Literotica Cemetary

[sweet soft kiss]

Bob Mathias; Olympian, Congressman

Bob Mathias; Olympian, Congressman

By Martin Weil
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, September 4, 2006; Page B07

Bob Mathias, 75, who as a two-time champion in the Olympic decathlon was one of the greatest all-around American athletes and who also served eight years in Congress, died of cancer Sept. 2 at his home in Fresno, Calif.

Only 17 when he captured his first decathlon gold medal at the London Games in 1948, Rep. Mathias repeated the feat four years later in Helsinki. He was said to be the youngest Olympic gold medal winner ever in track and field.

Elected to Congress as a Republican in 1966 to represent a district in California's agricultural central valley, Rep. Mathias won three more terms and was one of the first prominent athletes -- amateur or professional -- to hold a seat in the House of Representatives.

The 10-event, two day decathlon that brought him fame ranks among the most severe tests of strength, skill and stamina in sports, and his Olympic victories prompted discussion as to whether he or the legendary Jim Thorpe was the greatest of all-around athletes in the United States.

Events in which he competed included the high jump, broad jump, shot put, javelin throw, 110-meter hurdles and 1,500-meter run.

Several events were new to the teenager from Tulare, Calif., and it was reported that he and his coach boned up by studying textbooks. When he performed at the 1948 national meet at which Olympians were chosen, a sports columnist called his form atrocious.

Rep. Mathias held the javelin "like a guy killing a chicken," wrote Jim Murray, a former Los Angeles Times columnist. But he won and was off to the London Games.

Rep. Mathias later enrolled at Stanford University, where as a strapping 6-foot-3 fullback he played on a football team that went to the 1952 Rose Bowl.

After graduation, he served as a Marine officer, appeared in movies and operated a boys camp.

He won his congressional seat by defeating a Democratic incumbent in 1966, the year in which Ronald Reagan was elected governor of California. Name recognition was not enough, he told the Los Angeles Times years later. "You still have to know your subject matter. . . . You have got to work at it." He was defeated in 1974, the year Watergate swept many Republicans from office.

From 1977 to 1983, he directed the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

According to a brother, Eugene Mathias, survivors include his wife, four children, a stepdaughter, a sister and another brother. Eugene Mathias said an earlier marriage ended in divorce.

 

[linuxgeek]

BRISBANE, Australia - Steve Irwin, the hugely popular Australian television personality and environmentalist known as the "Crocodile Hunter," was killed Monday by a stingray during a diving expedition, Australian media said. He was 44.

He may have been a loon, but he was expert in his field. At least he was able to go out doing what he loved.

 

[JennyOmanHill]

Rockabilly Singer Simmons Dies at 69

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Aug 30, 6:07 PM (ET)

TUPELO, Miss. (AP) - Rockabilly singer and songwriter Jumpin' Gene Simmons, who worked with Elvis Presley and had a top 20 hit in 1964 with the bouncy "Haunted House," has died. He was 69.

He died Tuesday at North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo after a long illness, according to Holland-Harris Funeral Directors.

Simmons - not to be confused with the Kiss bassist with the same name - was in show business for more than 50 years, working with such names as Sam Phillips and the Bill Black Combo. More recently, he co-wrote "Indian Outlaw," which became a big hit in 1994 for country superstar Tim McGraw.

But his biggest success came in 1964 with the novelty song "Haunted House," which reached No. 11 on the Billboard pop chart and launched Simmons on a world tour.

Among other early gigs, he performed as an opening act for Presley in Tupelo, Presley's birthplace and Simmons' longtime hometown, as Presley's career was taking off, said his son, Cary Simmons.

After appearing in some Memphis clubs, Simmons signed with Sun Records, the legendary Memphis label formed by Phillips that launched the careers of Presley, Johnny Cash and other stars.

While he didn't have the chart success of other Sun performers, Simmons' recordings have become known to later generations through reissues. Brian Setzer did a version of Simmons'"Peroxide Blonde in a Hopped Up Model Ford" on his "Rockabilly Riot Vol. 1: A Tribute to Sun Records."

Simmons, born in Itawamba County in 1937, spent most of his life in Northeast Mississippi although he lived for a time in Memphis. Besides his son, survivors include his mother, a sister, and two brothers.




A special for the "Crocodile Hunter". His enthusiasm and love for life will surely be missed.

 

[JennyOmanHill]

'Psycho' Screenwriter Stefano Dies

Stefano Also Co-Created 'The Outer Limits'

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Screenwriter Joseph Stefano, who penned Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" and co-created the television series "The Outer Limits," has died.

Stefano was 84.

The screenwriter died Aug. 25 at Los Robles Hospital and Medical Center in Thousand Oaks, said funeral director Elaine Munoz.

Stefano's cause of death wasn't disclosed.

He was born May 5, 1922, in Philadelphia. Among his first screenplays was the 1958 crime drama "The Black Orchid," which starred Sophia Loren and Anthony Quinn.

Stefano began writing scripts for 20th Century Fox in 1960, and he moved to Hollywood. Hitchcock soon had him adapt a Robert Bloch pulp novel for the screen, which eventually became "Psycho."

The film earned four Oscar nominations, including Best Director for Hitchcock and Best Supporting Actress for Janet Leigh.

Along with screenwriter Leslie Stevens, Stefano co-created the science-fiction anthology series "The Outer Limits" in 1963. The show, which Stefano wrote several episodes for, ran until 1965. He also wrote an episode for the revival of the show in 1997.

Stefano also wrote for such television shows as "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and "Swamp Thing." He also penned the screenplay for the television movie "Psycho IV: The Beginning" in 1990.

Besides his wife, Stefano is survived by his son, Dominic.

 

[Violette]

It's 9-11, Five Years Later...


One for Stephanie Irby, whom I once called my friend,
One for my city,
and one more...so we'll never forget.

 

[JennyOmanHill]

St. Louis blues legend Bennie Smith dies

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Posted 9/12/2006

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Even on the day Bennie Smith died, the gig went on.

Smith, a guitarist and St. Louis blues legend who played with stars like Chuck Berry and Ike and Tina Turner, September 10th, following a heart attack. He was 72.

Smith, Kim Massie and the Soulard Blues Band were to perform Sunday night at a club in suburban University City, but when the musicians arrived onstage without Smith, harmonica player Tom Papa Ray told the crowd that Smith had died earlier that evening.

He said Smith, lying in bed Saturday after a heart attack, wanted the show to go on without him. And it did.

"He was still conscious on Saturday. He informed his saxophonist to do the gig, and I was joking that Bennie didn't want to get a reputation as a no-show," Ray told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the newspaper reported Tuesday.

Smith was diagnosed with lung cancer earlier this year, and had a heart attack in 2004, the same year his guitars and amps were stolen by a burglar. Still, friends said he didn't let any of the real-life blues get him down.

"I spoke with him Thursday, and he was very upbeat in a lot of ways," said St. Louis Blues Society's John May. "He had been really elated."

Smith wasn't a huge recording act. But he contributed to countless sessions and played with artists including Aretha Franklin, Little Milton, the Drifters, Albert King and Rufus Thomas.

Smith is credited with teaching Ike Turner how to play Okie Dokie Stomp on guitar, which Turner turned into his own hit called Prancin'. Smith also played guitar on Ike and Tina's Boxtop when Tina Turner was still going by Little Ann.

Despite his ill health, Smith had been very active recently. His The Bennie Smith All Star Session live CD was released two weeks ago, and he performed at the Big Muddy Blues Festival in St. Louis on Sept. 2, with Mayor Francis Slay proclaiming it Bennie Smith Day. Later that evening, he played at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups — his last performance.

Big Muddy organizer Dawne Massey was glad she could showcase Smith.

"He was one of those older guys, and you'd wonder if they could still play. Then they get up there and suddenly they're 40 years younger," she said.

 

[JennyOmanHill]

Former Texas Gov. Ann Richards Dies

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AUSTIN -- Former Texas Gov. Ann Richards, the witty and flamboyant Democrat who went from homemaker to national political celebrity , died September 13th at her Austin home. She was 73.

Richards died surrounded by her family after a battle with cancer, a family spokeswoman said.

Richards had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer in March and underwent chemotherapy.

A one-time teacher and mother of four, Richards said she entered politics to help others - especially women and minorities who were often ignored by Texas' male-dominated establishment.

Her humor always on display. She said, "I did not want my tombstone to read, 'She kept a really clean house.' I think I'd like them to remember me by saying, 'She opened government to everyone.'"

She grabbed the national spotlight with her keynote address at the 1988 Democratic National Convention when she was Texas state treasurer. Richards sealed her partisan reputation with a blast at then-Vice President George H.W. Bush. Said Richards: "Poor George, he can't help it. He was born with a silver foot in his mouth."

Richards rose to the governorship with a come-from-behind victory over Clayton Williams in 1990.

She was governor for one term, losing her re-election bid to Republican George W. Bush.

She cracked a half-century male grip on the Governor's Mansion and celebrated by holding aloft a T-shirt that showed the state Capitol and read: "A woman's place is in the dome."

 

[JennyOmanHill]

Pat Corley, 'Murphy Brown' Barkeep, Dies

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LOS ANGELES (AP) - Actor Pat Corley, who served sage advice along with drinks as Phil the barkeep on "Murphy Brown," has died. He was 76.

Corley, a native of Dallas, died of congestive heart failure Sept. 11 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, according to his son, actor-comedian Jerry Corley. The elder Corley had undergone surgery for the placement of coronary stents, his son said Thursday.

Pat Corley's five-decade career included roles in the films "Coming Home,""True Confessions" and "Against All Odds."

He appeared on "Murphy Brown," the CBS sitcom starring Candice Bergen as a hard-driving TV newswoman, from 1988-96. Among his other TV roles was a questionable baseball team owner on "The Bay City Blues" and coroner Wally Nydorf on "Hill Street Blues."

The latter role was his favorite by far, his son said.

"It was meaty," Jerry Corley said. "He got to really do work, and on television it's usually just small pieces."

His performance drew praise from one highly valued source.

"Laurence Olivier called him up and said, 'That's the finest television acting I have ever witnessed,'" Jerry Corley recounted. "My dad's not starstruck, but he was, 'Oh, man.'"

Corley got his start in theater. He appeared in summer stock in California, where he met his wife, Iris, also an actress. After moving to New York he acted in on- and off-Broadway plays.

Besides Jerry Corley, his survivors include son Kevin, daughters Troy Corley and Christina Pratt and 12 grandchildren. Iris Corley died a year ago and a daughter, Michelle, died about 10 years ago at age 29, Jerry Corley said.

 

[JennyOmanHill]

JFK's Sister, Patricia, Dies At 82

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BOSTON -- She was the sister of a president and the wife of a well-known actor. Patricia Kennedy Lawford has died in New York at age 82 of complications of pneumonia.

Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy calls his sister "irreplaceable." He said everyone who knew his sister "adored her."

She was a tireless supporter of her brother's political campaigns, as well as a champion of literacy and the arts.

Patricia Kennedy was the sixth child and fourth daughter of Rose and Joseph Kennedy's nine children. She met British actor Peter Lawford through her brother John, the future president, in 1949.

They were married in 1954 and had four children before divorcing in 1965. She's also survived by 10 grandchildren.

 

[JennyOmanHill]

Actor Mickey Hargitay Dies at Age 80

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LOS ANGELES (AP) - Mickey Hargitay, the actor and world champion bodybuilder who was married to 1950s sex siren Jayne Mansfield and whose daughter is Emmy-winning winning actress Mariska Hargitay, has died. He was 80.

Hargitay died Thursday in Los Angeles, and the cause of death was not released.

Born Miklos Hargitay in 1926, he emigrated from his native Hungary to the United States after World War II. He became interested in bodybuilding in the 1950s and was named Mr. Universe, Mr. America and Mr. Olympia in 1955.

"My dad's a bit of a superhero," Mariska Hargitay told the National Public Radio show "Fresh Air" last year.

He parlayed his perfect physique into a performing career when Mae West tapped him to be one of the musclemen in her stage show.

It was there that Hargitay met Mansfield, whom he married in 1957. That same year, he made his big-screen debut in "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue." He went on to star opposite his wife in three films: "The Loves of Hercules,""Promises! Promises!" and "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?"

The couple had three children together before divorcing in 1964. Mansfield died in a car crash in 1967.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who played Hargitay in the 1982 TV movie "The Jayne Mansfield Story," offered his condolences and called Hargitay "a magnificent individual."

"Mickey was such an inspiration and always had such a positive attitude," Schwarzenegger said in a statement. "He was a role model of mine for being a successful immigrant who came to this country and pursued his dreams."

Hargitay's career continued following his divorce with appearances in a half-dozen Italian films and horror flicks. He even guest-starred in a 2003 episode of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," the show in which his daughter Mariska plays a leading role.

When she won an Emmy for her work last month, Mariska tearfully thanked her father, "because he is the reason I'm standing here today."

She paid similar tribute to him at last year's Golden Globes, saying: "You are my hero. You've taught me not only by your word but by your example, Dad, and I love you." Mariska abruptly canceled an appearance on "The Tonight Show" in August to be with her father.

Besides Mariska, Hargitay is survived by his wife, Ellen, sons Mickey Jr. and Zoltan, and another daughter, Tina.

 

[Sparky Kronkite]

But what about...

actual Lit members who have croaked?

There must have been a bunch...

You know, on breather's, in chairs - sickness.net@lets.f'nchat

 

[SimplySouthern]

Oops

.......

 

[Sparky Kronkite]

OOPs, what?

What?

 

[JennyOmanHill]

Actor Robert Earl Jones Dies At 96

ENGLEWOOD, N.J. -- Actor Robert Earl Jones has died.

The father of James Earl Jones, he was a fixture on Broadway and appeared in more than 20 movies.

Jones grew up in Mississippi and dropped out of school in the third-grade. He worked as a sharecropper and then took up boxing before coming to New York.

The poet Langston Hughes cast Jones in an early role in the Harlem Suitcase Theatre. He put his boxing skills to use, playing Joe Louis in the film "Spirit of Youth."

His career was interrupted in the 1950s when he was blacklisted for refusing to testify before the House un-American Activities Committee. After his career resumed it lasted into the 1990s. He played roles in films including "Wild River," "The Sting" and "Witness."

Jones died earlier this month at the Lillian Booth Actors' Home. He was 96.

 

[sweet soft kiss]

Us Legend Nelson Dies

Grand old gentleman dies peacefully.


Five-time major winner Byron Nelson has died at the age of 94.

Nelson won the Masters in 1937 and 1943, the US Open in 1939 and the US PGA Championship in 1940 and 1945.

He holds the records for the most tournament wins in a single year - 18 in 1945, which included an incredible 11 in a row.

Between 1944 and 1945 he won 31 of the 54 events he entered but retired a year later at the age of 34 to spend more time on his Texas ranch.

Nelson's record 1945 season also saw him finish runner-up seven times and card 19 straight rounds under 70.

He finished with 52 PGA Tour titles, sixth on the all-time list behind Tiger Woods - who surpassed Nelson this season - Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus.

Nelson was inducted into the PGA Hall of Fame in 1953 and the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974.

The tournament he hosted - the EDS Byron Nelson Championship - is the PGA Tour's most successful fundraising tournament.

 

[sweet soft kiss]

Tokyo Rose Dies

CHICAGO (Reuters) - An American woman convicted of treason and later pardoned for being "Tokyo Rose," one of several radio announcers Japan used during World War Two to spew propaganda to undermine American morale, has died, a Chicago hospital said on Wednesday.

Iva Toguri, 90, died on Tuesday from undisclosed causes, a hospital spokesman said.

She was convicted of treason in 1949 based on suspect testimony that she was the legendary "seductress of the short wave" who had sought to persuade American soldiers to surrender because their cause was lost and their girlfriends were deserting them at home.

She served more than six years in prison, though many historians believe she was not one of the dozen announcers dubbed "Tokyo Rose" by American soldiers, who mostly laughed off the surrender appeals.

Toguri did work as an announcer for the "Zero Hour" program on Radio Tokyo, but mostly played jazz records and uttered facetious comments meant to bolster, not weaken, American resolve, say historians.

Born July 4, 1916, in Los Angeles, the young college graduate was visiting a sick relative in Japan when she became trapped there as war broke out. Starving and sick, unable to speak Japanese, she answered an ad to become an English-language typist for Radio Tokyo.

She married another station employee, Felipe D'Aquino, a Portuguese of Japanese descent.

After the war, a pregnant Toguri sought to return to the United States but broadcaster Walter Winchell and others cited her possible role as Tokyo Rose and criticized the U.S. administration for not punishing her. Toguri eventually signed interview notes implicating herself, thinking she could speed her return home.

Later, U.S. President Gerald Ford, made aware that she had likely been made a scapegoat during the nervous climate in the early days of the Cold War, pardoned Toguri in 1977.

After her release from prison, Toguri opened a small shop in Chicago and fought for a pardon.

The only other American woman convicted of treason was Mildred Gellers, known as "Axis Sally" as a broadcaster for Germany.

 

[JennyOmanHill]

'Polka Dot Bikini' Songwriter Dies at 68

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Songwriter Paul Vance, who earned pop culture immortality with the 1960 smash about a bashful bather, "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini," has died. He was 68.

The New Milford-raised Vance, whose real name was Paul Van Valkenburgh, died Sept. 6 at his home in Ormond Beach, Fla., said his wife of 32 years, Rose Leroux. He had been battling lung cancer for two years.

Vance and songwriting partner Lee Pockriss also co-wrote "Catch a Falling Star," a No. 1 hit for Perry Como in 1958.

But they had their biggest success with the song about the girl with a brand new bikini who "was afraid to come out of the locker, she was a nervous as she could be. ... Now she's afraid to come out of the water, and the poor little girl's turning blue."

Recorded by 16-year-old teen idol Brian Hyland and a group of girlish backup singers, "Itsy Bitsy ...' surged to No. 1 on the Billboard charts in August 1960.

In an Associated Press interview that same month, Vance said the idea came while he and Pockriss were working on a demonstration record ("Petticoat Fly," which went nowhere.) He told Pockriss that his wife was thinking of getting a bikini but didn't have the nerve to wear it. The resulting song was written in 25 minutes and recorded within a week, he said.

The song has been used in such films as "Sister Act 2" and "Revenge of the Nerds II" and was more recently revived in a yogurt commercial.

"When he was young, he sold all the rights to the songs because he was young and foolish and now, 'Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini' is becoming popular again," his widow said.

His songs were as lighthearted as his personality, she said.

"He was a fun person," Leroux said. "He always joked, teased a lot. He was a good man."

In addition to his musical compositions, Leroux said, her husband was a Navy veteran in the Korean War and later in life spent time as a painting contractor.

In the 1960 interview, Vance said his then-wife hadn't bought a bikini, even after the song became a hit. "She still doesn't have the nerve, so she compromised by making a bikini for our 2-year-old daughter, Paula. It's itsy, bitsy, teenie weenie and has, believe it or not, yellow polka dots."

 

[JennyOmanHill]

ooopsie

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Songwriter Paul Vance, who earned pop culture immortality with the 1960 smash about a bashful bather, "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini," has died. He was 68.

The New Milford-raised Vance, whose real name was Paul Van Valkenburgh, died Sept. 6 at his home in Ormond Beach, Fla., said his wife of 32 years, Rose Leroux. He had been battling lung cancer for two years.

Vance and songwriting partner Lee Pockriss also co-wrote "Catch a Falling Star," a No. 1 hit for Perry Como in 1958.

But they had their biggest success with the song about the girl with a brand new bikini who "was afraid to come out of the locker, she was a nervous as she could be. ... Now she's afraid to come out of the water, and the poor little girl's turning blue."

Recorded by 16-year-old teen idol Brian Hyland and a group of girlish backup singers, "Itsy Bitsy ...' surged to No. 1 on the Billboard charts in August 1960.

In an Associated Press interview that same month, Vance said the idea came while he and Pockriss were working on a demonstration record ("Petticoat Fly," which went nowhere.) He told Pockriss that his wife was thinking of getting a bikini but didn't have the nerve to wear it. The resulting song was written in 25 minutes and recorded within a week, he said.

The song has been used in such films as "Sister Act 2" and "Revenge of the Nerds II" and was more recently revived in a yogurt commercial.

"When he was young, he sold all the rights to the songs because he was young and foolish and now, 'Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini' is becoming popular again," his widow said.

His songs were as lighthearted as his personality, she said.

"He was a fun person," Leroux said. "He always joked, teased a lot. He was a good man."

In addition to his musical compositions, Leroux said, her husband was a Navy veteran in the Korean War and later in life spent time as a painting contractor.

In the 1960 interview, Vance said his then-wife hadn't bought a bikini, even after the song became a hit. "She still doesn't have the nerve, so she compromised by making a bikini for our 2-year-old daughter, Paula. It's itsy, bitsy, teenie weenie and has, believe it or not, yellow polka dots."

Itsy-Bitsy Bikini, Big Mistake: Paul Vance Is Alive and Well Sign In to E-Mail This Print Reprints Save
By JEFF LEEDS
Published: September 28, 2006
A songwriter who co-wrote the 1960 pop hit “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini” was stunned to read on a television screen this week that he had died — apparently after another man who claimed authorship of the song died and left behind confused survivors.

The Associated Press on Tuesday carried an obituary reporting that Paul Vance had died on Sept. 6 at his home in Ormond Beach, Fla., citing his wife as its primary source. The A.P.’s managing editor, Mike Silverman, who is based in New York, said yesterday that the news service report was prompted by an obituary published earlier this week in The News-Times of Danbury, Conn.

That obituary, for Paul Van Valkenburgh, a native of New Milford, Conn., reported that Mr. Van Valkenburgh wrote the song under the name Paul Vance.

The initial news service report was picked up by news outlets around the world, including by The New York Times. But Mr. Vance — at least the one who wrote the novelty hit, which was recently used in a Yoplait yogurt advertising campaign — is very much alive and believes the man who died may have misled his own family.

Mr. Vance, who is 76 and recently moved from Long Island to Coral Springs, Fla., said he was “kind of shook up” over reports of his demise. “What is happening is unreal,” he said. “My kids went nuts. My closest friends are still calling.” Mr. Vance said that two racehorses he owned were scratched from races yesterday because organizers believed he had died.

Rose Leroux, the widow of the dead man, did not return a telephone call yesterday. But she told The A.P. that she was “kind of devastated” by the disclosure, but had no reason to doubt her husband of 32 years. Ms. Leroux had initially told the news service that her husband had not received royalties from the song because he had sold his rights to music-publishing income when he was young. When they met, she said, he was a salesman and later worked as a painting contractor. She said he had also served in the Navy.

“If this other man says he did it then my husband’s a liar, or he’s a liar,” she told The A.P. yesterday.

The song, co-written by Lee Pockriss, was recorded by the teenage heartthrob Brian Hyland and rose to No. 1 on the Billboard chart in 1960. It has survived as a novelty single and was rerecorded by the eclectic rock act Devo for the soundtrack to the film “Revenge of the Nerds II.”

John Castaldo, chief financial officer of the Music Sales Corporation, the publisher representing Mr. Vance, said there was no question that the living Paul Vance was the co-writer of the tune, and added that his company had been collecting royalties for Mr. Vance since at least the late 1980’s.

“Paul Vance is alive,” Mr. Castaldo said. “He wasn’t in the Navy. He wasn’t a painting contractor. Other than that, the story was right.”

Mr. Vance said he was considering legal action in response to the news reports of his death, and that he was particularly concerned that companies outside the United States who license his songs would be confused by the reports and would not make payments. “Believe me, if they think you’re dead, they ain’t going to send the money,” he said.

 

[Tati]

Star of Cleopatra Jones Films Dies

BALTIMORE (Oct. 5) - Tamara Dobson, the tall, stunning model-turned-actress who portrayed a strong female role as Cleopatra Jones in two "blaxploitation" films, has died.

Dobson, 59, died Monday of complications from pneumonia and multiple sclerosis at the Keswick Multi-Care Center, where she had lived for the past two years, her publicist said.

At 6 feet, 2 inches tall, Dobson was striking as the kung-fu fighting government agent Cleopatra Jones in 1973. She reprised the role in 1975's "Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold."

"She was not afraid to start a trend," said her brother, Peter Dobson, of Houston. "She designed a lot of the clothing that so many women emulated."

Dobson also appeared in "Come Back, Charleston Blue," "Norman, Is That You?" "Murder at the World Series" and "Chained Heat."

She had TV roles in the early 1980s in "Jason of Star Command" and "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century."

Dobson lived most of her adult life in New York, her family said. She was diagnosed six years ago with multiple sclerosis.

 

[JennyOmanHill]

Edward Albert, 55, actor and activist

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LOS ANGELES - Edward Albert, the actor-son of the late screen veteran Eddie Albert who first gained fame co-starring with Goldie Hawn in the 1970s film ``Butterflies Are Free'' and later became an outspoken environmental activist, has died. He was 55.

Mr. Albert died in his sleep at his home in Malibu after a battle with lung cancer, said his family. He was surrounded by his immediate family and a few close friends, including a Chumash medicine woman, who performed a traditional ceremony.

As the only son of Eddie Albert -- the twice Oscar-nominated supporting actor who starred in the popular 1960s television sitcom ``Green Acres'' -- and actress Margo Albert, Mr. Albert once said: ``I always knew I would act. It was just a matter of time.''

He made his film debut at 13, playing a runaway in the 1965 drama ``The Fool Killer.''

Mr. Albert had attended Oxford University and was studying psychology at the University of California-Los Angeles when he was signed to co-star in ``Butterflies Are Free,'' the 1972 comedy-romance in which he played a young blind man trying to break free from his overly protective mother.

The role, for which he prepared by studying at the Braille Institute and walking around town blindfolded, earned Mr. Albert a Golden Globe as most promising male newcomer.

He went on to star opposite Liv Ullmann in the 1973 comedy ``40 Carats.'' Over the next three decades, he appeared in more than 120 movies and television productions, including the films ``Midway,'' ``The Greek Tycoon,'' ``The Ice Runner'' and ``Guarding Tess.'' His many TV credits include appearances on ``Falcon Crest,'' ``Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman'' and ``Port Charles.''

In recent years, he served on both the California Coastal Commission and the state's Native American Heritage Commission.

Mr. Albert, who lived on a ranch in Malibu for 30 years, had ``a deep love for the ocean, mountains and canyons, as well as the Chumash native culture of his area,'' his family said.

Mr. Albert devoted the last decade of his life to caring for his father, who had Alzheimer's disease and died in 2005 at age 99.

Mr. Albert is survived by his wife, actress Kate Woodville; their daughter, Thais, a singer-songwriter for the rock band ``Sugar in Wartime''; and his sister, Maria Zucht.

 

[linuxgeek]

Buck O'Neil

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Buck O'Neil, the goodwill ambassador for the Negro Leagues who fell one vote shy of the Hall of Fame, died Friday night. He was 94.

Bob Kendrick, marketing director for the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, said O'Neil died at a Kansas City hospital. A cause of death was not given.

A star in the Negro Leagues who barnstormed with Satchel Paige, O'Neil later became the first black coach in the majors. Baseball was his life -- in July, he batted in a minor league All-Star game.

O'Neil rocketed into national stardom in 1994 when filmmaker Ken Burns featured him in his groundbreaking Public Broadcasting Service documentary "Baseball."

A good-hitting, slick-fielding first baseman, O'Neil twice won a Negro Leagues batting title, then became a pennant-winning manager of the Kansas City Monarchs.

As a scout for the Chicago Cubs, he discovered and signed Hall of Famers Lou Brock and Ernie Banks. In 1962, the Cubs made him the first black coach in the major leagues.

Jackie Robinson was the first black with an opportunity to make plays in the big leagues. But as bench coach, O'Neil was the first to make decisions.

Born in 1911 in Florida, John "Buck" O'Neil began a lifetime in baseball hanging around the spring training complex of the great New York Yankee teams of the '20s. Some of the players befriended the youngster and allowed him inside.

In February 2006, it was widely thought that a special 12-person committee commissioned to render final judgments on Negro Leagues and pre-Negro league figures would make him a shoo-in for the Baseball Hall of Fame.

But when word came from Florida that day that 16 men and one woman had been voted in, he was not among them. For reasons never fully explained, he fell one vote short of the required three-fourths.

 

[JennyOmanHill]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Buck O'Neil, the goodwill ambassador for the Negro Leagues who fell one vote shy of the Hall of Fame, died Friday night. He was 94.
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It's a disgrace he fell one vote short, especially since he lived for the game.

He was never seen without a smile on his face.

http://mlbplayers.mlb.com/images/2004/09/14/JiReYHAg.jpg

 

[Avery_Chisholm]

http://www.ketv.com/2006/0928/9955089_240X180.jpg

LOS ANGELES - Edward Albert, the actor-son of the late screen veteran Eddie Albert who first gained fame co-starring with Goldie Hawn in the 1970s film ``Butterflies Are Free'' and later became an outspoken environmental activist, has died. He was 55.

Mr. Albert died in his sleep at his home in Malibu after a battle with lung cancer, said his family. He was surrounded by his immediate family and a few close friends, including a Chumash medicine woman, who performed a traditional ceremony.

As the only son of Eddie Albert -- the twice Oscar-nominated supporting actor who starred in the popular 1960s television sitcom ``Green Acres'' -- and actress Margo Albert, Mr. Albert once said: ``I always knew I would act. It was just a matter of time.''

He made his film debut at 13, playing a runaway in the 1965 drama ``The Fool Killer.''

Mr. Albert had attended Oxford University and was studying psychology at the University of California-Los Angeles when he was signed to co-star in ``Butterflies Are Free,'' the 1972 comedy-romance in which he played a young blind man trying to break free from his overly protective mother.

The role, for which he prepared by studying at the Braille Institute and walking around town blindfolded, earned Mr. Albert a Golden Globe as most promising male newcomer.

He went on to star opposite Liv Ullmann in the 1973 comedy ``40 Carats.'' Over the next three decades, he appeared in more than 120 movies and television productions, including the films ``Midway,'' ``The Greek Tycoon,'' ``The Ice Runner'' and ``Guarding Tess.'' His many TV credits include appearances on ``Falcon Crest,'' ``Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman'' and ``Port Charles.''

In recent years, he served on both the California Coastal Commission and the state's Native American Heritage Commission.

Mr. Albert, who lived on a ranch in Malibu for 30 years, had ``a deep love for the ocean, mountains and canyons, as well as the Chumash native culture of his area,'' his family said.

Mr. Albert devoted the last decade of his life to caring for his father, who had Alzheimer's disease and died in 2005 at age 99.

Mr. Albert is survived by his wife, actress Kate Woodville; their daughter, Thais, a singer-songwriter for the rock band ``Sugar in Wartime''; and his sister, Maria Zucht.

i loved him on port charles R.I.P

 

[FallenAngel2]

i loved him on port charles R.I.P

 

[linuxgeek]

Ray Noorda

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2027240,00.asp

Network Computer Guru Noorda Dead at 82
10.10.06

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Ray Noorda, the former Novell Inc. chief executive hailed as "The Father of Network Computing" and one of the early leaders of the software industry, died on Monday of an Alzheimer's-related illness at his Utah home, his venture capital firm said.

Noorda, 82, is also credited as one of first high-tech executives to take on Microsoft Corp. over its dominance on the desktop and with helping to create the reseller approach to boost sales by allowing partners to offer its software.

Noorda served as president and chief executive of Utah-based Novell from 1983 to 1995 where he spearheaded Netware, the network operating system linking desktop computers to printers, file servers and directories.

"He helped drive the extension of the PC by building a successful file sharing system for the newly introduced PC that is now the defacto standard in Local Area Networks," computer maker Dell Inc. Chairman Michael Dell said in a statement issued by Noorda's venture capital firm.

Under Noorda, Novell grew from 17 employees to more than 12,000 and became one of the most important technology companies to come out of the 1980s.

After retiring from Novell, Noorda founded the Canopy Group, a venture capital firm through which he invested in start-up companies based mostly in his home state of Utah.