People die every day. Some of them are famous, some important, many newsworthy. This thread is for announcements of deaths in the news, discussions of the legacy of those recently deceased people, and memorials of same.
Please observe the usual rules about posting ettiquette and note that this is in On-Topic Conversations.
To start with, the last of the original Von Trapp Singers has died, Maria Von Trapp, 99, in Vermont. (This is the daughter of Captain Von Trapp, not her stepmother who was also named Maria. In the musical, they called her Louisa.)
http://news.yahoo.com/maria-von-trapp-99-dies-vermont-005546425.html
2023 mod note:
In line with the general forum rules, 'gravedancing' is prohibited here. If you're celebrating someone's death, your post will get thumped. This rule applies regardless of what the person you're discussing has said or done.
This doesn't mean that you can't discuss their life or legacy, or express an opinion as to whether they escaped justice for their actions. But if that starts to become a longer conversation, there are other OTC threads that may be more appropriate.
Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:28:19 AM
Shawn Fernandez, Showbiz Pizza voice actor, died at age 63-64
.
Edited by Angeldeb82 on Aug 23rd 2025 at 9:07:47 AM
David Ketchum, actor of Get Smart, died almost two weeks ago at age 97
.
such a shame, all I remember him from was that one notable Law & Order episode, where he played judge. R.I.P.!!
Joachim Grubich, Polish concert organist, died over a week ago at age 90 (link is in Polish, though
).
Zuristyo Firmadata, Indonesian politician, succumbed to illness at age 52
.
Leticia Paul, law graduate, died of an allergic reaction during a CT scan at age 22
.
Veronica Echegui, Spanish Actress, 42 years
https://www.elmundo.es/cultura/cine/2025/08/25/68ac3b13fc6c8378088b457d.html
(in Spanish)
Rest in Peace
Pippo Baudo, Italian TV presenter, died over a week ago at age 89
.
Jozef Kowalczyk, Polish Roman Catholic prelate and diplomat, died three days shy of his 87th birthday, just five days ago
.
Donald M. McPherson, U.S. Navy fighter ace, died a week-and-a-half ago at age 103
.
Edited by Angeldeb82 on Aug 25th 2025 at 11:43:35 AM
For some context, Baudo was considered one of the "Three Musketeers" of Italian TV, three men who carried RAI through-out the Fifties and Sixties. His impact as a TV host cannot be fully put into words.
But beyond that, Baudo was host for a record number of San Remo Festivals. The duties of the hosts for the San Remo Festival, for those unaware, are to select the participating musicians, some of whom may be uber obscure. As such, it's not hyperbole to say Baudo discovered almost every single Italian megastar of music for decades until the Nineties and indirectly shaped Italian music.
He wasn't only a guy who discovered so many musical talents he could say "I've discovered them" and be saying the truth, he discovered a lot of talents that'd later break through in TV and radio, including future TV presenters and San Remo hosts. In other words, without Pippo Baudo, there are no Maneskin, for an Americocentric example. R.I.P.
Zdena Salovarová Škvorecká, Czech-Canadian Author, translator and co-founder of Sixty-Eight Publishers, which published books of banned Czech and Slovak authors during times of Normalization
, dies at the age of 91.
https://english.radio.cz/czech-author-and-publisher-zdena-salivarova-dies-91-8860804
Carole Curtis, the creator of Katmandu, one of the founders of the now-defunct furry publisher Shanda Fantasy Arts, and the wife of Mike Curtis, the current artist of Dick Tracy, died August 24 due to breast cancer
. Age of death unknown.
Edited by luisedgarf on Aug 25th 2025 at 11:12:09 AM
Spanish composer and singer, Manuel de la Calva, known for his work on the band "El Duo Dinámico" and composer of more than 500 songs of the Spanish Songbook, died at 88.
https://www.elmundo.es/cultura/musica/2025/08/26/68ada200e4d4d875518b45b9.html
Descanse en paz.
Gilbert Mendonca, Indian politician, died over a week ago at age 72
.
David Crook, Mission District artist and astrologer, died over three weeks ago at age 69
.
Herwig Schopper, German experimental physicist, died over a week ago at age 101
.
Celine Ratsiraka, Malagasy politician and political figure, and President Didier Ratsiraka's widow, died five days ago at age 87 (link is in French, though
).
Eusebio Poncela, renowned Spanish actor who performed in cinema, theatre and television, passed away at the age of 79. Link (Spanish)
My condolences to his family and friends.
EDIT: Forgot the surname.
Edited by MyFinalEdits on Aug 27th 2025 at 7:29:47 AM
135 -> 180 -> 273 -> 191 -> 188 -> 230 -> 300 -> 311Nisse Karlen, frontman of seminal Swedish black metal outfit Sacramentum, has taken his own life at age 50.
Awful, man. Not a great month for metal.
Howard Augustine "Humpy" Wheeler, motorsports executive and businessman, died over a week ago at age 86
.
Jan Erik Berntsen, Norwegian actor and singer, died last week at age 80 (link is in Norwegian, though
).
Wolfgang Kuhlmann, German philosopher, died over a week ago at age 85 (link is in German, though
).
Ron Turcotte, Canadian horse jockey, died almost a week ago at age 84
.
Artur Zheji, Albanian journalist, publicist and TV host, died almost a week short of his 64th birthday (which is tomorrow) five days ago
.
Takaya Hashi, Japanese voice actor of Fist of the North Star, died of a heart attack at age 72
.
Rainer Weiss, German-American physicist, 92:
https://news.mit.edu/2025/professor-emeritus-rainer-weiss-dies-0826

James Dobson, psychologist, author and leader of Evangelical group Focus on the Family, 89
*bites tongue reluctantly*