2020 Obituaries Thread

[Teddy]

R&B/soul singer Bill Withers, whose best-known hits include Lean on Me and Lovely Day, has died at age 81.

[Ccook]

Actress and cartoon voice Julie Bennett (Cindy Bear on Yogi Bear and Laff-A-Lympics), age 88 from complications of COVID-19.

[dagdoggnh]

Logan Williams, who played a young Barry Allen on 8 episodes of "The Flash" on The CW, passed away on April 2, 2020 at the age of 16.  No cause revealed as of yet: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/logan-williams-dead-flash-actor-was-16-1288519

[RJSchex]

R&B/soul singer Bill Withers, whose best-known hits include Lean on Me and Lovely Day, has died at age 81.

He had quite amazing vocal abilities. His first hit single, "Ain't No Sunshine", must have some sort of record for repetition—in the second stanza he sings "I know" 26 times straight. Also, 1978's "Lovely Day" has the all-time record for longest-held note in a Top 40 hit (18.1 seconds).

[Blissey]

Tom Dempsey, New Orleans Saints placekicker whose 63-yard kick in 1970 set the NFL field goal record, has passed away at age 73 of the coronavirus.

(For the record, Dempsey's record was supplanted by the Denver Broncos' Matt Prater with a 64-yard shot in 2013.)

https://www.nola.com/sports/saints/article_f4822bdf-7ef3-522e-8634-54ad5805dc21.html

[JayC]

It's amazing how long Dempsey's record of 63 yards lasted (3 kickers tied the record -- Jason Elam in 1998, Sebastian Janikowski in 2011, and David Akers in 2012 and two others made 63 yard field goals more recently) before Prater finally broke it with 64 yards in 2013. Dempsey was also born without toes on his right foot and had to have a modified shoe made so he could kick.

[dagdoggnh]

Lee Fierro, best known for her role as Mrs. Kintner in the 1975 movie "Jaws", passed away on April 5, 2020 from COVID-19 complications at the age of 91: https://people.com/movies/jaws-actress-lee-fierro-dies-of-coronavirus-at-91/

[jude_este]

Honor Blackman, best known for playing her role as a Bond girl in 1964’s Goldfinger, has died of natural causes unrelated to coronavirus at her home in Sussex, England at the age of 94.

[PatrickRox80]

Tiger great Al Kaline has passed away at age 85.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/29001986/hall-fame-outfielder-detroit-tigers-legend-al-kaline-dies-85

[Ccook]

James Drury, of the long-running NBC western The Virginian, age 85, no cause specified.

[Ccook]

Singer-songwriter John Prine, age 75 from complications of COVID-19.

[Ccook]

Thomas Miller, producer of shows from Happy Days to Full House, age 79 from heart disease.

[jude_este]

German actor Dieter Laser, who played evil scientist Dr. Josef Heiter in "The Human Centipede", died on February 29 in Germany. He was 78. Cause of death not disclosed.

[GRWHAMMY the 2nd]

Voice Actor Rick May (Team Fortress 2's Soilder and Star Fox 64's Peppy Hare, among others) passed due to COVID19
https://www.shacknews.com/article/117513/rick-may-voice-of-team-fortress-2s-soldier-passes-away-from-covid-19 (original soruce is fellow Team Fortress Voice Actor John Patrick Lowrie, aka the Sniper)

[jude_este]

Danny Goldman, the actor who voiced Brainy Smurf on The Smurfs and played the persistent medical student who drove Gene Wilder’s irate doctor to stab his leg with a scalpel with his prying questions in the opening scene of Young Frankenstein, passed away April 12, at his home in Los Angeles from complications of two recent strokes at the age of 80.