2008 in passing: Some notable people who died this past year
Published Saturday January 3rd, 2009
JANUARY:
Milt Dunnell, 102. Toronto Star legend and Hall of Fame journalist known for his deft turn of phrase and encyclopedic breadth of experience.
Pam Barrett, 54. The feisty New Democrat who spent 10 years in the Alberta legislature.
Allan McEachern, 81. B.C.'s top judge, chancellor of the University of B.C. and president and commissioner of the Canadian Football League.
Dusty Cohl, 78. credited with taking the Toronto International Film Festival to an international level.
Robert Weaver, 87. Anthologist, broadcaster and literary editor who helped boost the careers of many writers.
Robert Lemieux, 66. Quebec lawyer who represented numerous members of the Front de liberation du Quebec following the 1970 October Crisis.
Erich Kaestner, 107. Believed to be Germany's last First World War veteran.
Dr. Pramod Karan Sethi, 80. Inventor of low-cost artificial foot that helped millions in developing nations.
Philip Agee, 72. Renegade CIA agent whose naming of operatives led to law against exposing spies.
Sir Edmund Hillary, 88. Conquered Mount Everest; one of the 20th century's greatest adventurers.
Mike Swetnam, 37, Moncton firefighter.
Rose Horsman, 75. An education advocate who served as a school trustee for 18 years.
Richard Knerr, 82. Co-founded Wham-O toy company that popularized Hula Hoop, Frisbee.
Dr. Judah Folkman, 74. Researcher who worked to cut off cancer from its blood supply, giving hope for a cure.
Bobby Fischer, 64. Reclusive chess genius who dethroned Soviet champion in 1972.
Suzanne Pleshette, 70. Beautiful, husky-voiced actress; sardonic wife on "The Bob Newhart Show."
Kenneth Eugene Parnell, 76. Notorious California child molester; held young Steven Stayner for years.
Heath Ledger, 28. Actor nominated for Oscar for "Brokeback Mountain"; the Joker in "The Dark Knight."
George Habash, 81. His PLO faction gained notoriety for 1970 hijackings of four western airliners.
Suharto, 86. Indonesian president, a Cold War U.S. ally whose brutal regime killed hundreds of thousands.
Gordon B. Hinckley, 97. Led Mormon church during major period of expansion.
FEBRUARY:
Barry Morse, 89. actor-director best known as the police detective in constant pursuit of Dr. Richard Kimble in the TV series ``The Fugitive,''.
Willie P. Bennett, 56. Canadian folk music legend who won a Juno in 1999 for his album ``Heartstrings''.
Janis Spence, 61. playwright, director and performer who played a vital part in the development of Newfoundland theatre.
Elizabeth Mawson, 81. who became synonymous with the role of Marilla Cuthbert in the long-running Prince Edward Island stage production of ``Anne of Green Gables,''.
Earl L. Butz, 98. U.S. agriculture secretary; forced out in 1976 over racist joke.
Harry Richard Landis, 108. One of two surviving U.S. veterans of the First World War.
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, around 91. Beatles' guru; introduced transcendental meditation to West.
Roy Scheider, 75. Two-time Oscar nominee ("The French Connection," "All That Jazz"); police chief in "Jaws."
Representative Tom Lantos, 80. 14-term California congressman; forceful voice for human rights.
Imad Mughniyeh, 45. One of world's most wanted terrorists; suspected in 1980s attacks on Americans in Lebanon.
Evan Mecham, 83. Firebrand Arizona governor; removed in 1988 impeachment trial.
Douglas A. Fraser, 91. Led United Auto Workers through difficult times.
William F. Buckley Jr., 82. Erudite author, editor; helped revive conservative movement.
MARCH:
Jeff Healey, 41. Rock, blues and jazz musician who won a Juno in 1990 for entertainer of the year.
Donald C. MacDonald, 94. Longtime leader of the CCF and the New Democratic Party in Ontario.
Simon Reisman, 88. Canada's chief free-trade negotiator during talks with the United States in the late 1980s.
Geoffrey Pearson, 80. Canadian ambassador to the Soviet Union and envoy to the United Nations who inherited his father Prime Minister Lester Pearson's fascination with international affairs and dedication to peace.
Haydn Llewellyn Davies, 86. Welsh-born Canadian artist whose large wood and steel sculptures stand outside public buildings in several Canadian cities.
George Gross, 85. founding sports editor of the Toronto Sun and considered by many a legend in the sports journalism field.
Gary Gygax, 69. Co-created "Dungeons & Dragons"; father of role-playing games.
Joseph Weizenbaum, 85. Computer programmer; helped advance artificial intelligence.
Former senator Howard Metzenbaum, 90. Liberal Ohio Democrat who challenged big business.
Anthony Minghella, 54. Oscar-winning director, turned literary works ("The English Patient") into acclaimed movies.
Paul Scofield, 86. British actor; won Oscar for "A Man for All Seasons."
Arthur C. Clarke, 90. Visionary science-fiction writer ("2001: A Space Odyssey").
Michael Cripton, 74. Esteemed orthodontist, long time rotarian and former Moncton city councillor.
Norman Crossman, 74. Former 'Mayor of Lewisville' and Moncton Ward 1 councillor was the longest serving politician in Canada. March 27.
Bill Dickinson, 82. 14-term Alabama congressman; championed strong defence.
Robert F. Goheen, 88. He led Princeton University in time of rapid change.
Richard Widmark, 93. Hollywood leading man; made sensational debut as a giggling killer ("Kiss of Death").
APRIL:
Beryl Plumptre, 99. Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau's anti-inflation watchdog.
Erica Rutherford, 85. Artist, actor, filmmaker, farmer, teacher, writer, whose work is in the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Arts Council of Great Britain.
Henry Brant, 94. Montreal-born composer who developed the concept of spatial music.
Ed Chynoweth, 66. President of the Western Hockey League from 1972-1995.
Charlton Heston, 84. Oscar winner ("Ben-Hur"); later headed National Rifle Association.
Sgt. Merlin German, 22. Marine severely injured in Iraq; became symbol of resilience.
John A. Wheeler, 96. Physicist; coined "black holes."
Edward Lorenz, 90. Father of chaos theory, "butterfly effect" concept.
Don McLure, 85. Long time leader in the Metro Moncton aviation industry.
Albert Hofmann, 102. Discoverer of LSD, which inspired -- and arguably corrupted -- millions in 1960s.
MAY:
Irvine Robbins, 90. Canadian-born visionary who helped bring rocky road, pralines and cream and other exotic ice-cream concoctions to almost every corner of Canada and the United States.
Eddy Arnold, 89. Country music superstar known for a sound that crossed between pop and country, with hits such as ``Make the World Go Away,''.
Arthur Kroeger, 75. Known as the ``dean of deputy ministers'' whose career spanned six prime ministers and included the reformation of the Crow's Nest Pass freight rate that allowed Canada's railways to survive.
Jack Duffy, 81. Actor and singer best known for playing charades on the popular 1970s TV comedy show Party Game.
Howard Dill 73. Of Windsor, N.S., whose prize-winning giant pumpkins impressed many, including domestic maven Martha Stewart.
John Rutsey, 55. Original drummer and co-founding member of the seminal rock band Rush.
Deborah Jeane Palfrey, 52. "D.C. Madam" convicted of running elite prostitution ring.
Mildred Loving, 68. Black woman whose challenge to Virginia's interracial marriage ban led to landmark ruling.
Terry Ryan, Community activist who rallied local residents to preserve the Pointe-du-Chene shoreline.
Robert Rauschenberg, 82. His use of odd and everyday articles made him an art world giant.
Robert Mondavi, 94. Vintner who helped Napa Valley become a wine-lovers' mecca.
Huntington Hartford, 97. A&P grocery heir; burned through most of $100-million fortune.
Hamilton Jordan, 63. Political strategist; helped Jimmy Carter win presidency.
Dick Martin, 86. Zany co-host of "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In," which took television by storm in 1960s.
J.R. Simplot, 99. Idaho's billionaire potato king.
Sydney Pollack, 73. Oscar-winning director, a Hollywood mainstay ("Tootsie," "Out of Africa").
Jean-Louis Cormier (Rudy Kay), 65. One of four wrestling brothers from Memramcook who thrilled Maritime wrestling audiences in the 1960 and 70s.
Luc Bourdon, 21, Former Moncton Wildcat and promising NHLer. Helped the Wildcats win the Presidents Cup.
Harvey Korman, 81. Emmy winner for "The Carol Burnett Show"; conniving politician in "Blazing Saddles."
JUNE:
Dr. Sheela Basrur, 51. A trusted source of information through the 2003 SARS crisis as the medical officer of health for the city of Toronto.
Tim Russert, 58. Host of "Meet the Press" whose personality and passion made him beloved in Washington.
Alf Coward, Nova Scotia-born musician whose TV show was the first CBC variety show aired in the Maritimes.
James Reaney, 81. Governor General's Award-winning poet, author and dramatist of three famous plays about Ontario's Donnelly family.
Bill Vince, 44. Movie producer nominated for an Academy Award in 2007 for ``Capote,''.
Ray Getliffe, 94. Hockey player with the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens who was credited with dubbing Maurice Richard ``The Rocket,''.
Red Shea, 70. Whose accomplished guitar playing supported Gordon Lightfoot, Ian Tyson and Tommy Hunter.
George Finstad. Who as weekend anchor of CBC's ``The National News'' in the 1970s, told Canadians about the murder of Quebec Labour Minister Pierre Laporte.
Yves Saint Laurent, 71. One of most influential fashion designers of the 20th century.
Bo Diddley, 79. Founding father of rock 'n' roll, known for "shave and a haircut, two bits" rhythm.
Jim McKay, 86. "Wide World of Sports" host; told Americans about killings at 1972 Olympics.
Brenda LeBlanc, 64. Dieppe city councillor for 13 years.
Cyd Charisse, 86. Dancer turned actress; starred in musicals with Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly.
George Carlin, 71. The dean of counterculture comedians who taught us "Seven Words You Can Never Say On TV."
JULY:
Oliver Schroer, 52. Canadian fiddle player and composer who successfully combined folk music traditions with elaborate classical arrangements.
Bob Ackles, 69. B.C. Lions' long-serving president and chief executive officer and member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.
John Templeton, 95. Mutual-fund pioneer, investor and philanthropist who used Canada as a springboard to great wealth.
Helen Gardiner, 70. Philanthropist and fundraiser who turned the Gardiner Museum in Toronto into a priceless gem.
James Fenwick Lansdowne, 71. Renowned wildlife artist whose works have been exhibited around the world.
Clay Felker, 82. Revolutionized city magazines as New York's founding editor.
Larry Harmon, 83. He turned Bozo the Clown into a show business staple.
Former senator Jesse Helms, 86. A champion of conservatism who spent three decades in Congress.
Jerry Doiron Sr. 88. A New Brunswick boxing legend who dedicated his life to the sport and along the way his Moncton family developed into a boxing empire.
Dr. Michael E. DeBakey, 99. Heart surgeon who pioneered now-common procedures such as bypass surgery.
Tony Snow, 53. White House press secretary who cheerfully sparred with reporters.
Estelle Getty, 84. Actress; the sarcastic Sophia on "The Golden Girls."
Joseph Landry, 91. Retired senator and highly respected businessman.
Randy Pausch, 47. His "last lecture" about facing death became Internet sensation, bestselling book.
Lloyd Melanson, 69. Former Moncton police constable, manager of the AHL New Brunswick Hawks, founder of Lloyds of Moncton.
Bruce E. Ivins, 62. Army scientist named as top suspect in 2001 anthrax attacks.
Anne Armstrong, 80. Advanced women's role in Republican Party, was ambassador to Britain.
AUGUST:
K.M. Graham, 94. Celebrated painter of landscapes who took up painting at age 50 after her husband's death.
Michel Vastel, 68. Prominent Quebec journalist, author and political commentator.
Wilf Creighton, 104. Survivor of the Halifax explosion of 1917.
Geoffrey Ballard, 76. Founder of Ballard Power Systems Inc. and called the father of the fuel cell industry for his work, including the introduction of the world's first hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered, zero-emission transit bus.
Alexander Solzhenitsyn, 89. Nobel-winning Russian author who chronicled Stalin's slave labour camps.
Mahmoud Darwish, 67. Palestinian poet who eloquently told of his people's experiences.
Bill Gwatney, 48. Arkansas Democratic chairman.
Jerry Wexler, 91. Record producer; coined "rhythm and blues," worked with Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles.
Bernie Mac, 50. One of "Original Kings of Comedy" who connected with audiences across a wide spectrum ("Ocean's Eleven").
Isaac Hayes, 65. Soul crooner who laid groundwork for disco; won Oscar, Grammy for "Theme From Shaft."
Gene Upshaw, 63. Football star; leader of NFL players union.
SEPTEMBER:
Thomas Bata, 93. Descendent of generations of eastern European cobblers and builder of the Bata shoe empire.
Erik Nielsen, 84. The Yukon's longest-serving member of Parliament (1957-1987) who also served as deputy prime minister under Prime Minister Brian Mulroney.
Allan Lawrence, 82. Who won 10 successive provincial and federal elections for the Progressive Conservative Party from the late 1950s to the late 1980s and served as solicitor general in Ottawa.
Richard Monette, 64. Actor and the longest-serving artistic director of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival.
Marion Dewar, 80. Former Ottawa mayor and MP remembered for her program to help Vietnamese boat people find new lives in Canada.
Ron Lancaster, 69. Canadian Football League legend as a standout quarterback, head coach, administrator and television commentator.
Kay Armstrong, 87. Vancouver teacher and choreographer whose 1951 ballet ``Etude'' was the first Canadian choreography to enter the repertoire of the National Ballet.
Gordon Dunphy, 74. New Brunswick artisan whose wood-turned vessels are held in collections in Canada and abroad.
Etienne Robinson, 63. Aboriginal leader in Manitoba who played instrumental roles in defeating the white paper of 1969, which proposed the abolition of the Indian Act and the rejection of land claims.
Ralph Sazio, 86. Who won three Grey Cups as a coach with the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
David Haber, 81. Artistic director of the National Ballet of Canada in the mid-1970s.
Earle Hushagen, 81. Five-time national curling champion.
Bennett Campbell, 65. Premier of P.E.I. from 1978-79.
Dale Auger, 50. Cree painter, filmmaker, author and educator from northern Alberta who became one of Canada's most successful aboriginal artists.
Robert Giroux, 94. Giant of publishing; guided dozens of writers at Farrar, Straus & Giroux.
W.D. Mohammed, 74. Succeeded his father as Nation of Islam leader.
David Foster Wallace, 46. Author famed for complex, darkly witty works ("Infinite Jest").
Norman Whitfield, 67. Motown songwriter, producer ("I Heard It Through the Grapevine").
Paul Newman, 83. Oscar-winning actor/philanthropist who never lost the heartthrob cool of his anti-hero performances.
OCTOBER:
Constance Rooke, 65. Champion of Canadian writing, an editor, a writer, a scholar and a beloved teacher.
Frank Kerr, 52. Lead singer of Hamilton punk band Teenage Head.
Charley Fox, 88. Second World War Spitfire pilot who was credited with injuring German commander Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, the Desert Fox, during a July 1944 strafing run over France.
Ben Weider, 85. Businessman, philanthropist and scholar best known for founding the International Federation of BodyBuilders with his brother Joe.
Mr. Blackwell, 86. Designer whose worst-dressed list skewered fashion felonies.
Blair MacLean, 62. One half of MacLean and MacLean, the foul-mouthed comedy act he formed with his younger brother Gary.
Charles Dubin, 87. Chief justice of Ontario, head of an inquiry into drug use in amateur sport.
Joerg Haider, 58. Made his rightist party into powerful force in Austria.
Levi Stubbs, 72. Dynamic Four Tops frontman ("Baby I Need Your Loving").
George Keller, 84. Oversaw 1984 formation of energy giant Chevron.
Studs Terkel, 96. Broadcaster, Pulitzer-winning author; celebrated the common people.
NOVEMBER:
Kenny MacLean, 52. Bassist for the 1980s band Platinum Blonde.
Ray Perrault, 82. Former Liberal MP, senator, leader of the B.C. Liberal party.
Jim Ridley, 64. Baseball scout, manager of Canada's 1988 Olympic baseball team.
Tom Burgess, 82. Canadian baseball hall of famer whose brief major league career was followed by long service as a coach and manager.
Armand (Bep) Guidolin, 82. The youngest man ever to skate in the NHL when he joined the Boston Bruins in 1942.
Yma Sumac, 86. Peruvian soprano whose stunning range wowed audiences in 1950s.
Madelyn Payne Dunham, 86. Barack Obama's grandmother, who helped raise him.
Steve Fossett, 63. Millionaire adventurer who vanished during 2007 flight.
Michael Crichton, 66. Author whose books became blockbuster films ("Jurassic Park").
John Leonard, 69. Literary critic; championed future Nobel winners Toni Morrison, Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
Miriam Makeba, 76. South African singer who wooed the world with her sultry voice.
Cecil Underwood, 86. Elected West Virginia governor in 1956 -- and again in 1996.
William Gibson, 94. Playwright; dramatized Helen Keller's story in "The Miracle Worker."
Edna Parker, 115. World's oldest person.
Rev. George M. Docherty, 97. His 1954 sermon got "under God" into Pledge of Allegiance.
DECEMBER:
Betty Goodwin, 85. one of Canada's most established and contemporary visual artists.
Ted Rogers, 75. who built Rogers Communications from a single radio station into Canada's largest wireless, cable and media company, owner of the Toronto Blue Jays, television stations, cable TV, wireless, radio and magazines.
Bob Hull, 71. Journalist, former editor of the Owen Sound Sun Times and publisher of the North Bay Nugget.
Bent Jensen, 60. Who led the Canadian lightweight men's four crew to a bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics.
Joe (King) Krol, 89. Football hall of famer who won six Grey Cups in the 1940s and '50s.
Kay Reynolds, 85. Champion of the rights of the disabled in Prince Edward Island for more than 50 years.
Mike Blum, 65. Who played for three CFL teams and earned a Grey Cup ring with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Jim Fulton, 58. NDP environment critic in the Commons and later head of the David Suzuki Foundation.
Gordon Fairweather, 85. First head of Canada's human rights commission.
Odetta, 77. Folk singer with powerful voice who inspired civil rights marchers.
Forrest J Ackerman, 92. Editor, literary agent; credited with coining term "sci-fi."
Patriarch Alexy II. 79. Russian Orthodox Church head; oversaw post-Soviet era's religious revival.
"Sunny" von Bulow, 76. Comatose heiress; husband was acquitted of attempted murder.
Bettie Page, 85. Beauty who daringly bared it all in the straitlaced '50s.
Van Johnson, 92. Boy-next-door Hollywood star ("30 Seconds Over Tokyo").
Ernie, Lisa, 21. Baboons from the Magnetic Hill Zoo.
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Maybe we could add the names of some street people or destitute children in the "pet of the week" column? Should be no problem crossing those over in animal category, all things being equal...