obituary

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Actor Who Played Child's Play Doll 'Chucky' Dead at 61

Ed Gale was also known for playing Howard the Duck

(Newser) - Ed Gale, the actor and stuntman known for such roles as possessed doll Chucky in Child's Play and Howard the Duck, has died at age 61. Gale, born with dwarfism, "hitched a ride to California when he was twenty years old, with $41 and a dream, and he...

Last Grandson of Our 10th President Dies
Last Living Grandson of
Our 10th President Dies
OBITUARY
May 29, 2025 5:37 AM CDT

Last Living Grandson of Our 10th President Dies

Harrison Ruffin Tyler preserved grandfather's legacy and historic Virginia landmarks

(Newser) - Harrison Ruffin Tyler, the last living grandson of President John Tyler, has died at 96, closing an extraordinary family chapter that stretched from the White House of the 1840s into the modern day. His grandfather, the nation's 10th president, was born in 1790 and served from 1841 to...

Rick Derringer of "Hang on Sloopy" Fame Dies at 77
'Hang on Sloopy'
Hitmaker Dead at 77
obituary
May 28, 2025 4:01 AM CDT

'Hang on Sloopy' Hitmaker Dead at 77

Rick Derringer won a Grammy for producing Weird Al's debut album, had a lengthy and varied career

(Newser) - Guitarist and singer Rick Derringer, who shot to fame at 17 when his band the McCoys recorded "Hang On Sloopy," had a hit with "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo," and earned a Grammy Award for producing "Weird Al" Yankovic's debut album, has died. He...

Charles Rangel Dies at 94
Charles Rangel Dies at 94
OBITUARY
May 26, 2025 1:08 PM CDT

Charles Rangel Dies at 94

'Lion of Harlem' served in the House for almost 50 years

(Newser) - Former Rep. Charles Rangel, a Democrat who represented New York City districts in the House for almost 50 years, has died at age 94. Rangel, who would have turned 95 next month, was born in Harlem and dropped out of high school to enlist in the Army in 1948, the...

Duck Dynasty Patriarch Phil Robertson Dead at 79

Robertson had been in poor health recently

(Newser) - Phil Robertson, patriarch of the Duck Dynasty clan, died Sunday at age 79. Multiple family members announced the news in social media posts, People reports. Robertson had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and a blood disorder, and his family revealed in December that he was in pain and not...

Pro Boxer Dies of Cancer at 25
Pro Boxer Dies of Cancer at 25
OBITUARY
May 23, 2025 8:50 AM CDT

Pro Boxer Dies of Cancer at 25

Georgia O'Connor said doctors didn't take her seriously before diagnosis

(Newser) - Georgia O'Connor died undefeated. The British boxer, who died from cancer Thursday at age 25, was a champ at the junior level and won all three of her paid fights after turning pro in 2021, the BBC reports. Her last fight was in October 2022. In 2023, she said...

Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly Is Dead at 75

The Democrat was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in 2024

(Newser) - Less than a month after announcing that "the sun is setting on my time in public service," Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia has died of esophageal cancer, his family confirmed Wednesday. He was 75.
  • "It is with immense sadness that we share that our devoted and
...

George Wendt Dead at 76
George Wendt
Dead at 76
May 20, 2025 3:32 PM CDT

George Wendt Dead at 76

He won fame as Norm on 11 seasons of Cheers

(Newser) - The man who played one of the most beloved barflies in TV history has died. Relatives say George Wendt, who appeared as Norm Peterson on 11 seasons of Cheers (1982 to 1993), died peacefully at home early Tuesday. He was 76 years old. "George was a doting family man,...

He Built the First Fusion Bomb at Just 23
'The Only True Genius
I Have Ever Met'
OBITUARY
May 15, 2025 11:50 AM CDT

'The Only True Genius I Have Ever Met'

Physicist Richard Garwin, who played a critical role in the hydrogen bomb, has died at 97

(Newser) - Richard Garwin never saw a nuclear explosion in person, but his fingerprints are on one of the most pivotal blasts in history—and on inventions that quietly shaped everyday life. Garwin, one of the scientists behind America's first hydrogen bomb, died Tuesday at his home in Scarsdale, New...

The 'Poorest President' Was Famous for His Humility
World's 'Poorest President' Dies
OBITUARY
May 14, 2025 6:21 AM CDT

World's 'Poorest President' Dies

Uruguay's beloved ex-leader José Mujica was 89

(Newser) - José Mujica, the onetime guerrilla fighter who became the world's "poorest president," has died at 89, leaving behind a legacy of radical politics and a famously simple way of life. Mujica, who governed Uruguay from 2010 to 2015, was respected for his austere lifestyle and blunt...

Bonnie and Clyde Filmmaker Robert Benton Dead at 92

He won an Oscar for directing Kramer vs. Kramer

(Newser) - Robert Benton, the Oscar-winning filmmaker who co-wrote Bonnie and Clyde and later won acclaim for Kramer vs. Kramer, has died at age 92. He died of natural causes Sunday at his Manhattan home, his son John Benton said. A Texas native, Benton overcame severe childhood dyslexia to become one...

Wrestling Legend Dies Weeks Into Retirement
Wrestling Legend Dies
Weeks Into Retirement
OBITUARY
May 12, 2025 7:11 AM CDT

Wrestling Legend Dies Weeks Into Retirement

Sabu, aka Terry Brunk, dead at age 60

(Newser) - Professional wrestling legend Sabu, known to loved ones as Terry Brunk, has died at age 60. World Wrestling Entertainment made the announcement Sunday, just three weeks after Sabu performed in his retirement fight, defeating Joey Janela of Gamechanger Wrestling (GCW) in a no ropes, barbed wire match, per Fox News...

Singer Broke Ground in Country Music
Singer Broke Ground
in Country Music
obituary
May 10, 2025 4:20 PM CDT

Singer Broke Ground in Country Music

Johnny Rodriguez once had 15 straight songs in the Top 10

(Newser) - Johnny Rodriguez, one of the first singers of Mexican American descent to hit it big in country music, has died. He was 73 and died in hospice care, his daughter, Aubry, announced on social media, People reports. "Dad was not only a legendary musician whose artistry touched millions around...

Former SCOTUS Justice David Souter Dead at 85
Former SCOTUS Justice
David Souter Dead at 85
OBITUARY
May 9, 2025 8:39 AM CDT

Former SCOTUS Justice David Souter Dead at 85

New Hampshire Republican who became a liberal darling retired in '09, was replaced by Sotomayor

(Newser) - Retired Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter, the ascetic bachelor and New Hampshire Republican who became a darling of liberals during his nearly 20 years on the bench, has died. He was 85, reports the AP . Souter died Thursday at his home in New Hampshire, the Supreme Court said in...

Glengarry Glen Ross Director Dead at 71
Glengarry Glen Ross
Director Dead at 71
obituary
May 9, 2025 1:00 AM CDT

Glengarry Glen Ross Director Dead at 71

James Foley worked in film and TV—and on Madonna music videos

(Newser) - The director of such wide-ranging fare as Glengarry Glen Ross, the Fifty Shades sequels, a lot of Madonna's music videos, and a dozen episodes of House of Cards died this week at age 71. James Foley died "peacefully in his sleep" at his Los Angeles home after a...

The Wire 's 'Horseface' Dead at 84
The Wire's
'Horseface'
Dead at 84
OBITUARY
May 5, 2025 9:27 AM CDT

The Wire's 'Horseface' Dead at 84

Philadelphia-born Charley Scalies succumbs to complications from Alzheimer's

(Newser) - Charley Scalies, an actor who starred as Thomas "Horseface" Pakusa on the second season of The Wire, has passed away at age 84. Scalies died at a nursing facility in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, on Thursday following a long battle with Alzheimer's, his daughter confirmed to the Hollywood Reporter . He...

Laugh-In Comedian Ruth Buzzi Dies at 88
Laugh-In
Comedian
Ruth Buzzi
Dies at 88
obituary
May 2, 2025 10:49 AM CDT

Laugh-In Comedian Ruth Buzzi Dies at 88

She had been suffering from Alzheimer's

(Newser) - A beloved comedic actor from decades ago is gone: Ruth Buzzi died Monday at age 88, her family announced on social media. Buzzi, who had been in hospice care because of Alzheimer's disease, "died peacefully in her sleep at home in Texas," says the announcement. She had...

Children of the Aughts Grew Up With His Learning Tools

Mike Wood of LeapFrog fame died via physician-assisted suicide at 72

(Newser) - They may not know his name, but lots of children who grew up in the aughts honed their reading and phonics skills with his electronic toys. Mike Wood, who created the LeapFrog franchise, died last month at age 72, reports People . Wood had Alzheimer's, and his brother tells the...

She Starred in Dallas, Multiple Movies With Famous Daughter

Carrie actor Priscilla Pointer, mom of Amy Irving, is dead at 100

(Newser) - Priscilla Pointer, mom of actor Amy Irving and an actor in her own right in Carrie and the '80s TV series Dallas, has died, less than a year after reaching her milestone 100th birthday . Pointer's son, David Irving, says she passed away at an assisted living facility in...

RuPaul's Drag Race Star Jiggly Caliente Dies
RuPaul's Drag Race
Star Jiggly Caliente Dies
OBITUARY
Apr 28, 2025 12:18 PM CDT

RuPaul's Drag Race Star Jiggly Caliente Dies

She'd been hospitalized for a leg amputation, family says

(Newser) - Jiggly Caliente, the dynamic drag performer who brought her vibrant presence to RuPaul's Drag Race, has died at 44. Bianca Castro-Arabejo, better known by her stage name, died Sunday, days after she was hospitalized for a severe infection and leg amputation surgery, her family said, per the AP...

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