in 92 matches for the national team, scored 77 goals, and helped Brazil win three world championships. He played 605 games and totaled 589 goals in league competitions.
December 23, 2022
NOTABLE deaths
George Cohen, 83
(22 October 1939 – 23 December 2022)
English professional soccer player (Fulham, national team), world champion (1966).
Cause of death:unknown.
George Cohen, a defender on the 1966 English soccer team that won the world championship, passed away on Friday at the age of 83, according to an announcement made by his former club Fulham.
Cohen was one of the greatest figures in English soccer and a member of the only golden generation. Cohen spent his entire career there, and despite numerous offers, he never wanted to leave. It's interesting to note that he was born not far from Craven Cottage, the Fulham stadium where he played his entire soccer career.
In the system of the then-English coach Alf Ramsey, Cohen was one of the most important players. Cohen played the full 90 minutes in every game during the World Cup, in which the English won 4:2 in overtime against the national team of SR Germany.
With Bobby Charlton being the only other member of the 1966 world champion team still alive, Geoff Hurst, who scored three goals in the Wembley final, said goodbye to his former teammate in a message on Twitter.
For the England national team, he participated in 37 games. Everyone in English football was shocked by his passing, and Geoff Hurst, England's legendary hero who scored a hat-trick in the World Cup final, also bid Cohen farewell.
Hurst expressed his sadness over the loss of his dear friend and teammate. Cohen played 459 games for Fulham over the course of his entire playing career. Due to a severe knee injury, he was forced to stop playing professionally at the age of 29.
To commemorate 50 years since their world championship victory, Fulham built a monument to Cohen outside the Craven Cottage stadium six years ago. For his work in soccer, Cohen was awarded the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2000.
December 22, 2022
NOTABLE deaths
Big Scarr, 22
(April 7, 2000 – December 22, 2022)
American rapper from Memphis whose real name was Alexander Woods, died of a drug overdose.
Cause of death: drug overdose.
Big Scarr, a budding rapper signed to Gucci Mane's New 1017 Records, died from a drug overdose. He was only 22 years old.
Big Scarr (real name Alexander Woods) debuted in July 2020 on The New 1017, Gucci Mane Presents So Icy Summer, a compilation album. Along with labelmates Pooh Shiesty and Foogiano, he performed "SoIcyBoyz" and the solo song "Make A Play."
Scarr was one of only three musicians to make an appearance on a track by themselves throughout the whole compilation. According to his official website, the same year, Big Scarr narrowly escaped fatality from a gunshot that left him with hip and chest injuries.
Big Scarr had a guest appearance on So Icy Gang, Vol. 1 from 1017 before releasing his debut mixtape, 2021's Big Grim Reaper, which included Gucci, Pooh Shiesty, Foogiano, and producer Tay Keith.
The project finally reached its pinnacle at No. 1 on the Breakthrough 25 Chart of Rolling Stone and No. 25 on the Hot 200 album chart of Billboard.
Big Scarr revealed in November that he would be performing at Rolling Loud LA in March after gracing the stage at Rolling Loud New York in September. His second performance at the mobile festival would have been this one.
Thom Bell, 79
(January 26, 1943 – December 22, 2022)
One of the pioneers of Philadelphia soul in the 1970s, Jamaican-born American record producer, arranger, and songwriter, has passed away at age 79.
Cause of death: unknown.
Thom Bell, one of the key pioneers of the Philadelphia sound, a luscious soul style that became one of the most well-known and significant subgenres of the 1970s, passed away at age 79.
Bell worked as a conductor and arranger for Chubby Checker at the age of 19 after completing a classical music education. He began penning original songs for Checker after a few months and eventually joined the singer's production company. After that business failed, Bell joined Cameo Records as a session pianist, where he collaborated with the local soul group the Delfonics.
Bell joined the Philly Groove label as a producer after their manager established it in 1968, contributing to the Delphonics' unforgettable classics like “La Means I Love You” and “Didn’t I Blow Your Mind This Time.”
Two singles for the group on the Moonglow label were also produced by Thom Bell. Bell later became an arranger for artists like Jerry Butler, Archie Bell & The Drells, The O'Jays, and Dusty Springfield after joining the Gamble and Huff-run record company.
On Gamble & Huff's record label, Philadelphia International Records, which debuted in 1971, he orchestrated some of the early big hits, such as the O'Jays' "Back Stabbers". "Track of the Cat," an album produced by Bell and Dionne Warwick, was released in 1975.
A year prior, "Then Came You," a song by Bell, Warwick, and The Spinners that topped the Billboard Hot 100 charts and peaked at number two on the R&B chart, was released.
December 21, 2022
NOTABLE deaths
Tony Barry, 81
(28 August 1941 – 21 December 2022)
Tony Barry, a veteran Australian actor, died from melanoma at age 81.
Cause of death: melanoma.
Dony Barry, an undisputed pillar of the Australian cinema and television industries, passed away at the age of 81 from melanoma.
His career spanned five decades, approximately 100 films, and dozens of television programs.
Barry, who was born in Ipswich, Queensland, on August 28, 1941, has Skippy: the Bush Kangaroo from 1968 recorded as his first movie credit. After making his acting debut in such a classic show, he amassed a total of 160 film and TV roles, with his last appearance coming in four episodes of Marta Dusseldorp's upcoming ABC series Bay of Fires.
Despite the problems brought on by his illness, which included having his leg amputated while filming The Time of Our Lives, he continued to work up until just before his passing, filming as late as October this year. Barry's acting career has endured for a long time, as evidenced by the 2014 Cinema Critics Circle of Australia award he earned for his "exceptional contribution to the Australian film industry."
Barry's cinematic career started in 1977 with The Mango Tree after he appeared in the television show The Box from 1975 to 1976. Following that, he played parts in a number of well-regarded Australian and New Zealand movies, such as Newsfront, We of the Never Never, Australia, and Home for Christmas, for which he received the Best Actor prize at the 2010 New Zealand Film and TV Awards.
Barry's left leg was amputated above the knee because of melanoma in 2014, in the off-seasons of the drama television series The Time of Our Lives.
Diane McBain, 81
(May 18, 1941 – December 21, 2022)
American actress Diane McBain (The Wild Wild West, Parrish, Claudelle Inglish, Black Gold, Mary) passed away at age 81 from liver cancer.
Cause of death: liver cancer.
Diane McBain, who played spoilt affluent females such as yacht owner Daphne Dutton on ABC's Surfside 6 and an author pursuing Elvis Presley in Spinout, has died. She was 81 years old. McBain died of liver cancer at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, her friend and writing partner Michael Gregg Michaud confirmed.
McBain made her film debut alongside Richard Burton in Vincent Sherman's Ice Storm (1960), then co-starred with Troy Donahue and Claudette Colbert in Delmer Daves' campy Parrish (1961), and starred as the title character, a farm girl who meets a tragic end, in Claudelle Inglish's The Farm Girl (1962). (1961).
Fresh out of high school and under contract with Warner Bros., McBain earned his mark as the eccentric Daphne on the criminal drama Surfside 6 set in Miami Beach in 1960–1962.
The houseboat where the actors who played Williams, Donahue, and Lee Patterson's private detectives lived was next to the yacht that her character owned, the Daffy II. After refusing a small role in Sex and the Single Girl, she left Warner Bros. (1964).
She stated, "I was following up on leads and thought this wasn't a great idea. She played Diana St. Clair in Spinout (1966), a character who writes books to assist women to find spouses. She discovered Elvis' Mike McCoy to be the perfect subject for her subsequent book, The Perfect American Male.
December 20, 2022
NOTABLE deaths
Franco Harris, 72
(March 7, 1950 – December 20, 2022)
Franco Harris, a four-time Super Bowl champion and Hall of Famer with the Pittsburgh Steelers, passed away.
Cause of death: unknown.
Franco Harris, a running back who earned induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and is best known for "The Immaculate Reception," arguably the most famous play in NFL history, has died. He was 72. The Associated Press was informed by Dok Harris, Harris' son, that Harris passed away overnight. The cause of death was kept a secret.
Two days before the 50th anniversary of the play that propelled the Pittsburgh Steelers to the top of the NFL standings and three days before the Steelers planned to honor him by retiring his No. 32 during a ceremony at halftime of their game against the Las Vegas Raiders, he passed away. The team has only retired two numbers, those of Joe Greene (75) and Ernie Stautner.
Harris rushed for 12,120 yards and four Super Bowl championships with the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 1970s, a dynasty that began after Harris elected to keep going following a last-second heave by Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw in a playoff game against Oakland in 1972.
Harris, who was born on March 7, 1950, in Fort Dix, New Jersey, attended Penn State, where his major role was to make openings for backfield mate Lydell Mitchell. In addition to his success with the Steelers, Harris had a distinguished collegiate career at Penn State, where he still ranks in the top 20 in program history with 2,002 total rushing yards.
In the 1972 NFL Draft, Harris was selected with the 13th overall choice by the Steelers, who were in the midst of reconstruction under the direction of Hall of Fame coach Chuck Noll. In 1990, Harris was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
December 19, 2022
NOTABLE deaths
Sonya Eddy, 55
(June 17, 1967 – December 19, 2022)
American actress most known for her protracted portrayal as head nurse Epiphany Johnson on the ABC serial opera General Hospital, has died at the age of 55.
Cause of death: unknown.
Sonya Eddy, a beloved co-star from the historic ABC soap opera General Hospital who played Epiphany for the past 16 years, passed away on Monday. She had 55 years old. Octavia Spencer, an actress who is a friend of Eddy's, announced the news on Instagram. Her death's specifics weren't made public.
Eddy started her career on the stage in the early 1990s before transitioning to television in 1995. Since then, she has made appearances in Married... with Children, Gilmore Girls, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Mike & Molly, and Beverly Hills, 90210.
Eddy was best known for playing Epiphany Johnson on General Hospital. Beginning in 2006, she played the nurse, who doubled as Stan Johnson's fake mother. In all, Sonya Eddy made an appearance in 543 episodes, with the most recent one being the one from November 25, 2020. From 2007 to 2008, she further participated in the spinoff General Hospital: Night Shift as a regular cast member.
In addition to General Hospital, Eddy also starred in several other TV shows and movies, such as Inspector Gadget, Primetime Glick, Monk, Barbershop, Phil of the Future, Daddy Daycare, Everybody Hates Chris, Matchstick Men, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Bad News Bears, Seven Pounds, The Perfect Game, Desperate Housewives, PEN15, Pee-Big Wee's Holiday, and Adam Ruins Everything.
She worked on the movies Frank and Penelope, V/H/S/99, and Satanic Hispanics in 2022.
Terry Hall, 63
(19 March 1959 – 19 December 2022)
English musician and the lead singer of the Specials, has sadly passed away following a brief illness, the band's Twitter account reports.
Cause of death: short illness.
The Specials have revealed that Terry Hall, the band's main singer and a former member of Fun Boy Three and the Colourfield, passed away at the age of 63. Soon after the Coventry band's formation in 1977, when they were still known as the Automatics, Hall replaced vocalist Tim Strickland and joined the first-generation Specials.
They first played as the Coventry Automatics before changing their name to Special AKA, or the Specials. They immediately became well-known for their ska and rocksteady sound, which is credited for supplying the early 1980s' societal disintegration, urban deterioration, and economic hardship with music.
In 1979, they released Gangsters, a reworking of Prince Buster's Al Capone, which peaked at No. 6 on the UK singles chart. For the next two years, they would rule the Top 10, reaching their highest point in 1981 with their second No. 1 smash and signature song, Ghost Town.
Early in the summer of 1981, when riots broke out across the United Kingdom in protest of racial discrimination and the use of stop-and-search tactics, it reached its height of popularity. It is recognized as one of the best pop records of all time and lasted three weeks at No. 1 and 10 weeks in the Top 40.
In 2009, the band embarked on a tour in celebration of their 30th anniversary before opening for The Rolling Stones in a show at Coventry's Ricoh Arena. The Specials' first album of brand-new music in 37 years, Encore, arrived at the top of the UK album chart in 2019.
Terry Hall has collaborated with a variety of performers, including Shakespears Sister, Bananarama, Lightning Seeds, David Stewart, and Lily Allen. Hall has also released two solo studio albums.
Steve Smoger, 72
(August 15, 1950 – December 19, 2022)
American boxing Hall of Fame referee who officiated more than 200 championship fights, passed away at the age of 72.
Cause of death: unknown.
Steve Smoger, a well-known American referee, passed away Thursday at the age of 72. According to reports, Smoger had been ailing for a while before death. The cause of death is unknown.
Over 1000 professional boxing contests and 200 title fights were overseen by Steve Smoger. He was one of the world's most experienced boxing referees, having officiated in more states and nations than any other official in the sport's history. In August of 2018, four years ago, Smoger presided over Romuel Cruz vs. Jose Lopez, about.
Smoger's lack of bias in the way he arbitrated his battles was refreshing. Even when they were superstars who earned millions of dollars, Smoger didn't hesitate to admonish boxers who broke the rules.
Outside of the ring, he worked as a municipal prosecutor, was a longstanding Air Force National Reserve member, and occasionally appeared on boxing shows. He also acted as the unofficial scorer for Ring City USA during its very brief tenure.
Tom Browning, 62
(April 28, 1960 – December 19, 2022)
American professional baseball pitcher (Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals).
Cause of death: unknown.
The Boone County Sheriff's Office has confirmed that former Cincinnati Reds pitcher Tom Browning has passed away. Tom Browning, a pitcher with the Reds between 1984 and 1994, was 62 years old.
Deputies were summoned to Browning's house at about 1 p.m. on Monday after a complaint of a man not breathing was received, according to the sheriff's office. According to the sheriff's office, when deputies arrived, they discovered the 62-year-old unconscious on a couch.
The Boone County Sheriff's Office said that first responders made an effort to save lives, but such attempts were unsuccessful. At around 1:13 PM, Browning was declared dead. The sheriff's office said that there is no indication of wrongdoing in relation to Browning's passing.
Browning, who was born in Casper, Wyoming, in 1960, completed her high school education at Chadwicks High School in Utica, New York, and Franklin Academy in Malone, New York. Following that, he attended LeMoyne College and Tennessee Wesleyan College. The man who would later be referred to as Mr. Perfect was selected by the Reds in the ninth round of the 1982 draft.
He started three games for the Reds in 1984, two years after making his major league debut. On September 16, 1988, in front of the Reds' fervent fans at Riverfront Stadium against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Browning pitched a perfect game. The Reds have still only ever played one flawless game. Browning participated in the 1990 World Series for the Reds.
In Game 3 of the World Series against the Oakland A's, he was the victorious pitcher. The left-handed pitcher had a 123-90 record and a 3.94 ERA before his MLB career came to an end. In 1995, he completed his career with the Kansas City Royals. Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2006 was Browning.
December 17, 2022
NOTABLE deaths
Christian Saulsberry, 25
(12, December 1997 – 17, December 2022)
Christian Saulsberry, a wide receiver for the Edmonton Elks of the Canadian Football League, was shot and killed in Memphis, Tennessee, the team announced.
Cause of death: shot.
According to the DeSoto County Sheriff's Department, he was shot in the abdomen and leg while attending a party in Walls, Mississippi, just southwest of Memphis, early Saturday morning.
According to the DeSoto County Sheriff's Office, Saulsberry died en route to the hospital. Officers responded to a shooting in the 7400 block of Church Road in Walls, Mississippi, around 3:28 a.m. According to police, Saulsberry was found with gunshot wounds to the abdomen and leg.
According to the report, Memphis Police apprehended Mark McDaniel, 24, at his residence on Saturday afternoon and charged him with second-degree murder.
According to the statement, the inquiry is still underway and more details cannot be made public at this time. Christian gave a lot to our football team during his brief time with the Green and Gold, both on the field and in the locker room "stated the Elks. "His zest for life and optimism will be sorely missed.
From South Haven, Mississippi, Saulsberry participated in eight games for Edmonton in 2022. At West Alabama, the swift 5-foot-8 playmaker was twice named to the All-Gulf South Conference team. In his senior year in 2019, he led the team with 1,223 all-purpose yards.
December 15, 2022
NOTABLE deaths
Louis Orr, 64
(May 7, 1958 – December 15, 2022)
Louis Orr, a star forward at Syracuse who played eight NBA seasons (Indiana Pacers, New York Knicks), before going into a lengthy career in coaching (Seton Hall Pirates), has passed away at age 64 after battling pancreatic cancer.
Cause of death: pancreatic cancer.
Former Syracuse and Knicks player Louis Orr, who later served as Seton Hall's head coach, passed away at the age of 64 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
Orr, who was born and raised in Cincinnati, excelled at Syracuse from 1976 to 1980, winning All-America and All-BIG EAST awards and going on four NCAA tournament visits. The 6-foot-8 Orr was one of Syracuse's early stars under current Orange coach Jim Boeheim's 47-year stint, and he was just a freshman in 1976–77 when he and center Roosevelt Bouie helped the team to its first of four consecutive NCAA Tournament trips.
In the last weeks of the program before the start of the NBA season, the renowned "Louie & Bouie Show," as they were known, combined to average 32.1 points and 16.6 rebounds per game as seniors.
The Pacers chose him in the second round of the 1980 NBA Draft with the 28th overall pick; he played for Indiana for two seasons and led the team to its first-ever NBA Playoff trip in 1981.
After that, Orr joined the Knicks and spent six seasons there until retiring in 1988. Throughout his eight-year NBA career, Orr averaged 9.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. During his senior year, he was named to the Big East All-Season Team and Conference Tournament Team.
In 2015, his No. 55 was retired. Orr started coaching in 1991, spending time as an assistant at Xavier, Providence, and Syracuse.
After that, he led Siena from 2000 to 2001, Seton Hall from 2001 to 2006, and Bowling Green from 2007 to 2014. He had been an assistant on former Knicks colleague Patrick Ewing's Georgetown staff since 2017.
December 13, 2022
NOTABLE deaths
Stephen Boss, 40
(Sept. 29, 1982 – Dec. 13, 2022)
American dancer, choreographer, actor, producer, and television personality. From 2014 until the show's termination in 2022, he was a co-host on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
Cause of death: suicide by gunshot.
In a statement, his wife, fellow dancer Allison Holker Boss, revealed that Stephen "tWitch" Boss, the affable DJ for "Ellen DeGeneres Show" and dancer who gained renown on "So You Think You Can Dance," had passed away.
Boss was born in Montgomery, Alabama, and acquired his moniker as a young boy because of his restlessness. After graduating from Lee High School in Montgomery in 2000, Stephen Boss attended Chapman University and Southern Union State Community College to pursue dance performance.
In 2016, Stephen Boss discussed his upbringing, including being raised by a single mother, and how his connection with his absentee father helped shape him, with novelist and former football player Lewis Howes for the latter's podcast.
Boss remarked, "I've always been the 'Don't tell me what I won't do' kind. "I recall telling [his father] in the parking lot outside of his place of employment that I was joining the dancing team. He then went off on this tangent, saying, "I'm going to need some gigs and some money to acquire supplies." Oh, that implies I'm actually expected to do this then, I thought.
Boss participated in the semifinals of MTV's "The Wade Robson Project" in 2003, and she finished second in the Star Search television talent search. His path to popularity began when he finished second on "So You Think You Can Dance" in 2008. He then came back to judge the competition.
He was hired by Elle DeGeneres in 2014 to serve as the DJ of her well-known daytime talk show, which he did until the program was canceled this year. Boss served as the show's co-executive producer as well.
Throuell-liked social media profiles, he kept in contact witgh his wh his followers and frequently posted videos of him dancing with his wife. On "So You Think You Can Dance" Season 7 in 2010, the two had a love connection and were all-star dancers.
Curt Simmons, 93
(May 19, 1929 – Dec. 13, 2022)
American professional baseball left-handed pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1947 to 1950 and 1952 to 1967, died at his home in Ambler, Pennsylvania. Simmons was one of the twin anchors of the starting rotation for the Philadelphia Phillies' 1950 National League (NL) championship team, the "Whiz Kids."
Cause of death: natural causes.
Curt Simmons, the only surviving member of the Philadelphia Phillies Whiz Kids team from 1950, has died. He was 93. The Phillies reported his death on Tuesday at his Ambler, Pennsylvania home.
The southpaw was one of the finest pitchers in franchise history, going 115-110 with 109 complete games, 18 shutouts, and a 3.66 ERA in 325 games (263 starts) over 13 seasons.
In 1952, Simmons tied for the major league lead with six shutouts, and in 1954, he had a career-high 21 complete games. He is eighth in franchise history in wins and innings pitched (1,939 2/3), sixth in games started, sixth in shutouts, and ninth in strikeouts (1,052).
Simmons was named to three All-Star teams while playing for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1952-53 and 1957. He founded the All-Star Games in 1952 and 1957. Simmons, a member of the pennant-winning "Whiz Kids," served in the National Guard during the Korean War and missed part of the 1950 season, including the World Series.
He also missed the full 1951 season due to military obligations. The New York Yankees swept the Whiz Kids in the World Series in 1950. In 569 career appearances (462 starts) with four clubs, Simmons finished 193-183 with 163 complete games, 36 shutouts, and a 3.54 ERA.
With the Cardinals, he won the World Series in 1964. In 1993, he was put into the Phillies' Wall of Fame.
December 12, 2022
NOTABLE deaths
Stuart Margolin, 82
(January 31, 1940 – December 12, 2022)
American film, stage, and television actor and director who won two Emmy Awards (1979, 1980) for his role as Evelyn "Angel" Martin on The Rockford Files in the 1970s.Emmy winner passed away according to a Social media post from his actor stepson, Max Martini.
Cause of death: natural causes.
The Hollywood Reporter reports that Stuart Margolin, best remembered for his Emmy-winning performance on "The Rockford Files," passed away on Monday at the age of 82 from natural causes.
In addition to appearing in episodes of "Love, American Style," "The Partridge Family," and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," Margolin was one of the busiest character performers of his day.
In the 1974 action movie "Death Wish," he played one of his most enduring performances. Charles Bronson and Margolin both portray characters who give Bronson's character a tour of a shooting range before giving him a pistol. The first and last episodes of The Rockford Files, as well as more than thirty others, all starred Stuart.
His character frequently sought Jim Rockford's (James Garner) assistance in navigating various snafus. In addition to the long-running series, Stuart also starred in eight of the TV movies produced for the program in the 1990s. Before making appearances on shows like Ironside, The Virginian, The Monkees, Bewitched, The F.B.I., and The Partridge Family, he had guest roles on iconic series including The Fugitive, Ben Casey, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents.
Since the early 1970s, Margolin has directed TV episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Sara, a 1976 western series, The Love Boat, Magnum, P.I., Bret Maverick, Quantum Leap, Wonder Woman, and Northern Exposure, among others. He has made appearances in several Canadian television shows.
December 11, 2022
NOTABLE deaths
Paul Silas, 79
(July 12, 1943 – December 11, 2022)
Sadness in the world of basketball: Former American professional basketball player (St. Louis/Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics) and NBA head coach (Charlotte Hornets). Silas was LeBron James' first NBA head coach; his son, Stephen Silas, currently coaches the Rockets.
Cause of death: unknown.
The Houston Rockets announced that legendary NBA player and former coach Paul Silas died at the age of 79. Silas played in the NBA for 16 years, earning three titles with the Boston Celtics and the Seattle SuperSonics.
During his almost two-decade playing career, he was a two-time All-Star and a five-time All-Defensive selection. Silas continued in the NBA after retiring in 1980, quickly becoming the head coach of the San Diego Clippers. He later worked as an assistant coach with the New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, and Charlotte Hornets for 11 seasons.
He went on to become the Charlotte Hornets head coach in 1998, leading the team to four playoff berths, including two visits to the Eastern Conference finals. Silas' second head coaching position would be with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2003 to 2005, where he was LeBron James' first NBA coach.
He later returned to Charlotte for a brief second term as head coach from 2010 to 2012. Silas has a 387-488 record (.442 winning percentage) and four playoff appearances in his 12 years as a head coach in the league. Stephen Silas, Silas' son, is the current head coach of the Houston Rockets.
From 2000 to 2003, Stephen worked as an assistant coach for his father, first with the Charlotte Hornets and subsequently with the New Orleans Hornets. From 2010 until 2012, he worked as an assistant to his father with Charlotte. Silas was picked by the St. Louis Hawks in the second round of the 1964 NBA Draft following four great years at Creighton when he averaged 20.5 points and a phenomenal 21.6 rebounds in college.
Creighton retired his No. 35 jersey in 1974, and rightly so given how impressive his stats were in college, particularly his rebounding. Silas is one of just five players in NCAA history to average at least 20 points and 20 rebounds per game during their collegiate careers, along with Bill Russell, Julius Erving, Kermit Washington, and Artis Gilmore.
December 10, 2022
NOTABLE deaths
Georgia Holt, 96
(October 30, 1930 – December 8, 2022)
American singer, model, actress (Watch the Birdie, Grounds for Marriage), and mother of Cher.
Cause of death: no cause of death was provided.
American singer and actress Cher is grieving the death of her mother, actress, and singer Georgia Holt, who died on Saturday night. Holt was 96 years old. The announcement comes several months after Cher said that her mother was hospitalized for pneumonia and that she's been "ill off and on" but that "she's doing better."
There is currently no information known on Holt's cause of death. As a child actor in the 1950s, Holt starred in films such as A Life of Her Own, Grounds for Marriage, and Father's Little Dividend, as well as TV series such as The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet and I, Love Lucy, when she portrayed a French fashion model.
Holt released her debut album, "Honky Tonk Woman," after receiving a contract offer from Columbia Records in 1980. The album was supported by members of Elvis Presley's band and included the duet "I'm Just Your Yesterday" with Cher. However, the record wasn't published until 2013, after Cher provided her musical director, Paul Mirkovich, with the tapes that were in Holt's garage.
Following the album's release, the mother-daughter team made an appearance alongside Cher's half-sister, actress Georganne LaPiere, in the Mother's Day Lifetime documentary "Dear Mom, Love Cher." Holt most recently participated in "RuPaul's Drag Race" as a guest judge alongside her grandson Chaz Bono.
Holt leaves behind two daughters, Cher and Georganne LaPiere, as well as two grandkids. Cher (born Cherilyn Sarkisian) was born in 1946 with her ex-husband John Paul Sarkisian, while Georganne was born in 1951 with her ex-husband John Southall.
December 8, 2022
NOTABLE deaths
Helen Slayton-Hughes, 92
(October 30, 1930 – December 8, 2022)
American actress who is best known for playing Ethel Beavers in Parks and Recreation died at the age of 92.
Cause of death: natural causes.
Helen Slayton-Hughes, an actor in Parks and Recreation, died. The actress that played Ethel Beavers was 92 years old. On December 8, Slayton-Hughes' family announced her death on her Facebook page.
Slayton-Hughes has also been in The Drew Carey Show, The West Wing, NYPD Blue, Malcolm in the Middle, Arrested Development, Burning Love, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Birthday Boys, Little Big Awesome, and Those Who Can't. She also appeared in the Oscar-nominated 2005 film Good Night, and Good Luck, alongside George Clooney, David Strathairn, Jeff Daniels, Patricia Clarkson, and Alex Borstein.
In a recent appearance on the Peacock comedy Rutherford Falls, Slayton-Hughes reconnected with Parks and Recreation writer Mike Schur. She has appeared in several recent Netflix films, such as He's All That, Moxie, directed by Amy Poehler, and The Curse of Bridge Hollow, which also starred Marlon Wayans, Priah Ferguson, and Kelly Rowland.
December 5, 2022
NOTABLE deaths
Mills Lane, 85
(November 12, 1937 – December 6, 2022)
American boxing referee, former professional boxer and television personality.
Cause of death: unknown.
Mills Lane, a collegiate boxing champion who narrowly missed being named to the 1960 U.S. Olympic squad, passed away early on Tuesday at a hospice close to his home in Reno, Nevada.
Lane also served as a prosecutor, two-term district attorney, district court judge, and one of boxing's top judges. Lane, a Marine, competed in the 1960 U.S. Olympic Trials in San Francisco, California, and won the NCAA welterweight boxing championship. In the semifinals, he was defeated.
After losing his pro debut, he turned pro while still a college student and went on to win 10 straight fights. Prior to serving as a district court judge in Washoe, Nevada, Lane served as the county's district attorney for two years. Mills Lane then presided over a television show called "The People's Court," where he handled civil cases. Lane, on the other hand, was best known as one of boxing's top referees.
He officiated some of the major fights of the second half of the twentieth century, including contests involving Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, and Riddick Bowe, among others. Let's get it on! was his motto at the start of fights, and it rapidly became his trademark. Lane worked as a prosecutor in Nevada before becoming a judge. He also oversaw boxing events from the 1970s until the 1990s.
In the historic second match between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield in 1997, in which Tyson bit Holyfield's ear off, he served as the referee and rapidly rose to fame. In the claymation satire "Celebrity Death Match" on MTV, where he, of course, played the referee, Lane became an icon.
For "Judge Mills Lane," a syndicated reality TV series in which Lane functioned as an arbitrator, Mills Lane resigned from her position as a judge. The show aired from 1998 to 2001 for three seasons. Lane was enshrined in the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2013.
December 5, 2022
NOTABLE deaths
Kirstie Alley, 71
(January 12, 1951 – December 5, 2022)
American actress (Cheers, Veronica's Closet, Look Who's Talking).
Cause of death: cancer.
According to a family statement, 71-year-old actress Kirstie Alley passed away from cancer. She was most known for her work on the comedy series Cheers in the 1980s and 1990s.
Her daughters stated, "We are heartbroken to inform you that our beautiful, strong, and beloved mother has gone away.
For her work as a tavern manager on the well-liked TV show, Alley received an Emmy nomination.
The Wichita, Kansas native has also had appearances in the Look Who's Talking series, Drop Dead Gorgeous, and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Her cancer was "just recently detected," according to the family statement, which did not clarify what type she had.
"She was surrounded by her closest relatives and battled with amazing courage, leaving us with the confidence of her never-ending pleasure of living and whatever experiences lay ahead," the statement went on to say. "As memorable as she was on television, she was an even better mother and grandma." They also lauded her "zeal and love for life, her children, grandkids, and numerous animals, not to mention her perpetual delight of creation."
John Travolta, who co-starred with her in the Look Who's Talking series, paid tribute to her on Instagram. "Kirstie was one of the most amazing people I've ever known. Kirstie, I adore you "He commented next to a photo of her - "I'm sure we'll see each other again."
She starred as Rebecca Howe in Cheers, an NBC sitcom about a Boston bar, with Ted Danson. She participated in 147 episodes after entering the program at its peak in popularity and continued to do so until its cancellation in 1993. She earned her second Emmy for best main actress in 1993, this time for David's Mother, a CBS TV movie.
December 4, 2022
NOTABLE deaths
Nick Bollettieri, 91
(July 31, 1931 – December 4, 2022)
American Hall of Fame tennis coach.
Cause of death: natural causes.
Nick Bollettieri (91), one of the most distinctive and memorable figures in tennis history, passed away at his Bradenton home.
Nick Bollettieri, one of tennis' most well-known teachers and the creator of an academy idea that affected the growth of talent outside of his own sport, is mourned.
The 91-year-old American was a force of nature who developed a manufacturing line in Bradenton, Florida that helped create several champions. It is thought that he was married at least seven times. Along with many others, Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, Monica Seles, and Maria Sharapova all underwent his teaching system and went on to win several Grand Slam
championships.Bollettieri, a New Yorker by birth, discovered his calling as a tennis teacher and, after settling in Florida, built his academy with the concept that young players would reside there to prepare them for the tour.
When Agassi moved there to board from his home in Las Vegas as a teenager, he created a boot camp mentality that he found difficult to stick to. Scholarships were offered to individuals he thought would succeed, and soon feedback began to flow from a region of the Sunshine State with few outside influences.
He sold the business to the management company IMG in the late 1980s, although he remained employed there. With time, it grew to include other fields, and the idea of boarding at an academy became more widespread in other sports.
Bob McGrath, 90
(June 13, 1932 – Dec. 4, 2022)
American actor, singer, musician, and children's author.
Cause of death: natural causes.
According to messages published on social media by his family and Sesame Workshop, Bob McGrath (90), an original cast member of the iconic children's program "Sesame Street," has died. McGrath appeared on the inaugural episode of "Sesame Street" in 1969 and went on to work on 47 seasons of the show as Bob Johnson, leaving the show in 2017 but continuing to represent it at various events in recent years.
According to Sesame Workshop, the actor, who was also a tenor and pianist, performed in "concert halls from Las Vegas to Saskatchewan to Tokyo many times over."
McGrath contributed to the success of numerous "Sesame Street" songs, including "People in Your Neighborhood" and "Sing a Song." McGrath, along with series matriarch Susan Robinson, played by Loretta Long, was one of the two longest-running human characters on the program from its inception. When advertising Sesame Street on that network, a Noggin feature touted Bob's four decades.
Patrick Tambay, 73
(25 June 1949 – 4 December 2022)
Former French F1 driver (McLaren, Ferrari)
Cause of death: complications from Parkinson's disease.
Patrick Tambay, a former Formula One driver, passed away on Sunday at the age of 73, according to his family. The Frenchman took Gilles Villeneuve's position at Ferrari after the Canadian legend's tragic accident in 1982.
Tambay has had years of Parkinson's disease symptoms. Tambay finished fourth in the 1983 world championship and won two races with Ferrari, the 1982 German Grand Prix and the 1983 San Marino Grand Prix.
Tambay also earned five career pole positions. In 1982, he drove for Ferrari and, after taking over for the late Gilles Villeneuve in the middle of the season, made an additional 11 podium appearances while also winning twice.
Tambay finished third in only his second race with the Scuderia at Brands Hatch and won his first race for the Scuderia in the German Grand Prix two weeks later, during which teammate Didier was gravely injured. He would subsequently finish second in the last European race of the 1982 season at Monza, and win another race the following season in San Marino, finishing the season in a career-best P4.
Born in Paris on June 25, 1949, and educated in France and the United States. Tambay started 114 championship races in a career littered with retirements, including stints with McLaren in 1978 and 1979 after making his debut in 1977 with Teddy Yip's Hong Kong-owned Theodore Racing outfit.
December 1, 2022
NOTABLE deaths
Gaylord Perry, 84
(September 15, 1938 – December 1, 2022)
American Hall of Fame baseball player (San Francisco Giants, Cleveland Indians, San Diego Padres) and two-time Cy Young winner.
Cause of death: natural causes.
Gaylord Perry, a two-time Cy Young Award winner and member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, passed away at age 84 in Gaffney from natural causes. From 1962 through 1983, Perry pitched for eight major league organizations.
He won the Cy Young in 1972 with Cleveland and in 1978, just after turning 40, with San Diego. With the San Francisco Giants, with whom he played for 10 seasons, Perry made his MLB debut in 1962. Prior to the 1972 season, the renowned spitball-throwing right-hander was dealt to the Cleveland Indians, now known as the Guardians.
Perry won his first Cy Young Award while playing with the Indians, topping the American League in wins (24) and complete games (29).
Perry has moved again to the San Diego Padres in 1978 after being sold to the Texas Rangers in 1975, where he pitched for three seasons. Perry earned his second Cy Young title with the Padres, making him the only pitcher in MLB history to do so in both leagues.
Perry was admitted to the Pro Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991. Five-time All-Star pitcher Perry, who pitched for eight major league teams between 1962 and 1983, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1991.
He concluded with 3,554 strikeouts, a 314-255 career record, and a pitching approach in which he altered baseballs or led hitters to believe he had altered them.
