Remembering Those We Lost In 2007

[-Painted Fan-]

January
1st Del Reeves 74 Grand Ole Opry star
1st Darrent Williams 24 Denver Broncos player, CEO of Ryno Entertainment
4th Vincent Sardi, Jr. 91 host of Broadway watering hole "Sardi's"
6th Mario Danelo 21  USC kicker and son of former NFL kicker Joe Danelo
8th Yvonne de Carlo 84 actress  played Lilly on "The Munster's"
8th Iwao Takamoto 81 animator/creator of Scooby-Doo
9th Carlo Ponti 94 Italian producer  discovered/married Sophia Loren
12th Alice Coltrane 69 jazz pianist, wife of music legend John Coltrane
16th Betty Trezza 81  World War II era female baseball player, inspired the film "A League of Their Own"
16th Ron Carey 71 actor
17th "Pookie" Hudson 72 singer "The Spaniels", first leader of a vocal group that had lead singer with mic, while others shared
19th Denny Doherty 66 singer "The Mamas & The Papas"
30th Sidney Sheldon 89 author

February
2nd Billy Henderson 67 singer "The Spinners"
6th Frankie Laine 93 singer "Rawhide"
6th Willye White 68 track & field star, competed in 5 olympics, won silver medal in '56 long jump while just a soph. in high school
8th Anna Nicole Smith 39 model/ actress/ 1993 Playboy Playmate of the Year
15th Robert Adler 93 inventor of the TV remote control "1956 Zenith Space Command"
15th Walker Edmiston 81 voice of Ernie the Keebler Elf
22nd Lothar-Guenther Buckheim 89 author "Das Boot"
22nd Dennis "DJ" Johnson NBA player with Boston Celtics, later coached LA Clippers
24th Lamar Lundy, jr 71 NFL player LA Rams, part of famed "Fearsome Foursome"
24th Damien Darnell Nash 24  Denver Broncos RB
28th Arthur Schlesinger, jr. Pulitzer prize winning historian

March
7th Andy Sidaris 76 director ABC Wide World Of Sports coined the phrase "The thrill of victory, and the agony of defeat".
10th Ernie Ladd 71 "The Big Cat" college and pro football player/pro wrestler
12th Vilma Ebsen 96 singer/dancer  sister of Buddy Ebsen
15th Stuart Rosenberg 79  director "Cool Hand Luke"
15th Charles Harrelson 69 father of actor Woody Harrelson
16th Carol Richards 84 singer with Bing Crosby on "Silver Bells"
19th Luther Ingram 69  R & B singer
19th Calvert De Forest 85 Bud Melman on David Letterman Show
20th Ernie Wright NFL/AFL player
23rd Walter Turnbull 62  founded Boys Choir of Harlem
23rd Robert E. Petersen 80 publisher of Hot Rod and Motor Trend magazines
29th Calvin Lockhart 72 actor, played "Biggie Smalls" in "Let's Do It Again"

April
3rd Eddie Robinson 88 legendary Grambling State head coach, won over 400 games and sent over 200 players to the NFL in 56 year career
4th Bob Clark 67 director "A Christmas Story"
5th Darryl Stingley 55 New England Patriots WR
7th Barry Nelson 89 actor first to play James Bond (Thunderball)
7th Johnny Hart 76 cartoonist  "B.C."
11th Kurt Vonnegut 84 author "Slaughterhouse Five"
11th Roscoe Lee Browne 81 actor/ director
14th Don Ho 76 Hawaiian crooner "Tiny Bubbles"
15th Brant Parker 86 cartoonist "The Wizard Of Id"
17th Kitty Carlisle Hart 96 singer/actress
22nd Juanita Millander-McDonald 69 US House of Reps 1st black woman to chair commitee on housing administration
25th Bobby "Boris" Pickett singer "Monster Mash"
26th Jack Valenti 85 film industry lobbyist, creator of movie ratings system
28th Dabbs Greer 90 actor "Rev. Alden" on Little House On The Prairie"
30th Tom Poston 85 actor George Utley on Bob Newhart Show; married to Suzanne Pleshette
30th Zola Taylor 69 singer "The Platters"
30th Kevin Mitchell 36 NFL player with 49ers, Saints, and Redskins  MVP of '93 Fiesta Bowl while at Syracuse

May
15th Yolanda Denise King 51 actress/civil rights activist, oldest child of Dr. Martin Luther King and Coretta Scott King
17th Lloyd Alexander 83 children's book author
19th Carl Wright 75 actor "Barbershop", "Big Momma's House"
22nd Fannie Lee Chaney 85 civil rights activist, mother of James Chaney who was murdered in Mississippi in the '60's
25th Charles Nelson Reilly 76 actor/ game show panelist
27th Howard Porter 58  NBA player with Bulls, Pistons, Nets, and Knicks
28th Marquis Hill 24 defensive end for New England Patriots
30th Mark Harris 84 author "Bang The Drum Slowly"

June
1st Tony Thompson 31  R & B singer with Hi-Five
12th Don Herbert 89 TV's 'Mr. Wizard"
18th Hank Medress 68 singer of The Tokens ("The Lion Sleeps Tonight")
19th Terry Hoeppner 59 head football coach of Indiana Hoosiers
25th Chris Benoit 40 WWE star, killed wife and 7 year old son, then self
26th Liz Claiborne 78  womens clothing designer
29th Joel Siegel 63 Good Morning America movie critic
29th Fred T. Saberhagen sci-fi/fantasy writer ("Berserker" series)
29th George McCorkle 60 lead singer Marshall Tucker Band ("Fire On The Mountain")

July
2nd Beverly Sills 78 opera diva
2nd Jimmy Walker 63 NBA player Pistons, Rockets, and KC Kings, father of Jalen Rose
2nd Hy Zaret 99 songwriter, wrote haunting lyrics to "Unchained Melody"
2nd Buck Brown 71 cartoonist  naughty "Granny" in Playboy
4th Bill Pinkney 81 bass singer "The Drifters", it was his voice that Macauley Culkin lip-synced in "Home Alone"
10th Doug Marlette 57 cartoonist "Kudzu"
16th John Graham 80 children's book author
20th Bill Flemming 80 ABC Sports broadcaster
20th Tammy Faye Messner 65 ex-wife of televangelist Jim Baker "PTL Club"
22nd Laszlo Kovacs 74 Oscar winning cinematographer "Easy Rider" and "Five Easy Pieces"
30th Ingmar Bergman 87 Swedish filmmaker "The Seventh Seal"
30th Bill Walsh 75 won 3 Super Bowls as head coach of the 49ers

August
2nd Frank Rosenfelt 85 MGM chief, brought about "Dr. Zhivago" and "Network"
5th Oliver White Hill 100 civil rights attorney in landmark Brown vs. Board of Education case
5th Stanley Myron Handelman 77 cartoonist with trademark oversized glasses
8th Mel Shavelson 90 director "The Seven Little Foys"
8th Tex Walker 61 lead singer "The Drifters", & later "The Coasters"
12th Merv Griffin 82  TV host
13th Brooke Astor 105 NY philanthropist, gave millions to arts industry
13th Phil Rizzuto 89 "The Scooter" won 10 AL titles in 13 year career as Yankees shortstop, went on to 40 year career as Yankees radio and TV announcer, and coined the phrase "Holy Cow"
16th Max Roach 83 legendary drummer with Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, & Miles Davis
17th Eddie Jamaal Griffin 25 NBA player Rockets, and Timberwolves
28th Hilly Kristal 75 Manhattan nightclub CBGB owner- birthplace of punk rock

September
1st Russell Ellington 69 coached Harlem Globetrotters, had almost 900 wins as college basketball coach
6th Luciano Pavarotti 71 opera superstar "King Of The High C's"
6th Madeleine L'Engle 88 children's author "A Wrinkle In Time"
10th Jane Wyman 90 actress/ex-wife of Ronald Reagan
15th Brett Somers 83 actress/comedian  "Match Game" fame
16th Robert Jordan 58 author "Wheel Of Time" fantasy novels
21st Alice Ghostley 81 actress
22nd Marcel Marceau 84 French pantomime
28th Charles Griffith 77 wrote screenplay "Little Shop Of Horrors"
29th Lois Maxwell 80 Miss Moneypenny in 14 James Bond films

October
1st Ned Sherrin 76 British broadcaster "That Was The Week That Was"
11th Werner von Trapp 91 member of singing family made famous from "The Sound Of Music"
16th Deborah Kerr 86 actress, kissed Burt Lancaster on beach in "From Here To Eternity", danced with Yul Brynner "The King & I"
16th Barbara West Dainton 96 Englishwoman believed to be one of 2 remaining survivors of the Titanic
17th Joey Bishop 89 last of The Rat Pack
18th Vincent de Dumenico 92 inventor of Rice-A-Roni
20th Max McGee 75 Green Bay Packers star, scored first Super Bowl touchdown
20th Jim Mitchell 60 NFL player with Falcons, coached at Morehouse University
22nd Lowell Smith 56 Dance Theater Of Harlem member best known for forceful but fluid body movements- break dance and pop-and-lock
28th Porter Wagoner 80 Rhinestone-clad grand Ole Opry star that helped start career of Dolly Parton
30th Robert Goulet 73 Baritone singer, made Broadway debut in "Camelot"

November
6th George Osmond 90 patriarch of singing Osmond family
6th Hank Thompson 82 country singer "The Wildside Of Life"
10th Norman Mailer 84 pugnacious prince of American letters
10th Donda West 58 mother of singer Kanye West, chaired English Department at Chicago State University
10th Laraine Day 87 actress
11th Delbert Mann 87 director "Marty"
11th Dick Nolan 75 NFL head coach 49ers, father of coach Mike Nolan
12th Ira Levin 78 novelist "Rosemary's Baby" and "The Boys From Brazil"
13th Peter Zinner 88 Oscar winning film editor "The Godfather" and "The Deer Hunter"
14th Ronnie Burns 72 son of George Burns and Gracie Allen, played self on the show
15th Joe Nuxhall 79 "Ol' Lefthander" played his first game for the Cincinnati Reds in 1944 at age 15, making him the youngest MLB player in history, went on to 31 year career as Reds radio and TV announcer
18th Paul Wasserman 73 celebrity publicist of stars such as Linda Ronstadt, Bob Dylan, and Jack Lemmon
19th Mr. C Wilson 91 "Mr. Whipple" on Charmin commercials, said "Please don't squeeze the Charmin"
25th Kevin Dubrow 52 lead singer of Quiet Riot (Cum On Feel The Noise")
27th Sean Taylor 24 "The Meast" NFL player Washington Redskins
29th Roger B. Smith 82 GM chief, subject of Michael Moore's "Roger & Me"
30th Evel Knievel 68 motorcycle daredevil, famous for spectacular jumps and bonecrushing crashes

December
4th Pimp C 33 rapper with Texas hip-hop group "Underground Kingz"
5th Karlheinz Stockhausen 79 German composer, pioneer of electronic music
8th Roger M. King 63 CBS and King World Prod. exec that brought Oprah to TV
12th Ike Turner 76 singer ex-husband of Tina Turner
16th Dan Fogelberg 56 singer "Longer", "Leader Of The Band"
19th Frank Capra, jr. 73 TV and movie producer, son of famed director
23th Michael Kidd 92 oscar winning choreographer "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers"
23rd Oscar Peterson 82 legendary pianist with Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, and Count Basie
27th Benazir Bhutto 54 Pakistan opposition leader

[SandLizard04]

Wow, I didn't realize that Arthur Schlesinger died this year. Big loss.

Has there ever been another year where four active NFL players died?

[-Painted Fan-]

This list I compiled contains names from the arts and entertainment industry, the sports fields of today and yesterday, as well as other celebrities.  Unfortunately, it does not contain celebrities from your life; a friend or family member, or loved one.  Feel free to add their names to this list.  Tell us a little about this hero, and what they meant to you; that we too, may celebrate their life, and remember their passing.
                       -Painted Fan-

[AllSmiles]

God rest their souls.

[SandLizard04]

Friends of mine that died:

Christina Stinnet, Dardanelle class of 2002, University of Arkansas


Shane Stauffer, Cave City class of 2004, University of Central Arkansas


Preston Owens, Dardanelle class of 2006, U.S. army (he died in Fayetteville, not overseas)

[W]

Rachel Rutherford, a week and a half away from sweet sixteen on Easter Sunday. She passed away on March 29, 2007...it's still hard to grasp.
My uncle on the 16th of this month...what a great guy he was.

[AHM™]

My grandma, and just on the 26th of this month we lost one of our Flight Medics Shawn Walker at a young age of 38...and also got word today that a friend of mine got shot while hunting near biggers today. and also spc erich smallwood of trumann that died due to injuries suffered in iraq..

[True Believer]

Willie Coleman - Class of 2007 - Marion Patriot football #33 - Died of a heart attack.  We miss you and love you Willie.  Never had any fear on the football field. 

David Doyle - Class of 2010 - Marion Patriot football - Died of a gun shot wound.  Always respectful to me in class.  Had a beautiful smile. 

Shay Vaughn - Class of 2011 - Marion Lady Patriot basketball - Died in a car accident.  I will always be your momma.  I will never forget you. 

Chris Shaffer - Marion Patriot - Died in a car accident.  A very good kid from a very good family.

Please remember these families in prayer.  Marion had a hard year in 2007. 

[rabs_fan4life]

Alex Cash--June 2, 2007-- #12 for the Lonoke Jackrabbits; was the upcoming senior start quarterback for the Jackrabbits this year but was taken from us in a car accident this summer!  RIP A.CASH...we miss you man!!  This loss was a tragic and huge loss for the entire community of Lonoke and one that we are still struggling to deal with daily!

Josh Handcock--April 29, 2007--Pitcher for the St.Louis Cardinals!  Killed in a car accident!

God bless all of the souls named on this thread!

[bear backer]

All of our brave troops that have died  for our country.Names and dates unkown but will alway be remembered in our hearts and prayers
And my brother Tony Speights

[edghog]

Randy Cooley. Ozark class of 79. Grad from U of A with a Masters in Business. One of the Cooley triplets (Candy & Andy) which were the first triplets ever to be delivered at Sparks. Passed Christmas day. He will be dearly missed.

[MHSGrad]

I didnt have anyone close to me die.. but.. I was at the Travelers game when the first base coach was hit by a line drive.. and died on the field.. shocked the whole baseball world.. RIP Mike Coolbaugh.. and God Bless the whole Rockies organization on their strength through the previous season .. what in all reality is placed 2nd.. its just a sport.. but it brought the organization together to accomplish something amazing.. one of the best runs in MLB history.. Being a Boston fan, I would have been fine with them winning the world series