The Blog of Death

Bob Denver

Robert Denver, the star of the classic TV show "Gilligan's Island," died on Sept. 2 of complications related to cancer treatment. He was 70.

A native of New Rochelle, N.Y., Denver studied law and political science at Loyola University. He taught private school in Pacific Palisades, Calif., and worked as a mailman for the U.S. Postal Service, but dreamed of becoming an actor.

Denver trained with the Del Ray Players in Los Angeles and made his first theatrical appearance in the play "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial." He acted in the Jimmy Stewart/Sandra Dee vehicle, "A Private's Affair," then landed the role of Maynard G. Krebs, the bearded beatnik best friend of the lead character in the TV show, "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis."

Denver attained celebrity status in 1964 when he was tapped to lead an ensemble cast in "Gilligan's Island," a situational comedy about seven people shipwrecked on an uncharted tropical island. As the bumbling first mate of the S.S. Minnow, Denver served as the straight man to Alan Hale Jr., who played the ship's skipper, Jonas Grumby. The pair's slapstick interactions frequently drew comparisons to Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble, and Laurel and Hardy.

Although "Gilligan's Island" was critically panned and canceled by CBS after its third season, the show's 98 episodes have been broadcast in nearly continuous reruns for the past 40 years. "Gilligan's Island" also spawned two animated series, with Denver providing his character's voice, and three made-for-TV movies.

Denver also appeared in the TV shows "The Good Guys," "Dusty's Trail" and "Far Out Space Nuts," but never quite managed to separate himself from his Gilligan persona. In later years, he starred in the Broadway production of "Play It Again, Sam," published an autobiography and co-hosted a syndicated radio show with his third wife, Dreama Perry. Denver's first two marriages ended in divorce. He also fathered four children.

"Bob was my greatest teacher, my everything. The tapestry of the life we created together will fill my heart forever. Everything good in my life is a result of living with this intelligent, gentle man. I am so proud to have been his wife," Dreama said, in a statement published on the Web.

• Listen to a Tribute From NPR

William H. Rehnquist

William Hubbs Rehnquist, the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, died on Sept. 3. Cause of death was not released. He was 80.

Born in Milwaukee, Rehnquist attended Kenyon College in Ohio until 1942 when he was drafted. He served in the Army Air Corps as a weather observer in North Africa during World War II, then used the GI Bill to earn both a bachelor's and a master's degree in political science from Stanford University.

Rehnquist received another master's in government at Harvard University before returning to Stanford for his law degree. He graduated first in his class in 1952. One of his classmates was Sandra Day O'Connor, a jurist who would eventually become his colleague on the Supreme Court.

After clerking for Justice Robert Jackson and Justice Felix Frankfurter, Rehnquist moved to Phoenix, where he worked for a local law firm and became a Republican party official. The political connections he made in Arizona helped him land a coveted job as an assistant attorney general for the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel. In this position, he screened candidates for potential Supreme Court slots. When Justice John Marshall Harlan decided to retire in 1971, Rehnquist's boss Attorney General John Mitchell put forth his name for the job. Rehnquist was confirmed a few months later and joined the Court on Jan. 7, 1972.

Rehnquist spent three decades on the bench and 19 years presiding over the highest court in the land. Elevated to the chief justice position in 1986 by President Ronald Reagan, Rehnquist was known for his conservative ideology, for strongly supporting states' rights and for narrowly interpreting the U.S. Constitution. He affirmed use of the death penalty and was one of only two dissenters in the landmark Roe v. Wade case, which established a woman's right to have an abortion. The second-oldest man to preside over the Supreme Court, Rehnquist was also the second chief justice in U.S. history to preside over a presidential impeachment -- that of President Bill Clinton, who was acquitted.

Outside of the courtroom, Rehnquist painted, sang, collected stamps and enjoyed playing the occasional game of poker. He married Natalie "Nan" Cornell in 1953 and fathered three children; Nan died in 1991 of ovarian cancer. Rehnquist also published several books about the law, including "The Supreme Court" and "Grand Inquests: The Historic Impeachments of Justice Samuel Chase and President Andrew Johnson."

Despite suffering from thyroid cancer in recent years, Rehnquist refused to stop working. According to CNN, he was "in his office until a few weeks ago…and continued to work until the very end." President George W. Bush has nominated Judge John G. Roberts Jr. as Rehnquist's successor.

• Read Recent Rehnquist Decisions

• Listen to Tributes From NPR

• Complete Coverage From The Washington Post

• Complete Coverage From The New York Times

Henny van Andel-Schipper

Hendrikje van Andel-Schipper, the world's oldest person, died in her sleep on Aug. 30. She was 115.

Born prematurely in 1890, Van Andel-Schipper's mother once declared: "This child is not meant to live." Henny not only lived, she thrived into her supercentenarian years. She didn't attend school but learned to read and write at home.

Van Andel-Schipper grew up in Smilde, Netherlands. She lived with her parents for 47 years and taught needlework. Then in 1939, at the age of 49, she married Dick van Andel, a tax inspector. The couple moved to Hoogeveen, where she sold her jewelry to pay for food during the German occupation. Her husband died of cancer in 1959. They had no children.

Van Andel-Schipper underwent a mastectomy in 1995 after being diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 100. She moved to the Westerkim retirement home when she was 106, but remained fairly healthy in her later years. One of the highlights of her life was meeting Queen Beatrix for tea in 2001.

The Guinness Book of World Records declared Van Andel-Schipper to be the world's oldest person in May 2004. When asked for the secret of longevity, she said she ate right and never smoked or drank too much alcohol. Van Andel-Schipper also suggested people eat pickled herring, drink orange juice and "keep breathing."

"She was very clear mentally right up to the end, but the physical ailments were increasing. She said, 'It's been nice, but the man upstairs says it's time to go,'" Johan Beijering, the director of the nursing home where she lived, said.

Van Andel-Schipper donated her body to science. The oldest authenticated person is now Elizabeth Bolden, 115, of Memphis, Tenn.

Philip J. Klass

Although Philip J. Klass was a respected, technical journalist for Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine, he was best known for his research into the study of little green men and their flying aircraft.

Klass began investigating UFOs in 1966 after participating in a panel discussion on the subject for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. He spent the next four decades debunking tales of UFO sightings and alien visits, and published numerous articles and several books on the subject, including The Skeptics UFO Newsletter.

A founding member of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal -- with Carl Sagan, Isaac Asimov, Paul Kurtz, Ray Hyman, James Randi, Martin Gardner and Sidney Hook -- Klass consistently converted UFOs (unidentified flying objects) into IFOs (identified flying objects) such as celestial bodies, research balloons and secret military aircraft.

He researched dozens of extraterrestrial kidnapping cases, including the 1975 Travis Walton "UFO Abduction" case, which he concluded was a hoax. Klass also investigated the MJ-12 Papers -- documents that claimed President Harry S. Truman had created a top secret group to cover up a 1947 saucer crash. His investigation showed the papers were counterfeit.

To further cement his reputation as the "Sherlock Holmes of UFOs," Klass offered $10,000 to anyone whose UFO or alien abduction claims could be verified by the FBI. The reward was never claimed.

The Iowa native earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering at Iowa State University and went to work as an electrical engineer for General Electric in Schenectady, N.Y. He began writing for Aviation Week & Space Technology in 1952 and eventually became the publication's senior avionics editor.

Klass received numerous awards for his dedication to science and publishing, including five honors from the Aviation/Space Writers Association, the Lauren D. Lyman Award and the Boeing Decade of Excellence Award for lifetime achievement. In 1999, the International Astronomical Union named an asteroid in his honor.

Klass died on Aug. 9 of prostate cancer. He was 85.

Victims of Hurricane Katrina

To the thousands of people in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama who were killed, injured or displaced by Hurricane Katrina, please know that you are in our thoughts.

For those readers interested in helping the storm's survivors, consider donating time/money to:

* The American Red Cross Hurricane Relief Fund (via Amazon.com) -- The Red Cross is using donations to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to those in need.

* The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals -- A donation to the ASPCA Disaster Relief Fund will help animal shelters in the affected areas rebuild facilities and assist in their disaster recovery efforts.