HUBERT HUMPHREY - January 13
"Let me just say this about that - I'm dead!"
Mayor, senator, vice president, and presidential candidate -
but never made it all the way because the powers that be wouldn't let him speak out against the vietnam war.
So we got that lying bum Nixon instead, and he didn't end the war until 1973, when trying to buy himself out of the Watergate scandal. It didn't work, and Nixon quit in 1974.
(Age: 66. C.O.D.: Cancer.)
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BLOSSOM ROCK - January 14
(Day after Hubert Humphrey.)
Best-known as Grandmamma in The Addams Family,
she was also the older sister of singer/actress
Jeanette MacDonald. She also acted as Marie Blake.
(Age: 81.)
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CARL BETZ - January 19
Did lots of TV, including Judd For The Defense,
but was known mostly as hubby Dr. Alex Stone
on 1960s classic TV sitcom The Donna Reed Show.
(Age: 56. C.O.D.: Cancer.)
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JOHN CAZALE - March 12
Known mainly as Fredo in The Godfather,
and was a boyfriend of Meryl Streep.
(Age: 42. C.O.D.: Cancer.)
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KARL WALLENDA - March 22
High wire circus performer who
went over the line, as it were.
And 8 years after the age of retirement, yet.
(Age: 73. C.O.D.: Fall from high wire.)
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WILL GEER - April 22
Did some movie work, but was best known
as Grandpa on The Waltons TV series.
(Age: 76.)
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BOB CRANE - June 29
Started as a popular radio interviewer, branched out
in many TV guest appearances, and became best known
as Colonel Hogan in the TV series Hogan's Heroes,
which ran for 6 years.
(Age: 49. C.O.D.: Murdered by business partner.)
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TOTIE FIELDS - August 2
Make that... not so live.
Pioneering 1960s female stand-up comic.
(Age: 48. C.O.D.: Heart attack due to cancer.)
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LOUIS PRIMA - August 24
Singer who sometimes performed with Keely Smith.
Known for the tune Just A Gigolo,
before David Lee Roth got ahold of it.
(Age: 66.)
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CHARLES BOYER - August 26
French actor who made it big in American movies.
(Age: 78. C.O.D.: Suicide.
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ROBERT SHAW - August 27
(Day after Charles Boyer.)
Known mainly as the big blowhard boat guy in Jaws.
(Age: 51. C.O.D.: Heart attack.
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KEITH MOON - September 7
Drummer for the rock group The Who.
(Age: 31. C.O.D.: Drug overdose.
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EDGAR BERGEN - September 30
Ventriloquist who became Charlie McCarthy's
puppet master, sometimes on film and TV,
but mainly confined to radio.
He was also the father of Candice Bergen,
who starred in the TV series Murphy Brown.
(Age: 75. C.O.D.: Kidney disease.)
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GIG YOUNG - October 19
Character actor who won an Osacar for
They Shoot Horses, Don't They?
Was also an ex-husband of Elizabeth Montgomery,
star of the TV series Bewitched.
(Age: 64. C.O.D.: Suicide by gun after killing wife.)
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NORMAN ROCKWELL - November 9
Great American painter and illustrator
who did many Saturday Evening Post covers.
(Age: 84.)
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MARGARET MEAD - November 15
Anthropologist and author who wrote Coming Of Age In Samoa.
(Age: 76.)
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HARVEY MILK - November 27
Businessman and politician who was
the first openly-gay politician elected
to office, assassinated by disgruntled
former city supervisor Dan White,
who plead the infamous Twinkie Defense.
(Age: 48. C.O.D.: Murdered by gun.)
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GEORGE MOSCONE - November 27
(Same day as Harvey Milk.)
Mayor of San Francisco also shot
the same day as Harvey Milk by that
same idiot Dan White.
(Age: 49. C.O.D.: Murdered by gun.)
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GOLDA MEIR - December 8
Born in Russia, and lived in the US
before emmigrating to Israel and
becoming prime minister.
(Age: 80.)
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ED WOOD - December 10
The king of B-movies, this cult director
is known mostly for his cheesy masterpiece
Plan 9 From Outer Space.
(Age: 54.)
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CHILL WILLS - December 15
Character actor in many Westerns,
including the classic Rio Grande.
(Age: 75. C.O.D.: Cancer.)
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= WELL, THAT'S ALL FOR THIS YEAR, FOLKS! BUT STAY TUNED - YOU KNOW THE GRIM REAPER AIN'T DONE WITH THOSE CELEBS YET! MEANWHILE, ON THE UPPER RIGHT YOU CAN ALWAYS CHECK OUT THE LIST OF LATE LAMENTED LAYABOUTS FROM OTHER YEARS! ENJOY! =