Death Anniversary Thread

[The Ashes Urn 1,356]

American blues singer John Lee Hooker died on this day 20 years ago, aged 88.

 

[MariNisia 4,194]

Fred Astaire, the great American dancer, singer and actor with many different dramatic and comedic credits, died of pneumonia in his wife's arms at Century City Hospital in Los Angeles, California on this date in 1987.
He was 88 years old.
Astaire's stage name is a combination of his mother Johanna's maiden name and an aunt's name.

 

 

The evaluation of Astaire's first original screen test was: "Can't act. Can't sing. Balding. Can dance a little".
But... his style dominated the Hollywood musical genre beginning in the 30's, when he starred in a series of films with Ginger Rogers.
Fred Astaire was buried next to his first wife and his sister, in a private ceremony, in Oakwood Memorial Park in Chatsworth, California.

[The Ashes Urn 1,356]

Queen Maria of Yugoslavia died on this day 60 years ago, aged 61.

 

 

 

[time 8,599]

Peter Falk didn't have Alzheimer's any more, 10 years ago today.

[MariNisia 4,194]

Maureen O'Sullivan, actress best remembered for two reasons, her role of "Jane" in the "Tarzan" films of the 30's and 40's and as the real-life mother of Mia Farrow, died in Scottsdale, Arizona, of complications from heart surgery on this date in 1998.
She was 87 years old.
O'Sullivan memorably quipped, when told that Frank Sinatra was hoping to marry her daughter, "At his age, he should marry me!".

 

 

Her own career was a distinguished one, including performances in such major Hollywood films as "Anna Karenina" (with Greta Garbo), "A Day at the Races" (starring the Marx Brothers), "The Thin Man" and more recently "Hannah and Her Sisters" (with her daughter) and "Peggy Sue Got Married".
O'Sullivan rest in peace in Most Holy Redeemer Cemetery located in Niskayuna, Schenectady County, New York.

[The Ashes Urn 1,356]

American actor Aaron Spelling died on this day 15 years ago, aged 83.

 

[Drewsky1211 4,742]

Vespasian, Roman Emperor from 69 to 79, died on this day 1,942 years ago from explosive diarrhea (aged 69).

 

His death occurred about 2 months before the eruption of Mount Vesuvius that destroyed Pompeii.

 

[MariNisia 4,194]

Eli Wallach, one of his generation's most prolific and prominent film, stage and television character actors who received an honorary Oscar in 2010, died at his home in Manhattan, New York of natural causes on this date in 2014.
He was 98 years old.
Wallach made his film debut in "Baby Doll" (1956) and won a BAFTA Award for Best Newcomer for his first performance.

 

 

He won a Tony Award for his supporting role in "The Rose Tattoo" in 1951 and an Emmy for his role in "Poppies Are Also Flowers" in 1966.
His career spanned more than 60 years.
Other notable portrayals include "The Magnificent Seven" (1960), "The Misfits" (1961), "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" (1966), "A Lovely Way to Die" (1968) and "The Godfather: Part III" (1990).

His body was cremated.

[The Ashes Urn 1,356]

Louise Whitfield Carnegie, wife of Scottish-American philantropist Andrew Carnegie, died on this day 75 years ago, aged 89.

 

[MariNisia 4,194]

George Armstrong Custer, Union Army Brigadier General, who distinguished himself, and cavalry commander in the American Indian Wars during the American Civil War, died, while leading the 7th Cavalry Regiment at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in Montana Territory, by two bullet wounds, one near his heart and one in the head on this date in 1876.
He was 36 years old.

 

 

Custer is remembered as one of the most controversial and famous figures in the United States military history.
His body was found near Custer Hill, also known as Last Stand Hill, alongside the bodies of 40 of his men.
George Armstrong Custer was originally buried in a shallow grave on the battle field, and a year later, he was interred at West Point Cemetery.

[The Ashes Urn 1,356]

Canadian aviator John Alexander Douglas McCurdy died on this day 60 years ago, aged 74.

 

[Drewsky1211 4,742]

Michael Jackson went from bad to dead on this day 12 years ago, aged 50.

 

[MariNisia 4,194]

Nora Ephron, American author, film director, journalist, novelist, producer and screenwriter, died at New York-Presbyterian Hospital of complications from leukemia on this date in 2012.
She was 71 years old.
Ephron was nominated three times for the Oscar for Best Screenplay.
She won a BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay for "When Harry Met Sally..." (1989).

 

 

In the 90's Ephron turned to film directing with such works as "This Is My Life" (1992), "Sleepless in Seattle" (1993), "Michael" (1996) or "You've Got Mail" (1998).
She pre-planned her entire memorial service, which took place in New York; and selected the list of speakers and even assigned how much time they'd each have to talk.
Nora Ephron's body was cremated and her ashes were scattered.

[time 8,599]

Veronica Guerin, journalist, murdered 25 years ago today

[The Ashes Urn 1,356]

American jazz trumpeter Clifford Brown died on this day 65 years ago, aged 25.

 

 

 

[MariNisia 4,194]

The great Jack Lemmon, one of Hollywood's most accomplished and beloved actors, died at USC/Norris Cancer Center in Los Angeles from complications of colon cancer that had spread to his bladder; he had suffered from the disease privately for two years before his death, with his wife, actress Felicia Farr, his two children and a stepdaughter at his bedside, on this date in 2001.
He was 76 years old.

One of the most versatile actors of his generation.

 

 

Lemmon won two Oscars, three BAFTAs, five Golden Globes and an Emmy.

Best remembered by the public for his many roles opposite Walter Matthau.

He was voted the 33rd Greatest Film Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly.

Jack Lemmon was interred at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Westwood, California buried near his friend Walter Matthau who died almost exactly one year before Lemmon.

[time 8,599]

It's 20 years since artist & writer Tove Jansson died aged 86. She is most widely known as the creator of the Moomins.

 

[Paul Bearer 6,102]

1 hour ago, time said:

It's 20 years since artist & writer Tove Jansson died aged 86. She is most widely known as the creator of the Moomins.

 

I thought that was Helen Worth (Gail from Corrie) for a nano second. 

[The Ashes Urn 1,356]

American actress Edna Mae Cooper died on this day 35 years ago, aged 85.

 

 

[arghton 6,731]

9 hours ago, time said:

It's 20 years since artist & writer Tove Jansson died aged 86. She is most widely known as the creator of the Moomins.

I was reading an article about her today, she had quite an interesting life.

She smoked like a chimney until she was 83, drank a lot and caused gaffes by having lots of sexual relationships with men and women, including two other artists and a parliament member. Drew caricatures of Hitler and Stalin before and during WWII, however some of the Stalin ones were censored during the war. She attended the Independence Day Reception of 1992 with her partner Tuulikki Pietilä:

Smoking and drinking had an effect on her health as she had both lung cancer and breast cancer in the 1990s, suffering an intracranial hemorrhage in 2000 and dying a year later. Her brother, Per Olov Jansson (1920-2019) lived to 98.

[MariNisia 4,194]

José Iturbi, celebrated, explosive and temperamental Spanish-born conductor, harpsichordist and pianist; one of the most important pianists in the first half of the 20th century, died in Los Angeles, California, five days after being admitted to Cedars-Sinai Hospital for heart problems on this date in 1980.
He was 84 years old.
Iturbi made his American debut in New York in 1929.
During the 30's, he was conductor of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra in New York.

 

 

Iturbi also suffered much tragedy in his personal life. His wife, María Giner de los Santos, died after taking poison, apparently mistakenly, for cough medicine and their only daughter, María, subsequently committed suicide in Beverly Hills.
He was involved in a complex family custody battle in the 40's that culminated in his former son-in-law kidnapping Iturbi's two granddaughters.
José Iturbi was interred at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.

[time 8,599]

Franz Ferdinand was taken out 107 years ago today, precipitating the Great War.

[MariNisia 4,194]

3 hours ago, time said:

Franz Ferdinand was taken out 107 years ago today, precipitating the Great War.

 

@time... I prefer this Franz Ferdinand ...

 

 

[The Ashes Urn 1,356]

American philosopher Mortimer J. Adler died on this day 20 years ago, aged 98.

 

[MariNisia 4,194]

Lana Turner, one of the most famous American actresses in Hollywood in the 40's and 50's, died in Century City, Los Angeles, California of natural causes after years of treatment for throat cancer on this date in 1995.
She was 74 years old.
Some of her best known films were "Ziegfeld Girl" (1941), "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (1941), "The Postman Always Rings Twice" (1946), "Green Dolphin Street" (1947), "The Bad and the Beautiful" (1952), "Peyton Place" (1957) and "Imitation of Life" (1959).
One of MGM's biggest stars.

 

 

Her private life, however, was marred by a series of failed marriages and scandals.
She was married eight times and never for more than five years.
Actor Lex Barker was Turner's fourth husband. Cheryl, Lana's daughter, was sexually abused by Barker when she was 10.
Her boyfriend, mobster Johnny Stompanato, was stabbed to death by her daughter Cheryl, during one of their many violent arguments. Cheryl was acquitted with the court ruling it was justifiable homicide.
Lana Turner's body was cremated.