VSBfromH

Wrong Suchitra Suchitra Sen hangs on, but Suchita Mitra, ones of India's most famous singers, has died aged 86.

Onie Ponder didn't make it to 2011. At the time of her death, she was the world's 21st oldest person.

New Year's Eve saw the death aged 85 of Belgian classics rider Raymond Impanis. He finished 6th and 10th in the Tour de France in 1947 and 1948 (not 1957 and 1958 as stated in the article) then 8th in 1950.

Sir Ellis Clarke The man who became Trinidad and Tobago's first President in 1976 when it became a Republic (having been its last Governor General under British colonial rule) has died aged 93 having suffered a massive stroke last month.

Ray Davies moves in with his neighbour She being one Marjorie Wallace, 66, founder of the mental health charity SANE, former mistress of Lord Snowdon, who according to the article "divides her time between her husband, Polish psychoanalyst Count Andrzej Skarbek, 85, and her long-time partner, London Weekend Television founder Tom Margerison, 87".

Bernie Wilson One of the original "Blue Notes", who sang with Harold Melvin, has died aged 64. Lloyd Parks is now the only surviving member of the line up from when they had their biggest hit "If You Don't Know Me by Now". Melvin himself died 1997, Teddy Pendergrass in January 2010 and Lawrence Brown in 2008.

Ján (John) Warhola The older brother of Andy Warhol, who was President of the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts for 20 years and also helped establish a number of institutions in his brother's name, has died aged 85.

Salvador Jorge Blanco The President of the Dominican Republic between 1982 and 1986 has died at the age of 84. he had been in a coma for over a month after falling out of bed and receiving a traumatic brain hematoma.

Bill Gates helps out JJB "Struggling British sportswear retailer JJB Sports said investors including Bill Gates, the United States' richest man, have backed a 31.5 million pounds ($48.57 million) fundraising to keep the firm alive." Could he be about to take over from Dave Whelan as Chairman of Wigan Athletic? That would be interesting!

John Alldis The celebrated choir master has died at the age of 81. Known for the choir which bore his name, he also worked with the main London orchestras as well as with Pink Floyd and Duke Ellington.

Interesting fact (as mentioned in the article): His sister is Christina Pickles, who played Ross and Monica's mother in "Friends" - just thought you might like to know if you didn't already. Their uncle was actor Wilfred Pickles.

Who's the Souness lookalike then? Ah, just did a bit of digging, It's "The Baron", Franco Causio!

Steve Landesberg The actor who appeared as Det. Sgt. Arthur Dietrich in "Barney Miller" and more recently in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" has died aged 65.

Jack Stackpoole One of only 2 men to dismiss Don Bradman first ball has died aged 93. Other than that his cricket career was very short and unremarkable, playing just 3 matches for Queensland before the outbreak of WWII.

The Daily Mail seems to have found a reason why he might have taken his own life. Ah, those Terry boys! Dontcha just love 'em!

Neva Patterson has died aged 90. She played Cary Grant's fiancee in 'An Affair to Remember'.

Robber dies after being impaled on fence for up to 3 days "A man has died after he was impaled on a fence for up to three days in freezing temperatures after an accident as he attempted to break into an empty warehouse. James Stewart, 33, is thought to have been part of a group who attempted to enter the former Norson Power site in Aberdeen’s Tullos industrial estate. Police believe Stewart, from Tayside, got a leg impaled on a fence at the rear of the yard. His body was eventually found by a member of the public on Sunday afternoon, sparking a police investigation. The site did not have any equipment in it after the workforce had relocated. It had last been checked by a member of staff on Thursday afternoon." Even though he was a wrong 'un, that's a terrible way to die, poor sod! And all for nothing...

Philip McGough I share your confusion, though I always think it's Ray Brooks when I see that episode.

Lee Huan "LEE Huan, the former prime minister of Taiwan, who played an important role during the island's transition from a one-party state under martial law to a semi-democracy, has died, aged 93"

James Dibble The doyen of Aussie newsreaders has died aged 87. He presented ABC TV's first news bulletin on November 5, 1956.

Alan Armer The producer of the TV series "The Untouchables" and "The Fugitive", for which he won an Emmy award in 1966, has died aged 88.

D W Smith Former football referee David "D W" Smith has died aged 84. He refereed a few notable games, including the centenary 1971-72 FA Cup Final between Leeds United and Arsenal and the 1974 Manchester Derby. The latter was his last match at the top level, and famous for Denis Law putting City 1-0 up (and refusing to celebrate) prompting United fans to invade the pitch in an attempt to get the game abandoned. Smith did eventually abandon the game with 8 minutes remaining following a further invasion, but only once he had heard that United were going down regardless of the outcome. The 1-0 result was eventually allowed to stand.

Oscar-nominated Italian director Mario Monicelli has killed himself by jumping from the 5th floor window of a hospital where he was being treated. Quite a feat for a 95 year old! "Monicelli was widely considered the 'father' of the so-called Comedia all'italiana (Comedy Italian style) school of cinema which specialised in bitter-sweet story lines ... Monicelli won the Venice Film Festival's Golden Lion top prize for 1959's La Grande Guerra which was also nominated for an Academy Award."

You will see that his wife and creative partner Lucienne died at the beginning of the year. I recall Radio 4's "Last Words" programme covering her death.

John Kluge Doesn't seem to have been posted at the time, but John Kluge died back on 7th September aged 95. He was the United States' richest man 3 years running prior to someone called Mr Gates coming along. His fortune was made in a number of ways, having acquired a controlling interest in Metropolitan Broadcasting (later Metromedia) back in 1959, which he eventually mostly sold off to Rupert Murdoch forming the basis for his Fox Network. Kluge was also the owner of the Harlem Globetrotters and Ice Capades Ice Skating extravaganza for many years.