Another year is drawing to a close and I am amazed at how quickly it has gone by. It is time once again to take a look back and remember those who have passed. This year, it seems a lot of talented people left us...
January ~
The
first month of the year brought the loss of two well-known women, one who
helped the country raise its morale, and the other who advised us how to keep our
morals.
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| Pauline Ester Phillips |
Pauline Ester (Friedman) Phillips was better known by her pen name “Abigail
Van Buren – Dear Abby.” She was born in Sioux City Iowa to Russian
Immigrants on July 4, 1918. Her twin
sister, Ester Pauline Friedman later wrote an advice column under the name Ann
Landers.
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| Dear Abby |
“Dear
Abby” began writing advice columns in 1956 for the San Francisco
Chronicle. She developed her pen name
from a biblical verse, from the Book of Samuel: Then David said to Abigail ... ‘Blessed is your advice and blessed are
you. The last name, Van Buren, she
borrowed from the eighth president of the United States, Martin Van Buren.
Phillips
offered advice for over forty-six years in syndicated columns throughout the
country. She retired in 2002, after the
onset of Alzheimer’s disease, and her daughter Jeanne took over the writing.
Pauline
Phillips died January 16, 2013 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She was 94 years old. There is no mention of where she is buried.
Another
notable January loss was Patty Andrews of the Andrews Sisters.
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| Patty Andrews |
Born
Patricia Marie Andrews on February 16, 1918, Patty and her two sisters, LaVerne
and Maxene made up the wildly popular WW II singing group, The Andrew
Sisters.
The
three were known for their close harmonies during the swing and boogie-woogie
eras. Maxene sang soprano, Patty sang mezzo-soprano and was the lead vocalist
of the group, and LaVerne sang contralto. Their
first record, Bei Mir Bist Du Schon (To Me, You Are Beautiful,) was played
nationally on the radio in 1937. After
that, the group became an overnight sensation and spent WW II traveling the
world, performing for the troops. They were named the “Sweethearts of the Armed
Forces Radio Service.”
 |
| The Andrew Sisters |
The
Andrew Sisters recorded over 600 songs, 47 of them with crooner Bing Crosby.
Forty-six of their songs hit the Top 10 on the Billboard Chart … more than Elvis
or the Beatles. They were best known for
their hit, “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.”
The girls also appeared in 17 Hollywood films.
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| Patty Andrews |
The
trio broke up in 1951 but reunited in 1956 and continued to sing together until
LaVerne’s death in 1967. The sisters
were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998. The Andrew Sisters have been called the most
popular female vocal group during the first half of the 20th
century.
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| Patty Andrews' Grave |
Patty
Andrews was the last surviving member of the Andrew Sisters. She died on January 30, 2013 in Los Angles at
the age of 94. Andrews is buried at
Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angles, California.
February ~
In
the month of February we lost two well-known political figures, a New York
mayor, and a U.S. surgeon general.
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| Mayor Ed Koch |
On
February 1st, Edward “Ed”
Koch, former mayor of New York City died. Koch was a life-long politician
serving as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1969 to 1977. He
was elected the 105th Mayor of New York City in 1977 and served from
January 1, 1978 to December 31, 1989. Koch made a run for the office of Governor of New York in 1982 but lost to Mario Cuomo.
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| Koch and Colin Powell |
During
the 1990s, Koch became a partner in a New York law firm, and took to the media
as a political commentator for radio, television and newspapers.
In
2004, Koch and Colin Powell headed up the U.S. delegation for the Organization
for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) – a conference on anti-Semitism
held in Berlin.
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| Ed Koch's Grave |
Ed
Koch died on February 1st of heart failure. He was 88 years old. He was buried in Trinity Church Cemetery. In 2008, after purchasing a cemetery plot there, he joking said, “I
don’t want to leave Manhattan, even when I'm gone. This is my home. The thought
of having to go to New Jersey was so distressing to me."
 |
| C. Everett Koop |
According
to the Associated Press he was “the only
surgeon general to become a household name.” That was the legacy of C. Everett Koop.
Koop
served under Presidents Reagan and Bush, from 1982 to 1989. During his tenure as U.S. Surgeon General he
dealt with several volatile issues.
Although
an opponent of abortion, Koop did not give in to the Regan administration's
pressure for a report that said abortion was psychologically harmful to a
woman. Instead, despite his personal
views, Koop declared, in what came to be known as the “Koop Report”, that
abortion was not a public health issue, but rather a moral one.
 |
| AIDS Policy |
Koop also wrote the first official U.S. policy on AIDS.
He managed to upset gay activists by targeting gay sex as a primary
risk for spreading the disease, and the religious right, by advocating the use
of condoms, thereby encouraging frank discussions about sexual practices, and the need
to teach sex education in schools.
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| Warning Label |
Koop was also known for his stance on tobacco.
In 1984, Congress voted to allow health-warning labels to appear on all
cigarette packages and advertising. In
1988, Koop released a report that said nicotine had similar addictive qualities as heroine or cocaine. He was the first
to correlate a link between smoking and the effects of second hand smoke on an
involuntary public. During his time in
office, smoking rates declined over 10% in this country.
Koop
was also known for championing the rights of handicapped children. He had pioneered infant surgery used to separate
conjoined twins.
In the 1990s, he
became an advisor to President Bill Clinton’s health care reform task force.
C
Everett Koop died February 25, from kidney failure at his home in Hanover, New
Hampshire. He was 95. Koop was cremated and his ashes given to the
family.
March~
You
wouldn’t think a sitcom about a single mom raising two girls in Indianapolis, Indiana in the 1970s would have much of an effect on the country – but it did.
 |
| Bonnie Franklin |
Actress
Bonnie Franklin starred as working
mom Ann Romano in the show One Day at a Time
from 1975 to 1984. Franklin began working in television at the age of 9 when
she appeared on the Colgate Comedy Hour. In 1970, she made her debut on Broadway
in Applause. Franklin directed
several episodes of Charles in Charge
in the 1980s, and appeared in guest slots on numerous television shows.
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| One Day at a Time |
But
it was her role in the sitcom/drama show, One Day at a Time that garnered her an “Innovators Award”
for the show’s down-to-earth dealings with such taboo subjects as suicide,
pre-marital sex, and sexual harassment.
During
the 80s and 90’s, Franklin performed in playhouses across the country. With the
turn of the century she began taking part in staged readings and appeared in
several theatre benefit performances.
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Bonnie Franklin's Grave
|
Bonnie
Franklin died on March 1, 2013 of pancreatic cancer. She was 69. Franklin is buried at Mount Sinai Memorial Park in Los Angles, California.
Another
performer to die in March was English drummer, Clive Burr.
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| Iron Maiden |
Burr
was a member of the heavy metal band Iron
Maiden from 1979 to 1982. Before that he had been a member of the band,
Samson.
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| The Number of the Beast Album |
Burr
played on the first three Iron Maiden albums, including the break out album The Number of the Beast, before being
fired from the band. He continued to play with various groups around England.
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Clive Burr
|
Burr
made a huge impact on other rock and heavy metal drummers throughout the world.
In 2005, his white drum kit was donated to the Hard Rock Café in London.
Burr
was diagnosed with MS and had to use a wheel chair before his death. Clive Burr
died on March 12, just four days after his 56th birthday from complications related
to MS. Burr was cremated and the location of his ashes is not known.
April ~
April
is the cruelest month and this year two foremost souls departed within her
care.
Roger Ebert, film critic, journalist, and television host died
on April 4th. Ebert and fellow journalist Gene Siskel began a show in 1975 where they reviewed movies. The program was called Coming
to a Theatre Near You. In 1978, PBS picked it up and the men
were headed toward film critic stardom.
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| Ebert & Siskel |
The
fact that they did not care for one another made the show even more
entertaining. Siskel was always the more reserved, thoughtful critic, while
Ebert was more pretentious and long-winded in his reviews.
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| Roger Ebert |
It
wasn’t until the 1990s that the men settled into a more mellowed relationship
that eventually grew into a real friendship after almost 25 years of working
together. Siskel died in 1999 from a brain tumor.
But
the show must go on – and so it did. Ebert selected Richard Roper as Siskel’s
replacement and At the Movies continued
to keep fans informed and entertained.
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| Roger Ebert |
In
2002 Ebert was operated on for thyroid cancer. By 2006 the cancer had spread
and part of Ebert’s jaw had to be removed. Due to complications from the
surgery, Ebert lost his voice and was unable to eat or drink. He refused to
give up, and through his struggles, helped draw attention to the use of computer-generated voice.
After
more than a decade of battling cancer, Roger Ebert died on April 4th
in Chicago, Illinois. He was 70 years old. Roger Ebert is buried at Graceland
Cemetery in Chicago.
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| A Young Margaret Thatcher |
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| Prime Minister |
Known
as the Iron Lady, she was one of the leading political figures of the 20th century.
Margaret Thatcher was Britain’s first female prime minister and
served three consecutive terms in office. Thatcher began her career in politics
in 1959 when she was elected Member of the Parliament. In 1970, she was
appointed as Secretary of State for Education and Science. In 1975, Thatcher
defeated the Conservative Party candidate to become Leader of the Opposition, and the first woman to lead a major political party in the United Kingdom.
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| In Parliament |
In
1979, Thatcher was elected prime minister on her platform to reverse high
unemployment and end the recession. In 1983, she was reelected for her
stance on the Falklands War. And in 1987, she was reelected for a third term.
However, her support for a “poll tax” was unpopular and she resigned in 1990.
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| Margaret Thatcher |
In
1992, she was given life peerage as a baroness, which allowed her to sit in the
House of Lords. In 2002, she began suffering small strokes and was advised to
withdraw from public life.
On
April 8, Margaret Thatcher died from a stroke in London. She was 87 years old. Thatcher was cremated and her ashes were buried at the Royal Hospital
Chelsea, along side her husband Denis, who died in 2003.
May ~
Spring brought us losses in both sports and acting ...
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| David McMillan |
David McMillan was a professional football player. He was a
defensive end for the Cleveland Browns from 2005 to 2007. He played in 28 games
where he recorded 8 tackles and recovered a fumble for Cleveland. McMillan was
signed by the Toronto Argonauts in 2009, but was cut at the end of training
camp.
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| David McMillan |
McMillan was shot to death in the early morning hours of May 18 in Decatur,
Georgia, the victim of an apparent armed robbery attempt. He was 31 years old.
David McMillan was buried at Hillcrest Memorial Park in Augusta, Georgia.
A
talented actress for over 60 years, she was best remembered as Archie Bunker’s
endearing “dingbat” wife. Jean Stapleton worked as an actor on the stage and in films and
television from 1941 to 2001. But it was her role as Edith Bunker in the
television sitcom, All in the Family
that made her a household name.
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| Jean Stapleton & Carroll O'Connor |
For
eight years, Stapleton played the wife of working class bigot Archie Bunker.
The show broke ground concerning the major taboo issues of the times such as
racism, abortion, rape, homosexuality, menopause, breast cancer, impotence, and
the Vietnam War. Stapleton won three Emmys and two Golden Globes during the
show.
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| Jean Stapleton |
In
the early 80s she declined to be cast as the lead in the television show, Murder, She Wrote. Instead, she starred
in a one-woman stage show called Eleanor where she portrayed First Lady Eleanor
Roosevelt. Stapleton continued taking small parts in television shows and
movies until 2001.
Jean
Stapleton died on May 31st in New York City of natural causes. She
was 90 years old. On June 5, 2013 the lights on Broadway were dimmed for one
minute in honor of her memory.
June ~
With the onset of summer, we think of fun in the sun, sandy beaches, and swimming, a favorite pursuit of one who died this month...
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| Ester Williams |
What
began as competitive swimming ended up making her a star. Throughout her life, Ester Williams was a swimmer first, then a model, actress, and businesswoman
later in life.
She was “discovered” in a newspaper story and photo
about the 1940 Olympic team’s cancelled plans to attend the games in Tokyo.
Billy Rose thought she had the perfect All-American Girl good looks wrapped up
in an athletic body. The nation agreed and Ester Williams was soon promoted to the star of the movie Bathing Beauties, while seasoned actor Red Skelton was demoted
to supporting lead.
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| The Million Dollar Mermaid |
This was Hollywood’s first swim movie and it
captured America’s interest. Williams became a pin-up girl during the war and
went on many hospital tours to raise the morale of the soldiers. Williams appeared in over 25 movies during the next 20 years.
During the 50’s, she appeared in several films
including Pagan Love Song, Dangerous When Wet, Easy to Love and Million Dollar
Mermaid.
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| Pin-Up Girl |
Williams married actor Fernando Lamas and retired
from making movies in the 1960’s, at his request. But she was soon out and about again
with a line of retro swimwear and a series of backyard swimming pools bearing
her name.
In 1966, she was inducted into the International
Swimming Hall of Fame. And she was a commentator for synchronized swimming during the 1984 Summer Olympics.
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| Ester Williams |
Ester
Williams died on June 6th at her home
in Los Angeles. She was 91 years old. Williams was cremated and her ashes were
scattered on the Pacific Ocean; a fitting tribute for the woman who
once said, "I can't remember a time when I wasn't in a swimsuit”
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| Jiroemon Kimura |
Although
you may not recognize his name, Jiroemon
Kimura accomplished something no other man has – he lived to be the oldest
known man in history, and was the oldest person in the world.
Kimura
was born Kinjiro Miyake on April 19, 1897 in the Japanese village of Kamiukawa.
He married a neighbor girl in the 1920s and took her last name because her
family had no male heirs.
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| Eating Light |
During
his long life, Kimura worked in local post offices. He retired in 1962. When
asked his secret to such a long life he replied that it might have something to
do with the light meals he has always eaten. Kimura was the last man to have
been born in the 19th century.
Jiroemon
Kimura died of natural causes on June 12th in a hospital in Japan.
His age was 116 year and 54 days.
“Live
long and prosper,” and we’ll conclude the year with a look at those who passed from July through
December next week.
~
Joy
Another
year is winding down. This week we’ll wrap up our look back at those who died
during 2013.
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Her
persistence paid off and Thomas headed up a list of "firsts" for women in the
media including first female officer of the National Press Club, the first
female member and president of the White House Correspondent’s Association, and
the first female member of the Gridiron Club – one of the most prestigious
journalistic organizations in Washington.
Frost
continued broadcasting in England in a variety of programs, among them Breakfast with Frost, Through the Keyhole,
and Frost Over the World. He was the
only person to have interviewed all eight British Prime Ministers from 1964 –
2010. He was knighted in 1993 and his television career spanned over 40
years.
Dolby
sound was originally used to reduce tape hiss in reel-to-reel tape and analog
cassette recordings. The first movie to use Dolby sound was A Clockwork Orange in 1971. Dolby stereo was released in 1975 and
film cinemas around the world were outfitted with the new sound system. Dolby
surround sound hit the film industry with the movie, Batman Returns. His Dolby sound process is now mainstream, being
used in digital audio, phones, and cameras.
Clancy’s
career took off when he wrote The Hunt
for Red October in 1982. The book was released in 1984 and received praise
for its credible storyline and technical accuracy.
In
1999, Trotter hosted a PBS cooking show The Kitchen Sessions with Charlie Trotter. He was also named
Outstanding Chef in the U.S. by the James Beard Foundation. Wine Spectator
magazine declared his restaurant the best in the country, and Trotter’s restaurant
also received a James Beard Award for Outstanding Service in 2002. He was also
inducted into the Culinary Hall of Fame.
Dailey
wrote books for Harlequin, Pocket Books and Silhouette Books, turning out two
and three novels a year. Her heroines were strong, independent women who
appealed to the working women of the 1970s, and beyond. There are over 325
million copies of her books in print.
So
concludes our look back at those who passed on in 2013.
