Notable Deaths of 2023

[Uomo Senza Nome]

Bummer, he was one of the greats. His minibio:

Richard Roundtree's iconic career began while attending Southern Illinois University where he was on a football scholarship. After being spotted Richard signed with Johnson Publications to model in their Ebony Fashion Fair, touring 79 cities in 90 days. But rather than returning to school, Roundtree headed off to his home state of New York to begin acting lessons. He soon was asked to become a member of New York's acclaimed Negro Ensemble Company. A succession of Off-Broadway roles resulted in his starring as Jack Johnson in "The Great White Hope".

Richard's life would change forever when he was cast in the role of private detective John Shaft in the legendary "Shaft" movie franchise. This film immediately thrust Richard into the international spotlight, not only making him a worldwide household name but one of Hollywood's hottest young actors.

In the over 100 film and television projects that followed Richard had the opportunity to share the screen with a list of Hollywood's most legendary actors including Clint Eastwood, Peter O'Toole, David Niven, Laurence Olivier, in addition to Samuel L. Jackson, Morgan Freeman, and Brad Pitt.

On television he has been a series regular on several hit shows where he has garnered an NAACP Image Award nomination for Best Leading Actor in a Series, and a Peabody Award for his narration of the PBS documentary "The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow".

Richard was born in New Rochelle, New York, to Kathryn and John Roundtree. An advocate in the fight against breast cancer and a 25-year male breast cancer survivor himself, Richard has taken a stand by participating in events that help raise awareness and funds towards finding a cure for this disease.

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0745780/bio/?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm

[majorhavoc]

Bummer, he was one of the greats. His minibio:

Richard Roundtree's iconic career began while attending Southern Illinois University where he was on a football scholarship. After being spotted Richard signed with Johnson Publications to model in their Ebony Fashion Fair, touring 79 cities in 90 days. But rather than returning to school, Roundtree headed off to his home state of New York to begin acting lessons. He soon was asked to become a member of New York's acclaimed Negro Ensemble Company. A succession of Off-Broadway roles resulted in his starring as Jack Johnson in "The Great White Hope".

Richard's life would change forever when he was cast in the role of private detective John Shaft in the legendary "Shaft" movie franchise. This film immediately thrust Richard into the international spotlight, not only making him a worldwide household name but one of Hollywood's hottest young actors.

In the over 100 film and television projects that followed Richard had the opportunity to share the screen with a list of Hollywood's most legendary actors including Clint Eastwood, Peter O'Toole, David Niven, Laurence Olivier, in addition to Samuel L. Jackson, Morgan Freeman, and Brad Pitt.

On television he has been a series regular on several hit shows where he has garnered an NAACP Image Award nomination for Best Leading Actor in a Series, and a Peabody Award for his narration of the PBS documentary "The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow".

Richard was born in New Rochelle, New York, to Kathryn and John Roundtree. An advocate in the fight against breast cancer and a 25-year male breast cancer survivor himself, Richard has taken a stand by participating in events that help raise awareness and funds towards finding a cure for this disease.

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0745780/bio/?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm

It's always with some regret that I often learn so many personal and admirable things about celebrities only after they've passed. But thank you for sharing that.

[12_Gauge_Chimp]

Richard Moll, best known as the giant bailiff Bull on "Night Court", passed away on October 26th at the age of 80.

No cause of death has been released.

With his death, that now leaves Marsha Warfield and John Larroquette as the two main cast members still living.

ETA: I'm probably forgetting some folks, but Marsha Warfield and John Larroquette are the only two I can think of at the moment.

[NT2C]

Matthew Perry Dead at 54 After Apparent Drowning

[12_Gauge_Chimp]

Matthew Perry Dead at 54 After Apparent Drowning

I'm hearing chatter that he may have had a heart attack and then drowned as a result of it.

[Anianna]

Matthew Perry Dead at 54 After Apparent Drowning

I'm hearing chatter that he may have had a heart attack and then drowned as a result of it.

There generally has to be some other factor in order to drown in a hot tub.  I think it was disingenuous for them to report it as a drowning.  The article with the subpar headline does mention that the call was for a heart attack, but not until the very end. 

[Uomo Senza Nome]

Matthew Perry Dead at 54 After Apparent Drowning

I'm hearing chatter that he may have had a heart attack and then drowned as a result of it.

There generally has to be some other factor in order to drown in a hot tub.  I think it was disingenuous for them to report it as a drowning.  The article with the subpar headline does mention that the call was for a heart attack, but not until the very end. 

He was pretty well known. The rags will report in him for years with all the scandalous info to go with it.

[Uomo Senza Nome]

Legendary Basketball coach Bobby Knight:

https://www.foxnews.com/sports/legendary-college-basketball-coach-bob-knight-dead-83

[EBuff75]

Apollo astronaut Thomas Kenneth Mattingly II, known for helping the crew of Apollo 13 safely return to Earth after an explosion doomed their lunar mission, has died at the age of 87, NASA announced.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/03/us/ken-mattingly-death-apollo-astronaut-scn/index.html

[NT2C]

Apollo astronaut Frank Borman, who first orbited moon, dies at age 95

[majorhavoc]

Apollo astronaut Frank Borman, who first orbited moon, dies at age 95

He commanded the Apollo 8 mission.  Carrying his crew further from Earth than anyone had traveled before, Apollo 8 offered humanity a perspective of our home world never before seen.  This was the moon mission that produced the famous Earthrise photo, showing us our planet from afar: a tiny oasis of color and life amidst the cold, dark vastness of space.  Borman claimed afterwards that while the moon was the focus of the mission, it was looking back at Earth that impressed him the most.

[Uomo Senza Nome]

Apollo astronaut Frank Borman, who first orbited moon, dies at age 95

It's been a terrible year for astronauts, he is the third Apollo crew member and 4th astronaut to pass this year. They aren't dying young though, Bobko was the youngest at 85. Would that I could, make it that far along and live half as well.

Some day in the not too distant future every man who has ever been to the moon will have passed. While there is a joy in knowing they lived such lives, there is also a sadness that no one else is.

[EBuff75]

Rosalynn Carter, who as first lady worked tirelessly on behalf of mental health reform and professionalized the role of the president's spouse, died Sunday at the age of 96, according to The Carter Center.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/19/politics/rosalynn-carter-mental-health-activist-humanitarian-and-former-first-lady-dies-at/index.html

[12_Gauge_Chimp]

Rosalynn Carter, who as first lady worked tirelessly on behalf of mental health reform and professionalized the role of the president's spouse, died Sunday at the age of 96, according to The Carter Center.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/19/politics/rosalynn-carter-mental-health-activist-humanitarian-and-former-first-lady-dies-at/index.html

Given Jimmy Carter's health isn't that great at the moment (last I heard he was on hospice care as well), I get the feeling he won't be too far behind her in death.

[EBuff75]

Rosalynn Carter, who as first lady worked tirelessly on behalf of mental health reform and professionalized the role of the president's spouse, died Sunday at the age of 96, according to The Carter Center.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/19/politics/rosalynn-carter-mental-health-activist-humanitarian-and-former-first-lady-dies-at/index.html

Given Jimmy Carter's health isn't that great at the moment (last I heard he was on hospice care as well), I get the feeling he won't be too far behind her in death.

The same thing had occurred to me.  I wondered if it might be one of those cases where the remaining spouse passes shortly afterwards.  Particularly when you consider that he's been in hospice care since February. 

[12_Gauge_Chimp]

Rosalynn Carter, who as first lady worked tirelessly on behalf of mental health reform and professionalized the role of the president's spouse, died Sunday at the age of 96, according to The Carter Center.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/19/politics/rosalynn-carter-mental-health-activist-humanitarian-and-former-first-lady-dies-at/index.html

Given Jimmy Carter's health isn't that great at the moment (last I heard he was on hospice care as well), I get the feeling he won't be too far behind her in death.

The same thing had occurred to me.  I wondered if it might be one of those cases where the remaining spouse passes shortly afterwards.  Particularly when you consider that he's been in hospice care since February. 

I'm actually kind of surprised he didn't pass away first.

[aikorob]

Marty Krofft

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/tv-producer-marty-krofft-creator-hr-pufnstuf-dies-86-2023-11-26/

[majorhavoc]

Marty Krofft

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/tv-producer-marty-krofft-creator-hr-pufnstuf-dies-86-2023-11-26/

Some of my earliest memories was from a less-remembered Kroftt kid's show, the Banana Splits. 



The Sid and Marty Krofft shows always had this off-kilter quality that my parents somehow found disturbing.  It's only now I realize it was the prototype for Five Nights at Freddy's.  You tell me ...

[flybynight]

https://youtu.be/XMl6HnhFFIA?si=_Ac794ahr9lIRBID

[majorhavoc]

Henry Kissinger, polarizing Cold War Secretary of State, dead at 100.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/29/us/henry-kissinger-dead.html?campaign_id=60&emc=edit_na_20231129&instance_id=0&nl=breaking-news&ref=cta&regi_id=25014933&segment_id=151307&user_id=872981b00cc4f31e03ec80295b29169f
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/29/us/henry-kissinger-dead.html?campaign_id=60&emc=edit_na_20231129&instance_id=0&nl=breaking-news&ref=cta&regi_id=25014933&segment_id=151307&user_id=872981b00cc4f31e03ec80295b29169f