The Blog of Death

A Look Back

The Blog of Death published nearly 200 obits this year. Here's a quick look back at a few of our favorite entries from 2005:

* Harvey Miller, a decorated World War II airman who was dubbed "The Jinx of the 15th Air Force"

* H. David Dalquist, the inventor of the Bundt pan.

* Ossie Davis, a veteran actor, writer, director and civil rights activist

* Max Schmeling, a German boxing legend

* Arthur Miller, a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright

* Hunter S. Thompson, gonzo journalist

* Dick Weber, one of the first stars of bowling

* Samuel Alderson, the designer of the crash test dummy

* Uli Derickson, the TWA flight attendant who negotiated with hijackers to save the lives of her passengers

* Rev. Walter H. Halloran, the last surviving Jesuit participate of a famous exorcism

* Zdzislaw Beksinski, a Polish artist known for his dark and haunting images

* Chris LeDoux, a world champion bareback rider and country music star

* Clemente Dominguez, an insurance accountant who declared himself pope

* Johnnie Cochran, a flamboyant trial lawyer

* Marla Ruzicka, a peace activist

* Eddie Albert, an actor and environmentalist

* Thurl Ravenscroft, the voice behind Tony the Tiger

* George Mikan, a star center who led the Minneapolis Lakers to five NBA championships

* Mokobo Modjadji, the Rain Queen of the Balobedu people of South Africa

* Gen. Louis H. Wilson Jr., the 26th commandant of the Marine Corps

* James Doohan, an actor on "Star Trek"

* Gerry Thomas, the inventor of the TV dinner

* Peter Jennings, a TV journalist

* Rosa Parks, a civil rights pioneer

* Alfred Anderson, the last known surviving Allied veteran of WWI's "Christmas Truce"

Walter Haut

Army Lt. Walter Haut typed up one of the most famous press releases ever sent to the media. The dispatch claimed a flying saucer had landed in Roswell, N.M.

In 1947, Haut was a public relations officer at the now-defunct Roswell Army Air Field. On July 8 of that year, base commander Col. William "Butch" Blanchard dictated the contents of the official dispatch to Haut, and ordered him to release it. The press release, which was hand delivered by Haut to two local radio stations and two newspapers, said the 509th Bomb Group of the 8th Air Force had obtained the wreckage of a flying saucer from a local rancher.

The following day, The Roswell Daily Record published a story featuring the banner headline: "RAAF Captures Flying Saucer on Ranch in Roswell Region." A second statement from the Army released on July 9 disputed the original report, and said the alien aircraft was simply a high-altitude weather balloon.

Haut was never told exactly where the flying saucer was supposedly found, nor did he ever see the spacecraft, but the Chicago native still believed in its existence. Although he later worked in the insurance industry, Haut and two friends co-founded The International UFO Museum and Research Center in Roswell. Haut served as its president from 1991 to 1996, and was inducted into the New Mexico Department of Tourism Hall of Fame in 2002. He also received four air medals, a Distinguished Flying Cross and a Purple Heart for his service during World War II.

Haut died on Dec. 15 of natural causes at the age of 83. He is survived by two daughters, three grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and millions of UFO-enthusiasts.

[Update - July 3, 2007: Haut allegedly left behind a sworn affidavit about the Roswell event, to be opened after his death. Last week, the text of the document was released. In it Haut claims the weather balloon story was a coverup, and that the object recovered in 1947 was an alien spacecraft. Haut also claimed to have seen the bodies of two extraterrestrials.]

John Spencer

John Spencer, an Emmy Award-winning actor best known for playing the shrewd chief of staff on the hit NBC drama "The West Wing," died on Dec. 16 of a heart attack. He was 58.

Born John Speshock and raised in Paterson, N.J., Spencer moved to Manhattan when he was only 16 to attend the Professional Children's School, a private academy for youths pursuing artistic careers. In 1963, he landed a recurring role on "The Patty Duke Show" as Henry Anderson, the boyfriend of the English twin Cathy. Spencer attended Fairleigh Dickenson University in New Jersey and New York University, but dropped out of both schools in order to act.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Spencer performed in regional theatres and in off-Broadway shows. He acted in David Mamet's "Lakeboat," Tennessee Williams' "The Glass Menagerie" and opposite Gloria Swanson in "Butterflies Are Free." Spencer won an Obie Award in 1981 for his work in the off-Broadway production of "Still Life," and received a Drama Desk nomination for "The Day Room."

The actor made his feature film debut in 1980 in the film "War Games." Small roles in "Sea of Love" and "Black Rain" soon followed. Spencer's big break came in 1989 when he landed the part of Harrison Ford's detective sidekick in the courtroom thriller "Presumed Innocent." The role brought him to the attention of David E. Kelley, who invited Spencer to join the cast of the NBC legal drama "L.A. Law." When the show ended four years later, Spencer returned to the big screen in "Forget Paris," "The Rock," "Albino Alligator," "Cop Land" and "The Negotiator."

Spencer guest starred on "Miami Vice," "Spenser for Hire," "Law & Order," "Touched By An Angel" and "Lois & Clark," among other TV shows, then landed the role that would make him a star. In 1998, he was cast as Leo McGarry, a powerful politician and right-hand man to President Josiah "Jed" Bartlet (Martin Sheen), on the NBC political drama "The West Wing." Like his character, Spencer was known for being a loyal, kind-hearted person and recovering alcoholic. In a strange twist of fate, however, McGarry suffered a heart attack last season, one that forced him to give up his White House job. The character recovered and was picked as a running mate for Democratic presidential contender Matt Santos (Jimmy Smits).

Spencer received five Emmy nominations for his work on "The West Wing," and won the award in 2002. The critically-acclaimed series, currently in its seventh season of production, has not announced how it plans to handles his real life death. Off the set, Spencer was an avid reader, gardener and art collector. He also participated in the New York and L.A. AIDSWalk, which benefit local clinics and AIDS patients.

• Listen to an Interview With Spencer

Patricia Anne van Tighem

Patricia Anne van Tighem, the author of a best-selling book about a harrowing encounter with a grizzly bear, committed suicide on Dec. 14. She was 47.

A native of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, van Tighem trained as a nurse at Mount Royal College and the University of Victoria. She and her husband, medical student Trevor Janz, had been married for three years when they decided to take a vacation in the Canadian Rockies.

On a sunny autumn day in 1983, the couple was returning from a hike to Crypt Lake in Waterton Lakes National Park when they encountered a female grizzly and her cubs feeding on the carcass of a bighorn sheep. The adult bear attacked Trevor first, biting him in the leg and swiping at his face. Van Tighem tried to escape by climbing a tree, but the bear rammed into its trunk three times and knocked her to the ground, then mauled her.

Trevor suffered injuries to his leg as well as a crushed nose and jaw, but he eventually healed and became a physician. Patricia lost her left eye and her face was permanently disfigured.

In the 22 years since the incident, van Tighem suffered from chronic pain, nightmares and post-traumatic stress. She endured more than 30 reconstructive surgeries and years of debilitating depression that sent her on frequent trips to mental institutions. People stared at her injuries and treated her like she was mentally challenged. To combat her despondence, van Tighem wrote the book, "The Bear's Embrace," which was published in Canada, the U.S. and Europe, and nominated for several awards.

"In the time right after our attack I couldn't get the imagery out of my head. I used to write all the time and I was in the habit of it, so I started to write initially about the actual mauling and then branched out in other directions (like the hospital) in order to stop the visions cycling through my head," van Tighem once said.

Although the couple later separated, their story was featured on National Geographic and BBC television. Van Tighem also founded a branch of AboutFace, an organization that supports people with facial disfigurements. She is survived by their four children.

• Listen to an Interview with Van Tighem

• Read an Excerpt From "The Bear's Embrace"

Richard Pryor

Controversial. Authentic. Foul-mouthed. Manic. Pioneering. Genius. These are just some of the words that have been used to describe actor/comedian Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor III. But fans and colleagues always add one other adjective to the list: Funny.

"He doesn't fall into the [categories] of comedians we have, like prop comic, black comic, Jewish comic, white comic... he doesn't even get comic. He's just funny!" comedian and TV personality Jon Stewart said.

Born in Peoria, Ill., Pryor's childhood was far from innocent. Raised in his grandmother's brothel, he was sexually molested by a neighborhood teen and by a Catholic priest, and once saw his mother perform sexual acts on the town's mayor. To escape from these horrors, Pryor watched movies from the colored section of the local theatre and played the drums at an area nightclub.

Pryor was kicked out of school at 14, and worked a variety of odd jobs (janitor, shoe shine man, meatpacker and truck driver). He served two years in the U.S. Army then began working the club circuit as a standup comedian. By the mid-1960s, he was performing in Las Vegas and making appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show" and "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson. But Pryor wasn't happy with the media's constant comparisons to Bill Cosby, so he took a two-year hiatus and returned to the comedy circuit with an act that featured unique characters and cutting edge social commentary.

Pryor next turned his attentions to Hollywood. During the 1970s and 1980s, he acted in dozens of films -- such as "Lady Sings the Blues," "The Wiz," "Stir Crazy," "The Toy," "Superman III," "Brewster's Millions" and "See No Evil, Hear No Evil" -- and became one of Hollywood's highest paid stars.

In 1986, he co-wrote, co-produced, directed and starred in the film "Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling," an autobiographical account of a popular comedian re-examining his life from a hospital bed. The film was an appropriate project for Pryor, who battled drug and alcohol addictions for years and nearly lost his life in 1980 when he caught on fire while freebasing cocaine. The incident, later described to Barbara Walters as a suicide attempt, caused him to suffer third degree burns over 50 percent of his body.

On television, Pryor headlined "The Richard Pryor Show" on NBC, a program that was canceled after only five broadcasts because the censors were so offended by his material. He hosted "Saturday Night Live" and the 1977 Academy Awards show, and won an Emmy Award and a Writers Guild Award for writing "The Lily Tomlin Special." Pryor's first screenwriting attempt, "Blazing Saddles," which he co-wrote with Mel Brooks, brought him another Writers Guild of America Award. He released four comedy concert films, sold millions of comedy albums and co-wrote his 1995 autobiography "Pryor Convictions: And Other Life Sentences."

Pryor suffered two heart attacks, and in 1986 was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a degenerative disease of the nervous system. Nine years later, he received an Emmy nomination for guest starring as an MS patient on the CBS drama "Chicago Hope." Pryor was honored by The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 1998 with the first Mark Twain Prize for humor. In 2004, he was selected as #1 on Comedy Central's list of 100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time. His star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is located at 6438 Hollywood Blvd. Sheridan Road in his hometown of Peoria was renamed Richard Pryor Place in his honor.

Pryor married seven times to five different women and fathered seven children. A lifelong advocate of animal rights, he adopted stray animals, participated in letter-writing campaigns and was honored by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals for saving baby elephants in Botswana.

Pryor died on Dec. 10 of a heart attack. He was 65.

• Listen to a Tribute From NPR

Download MP3s by Richard Pryor

Darrell Russell

Darrell Russell, a former NFL defensive tackle, died on Dec. 15 in an auto accident. He was 29.

Born in Pensacola, Fla., and raised by his mother in San Diego, Russell attended the University of Southern California on a football scholarship. The 6-foot-5, 325-pound athlete was a 1996 finalist for the Lombardi Award, and became the No. 2 overall pick by Oakland in the 1997 draft. At the time, his seven-year, $22 million deal was the richest rookie contract ever signed in the NFL. Russell made 28 1/2 sacks in his five seasons with the Raiders and played in the 1998 and 1999 Pro Bowl games before drug abuse and legal problems derailed his promising career.

The NFL suspended Russell three times for violating the league's substance abuse policy. His first suspension, which he received for failing a drug test, caused him to miss the first four games of the 2001 season. He was suspended again in 2002 for testing positive for the drug Ecstasy. Shortly after his reinstatement to the league in 2003, however, the Raiders released him. Russell then played for the Washington Redskins and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but was suspended indefinitely in 2004 after testing positive for alcohol, a banned substance in his treatment program.

Drugs weren't Russell's only problem. In 2002, he was charged as an accomplice in the drugging and sexual assault of a woman. When the prosecutors could not prove that he videotaped the rape -- allegedly perpetrated by two of his friends -- the charges were dropped. That same year, Russell was arrested in Carson City, Nev., and charged with DUI after he was clocked going 60 mph in a 35 mph zone.

Early last Thursday, Russell was riding in a 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix driven by his former USC teammate Michael Paul Bastianelli on a Los Angeles city street. The car, which was traveling at a high rate of speed, went out of control and hit a curb, two trees, a newsstand, a fire hydrant, a light pole and an unoccupied bus before coming to a stop. Russell died from his injuries; Bastianelli, 29, was also killed in the accident.

• NFL Career Stats

Ed Masry

Edward Louis Masry, the personal injury lawyer featured in the Academy Award-winning movie "Erin Brockovich," died on Dec. 5 of complications from diabetes. He was 73.

Born in Patterson, N.J., Masry's family moved to Southern California when he was 12 years old. He joined the U.S. Army in 1952, served two years and was discharged as a corporal. Although Masry returned to California and attended the University of California Santa Barbara, University of California Los Angeles and University of Southern California, he never received his bachelor's degree. However, high test scores gained him entrance to Loyola Law School, where he earned his J.D. degree.

Masry opened his own law firm in 1961 and focused on criminal defense, business litigation, entertainment law and First Amendment cases. For the next four decades, the cantankerous, risk-taking attorney worked on countless lawsuits, but was best known for winning a $333 million settlement against Pacific Gas & Electric.

In the 1990s, Masry and his self-trained legal assistant Erin Brockovich spearheaded the class action lawsuit on behalf of more than 600 residents of Hinkley, Calif. They claimed PG&E knowingly allowed its tanks to leak poisons into the groundwater and put the town's residents at risk for serious health problems. At the time the case was settled, it was the largest toxic tort injury settlement in U.S. history.

Their efforts were depicted in the 2000 Steven Soderbergh movie "Erin Brockovich," which starred Julia Roberts in the title role and Albert Finney as Masry. Roberts won the best actress Oscar for her portrayal of the feisty mother/advocate; Finney received an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor. That same year, Masry was elected to the Thousand Oaks, Calif., City Council. He served for five years, including one as mayor pro tem, before retiring in Nov. 2005 to concentrate on his health and family.

Masry received numerous honors for his litigation career and environmental efforts, including the U.S. Congressional Award for Outstanding Trial Lawyer of the Year (1982, 1988 and 1990), the Academy of Justice Award from the Trial Lawyers for Public Justice and the Environmental Hero Award from the Environmental Defense Center for Commitment to Environmental Justice. He was also the president and CEO of Save the World Air, Inc., an organization that creates products designed to reduce harmful emissions from internal combustion engines.

Stan Berenstain

For more than 40 years, Stan Berenstain and his wife Jan entertained millions of children while teaching them how to read.

Stan and Jan were in their teens when they met in a drawing class at the Philadelphia Museum School of Industrial Art. A warm friendship and a mutual love of art soon developed into a blossoming romance, but World War II put their relationship on hold.

Stan attended engineering school at the University of Maine, then served in a field artillery unit and as a medical artist at an Army plastic surgery center. At the same time, Jan worked as a riveter in an aircraft factory and produced engineering drawings for military contractors. Once Stan's three-year tour of duty ended in 1946, the couple wed and began collaborating on cartoons and submitting them to magazines. Soon they were regular contributors to Collier's, Good Housekeeping, McCalls, The Saturday Review and The Saturday Evening Post.

An editor at a New York publishing house saw their cartoons and asked the Berenstains if they'd like to do a book. Inspired by the birth of their first son, the couple published the "Berenstains' Baby Book" (1951). It attained modest success and led to the publication of several family humor books.

The husband-and-wife team then pitched a book to Theodor Geisel (a.k.a. Dr. Seuss), the editor of Beginner Books. With Geisel's editorial guidance, Jan and Stan authored "The Great Honey Hunt" (1962), the first book in the Berenstain Bears series. Later stories, which featured the domestic adventures of Mama, Papa, Brother, Sister and Baby Bear as they did chores, visited the dentist, dealt with bullies, attended school and learned the value of sharing, captured the imaginations of generations of children. Stan and Jan Berenstain wrote and illustrated more than 250 books about the Berenstain Bears family, then expanded their literary empire to feature the Bear family in countless DVDs, a public television program and a Christmas musical.

The Berenstains sold nearly 300 million Berenstain Bear books and received numerous awards for their contributions to children's literature, including the Ludington Award and a Children's Choice Award. The couple's sons, writer Leo Berenstain and illustrator Michael Berenstain, now help in creating the series. The couple's life together was also chronicled in the 2002 memoir, "Down a Sunny Dirt Road."

Stanley Melvin Berenstain died on Nov. 26 of complications of cancer. He was 82.

• Watch a Video About Stan and Jan Berenstain

• Watch an Interview With the Berenstain Family

• Listen to a Tribute From NPR

Maggie Bailey

Maggie Bailey, the "Queen of the Mountain Bootleggers," died on Dec. 3 of complications from pneumonia. She was 101.

The Kentucky distiller and local legend began selling moonshine when she was just 17 years old. Wearing a uniform that said "National Distillery" on the breast pocket, Bailey continued working well into her 90s.

Bailey was so well regarded in Harlan County, Ky., that juries often refused to find her guilty of illegally selling alcoholic beverages. Law enforcement officers also admired the canny bootlegger; U.S. District Judge Karl Forester even described her as an expert on search and seizure laws.

"She was very adroit. She had a million different places to hide it. She had a labyrinth of buildings all around her dwelling," said Eugene Goss, an attorney who represented Bailey.

Bailey did serve two years at a federal reformatory for women in West Virginia from 1941 to 1943 for selling moonshine. The federal indictment against her said she had 150 half-gallons of illegal alcohol on hand when she was charged.

Bailey was a self-educated woman and a voracious newspaper reader. Despite her less-than-legal occupation, friends said she lived simply and often gave coal and food to poor families in the area.

• Listen to a Tribute From NPR

Pat Morita

Noriyuki "Pat" Morita, the veteran actor who ran the malt shop on "Happy Days" and taught Daniel-san how to defend himself against bullies in "The Karate Kid," died on Nov. 24. Cause of death was not released. He was 73.

The son of Japanese immigrants, Morita grew up in northern California and spent much of his childhood in a full body cast suffering from spinal tuberculosis. Although doctors told him he'd never walk, Morita proved them wrong and regained his mobility by the time he was 11. When the hospital released him, an FBI agent escorted Morita and his family to a Japanese-American internment camp, where they lived for several years during World War II.

Once released from captivity, Morita's family moved to Sacramento and ran a Chinese food restaurant. At 30, he decided to become a stand-up comedian. Within five years, Morita worked his way up from performing gigs at area nightclubs and bars to entertaining millions on Johnny Carson's "The Tonight Show." He performed in clubs all over the U.S. and was the first Japanese-American to headline a show in Las Vegas.

In the 1960s and '70s, Morita landed small roles on numerous television programs, including "The Odd Couple," "Green Acres" and "M*A*S*H," then joined the cast of "Happy Days" as Matsuo "Arnold' Takahashi. He would eventually appear in more than 100 films and TV shows, and provide the voice of the Emperor of China in the Disney animated features, "Mulan" and "Mulan II."

In 1984, Morita tackled his most famous role, that of handyman-turned-mentor Kesuke Miyagi in the film, "The Karate Kid." His efforts to teach a young boy (played by Ralph Macchio) the basics of karate with household chores spoke to a generation of children who mimicked the "crane kick" from the finale of the movie and signed up for martial arts classes.

"The Karate Kid" grossed $91 million at the box office and spawned three sequels, all of which starred Morita. For his work in the original movie, Morita earned an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor. He also received an Emmy nomination for the 1985 TV movie, "Amos." His star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is located at 6633 Hollywood Blvd.

• Listen to a Tribute From NPR

George Best

Irish soccer legend George Best died on Nov. 25 of multiple organ failure. He was 59.

Beloved by millions of fans, the mercurial footballer was widely regarded as one of the greatest soccer players ever to play the game. He was often compared to Pele of Brazil, Johan Cruyff of the Netherlands and Franz Beckenbauer of Germany, and described as agile, strong, intuitive and resilient.

Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Best attended Grosvenor High School and Lisnasharragh Intermediate School, but was more interested in playing soccer than hitting the books. He had just qualified to become a printer's apprentice when Manchester United scout Bob Bishop discovered him playing for the Cregagh Boys Club. Best was invited to a two-week trial with the Old Trafford Club, and ended up turning professional on his 17th birthday.

When Best made his debut with United in 1963, the press immediately noted his natural talent. Two years later, the outstanding goal scorer helped United win the First Division title. The team reached the semi-finals of the European Cup the following year and took the League title again in 1967. In 1968, United won the European Cup, European soccer's most coveted prize. Best was also named European Footballer of the Year and the Football Writers' Player of the Year.

Best scored 180 goals in his 465 appearances with United, including six in a single match, before falling out of favor with the coaching staff. Although he made several short-lived comebacks, Best was never able to recapture his former glory. He briefly played for 11 different teams, including three American organizations, then retired in 1983. Best later eked out a sporadic career as a television pundit and author.

Off the field, however, he stayed in the headlines for his less-than-stellar behavior. His playboy lifestyle, unsuccessful business ventures, bankruptcy and imprisonment for drunk driving all became fodder for the British tabloids. A lifelong alcoholic, Best also caused a controversy when he received a liver transplant in 2002. More susceptible to infection after the operation, he suffered from ill health in the final years of his life.

Best's funeral was held on Dec. 3 in Belfast. Tens of thousands of mourners lined the streets to bid farewell.

Wendie Jo Sperber

Wendie Jo Sperber, an actress and an advocate for cancer patients, died on Nov. 29 of breast cancer. She was 46.

The Los Angeles native was bitten by the acting bug when she was still in high school. Her big break came in the late 1970s when she earned her Screen Actor's Guild card for performing in "Grease."

Sperber followed that role with appearances in more than a dozen television shows, but was best known for acting opposite Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari on the 1980s sitcom, "Bosom Buddies." She also performed in several movies, including all three "Back to the Future" films.

In 1997, Sperber was diagnosed with breast cancer. Although she was devastated by the news, Sperber was even more surprised to learn there was no support system in place for cancer sufferers in her area. So, she decided to create one.

Sperber founded the weSPARK Cancer Support Center in Sherman Oaks, Calif., in 2001. The weSPARK center offers free information, emotional support and social activities for people and families affected by cancer. Sperber also sponsored the Celebrity Golf Classic, an annual star-studded event that raised funds for the center, and helped unveil a breast cancer stamp for the U.S. Postal Service.

For her efforts, Sperber received numerous honors, including the Woman of the Year award from the Los Angeles County Commission, The Namaste Spirit Award from the Namaste Interfaith Center and the Mordecai Kaplan Award for Distinguished Service by the University of Judaism. A single mother, she is survived by her 19-year-old son, Preston, and her 16-year-old daughter, Pearl.