V: John Vernon (Dean Wormer in Animal House) who was put through double secret cremation.

A close friend, closer than any friend should be, disoovered her baby is on borrowed time. Another work colleague lost his wife on delivery, and all the thousands in all the wars and disasters - a true annus horribilis, and yet we hope tomorrow is another day

Aaman, thanks, and I'm sorry. Those three I listed are the only family deaths - or friends' deaths - I have experienced. Ever. I am very lucky.

Suss - yes, I should have added - I'm 100 percent sure I missed people so please do add names and context. Thank you for the reminder.

"EEE ::: radio pioneer Bob Edwards."

Temple, are you sure you didn't mean Ralph Edwards?

"Ralph Edwards, 92. Broadcasting pioneer who spotlighted stars and ordinary people as host of the popular show 'This Is Your Life.' Nov. 16."

Looked up your citation to Fox News because I remember the gravelly voice of Bob Edwards so well from NPR before when he hosted "Mornng Edition" there.

Other than that, this was a very well written piece.

Uh - yep. Thanks. Bob is off his programs but still very much alive. I'll fix that later today ...

not Dean Wormer too, aaaaaaaw man!

Nobody should go unmourned Aaman, or unthought of. That you've mentioned these people - a baby and a woman giving birth - is a kindness done that will be repaid...

May you not hear bad news in the future.

Blessings from Jerusalem

I started to attempt to go to blogs and link to deaths mentioned at various blogs. But it was far too time consuming. Hence the appeal here for others to share a little.

Re #8 Temple:

The teaser to your comment on the comment list at the footer said I started to attempt to go to blogs and link to deaths...

I thought this article was going to be about bloggers who died last year, with links to their blogs. That'd be an interesting piece; there have been some notable ones...

But this is a great piece, too.

I'm still broken up about Don Adams...

i an't tihn of any bloggers who died but one - and I can't remember his name.

Oh two, the one who left a post saying he was just going to check on noise downstairs, and one other, who's name I can't remember.

Are you working on that post uao?

My list is fairly boring without input from others. Ah well ....

Er, that area that looks like typo hell? That's just the Scottish in me coming out.

Yeah, that's the ticket. ......

THANK YOU for recalling Wanda Alston and Jack Nichols. Both meant the world to me and to many who believed in their work for equality and justice for all. And Jack was my friend and mentor; I miss him so much.

Oh, here is one: You can add Charles Socarides, the psychiatrist and anti-gay activist who died Dec. 28. Can't say I miss him, though I have prayed for him a lot over the years, but despite his vile and disgusting life's work (and his treatment of his gay son Richard), every death is a diminishment.

For a more irreverent take on notable deaths this year, stiffs.com seems like a one-stop shop for snarky obits.

More 2005 deaths: actor Brock Peters, Musician R. L. Burnside, musician Jon Clarke (Loggins and Messina and other bands), musician Jimmy Smith, musician Michael Botts (Dan Fogelberg Band and others), author M. Scott Peck, actor Lane Smith, film director Robert Wise, former NOW chief Molly Yard, actor Eddie Albert, architect Philip Johnson, activist Andrea Dworkin, novelist Guillermo Cabrera Infante, actor Sheree North, musician Hasil Adkins, novelist Trevanian (AKA Rodney William Whitaker), actor Geraldine Fitzgerald, televangelist Rev. Gene Scott, activist C. Delores Tucker (I guess you'd call her a "race pioneer," but that phrase is all kinds of stupid and offensive if a speed contest isn't involved), actor Ruth Warrick, actor Virginia Mayo, musician Derek Bailey, novelist Evan Hunter, vocalist Bobby Short, author Larry Collins, actor/cookbook author Vincent Schiavelli, actor
Ruth Hussey, journalist Jack Anderson, actor
Matthew McGrory the VERY tall guy in Big Fish), actor Teresa Wright, actor June Haver, musician Martin Denny, Togo dictator Gnassingbe Eyadema, former Chinese premier Zhao Ziyang, actor
Mason Adams, actor Nicole DeHuff, Muppet Show head writer Jerry Juhl, capitalist (tough man who sold tender chicken) Frank Perdue, bowling champion Dick Weber, politician William Proxmire, militarist and Perot running mate James Stockdale, journalist Shana Alexander, actor Lamont Bentley, author Andre Norton, The Doors' manager/biographer Danny Sugerman, politician Howell Heflin, JFK sister Rosemary Kennedy, mafioso Vincent Gigante, actor Michael Vale (time to make the doughnuts), novelist Mary Lee Settle, architect (designed Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Park) Kenzo Tange, erstwhile McDonald's CEO Charlie Bell, physicist/anti-nuke activist Joseph Rotblat, Bollywood actor Parveen Babi, poet and publisher Robert Creeley, TIME's former publisher
Henry Luce III, actor Howard Morris, photographer
Patrick Lichfield, actor Simone Simon, musician and former Tonight Show bandleader Skitch Henderson, actor Barney Martin, painter Zdzislaw Beksinski, chorale leader Harry Simeone, socialite Nan Kempner, US football coach/hall of famer Hank Stram, actor Debralee Scott, politician Jim Exon, cartoonist Dale Messick...

(with help from nndb.com)

Trust me, there are more.

Nope. That's everyone. Nobody else died on the planet.

I had a lot of those Natalie already listed. I couldn't quickly think of a phrase that meant the same thing as "race pioneer" and I agree with your assessment of that phrase.

Did I overlap? I can only find two cases of overlap. Apologies for those - I was attempting not to do that. Exhaustion and a stomach bug are a bad mix with this sort of activity.

That said, I'll add one more: former ABC sports announcer Chris Schenkel. I had the privilege of working with him once 20 years ago, and what a gentleman. Pure class.

Oh, and one correction: Artie Shaw died on 12/30/2004.

Hey Temple, just in response to your comment over at my post about the death of my father, no I had not read this in advance of that. Just one of those year end or year beginning coicedences I guess.

gypsyman