alt obits guy

Well, they say one night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble. I suppose you could link it to some dodgy crack...interpreted in whatever context one might wish to use.

With that much money, I suppose almost anything he wanted to.

Tony Lambert, a one-time member of the Irish rock band the Saw Doctors who left the band after a lottery win, has died. https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/music-news/a-truly-magnificent-man-of-music-former-saw-doctors-musicians-tony-lambert-has-died-36856997.html

U.S. telecom giants T-Mobile and Sprint have agreed to a merger. An analyst with BTIG Research suggests a merger may be necessary if Sprint is to survive. http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/tmobile-sprint-combine-1.4640724

Canadian convicted serial child abuser Karl Toft, who spent 13 years in prison, has died. https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/serial-child-abuser-karl-toft-dies-from-lung-cancer-1.3906811

Don Bustany, who co-created American Top 40, the long-running music chart countdown show that used the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for much of its run and a radio-friendly list thereafter, has died. He was 89. The show began on July 4th,1970 and was co-created by original host Casey Kasem, Bustany, Tom Rounds & Ron Jacobs. I know I spent many an hour listening to Kasem (and later Shadoe Stevens), from the mid 1980s through the early 1990s, as they counted down the top U.S. singles of the week. Bustany was the last survivor of the group.

Journalist Angel Gahona was shot an killed as he was broadcasting on Facebook Live using a cellphone, reporting the goings on in Nicaragua. http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/angel-gahona-nicaragua-unrest-journalist-facebook-live-shot-1.4630698

Former Canadian federal and New Brunswick provincial cabinet minister Keith Ashfield has died at age 66. He'd announced a cancer diagnosis a few years ago. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/keith-ashfield-former-mp-has-died-1.4630588

It's a happy 100th birthday to actor and noted Esso pitchman Murray Westgate. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpI1oec-2zk

He's been dead a little longer than early Saturday morning. Re-check the story :-).

I was able to find an 2011 obituary for a Virginia Buttermann, grandmother of Cleo and Tate Buttermann. In this obit, neither one of them has a bracketed name next to them that would indicate a spouse. Spouses of some of the other grandchildren are so recognized. From this, you can be reasonably certain neither was married at the time of death. It's not an up-to-date answer, but it's a start. https://obittree.com/obituary/us/kentucky/louisville/highlands-family-owned-funeral-home/virginia-buttermann/1621262/

Indeed, congratulations to those who've chosen the three latest hits to solo, McCann, Lambie & Shore. Meanwhile, I've been spinning my wheels for two months. My picks seem to undergo major surgery before heading out on the road to recovery. (Three so far in calendar 2018 about which I know).

Noted South Korean-American character actor Soon-Tek Oh has reportedly died. Hasn't yet been picked up by major sources but his prolific appearances, including in the James Bond film 'Man with the Golden Gun', should see his death get some coverage. For now, here is a South Korean source. http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=3046619

Yes, I was a little late with this. Apologies all around.

Somebody was clairvoyant. Daniel Akaka has died http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/381984-former-hawaii-sen-daniel-akaka-dies-at-93

Jonathan Pitre, the 17-year-old dubbed 'Butterfly Boy' for his debilitating battle with epidermolysis bullosa (EB) and about whom ESPN did an E:60 episode on his condition, has died of complications of septic shock: https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/a-fearless-warrior-ottawa-s-butterfly-boy-jonathan-pitre-dies-1.3873760 ESPN video: http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=14045517 His story was long reported on in Ottawa, where Pitre was from, and his death will likely hit the community quite hard.

It's possible April will be busy. There are a few popular picks who've already seen the inside of a hospital in 2018 and a few others who've not been in the news at all, despite terminal illnesses. That can sometimes be a precursor to passings.

I appear to be standing still, as some of the expected deaths haven't come to pass, so to speak. Congratulations to those who've had Deadpool hits in March. The closest I can come is that I (and maybe others) had Mike MacDonald in 2013. He's the latest addition to Strikeouts.

Abu Zarin Hussin, whose snake handling abilities helped fellow firefighters in Malaysia when dealing with the creatures, but also made him tabloid fodder after allegedly marrying a snake thought to be his dead girlfriend , has died from a cobra bite. http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/malaysias-snake-whisperer-firefighter-dies-after-cobra-bite

Ruth Wilensky, the matriarch behind Montreal's iconic Wilensky's Light Lunch deli, founded by her husband & his family, has died. She was 98. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/ruth-wilensky-dies-at-98-1.4570960

Ryan Arcand, who struggled with homelessness & addiction, but whose piano playing videos went viral on YouTube, died sometime last week at age 46. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/ryan-arcand-edmonton-piano-man-video-internet-1.4565224

Maurice 'Moe the Toe' Racine, a four time Grey Cup winner with the Canadian Football League's Ottawa Rough Riders has died at age 80. http://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/cfl/canadian-football-league-maurice-moe-the-toe-racine-dead-1.4562043

Jacqueline Desmarais, a billionaire and the widow of Paul Desmarais, founder of Power Corp., has died. https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/death-of-jacqueline-desmarais-oc-goq-675732783.html

Ronnie Prophet, a Canadian country music star of the 1970s and 1980s who also hosted his own TV series 'Country Roads' (1973) and 'Grand Old Country'...later just called 'Ronnie Prophet' (1975-81) has died at age 80. http://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/obit-ronnie-prophet-1.4559843

Bev Dolan, co-founder of E-Z-GO and co-inventor of the industry’s oldest golf car brand had died. http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/business/2018-02-22/e-z-go-co-founder-bev-dolan-dies