Notables Lost in 2008
56
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The last four months of 2008 will forever be etched into the psyche of myself and my family. It brought to us tragedy, repeatedly put us through fear of the absolute worst, and finally gave us Joy and the celebration of life itself. We are all, each in our own personal way, forever changed.
The end of 2008 also changed history and brought us the first African-American President. The hope of a desperate nation for a better future.
And, certainly not last, 2008 marked the passing of some of our greatest talent, both young and old. I thought it fitting to mark the loss of these gifted and influential people...
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JANUARY
- Bobby Fischer: Reclusive chess master
- Sir Edmund Hillary: Conquered Mount Everest and won renown as one the the 20th century's greatest adventurers
- Heath Ledger: Australian born actor and Oscar nominee who won respect from his peers with performances in Brokeback Mountain and The Dark Knight. (I have seen The Dark Knight and cannot recommend it highly enough)
- Suzanne Pleshette: Beautiful, whiskey-voiced star best known for playing Bob Newhart's wife.
- Johnny Podres: Pitched the Brooklyn Dodgers to their only World Series title in 1955.
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FEBRUARY
- William F. Buckley: Legendary Ivy Leaguer and conservative commentator.
- Steve Fossett: Millionaire adventurer
- Shell Kepler: Actress who played gossipy nurse Amy Vining on TV soap General Hospital.
- Roy Scheider: Actor, best known for his role in Jaws.
- Mahesh Yogi: One-time guru to The Beatles, introduced the West to transcendental meditation.
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MARCH
- Jeff Healey: Blind singer/guitarist, respected among his peers. Best known for the pop hit "Angel Eyes."
- Art Aragon: Boxing's original "Golden Boy."
- Gary Gygax: Co-creator of the college nerd phenominon "Dungeons & Dragons" and writer of many of the game-related books.
- Arthur C. Clarke: Visionary and worldwide acclaimed science fiction writer.
- Anthony Minghella: Oscar-winning director of The English Patient.
- Dith Pran: Cambodian-born journalist whose true life inspired The Killing Fields.
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APRIL
- Joe Feeney: The tenor who made "Danny Boy" and other standards famous on The Lawrence Welk Show.
- Hazel Court: British horror actress, best known for being paired with Vincent Price.
- Stanley Kamel: Best known for playing Dr. Kroger on the USA hit Monk.
- Charlton Heston: Hollywood legend, conservative activist and gun-toting president of the NRA.
- Jerry Zucker: Self-made billionaire.
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MAY
- Eddy Arnold: Country singer best known for the hit "Make the World Go Away."
- Harvey Korman: Respected comedic actor best known as the straight man to Tim Conway on The Carol Burnett Show.
- Dick Martin: Half of the comedy team host of Rowen & Martin's Laugh-In.
- Alexander Courage: Composer who did many themes for TV and movies, but best known for the original Star Trek theme.
- Robert Mondavi: California winemaking patriarch.
- Sydney Pollock: Academy Award-winning director.
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JUNE
- George Carlin: The undisputed Dean of counterculture comedy and best known for his "Seven words you can't say on TV" routine... "fuckshitpisscuntcocksuckermotherfuckertits" (can I publish that on HubPages?)
- Cyd Charisse: Dancer who shared the movie stage with the likes of Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly.
- Bo Diddley: Legendary "hand-jive" rocker credited with creating the "shave-and-a-haircut... two-bits" rhythm/song ending.
- Jim McKay: Decades long host of ABC's influential Wide World of Sports.
- Tim Russert: Legendary and beloved host of NBC's Meet the Press.
- Stan Winston: Special effects master, won Oscars for Aliens, Terminator 2: Judgement Day and Jurassic Park.
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JULY
- Estelle Getty: Loved actress best known as the sarcastic Sophia on The Golden Girls.
- Larry Harmon: The original face of cultural legend, Bozo the Clown.
- Jerome Holtzman: Major League Baseball's official historian and Hall of Famer.
- Bobby Murcer: Five-time All Star outfielder who spent close to 40 years with the Yankees.
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AUGUST
- Isaac Hayes: Pioneering singer, songwriter, musician.
- Bernie Mac: Emmy and Golden Globe nominated comedic actor.
- Gene Upshaw: Hall of Fame guard who led the NFL Players Association for 25 years.
- Kevin Duckworth: Former Portland Trail Blazers center who played in two All Star games.
- Jerry Wexler: Legendary record producer who helped shape R&B music.
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SEPTEMBER
- Don LaFontaine: Voice-over legend ("In a World...") for thousands of movie trailers, and satirized himself in a Geigo commercial.
- Bill Melendez: Animator who gave life to Snoopy, Charlie Brown and other Peanuts characters.
- W.D. Mohammed: Imam moved thousands of blacks into mainstream Islam.
- Jerry Reed: Singer/actor best known for hits like "When You're Hot You're Hot" and his portrayal in the Smokey & the Bandit movies.
- Paul Newman: Academy Award winning superstar who also gave millions to charities through his "Newman's Own" products.
- Righard Wright: Founding member of Pink Floyd.
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OCTOBER
- Edie Adams: Tony Award winning actress.
- Tony Hillerman: Award winning author who wrote Navajo Tribal Police novels.
- Levi Stubbs: Lead singer of The Four Tops.
- Studs Terkel: Author, radio host, actor and activist.
- Dee Dee Warwick: Soul singer and sister of Dionne Warwick.
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NOVEMBER
- Michael Crichton: Author and filmmaker of such hits as Jurassic Park.
- Madelyn Dunham: Grandmother of President Barack Obama and cornerstone of that family.
- Miriam Makeba: South African singer and the first African woman to win a Grammy.
- Mitch Mitchell:Pioneering drummer and last surviving member of legendary Jimi Hendrix Experience.
- Herb Score: Cleveland Indians pitcher.
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DECEMBER
- Paul Benedict: Actor best known for playing English neighbor Harry Bentley on TV's The Jeffersons.
- Eartha Kitt: Dancer, singer and actress who sang the Christmas favorite "Santa Baby" and was an original Catwoman (one of three or four actresses, including Julie Newmar, who played the part) on the 1960's hit Batman.
- Odetta: Folk singer with a powerful voice, she was the influence of cultural icons such as Bob Dylan and Joan Baez.
- Bettie Page: 1950's pin-up model who helped set the stage for the 1960's sexual revolution.
- Harold Pinter: Nobel laureate, influential British playwright and vocal critic of the Iraq war.
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The rainbow comes and goes, and lovely is the Rose, the Moon doth with delight look round her when the heavens are bare, waters on a starry night are beautiful and fair;
The sunshine is a glorious birth; but yet I know, where'er I go, that there hath passed away a glory from the Earth.
-William Wordsworth
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CommentsLoading...
Nice hub my dear...and for me they are all in a better place...I said a prayer for each one and some of them I do dearly miss...and a special Prayer for you sweetie...Thanks for the memories...G-Ma :o) Hugs & Peace
Thanks for this bittersweet tribute to the many we have lost in the year that was 2008.
The rainbow comes and goes,
And lovely is the Rose,
The Moon doth with delight
Look round her when the heavens are bare,
Waters on a starry night Are beautiful and fair; The sunshine is a glorious birth;
But yet I know, where'er I go,
That there hath passed away a glory from the earth.
William Wordsworth
I hear ya, Jim. I'll be 52 in April! I was especially bummed about Heath Ledger. I've been a fan since "Roar" and his work in The Dark Knight was phenominal.
Thanks G-Ma, you always say the nicest things. And I think your prayers are working, things are going very well and finally moving forward.
Cris, that is beautiful! Can I use it in the hub?
Oh my God, CW, I didn't even know that some of these people died! Talk about out of touch. Now, I'm sad. We lost so many in '08.
Re the age thing, you're still just a baby, you've got a long way to go yet. Not that far to catch up to me, but I'm in it for the long haul...whether those around me like it or not. I haven't decided yet whether or not I'm going to die. I may just stick around and get all cranky and bug my kids. :)
No! LOL of course, you needn't even have to ask... :D
just edit the phrasing
-Shirley, ya there's a lot of them, eh? And I'm totally with you on the age thing: I figure I'm about halfway... I may get GET old, but that certainly does not mean I have to ACT that way.
Thanks Cris, of course I should ask first... to just grab it and use would be rude.
CW - okay, if it's the right thing to do. :D
Shirley - you'll never grow old...you'll be a classic! And CW will be prime. As for myself...i'll be vintage
Kudos on your age outlook. I don't feel anywhere near as old as I am. Some people may not think that's a good thing, but it's me.
Aww, thx, Cris! Vintage...sounds like fine wine, and very expensive. Oh, that's good.
Ha-ha, Cris. Exactly. Age is a matter of perception.
-Shirley, thanks. It's easy for me to have such an outlook since I've never looked my age. That sucked when I was younger, but it's great now.
C.W. a nice tribute. The question that needs an answer to is where was I when some of these favorites of mine passed away? I missed the passing of Michael Crichton. I just finished re-reading "Prey" (on audio tape) in December when I was sewing Christmas presents for my gang. I just loved his books and films. Wow so many talented people left us in 2008.
regards Zsuzsy
Seeing them all in a list like that is surreal. I'm on a few lists, I'm sure, but I hope I don't end up on yours for awhile. Nice hub. I wasn't aware that a few of them had passed on, either. wow!
-Zsuzsy, I hear ya. I remember hearing about a few of these people dying, but wasn't aware of all of them. Michael Crichton was a talent which will be missed. I loved Jurassic Park. One of those movies I can watch about once a year and still enjoy it.
-RockinJoe, interesting photo... "You just ain't right!" Seeing those end of the year memorials is always like that: So many more than you realized. Awards show usually air them.
Oh yes, the Oscars have them - In Memoriam. This might sound weird or even morbid but this segment has always been my favourite. :D
-Cris, my mother is the same way... and she reads the obits everyday, too!
Yep, you guys are morbid!
I like you mother already, though I don't do the obits thing! But does she also have the penchant for looking at gravestones and figuring out ages based on the dates?
Oh man, it was a bad year to be famous I guess. I don't know if I've seen similar lists for previous years, but I don't ever remember so many famous people dying in one year. And so so SO many amazing people too: George Carlin, Isaac Hayes, Bernie Mac, Betty Page, Paul Newman, Estelle Getty, Bobby Fisher..... What a bummer, almost half of the people on this list should have lived another 50 years or more. So sad to see them go.
-Cris, she LOVES graveyards, the older - the better. The UofO has one of the coolest, and oldest, ones I've seen.
Hi Jonno. You've got it exactly right: too many died needlessly, and WAY too young.
CW, what a fabulous job you did in paying tribute to the notable people who passed in 2008. :) Outstanding.
Estelle Getty was such a hoot in Golden Girls, and while Paul Newman starred in many great movies, my favorite is Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Harvey Korman was priceless on the Carol Burnett show. :D Heath Ledger...what a shame. I suppose my favorite movie of his was "A Knight's Tale."
I agree with you all about age. Actually, I'm already making some big plans for my golden years. Like Shirley said, it'll be so much fun to give some "pay back" to the kids. I'm gonna take turns living with each of them and leave the tv on all night real loud. I'll have all my old friends over to hang out, watch tv and raid the fridge, and we'll take turns leaving every single light in the house turned on. Oh, and I'm gonna finger paint the walls with my poop just like my daughter did when she was 2. Boy, good times are a coming!
Once my kids kick me out, I'll have to start picking on strangers, so I've decided that whether I need a cane or not, I'm going to have one so I can poke people. That's right, 25 or so years from now if you're ever walking down the street and you feel someone poking at your rear with a cane, it'll probably be me. :D
Pam, good stuff. I think I've already met your doppleganger... but she already old and obnoxious. Knight's Tale was a cool movie, wasn't it? Have you seen The Dark Knight yet? If not, prepare to be blown away. Ledger stole the entire movie. I wish he was still alive to enjoy the much-deserved kudos.
Yes, Knight's Tale is one of those movies that I can watch numerous times and still enjoy it. :) I haven't seen Dark Knight yet, but the previews look incredible. I'll have to make a point of watching it. Now that I think about it, I don't think that Ledger ever made a bad movie. The Patriot was good too. Thanks again for taking us down memory lane with these awesome people. :)
Cris, I totally enjoy gravestones; however, I'm not much with numbers and dates, that part of my brain doesn't work so well. I like it mostly for the sake of genealogy and history as well as for some of the interesting things people choose to have engraved on their gravestones. :)
wow heath leger really stands out for being so young.. hope non of us are on the list any time soon
I'm with you! Thanks for reading, CFlynn.
CW - okay, hearing about your mom makes me feel I'm not alone! LOL
Pam - I really don't know why I do iot, I'm just drawn to doing mental math everytime! I'll have to figure it out and write a hub out of it! LOL :D
Cris, you're definitely not alone. One of my cousins and his wife have a thing for cemetaries, too.
Me, I just like horror flicks. I know it's not real and they don't scare me, so I can enjoy the acting, effects, etc. It's great fun... especially with chocolate!
I don't have a thing for cemeteries like I'd go out of my way to do some grave-hopping. Only when there's an "occasion". As for horror movies, depends on the mood but I do have some DVDs stashed for good measure - like when I need a good scare or something. Was there any that really scared the sh%t out of you? You said they don't scare you though there must be one that did! :D
Good question. The last time one scared me, I was home alone (married at the time) and watching "Fun House" in the dark. The final scene, where the creature is dying in the giant gears, got me. The music, the lighting, the acting was good, it was dark, I was alone. Very dramatic! Well-done and very effective.
...But, that was MANY years ago.
Hi CW, I liked your tribute to those who passed in 2008. It's always amazing when they do that at the Oscars. Mostly, I'm sorry 2008 was such a tough year for you personally. But it sounds like something positive happened at the end. 2008 we lost our beloved Penny (cat) and my dad. Hardly in the same league, but both big losses.
Here's to new beginnings in 2009. And for the record, 52 is NOT OLD and you don't even look close to 40 so there! MM
Yep, it's probably that MANY years ago because I haven't heard of it! LOL
Thanks, MM, (like the new pic!) No need to explain; I understand well what the loss of a pet can do. I'm just thankful we (my family) got through the end of 2008 safe, in one piece (reletively) and alive. I honestly wouldn't have bet on that happening...
If you ever decide to rent it (I'm sure you could find it on Netflix or something like that) be sure to watch it in the dark...
Talk about working up a scare! I will look for it...interesting title for a horror movie - along the lines of those Chuckie movies. Guess I will find out. Thanks :D
Nope, nothing like Chuckie - I've never understood being scared of a doll, I was yelling the TV "It's a DOLL! Just drop-kick it!"
Fun House is about a cheesie traveling circus, but that's all I'm gonna tell you...
It better be nothing like Chuckie! Or else... be really scared! LOL Thanks again :D
Trust me... I would never recommend anything like Chuckie.
I hope I can say the same! LOL btw, the poem's up... leaves a lump in my throat everytime
Poem?
wordsworth's, in this hub - sorry wrong use of btw...force of habit! :D
What do you mean?
I used "btw" as if I'm telling you i was talking about another poem when in fact i was referring to the Wordsworth poem that you have added to your hub. Have you been drinking? LOL
Oooooh! Now I see. And you were right, that threw me.
Drinking? No... not at the moment...
Found out about Fun House - made in 1977 (you sure about the effects? LOL). I'll go check if Amazon carries it. Have no patience for Netflix. Thanks :D
That sounds about right - right after MTV premiered! No, I didn't the effects were great, I said the music, lighting, camera work, etc (in the last scene) were very affective. They did very well for the tech they had available to them at the time.
You don't like Netflix? I love it! They've have a couple of important things very few online businesses have: Excellent service, and very excellent customer service.
PS: What time is it there... it's almost 6am here.
PS, the poem: I first added it after the comments, but then decided to move it up to be sure it was seen.
you must really like the film, huh? Okay, I promise to be a little forgiving and understanding if the effects appear substandard - i'll take note of the "this was before" element.
I agree, the poem deserves to be read. :D
Actually, I don't think I've ever read anything by Wordsworth before. Not a big poetry guy. But this one was great and it really fit.
Well then it's about time you get your nose into poerty... just sniff and smell, nothing arduous or serious about that :D
very nice list
-Cris, I have tried getting into poetry, but it bores me to tears.
-Thanks, Lgali.
But apparently this Wordsworth did not, so?
True! Once in a while I come across something I like. But, that's pretty rare.
Okay then, i will insert snippets to my comments to your hubs! See what you will like :D
here's one on the same theme:
He shall not hear the bittern cry
In the wild sky, where he is lain,
Nor voices of the sweeter birds
Above the wailing of the rain.
- Francis Ledwidge
Couldn't hurt, eh?
Nice, but doesn't make me go "Wow!"
Now I know why you easily get bored to tears! But I did try to help... :D
I tell ya I was sad about Ledger and Mac but sorta glad about Heston. Nice trib!
You should start an ongoing hub about the recently deceased.
Travolta's son, now that was sad.
Ha-ha! Hey, that's all you can do...
I hate dares, I always give in to it! Argh!
They are all gone into the world of light,
And I alone sit lingering here;
Their very memory is fair and bright,
And my sad thoughts doth clear.
Henry Vaughan
Hi Sandra! Don't tell anyone, but... psst! I felt the same way...
I debated whether to include his photo or not (damn, the dude got ugly!), but I cannot ignore the fact that the man was a motion picture legend.
...Tis not my place to judge, credit where it is due - and more junk like that.
Cris, that one's kinda cool...
Your secret is safe with me *fingers crossed behind my back*, I swear it! ...Tis my job to state the obvious! lol.
Cool? Okay I give up! LOL
-Sandra, Hey, I thought that was MY job... no wait. Mine is to State The Rediculous.
-Cris, Thank God! I was afraid you were gonna throw more poetry at me ;-)
I said I give up, not done! LOL
Till I, high in the tower of my time
Among familiar ruins, began to cry
For accident, sickness, justice, war and crime,
Because all died, because I had to die.
The snow fell, the trees stood, the promise kept,
And a child I slept.
Howar Nemerov
Ha-ha... Damn!
That one didn't do it for me. Have you ever considered writing your own peotry? I know you can write... very well, in fact. I've read your dribble - I'm mean prose!
-Sandra, even better: Mine is to State the Rediculous and make it sound Sage-like.
I kill me...
I actually have some here, in the backburner! At least I try... LOL
Exactly. A cool saying I heard somewhere goes something like, "The only true loser is the one who will not try."
So publish them! What the worst that can happen, someone making fun of it? OK, I MAY do that, but I can't help it...
Oh they're published... all three of them! LOL
You MAY do what you said you MIGHT but I MAY delete them, which I just MIGHT! :D
Really!? I didn't see them when I was looking through your hubs.
I'll have to come by and victimize ...I mean READ them.
Uh they're under POETRY?
I read them, and they're good. And trust me, I'm not one to blow smoke up someone's skirt... if you know what I mean.
Sages are covered in the ridiculously obvious!
Yep, I was following your trail! Now did you feel a little stirring in your soul? Like words forming? Energy flowing...? No? Okay maybe tomorrow then! :D
Wow! it's sad that I forgot about some of these deaths.
-Sandra, cool! I was kinda concerned...
-Cris, Stirring? Something forming? Energy? Yeah, come to think of it I DO feel something... I'm hungry!!!
-Foxility, thanks for reading. Don't feel bad. Death happens and life goes on. It is for the families to remember. And remember they do.
Well... I can't play anymore. Got to get moved.
Now that's a start! You can write a poem about hunger without even mentioning the word! LOL
I'm a multi-faceted kind a guy...
Everybody is, if only they try :D
CW1- I don't know many of them but I do remember charlton heston as my dad took us to the movie called Ben Hur which my brother liked so much that he wanted to take to horse riding at that time. Even I liked that movie a lot. Well all I feel after reading that list is that even great things come to an end and the only thing left up to us now is whether we leave behind a legacy that others will remember us for. Btw hope your health is improving well. Talk to you later bye.
CW,Great tribute to a lot of talent did not know about Suzanne, damn shame!
and no you can't write that on hub pages, good thing you left out the spaces! ;-[)
Say goodnight dick!
it is sad when so many die particularly the young ones like Heath Ledger... great list hope you don't have to post so many at the end of 2009.... cheers
Cw Great hub Great tribute. It evoked a sense of overwhelming nostalgia and although I don't feel pariculaly old, the role call made me me feel my, going 62, years. Some of the departed were slightly older and some the same age (Suzanne Pleshette) and some sadly like Heath Ledger, my late son's age. I did not realise you were 52. I always felt that you were way younger!
I recently bought the Dark Side and it is clear that Heath was a prodigiuos talent and he did steal the show. He also did a great job in The Knights Tale. I remember seeing Ben Hur when I was a seven or so years old. I had just got a new pair of shoes and I wanted them so badly They were suede - shades of Elvis). I took a size too small and suffered sore feet (and hell) through that 3 hour long epic! I think Charlton Heston was a much under rated actor. I also in my younger years saw him in many Cowboy movies.
Enough of the reminicing!
great hub!
Nice job, Constant Walker ! What a bummer to realize I didn't even know --definitely didn't remember, some of these people died last year! Like, Estelle Getty!
-Cris, very true.
CW2- You haven't been watching many mainstream? If nothing else, you should rent Dark Knight. Health is stable!
-Agvulpes, ah gee! I remember that line: "Say goodnight, Dick."
-Ajcor, me too, but chances are there will be another long list. The Circle of Life, and all that...
-Thanks Sixtyorso, but I'm ALMOST 52... in April. I liked both of those Heath Ledger movies (I got Dark Knight for Christmas). If you get a chance, check out a drama series called "Roar" (Sci-Fi Channel sometimes runs marathons). It's the show in which Ledger got his start. I remember seeing Ben Hur, but don't remember when or where... probably on TV.
-Elena. Agreed. I don't think all of the celeb deaths are publicised. Just the famous ones. Last I heard of Estelle Getty, she had ALZ, but I didn't know she'd died. Thanks for stopping by.
CW1- I know Mahesh Yogi and heard of the stand up comedian George Carlin. Actually I meant most of them from this list. I did see recently Dark Knight, Iron Man, Hulk 2, Wall E!, Indiana Jones: the Crystal Skull and so on(I do love watching movies which have good reviews). Thanks for letting me know that your health is stable. Hope it gets better and better every day.
Ooh. There were many on the list I'd never heard of. I still haven't seen Iron Man or Hulk 2. I hear they're good. I'll probably just download 'em. Shhh! Don't tell nobody...
Jim Batuyong 3 years ago
Wow C.W. when I look at that list I start feeling my age. Many of those people were popular stars when I was just a boy. Especially sad to see Tim Russert and Bernie Mac go at such young ages. Nice tribute to them all.