alt obits guy

John Riker, who appeared in the wrestling organization WCW as the comically fat character Ralphus in the late 1990s, died off the radar last year. Chris Jericho delivered the news on the most recent edition of the Saturday Night Special podcast, noting he'd recently found out about Riker's passing. https://www.ringsidenews.com/2020/09/06/wcws-john-riker-ralphus-has-passed-away/

Tim Mulherin, a long-time Australian politician and a former Queensland deputy opposition leader & minister, has died. He was 63. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-07/former-queensland-labor-opposition-leader-tim-mulherin-dies/12636012

Gerald Shur, a lawyer with the U.S. Justice Department for 34 years and the man who founded the Federal Witness Protection Program, has died. He was 86. https://www.inquirer.com/obituaries/gerald-shur-founder-witness-protection-program-federal-la-cosa-nostra-mafia-mob-killing-died-dies-obituary-20200831.html

Tom Jernstedt, nicknamed 'Father of the Final Four' and a member of the Naismith Hall of Fame for his contributions to college basketball & the NCAA Tournament, has died. He was 75. https://www.king5.com/article/news/nation-world/father-of-the-final-four-tom-jernstedt-dies-at-75/507-75d924f4-3c3d-4225-be2b-a8e5958d5a9d

Not a good time to have been a Cook Islands politician. On the heels of one-time PM Joe Williams' death, former Health Minister Nandi Glassie has now also died. He was 69. https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/425388/the-cook-islands-loses-another-former-cabinet-minister

Another one for the younger set. Ethan Peters, a 'beauty influencer' who went under the name Ethan is Supreme and had 138,000 YouTube followers, has died. He was 17. It's believe he overdosed. https://www.tmz.com/2020/09/06/beauty-influencer-ethan-is-supreme-peters-dead-dies-overdose-percocet/

Lucille Starr, the first female Canadian country music singer to sell one million records, the first Canadian woman to be inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame and the first Canadian woman to perform at Nashville's famous Grand Ole Opry, has died. She was 82. I suppose the epitaph writes itself. (In Kenny Rogers voice: "You picked a fine time to leave me, Lucille.") https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/lucille-starr-country-music-manitoba-1.5714448

David 'Smokey' Gaines, a former Harlem Globetrotter, ABA player and college basketball coach, has died. He was 80. https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/29820437/david-gaines-former-harlem-globetrotter-college-coach-dies-80

Not an obit, but more formal confirmation of the death of Al G. Wright: https://t.e2ma.net/webview/z48bfc/9b8f817f494af38af229743e9508288c

Thandesa Mdeliswa, a popular actress in her home country of South Africa, has died. She was 27. Mdeliswa is thought to have been the victim of gender-based violence. https://www.timeslive.co.za/tshisa-live/tshisa-live/2020-09-06-slain-actress-thandeka-mdeliswa-victim-of-gender-based-violence-says-family/

Monsignor Jose Bonet Alcon, who became a close friend - and later the confessor - of Pope Francis, has died. He was 89. The two became friends after a blood donation from Alcon that saved the now Pope when he was 21. https://ananova.news/pope-francis-blood-donor-priest-dies-at-89/

Norman Thrower, a British-born UCLA professor in their geography department from 1957 to 1990 and formerly the directors of the (Columbus) Quincentenary Programs at the UCLA Center for Medieval & Renaissance Studies and the university's Clark Library, has died. He was 100. https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/latimes/obituary.aspx?n=norman-joseph-william-thrower&pid=196753091

Stephen Merrill, a former Governor of New Hampshire, has died. He was 74 https://www.boston.com/news/obituaries/2020/09/06/stephen-merrill-former-new-hampshire-governor-dies-at-74

Bill Yorzyk, the first ever Olympic gold medalist in the butterfly, has died. He was 87. Yorzyk, a Hall of Fame swimmer, won the medal at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne. https://www.insidethegames.biz/index.php/articles/1098091/bill-yorzyk-butterfly-gold-dies-aged-87

Nina Bocharova, the first ever Olympic gold medalist in the balance beam, has died. She was 95. Bocharova was representing the Soviet Union in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics when she earned the honour. https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2020/09/03/nina-bocharova-gymnast-dies/

William Pursell, a Grammy-nominated artist who had a U.S. #9 hit in 1963 with Our Winter Love, has died. He was 94. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/william-pursell-grammy-nominated-composer-dies-at-94?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

Jim Janes, a comic book illustrator for “Secrets of the Legion of Super-Heroes” and others, has died. He was in his early 70s. http://www.multiversitycomics.com/news/jim-janes-obit/

Folke Alvnevik English obit: https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1097879/folke-alnevik-helsinki-1952-olympics

Lee Noble's cancer has returned and it's terminal. https://twitter.com/nobleboxer?lang=en

Cathleen O'Carroll Dalschaert, a violinist with the Philadelphia Orchestra for 24 years, has died. She was 90. Dalschaert was first violinist during her entire tenure with the orchestra. Born in New Zealand, she began appearing in concerts & recitals in Australia at age 13. https://www.inquirer.com/obituaries/cathleen-dalschaert-violinist-philadelphia-orchestra-died-dies-obituary-obituaries-20200904.html

Dmitry Svetushkin, a Moldovan chess grandmaster, has died. He was 40. Svetushkin died by suicidal jump. https://www.zdg.md/stiri/doliu-in-sahul-moldovenesc-a-decedat-marele-maestru-international-dumitru-svetuskin-avea-doar-40-de-ani/ (Romanian language obit)

Oldest U.S. veteran Lawrence Brooks turning 111 on September 12th and looking for birthday cards. https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/05/us/oldest-living-wwii-vet-turns-111-trnd/index.html

Dave Smith, a prolific Ottawa philanthropist and businessman who raised over $140 million for local, national and international charities, has died. He was 87. Smith was a recipient of both the Order of Ontario and Order of Canada. He had an Ottawa street named after him on his 80th birthday. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/dave-smith-dies-youth-treatment-centre-nates-deli-founder-1.5712647

Ajibade Babalade, a Nigerian footballer who was a defender for the Super Eagles, has died. He was 48. The club won bronze at the 1992 Africa Cup of Nations. https://punchng.com/breaking-afcon-92-eagles-star-babalade-dies-at-48/

Dr. Joe Williams, former Prime Minister of the Cook Islands, has died. He was 82. It appears the cause of death was COVID-19. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12362436