January obituaries
Sargent Shriver & Jack LaLanne are just two of the prominent figures we lost this month. See what other beloved individuals passed away in recent weeks.
The first month of the new year saw the loss of many beloved figures, including a famed director, a classic sitcom star and a football legend.
Jack LaLanne
1914-2011
Jack LaLanne, who was sometimes referred to as the spiritual father of the U.S. fitness movement, opened what may have been the nation's first health club in the 1930s. A fitness guru, nutritional expert and motivational speaker, LaLanne died Jan. 23 at age 96.
Career highlights
*His "Jack LaLanne Show" aired for more than 30 years
*Designed exercise machines
Alex Kirst
A longtime drummer for Iggy Pop's Trolls band, Kirst died Jan. 20 following a hit-and-run accident the previous week. His brother, a guitarist for Iggy Pop, said he had been out buying cigarettes.
Career highlights
*Rose to fame with a glam rock band
Mississippi Winn
At 113, Mississippi Winn was believed to be the oldest living African-American and the seventh oldest American.Winn was a cook and a caretaker
Highlight
*A day was named in her honor
Susannah York
1939-2011
British actress Susannah York was one of the leading film stars in the United States and England in the 1960s and 1970s and starred in a landmark 1960s film. Later in her career, she played the mother of a superhero in a classic film series. She died of cancer at age 72.
Career highlights
*Nominated for an Academy Award
*Wrote children's books
Trish Keenan
1969-2011
She was the lead singer of a British electronic pop duo. While the band never gained A-list success, it had at least one celebrity fan. Keenan died from complications of pneumonia at age 42. Some reports say she contracted a deadly virus.
Career highlights
*One song was included on a film soundtrack
*One song was used on a popular Showtime series
John Dye
1963-2011
He was best known as the angel of death in a long-running TV drama series about a celestial medium, but he also appeared in a mystery series. Dye was found dead in his San Francisco home at age 47.
Career highlights
*Supported finding a cure
*Starred alongside James Earl Jones in a 1989 movie
Christina Taylor Green
2001-2011
Nine-year-old Christina Taylor Green, whose life began on a day of tragedy, was among those killed in a deadly shooting at a public event in Tucson, Ariz. Green, who was designated to be a "Face of Hope" baby, had recently been elected to a special office.
Margaret Whiting
1924-2011
She was a popular cabaret singer who recorded more than 700 songs, including sentimental ballads like "Moonlight in Vermont". Whiting shocked people when she married a gay porn star in her later years. She was 86 when she died.
Career highlights
*Recorded a classic holiday duet
*Had a No.1 country song
David Nelson
1936-2011
He starred on a classic TV show with his parents and brother and later appeared in a show about love on a cruise ship. He died at 74 years old from complications of colon cancer.
Career highlights
*Directed TV episodes
*Honored on a famous sidewalk
Peter Yates
1929-2011
The British filmmaker directed a noted crime thriller credited with having one of the most influential car-chase sequences in movie history. His moviemaking career soared into the late 1990s. He died after a long illness at age 82.
Career highlights
*Directed a box office smash
*Won an Academy Award
Carlton Chester 'Cookie' Gilchrist
1935-2011
"Cookie" Gilchrist was an American Football League star player who historically helped lead his team to the championships in 1964. Gilchrist was also noted for standing up to racism in the league. He died of cancer at age 75.
Career Highlights
*Voted player of the year
*Broke AFL records
Dave Sisler
1931-2011
Former MLB pitcher Dave Sisler was the last surviving son of a Baseball Hall of Famer. He died from complications of prostate cancer at age 79.
Career highlights
*Rookie of the year
*Found success after baseball
John Roll
1947-2011
He was a federal judge for Arizona who became the target of death threats two years ago during a controversial case. A gunshot wound ended his life in a mass shooting in Tucson, Ariz. Roll was 63 years old.
Career highlights
*Battled organized crime
*Appointed to federal bench
Bill 'Tiger' Johnson
1926-2011
Bill "Tiger" Johnson played professional football before he joined another team as its head coach. He died after a long illness at age 84.
Career highlights
*Successor to a coaching legend
*Voted All-Pro
Tom Cavanagh
Former Harvard and NHL hockey player Tom Cavanagh held a franchise record. The 28-year-old, who reportedly suffered from an illness, died of apparent self-inflicted wounds.
Career highlights
*Broke a team record
*Broke a Harvard record
Ryne Duren
1929-2011
Ryne Duren, an All-Star relief pitcher, was known for his impressive fastball and his signature look.He helped his team reach the World Series twice. Duren was 81.
Career highlights
*Had a wild reputation
*Wrote two books
Aron Kincaid
1940-2011
He became a Hollywood legend as the voice of a ruthless villain on an animated superhero show and also voiced characters on other classic animated series. Kincaid died of heart-related complications at age 70.
Career highlights
*Appeared in 1960s beach movies
*Had a successful career as a model and artist
Gerry Rafferty
1947-2011
He was a Scottish singer and songwriter best known for a 1970s ditty about a sticky situation with his band Stealers Wheel. The song enjoyed a new lease on life when it was used prominently in a cult hit film. He died at age 63 after a long battle with drinking.
Career highlight
*His solo album produced one of his biggest hits
Richard 'Dick' Winters
1918-2011
Richard "Dick" Winters was the inspiration for a critically acclaimed HBO miniseries and has been called a World War II hero for his actions. He had battled Parkinson's disease and died at age 92.
Career highlights
*Beloved by the men he commanded
*Wrote a memoir
Pete Postlethwaite
1946-2011
He was an English film and TV actor who most recently appeared in a Boston-based crime thriller. He died from cancer at age 63.
Career highlights
*Called the "best actor in the world"
*Given a royal honor
Anne Francis
1930-2011
Anne Francis was a sweet-voiced American actress best known for her role in a science-fiction film classic and as a female private detective in a hit television series . She holds a historic distinction. She died at age 80 from complications of pancreatic cancer.
Career highlights
*Won a Golden Globe
*Had reoccurring roles on several classic TV shows
Tommy Crain
1951-2011
He was a guitarist for a 1970s and '80s Southern rock band best known for a Grammy-winning ditty that tells the tale of a boy challenged to a fiddle-playing battle.Crain was 59.
Career highlights
*Co-wrote another band hit
*Re-emerged in 2004 with a new band
Romulus Linney
1930-2011
He was an American playwright and professor and the father of an Oscar-nominated actress. Linney's most notable work appeared on Broadway. He lost his battle with lung cancer at age 80.
Career highlights
*Taught at Ivy League universities
*Wrote more than 30 plays
Don Kirshner
1934-2011
He was a legendary music impresario with a fitting moniker. Kirshner hosted a 1970s musical variety TV show and went on to promote some of the top musicians of his time. He died of heart failure at age 77.
Career highlight
*Co-founded a music publishing company
Robert 'Sargent' Shriver
1915-2011
Robert "Sargent" Shriver, the father of a former California first lady, was part of a prominent political family who started an array for programs to help the poor and disadvantaged. He was the first director of a volunteer program he helped to launch under the Kennedy administration and headed the War on Poverty for another president. He died at age 95.
Career highlight
*Integral to the founding of the Special Olympics.
Robert "Sargent" Shriver, the father of a former California first lady, was part of a prominent political family who started an array for programs to help the poor and disadvantaged. He was the first director of a volunteer program he helped to launch under the Kennedy administration and headed the War on Poverty for another president. He died at age 95.
Career highlight
*Integral to the founding of the Special Olympics.