Greetings,
everyone...and welcome to this edition of
Celebrity Cemetary, the Grim ~V~eeper's Obituary Page.
Ah,
spring...the grand thawing of the winter blues.
Everything begins to bloom, and life begins anew. I
loathe it. However, all of those lovely flowers need
their nutrients, and we have an interesting month of
celebrity fertilzer for the vernal flora...heh heh heh
Dangnabit... no player points this month. In February, we
had a player with the wrong Eisenberg, this time around
we have another close call:
March
13: Morton (not Robert) Downey Jr., the combative
talk show host of the late '80s who prided himself on
being the biggest mouth on television, died in Los Angeles
after a long bout with lung cancer. He was 68. The
tough-talking Downey, who often would blow smoke in the
faces of guests he disagreed with, had been suffering
from the disease since 1996, the same year he kicked his
50-year smoking habit and became an antitobacco activist
and posterboy for the American Lung Association. Before
hitting the airwaves, the younger Downey established a
reputation as an author, radio host, businessman and
singer-songwriter who composed such surf-rock tunes as
"Pipeline" and the abiquitous
"Wipeout."
We all
know it is an undeniable fact that death comes in threes.
In March, the troika was from the world of cartoons:
March 22: Animation pioneer and legend William
Hanna, who revolutionized television animation
along with his partner Joseph Barbera, creating hundreds
of enduring characters such as Yogi Bear, Huckleberry
Hound, the Flintstones, Scooby Doo, the Jetsons and
numerous others, died at his North Hollywood, CA home. He
was 90.
March 18: Fred Lasswell, 84, who drew the
"Snuffy Smith" comic strip for nearly 60 years,
died at his Tampa home of congestive heart failure. He
continued working until the end, leaving behind 49
"Barney Google and Snuffy Smith" strips in his
studio.
March 16: Norma MacMillan, who provided the
voice for cartoon characters such as Casper The Friendly
Ghost, Gumby, and Sweet Polly Purebred that delighted a
generation and sold everything from cars to food products
in a myriad of commercials, died of a heart attack. She
was 79.
And
here's the rest of this month's corpses, piled up in the
usual categories:
MUSIC
March 18: Songwriter John
Phillips, who as a member of the Mamas and the Papas
penned "California Dreamin" and other hits by
the 1960s pop group, died of
heart failure at the University of California, Los
Angeles Medical Center. He was 65. The Mamas and the
Papas' debut single, "California Dreamin'," was
released in 1966. "Monday, Monday" and a string
of other hits soon followed until the band broke up in
1968. Two decades later, the band was inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (His estate should get a rebate on
the liver transplant)
March
4: Glenn Hughes, 50, the
'leather-clad biker' of disco group the Village People,
died of lung cancer. Hughes was one of the original
founding members of the wildly popular ensemble in 1977,
and became known as the 'leatherman' with his trademark
black leather and chain outfits, thick handlebar
mustache, and deep voice. At his request, Hughes was
buried in his leatherman outfit.
March
19: Elena Del Rubio, a member of the
Del Rubio Triplets, a 1950s sister act that attracted a
camp following in the 1980s, died at her San Pedro, CA home
after a short battle with cancer. She was believed to be
in her 70s.
A
Flying V note: Sister Eadie also passed away of cancer on
December 16, 1996. Milly, the remaining sister, is
currently in good physical health, but is suffering a
great loss that not many will ever face in their
lifetime. The Del Rubio Triplets never separated since
the day they were born (only fifteen minutes apart). They
never married. They shared their entire lives working and
living together 24 hours a day. If you're looking for
some good karma, sending a card or a note might help
cheer up a very sad lady:
Milly
Del Rubio
2275 West 25th Street, Box 30
San Pedro, CA 90732
ACTORS
March 15: Ann Sothern, the veteran
actress best known for her deft portrayals of sassy and
resourceful blonds in television sitcoms of the 1950s and
1960s, died of heart failure at her home in Ketchum,
Idaho. She was 92.
March
8: Edward Winter, 63, a versatile
character actor probably best known for his recurring
role as "Colonel Flagg" on the hit television
series "MASH," died of Parkinson's Disease at
the Motion Picture & Television Hospital in Woodland
Hills, CA. His film credits included "A Change of
Seasons," "The Buddy System," "From
the Hip," and "Porky's 2."
SPORTS
Feb.
25: Sir Donald Bradman, the Australian
cricket star rated the greatest player in the history of
the sport died of pneumonia in Adelaide, South Australia.
He was 92. Bradman's astounding test scoring average of
99.94 was 40 to 50 runs higher than that of other
outstanding cricket players. At 91, he was named the
Australian sportsman of the century at a ceremony in
1999. (This
would be comparable to Babe Ruth just now passing away
here. Or course, no one in the U.S. give a rats ass about
cricket...G'day Donnie)
MISC
. . .
March
1: Henry M. Wade, the legendary
Texas prosecutor whose 36-year tenure as Dallas
County district attorney placed him in the national
spotlight during two historic moments--he was the Wade in
the landmark abortion ruling Roe vs. Wade and he
prosecuted Jack Ruby, died in Dallas of complications
from Parkinson's disease. He was 86. He was a
law-and-order icon in Texas who never lost a case he
prosecuted. He sought the death penalty 30 times and got
it 29 times. His office reported conviction rates greater
than 90%. Beleaguered defense attorneys banded together
in a 7 Percent Club, an acknowlegement of their
unimpressive record against the formidable Wade.
March 12: Suspense writer Robert
Ludlum, the prolific author of "The Scarlatti
Inheritance" and other complex spy thrillers that
routinely topped bestseller lists, died in Naples,
Florida after suffering a massive heart attack. He was 73
years old.
And
finally, news that made 7-Eleven flags everywhere fly at
half-staff:
March 20: Adolph "Al"
Levis, who invented Slim Jims, the dried meat
snack popular in both hikers' backpacks and the hands of
sports-viewing couch potatoes, died of an undisclosed
illness at a hospice in Boca Raton, FL, at the age of 89.
television, died in Los Angeles
after a long bout with lung cancer. He was 68. The
tough-talking Downey, who often would blow smoke in the
faces of guests he disagreed with, had been suffering
from the disease since 1996, the same year he kicked his
50-year smoking habit and became an antitobacco activist
and posterboy for the American Lung Association. Before
hitting the airwaves, the younger Downey established a
reputation as an author, radio host, businessman and
singer-songwriter who composed such surf-rock tunes as
"Pipeline" and the abiquitous
"Wipeout."
group, died of
heart failure at the University of California, Los
Angeles Medical Center. He was 65. The Mamas and the
Papas' debut single, "California Dreamin'," was
released in 1966. "Monday, Monday" and a string
of other hits soon followed until the band broke up in
1968. Two decades later, the band was inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (His estate should get a rebate on
the liver transplant)
March
4: Glenn Hughes, 50, the
'leather-clad biker' of disco group the Village People,
died of lung cancer. Hughes was one of the original
founding members of the wildly popular ensemble in 1977,
and became known as the 'leatherman' with his trademark
black leather and chain outfits, thick handlebar
mustache, and deep voice. At his request, Hughes was
buried in his leatherman outfit.
Pedro, CA home
after a short battle with cancer. She was believed to be
in her 70s.
March
8: Edward Winter, 63, a versatile
character actor probably best known for his recurring
role as "Colonel Flagg" on the hit television
series "MASH," died of Parkinson's Disease at
the Motion Picture & Television Hospital in Woodland
Hills, CA. His film credits included "A Change of
Seasons," "The Buddy System," "From
the Hip," and "Porky's 2." 
Feb.
25: Sir Donald Bradman, the Australian
cricket star rated the greatest player in the history of
the sport died of pneumonia in Adelaide, South Australia.
He was 92. Bradman's astounding test scoring average of
99.94 was 40 to 50 runs higher than that of other
outstanding cricket players. At 91, he was named the
Australian sportsman of the century at a ceremony in
1999. (This
would be comparable to Babe Ruth just now passing away
here. Or course, no one in the U.S. give a rats ass about
cricket...G'day Donnie)
tenure as Dallas
County district attorney placed him in the national
spotlight during two historic moments--he was the Wade in
the landmark abortion ruling Roe vs. Wade and he
prosecuted Jack Ruby, died in Dallas of complications
from Parkinson's disease. He was 86. He was a
law-and-order icon in Texas who never lost a case he
prosecuted. He sought the death penalty 30 times and got
it 29 times. His office reported conviction rates greater
than 90%. Beleaguered defense attorneys banded together
in a 7 Percent Club, an acknowlegement of their
unimpressive record against the formidable Wade.
