---------oOo---------
WALTER CUNNINGHAM
Date of death:
Jan 3, 2023
Age at death:
90
About:
Cunningham was an American astronaut, fighter pilot, physicist, entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and author of the 1977 book The All-American Boys.
NASA's third civilian astronaut (after Neil Armstrong and Elliot See), he was a lunar module pilot on the Apollo 7 mission in 1968.
By the way:
On October 11, 1968, he occupied the Lunar Module Pilot seat for the eleven-day flight of Apollo 7, the first launch of a crewed Apollo mission. The flight carried no Lunar Module and Cunningham was responsible for all spacecraft systems except launch and navigation. The crew kept busy with myriad system tests, including successfully completed test firing of the service module engine and measuring the accuracy of the spacecraft systems
COD:
Complications resulting from a fall
GEORGE PELL
Date of death:
10 January, 2023
Age at death:
81
About:
Australian cardinal of the Catholic Church and former Vatican finances chief.
He served as the inaugural prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy between 2014 and 2019, and was a member of the Council of Cardinal Advisers between 2013 and 2018. Ordained a priest in 1966 and bishop in 1987, he was made a cardinal in 2003.
He was also an author, columnist and public speaker. From 1996, Pell maintained a high public profile on a wide range of issues, while retaining an adherence to Catholic orthodoxy.
Cardinal Pell served as both archbishop of Melbourne and Sydney before being elevated to the College of Cardinals by Pope John Paul II in 2003.
As archbishop of Melbourne in 1996, he was responsible for establishing the Melbourne Response, which offered capped compensation payments of $50,000 to victims of sexual abuse at the hands of clergy. The scheme proved controversial, with a 2015 report released by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse recommending it be operated and administered independently of the Melbourne archbishop's office.
In 2018, Pell was found guilty of child sexual abuse, but on appeal, the convictions were quashed in 2020 by the High Court of Australia.
According to findings released by Australia's Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in 2020, Pell knew of child sexual abuse by clergy by the 1970s but did not take adequate action to address it. Pell said he was "surprised" and that the commission's views "are not supported by evidence".
By the way:
Cardinal Pell was convicted of child sexual abuse in 2019 and sentenced to six years in prison.
He served 13 months of his sentence being released from Melbourne's Barwon jail on April 7, 2020 after the High Court overturned his convictions.
The success of his High Court challenge brought a five-year legal battle to an end.
He had faced two juries over allegations he abused two 13-year-old choirboys in the sacristy at St Patrick's Cathedral when he was archbishop of Melbourne in the late 1990s.
One of the boys had died by the time of the prosecution, so Cardinal Pell was convicted on the evidence of the other.
He never gave evidence, but vehemently denied the allegations in interviews with police.
The first jury could not reach a verdict, but the second found him guilty.
That was later backed up by a Victorian Court of Appeal ruling.
But the High Court overturned both these findings, ruling that "acting rationally on the whole of the evidence, [the jury] ought to have entertained a doubt as to the applicant's guilt with respect to each of the offences for which he was convicted".
Some of Australia's most well-known newspapers, websites and radio stations were slugged more than $1 million in fines for being in contempt of court during the child sex abuse trial.
COD:
Cardiac arrest following hip surgery at the Salvator Mundi hospital in Rome,
JEFF BECK
Date of death:
10 January, 2023
Age at death:
78
About:
Beck was an English guitarist who rose to prominence as a member of the rock band the Yardbirds, and afterwards founded and fronted the Jeff Beck Group and Beck, Bogert & Appice.
In 1975, he switched to an instrumental style with focus on an innovative sound, and his releases spanned genres and styles ranging from blues rock, hard rock, jazz fusion and a blend of guitar-rock and electronica.
By the way:
Beck was ranked in the top five of Rolling Stone and other magazines' lists rankings of the greatest guitarists. He was often called a "guitarist's guitarist". Rolling Stone described him as "one of the most influential lead guitarists in rock"
Although he recorded two successful albums (in 1975 and 1976) as a solo act, Beck did not establish or maintain commercial success like that of his contemporaries and bandmates.
Beck earned wide critical praise and received the Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance six times and Best Pop Instrumental Performance once.
He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice: first as a member of the Yardbirds (1992) and secondly as a solo artist (2009).
COD:
Bacterial meningitis
LISA MARIE PRESLEY
Date of death:
12 January, 2023
Age at death:
54
About:
Lisa Marie Presley was an American singer and songwriter.
She was the only child of singer and actor Elvis Presley and actress Priscilla Presley, as well as the sole heir to her father's estate after her grandfather and her great-grandmother died.
By the way:
Her musical career consisted of three studio albums: To Whom It May Concern (2003), Now What (2005) and Storm & Grace (2012), with To Whom It May Concern being certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. Presley also released non-album singles, including duets with her father using archival recordings.
By the way:
Presley was married four times. She was married to musician Danny Keough between 1988 and 1994, with whom she had two children: actor Riley Keough and Benjamin Keough, who took his own life in 2020, aged 27. In an essay for People in 2022, Presley wrote that she felt “destroyed” following her son’s suicide.
Keough and Presley remained close friends after their divorce, with Keough living in the guest house on her property until her death. TMZ reported that Keough administered CPR on Presley until paramedics arrived.
Presley married the singer Michael Jackson 20 days after divorcing Keough, but they divorced 18 months later; during that time, Presley convinced Jackson to settle allegations of child molestation out of court and go to rehab for his drug abuse.
“I believed he didn’t do anything wrong, and that he was wrongly accused and, yes, I started falling for him,” she later told a Jackson biographer. “I wanted to save him. I felt that I could do it.”
In 2000 she got engaged to musician John Oszajca, but broke it off after meeting actor Nicolas Cage at a party. Cage and Presley married in August 2002, but Cage filed for divorce in November.
Presley married her guitarist and music producer Michael Lockwood in 2006 and they had twin daughters, Harper and Finley. Presley filed for divorce after 10 years of marriage.
COD:
Cardiac arrest predicated by a small bowel obstruction.
LUIGINA "GINA" LOLLOBRIGIDA
Date of death:
16 January, 2023
Age at death:
95
About:
Gina" Lollobrigida was an Italian actress, model, photojournalist, artist and politician.
She was one of the highest-profile European actresses of the 1950s and 1960s, a period in which she was an international sex symbol. Dubbed "the most beautiful woman in the world", at the time of her death she was among the last surviving high-profile international actors from the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema.
As her film career slowed, Lollobrigida established a second career as a photojournalist. In the 1970s she achieved a scoop by gaining access to Fidel Castro for an exclusive interview.
Lollobrigida continued as an active supporter of Italian and Italian-American causes, particularly the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF).
In 2008 she received the NIAF Lifetime Achievement Award at the Foundation's Anniversary Gala.
In 2013, she sold her jewellery collection and donated the nearly US$5 million from the sale to benefit stem-cell therapy research.
She won the Henrietta Award at the 18th Golden Globe Awards. According to Italian newspapers, Gina Lollobrigida’s estimated net worth at her death was $215 million.
By the way:
She was an idol and diva of a generation, alongside Sophia Loren, with whom she had a bitter rivalry that she reignited even on her 90th birthday. “I was not looking for any rivalry against anyone: I was the No. 1,” Lollobrigida told Corriere della Sera then.
The feud was allegedly ignited at the Italian Film Festival in London in 1954. The Queen was present and was to be greeted by 27 Italian actresses including Gina Lollobrigida, then 27, and Sophia Loren, then 21.
As it was a royal occasion, a certain level of modesty was expected in terms of dress code. However, Loren wore a sparkling, off-the-shoulder gown, greatly exposing her décolleté and a tiara, despite the fact only Her Majesty should have been wearing a crown.
This moment caught the eye of many and the press reportedly included larger photos of Loren in the papers than both Lollobrigida and Queen Elizabeth II herself.
From there, a rivalry between the Italian actresses was sparked and a culture of one-upping began ranging from charitable activities to raunchy photographs.
COD:
Not disclosed
RENEE GEYER
Date of death:
17 January, 2023
Age at death:
69
About:
Geyer was an Australian singer who was one of the country's finest jazz, soul and R&B musicians.
She released 15 studio albums and was an internationally respected and sought-after backing vocalist, whose session credits include work with Sting, Chaka Khan, Toni Childs, Joe Cocker, Neil Diamond, Men at Work and Trouble Funk.
By the way:
Geyer's autobiography, Confessions of a Difficult Woman (2000), co-written with music journalist Ed Nimmervoll detailed her drug addictions, sex life and career in music. She described herself as "a white Hungarian Jew from Australia sounding like a 65-year-old black man from Alabama."
Rock historian Ian McFarlane described Geyer as having a "rich, soulful, passionate and husky vocal delivery". Her status in the Australian music industry was recognised when she was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame on 14 July 2005.
COD:
Lung cancer
DAVID CROSBY
Date of death:
19 January, 2023
Age at death:
61
About:
Crosby was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist.
He first found fame as a member of the Byrds, with whom he helped pioneer the genres of folk rock and psychedelia in the mid-1960s, and later as part of the supergroup Crosby, Stills & Nash, who helped popularize the California sound of the 1970s.
After a short time performing in the folk music scene, Crosby co-founded the Byrds in 1964. They scored their first number-one hit in 1965 with a cover of Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man". Crosby appeared on the Byrds' first five albums and the original lineup's 1973 reunion album. In 1968, he formed Crosby, Stills & Nash (CSN) with Stephen Stills and Graham Nash. After the release of their debut album, CSN won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist of 1969. The group later occasionally included Neil Young. The core trio of CSN remained active from 1976 until 2016, and the duo of Crosby & Nash also recorded three gold albums in the 1970s. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (CSNY) reunions were held in each decade from the 1970s through the 2000s.
He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice: once for his work in the Byrds and again for his work with CSN.
By the way:
In addition to his music, Crosby was known for his outspoken personality, politics, and personal troubles; he was sometimes depicted as emblematic of the counterculture of the 1960s.
He had been addicted to heroin and cocaine, overdosing several times and being brought back to life as well as spending time in jail, for serious drug-related offences.
Along the way he had a liver transplant when his own gave out thanks to his use and abuse of drugs. The transplant, paid for by rock star Phil Collins, became a controversy in itself thanks to his celebrity.
Interviewed by rock writer Cameron Crowe he was asked how are you still alive. His answer? "I don't know. I have no idea."
He went on to say: "People ask me have I got regrets. I have huge regrets, I have huge regrets about the time I wasted being smashed."
COD:
Crosby died in his sleep from complications of COVID-19.
CINDY WILLIAMS
Date of death:
25 January, 2023
Age at death:
75
About:
Williams was an American actress and producer, known for her role as Shirley Feeney on the television sitcoms Happy Days (1975–1979), and Laverne & Shirley (1976–1982). She also appeared in American Graffiti (1973) and The Conversation (1974).
By the way:
Wrote with Penny Marshall before acting with her.
Auditioned for the role of Princess Leia Organa in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), but knew deep down that Lucas wanted a younger actress, which went to Carrie Fisher.
COD:
Not disclosed, death followed a short illness
PACO RABANNE
Date of death:
3 February, 2023
Age at death:
88
About:
Francisco Rabaneda Cuervo, more commonly known under the pseudonym of Paco Rabanne, was a Spanish fashion designer.
Rabanne rose to prominence as an enfant terrible of the fashion world in the 1960s with his use of unconventional materials such as metal and plastic in his clothing, and for his incorporation of futuristic elements in his designs, gaining notoriety for his space-age style. He collaborated with a range of iconic fashion houses and designed costumes for films. Rabanne was also the recipient of several awards, including the Legion of Honour, which recognised his contributions to the arts and fashion.
In addition to his fashion work, Rabanne was known for his fragrances. He created a number of highly successful scents, including Paco Rabanne Pour Homme, 1 Million, and Lady Million.
By the way:
Rabanne gained notoriety for making eccentric public statements. He claimed he had lived several lives (including that of a prostitute in the time of Louis XV), to have known Jesus in a previous life, to have seen God three times, to have been visited by extraterrestrials, to have murdered Tutankhamun, and to be 75,000 years old.
In 1999, he announced that, at the age of seventeen, he had visions of Parisians in flames throwing themselves into the Seine and that after studying other concordant prophecies, he came to the conclusion that the Mir space station was going to crash in France at the time of the solar eclipse of 11 August 1999, its debris causing thousands of deaths in Paris and in the Gers region. On 10 May 1999, he publicly vowed not to make any more predictions if Mir did not crash into Paris on 11 August 1999.
However, he claimed to have had an apparition of the Virgin Mary telling him to continue the predictions.
COD:
Not known
GEORGE T MILLER
Not to be confused with George Miller, see below
Date of death:
17 February, 2023
Age at death:
79
About:
Scottish-Australian film director born in 1943, note not the same person as the unrelated Australian film director born in 1945, George Miller.
By the way:
He directed The Man from Snowy River, The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter, and Zeus and Roxanne.
He also directed the 1992 film Frozen Assets, widely considered by critics and audiences alike to be one of the worst films in the history of cinema.
Miller said he was offered to direct Crocodile Dundee; but he had to turn it down, because he was going to make another film at the time, which ended up not being made.
COD:
Heart attack
RICHARD BELZER
Date of death:
19 February, 2023
Age at death:
78
About:
American actor, comedian and author.
He is best known for his role as NYPD Detective/sergeant and investigator John Munch, whom he portrayed for 23 years in the NBC police drama series Homicide: Life on the Street, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and several guest appearances on other series.
By the way:
Belzer was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, to a Jewish family. He has described his mother as frequently physically abusive, and he declared that his comedy career began when trying to make her laugh to distract her from abusing him and his brother.
On March 27, 1985, four days before the first WrestleMania, Belzer repeatedly requested on his TV talk show Hot Properties that Hulk Hogan demonstrate a wrestling move. Hogan applied a front facelock, causing him to pass out. When released, he hit the back of his head on the floor. He was dazed, lacerated and briefly hospitalized after waking up. He sued for $5 million and settled out of court for $400,000 in 1990.
COD:
Belzer died at his home from complications of unspecified circulatory and respiratory conditions.
According to his friend Bill Scheft, a novelist, his last words were "Fuck you, motherfucker!"
KEN WARBY
Date of death:
20 February, 2023
Age at death:
84
About:
Warby was a speedboat legend, known as the fastest man on water for his record-breaking feats. Warby died in the United States.
Warby first broke the world water speedboat record on November 20, 1977 on Blowering Dam - south of Tumut in NSW. He then broke his own record in the 'Spirit of Australia' on October 8, 1978, with a time of 511.11km/h (317.59mph).
By the way:
Warby designed the hull of his record-breaking boat, Spirit of Australia, himself and built it in his backyard. He started the project as a Makita salesman who happened to team up with two Leading aircraftmen at RAAF Base Richmond in the early 1970s. Warby bought three military surplus Westinghouse jet engines at auction for only $265. It was not in working order, but Crandall and Cox refurbished it. The Spirit was covered with a canvas tarpaulin when it rained and was made of wood and fibreglass.
On 20 November 1977, he set a new world water speed record of 288.60 mph (464.46 km/h), breaking the record of Lee Taylor by a little over 3 mph (4.8 km/h).
With a subsequent 317.6 mph (511.1 km/h) run on 8 October 1978, he set the record that still stands today.
In doing so, he became the first and only person to exceed 300 mph (482.8 km/h) on water and survive. Donald Campbell died on his attempt after his hydroplane crashed at over 320 mph (515 km/h) on his return run in his 1967 record attempt.
COD:
Not disclosed, Warby died after a short illness
SYD FISCHER
Date of death:
25 February, 2023
Age at death:
95
About:
Australian businessman, property developer and sailor.
Most noted for his sailing, Fischer was described as Australia's most successful offshore sailor. He skippered numerous yachts, notably several named Ragamuffin and competed in six Admiral's Cup teams representing his country.
Fischer shares a record of five challenges for the America's Cup, with Sir Thomas Lipton. He first challenged for the 1983 America's Cup in Advance, the year Australia II won. He led subsequent challenges in 1987 in Steak'n'Kidney, and 1992 in Challenge Australia. He made his third and fourth attempts at San Diego in 1992 and 1995 and his fifth in Auckland in 2000.
By the way:
Fischer was named Australian Yachtsman of the Year in 1971-72 and again in 1992-93 and was Australian Ocean Racer of the Year in 1993, 1996 and 2002.
Fischer was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to sport in the 1975 New Year Honours, and was inducted into the New South Wales Sports Hall of Fame in 2002–03. Fischer was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2017 Queen's Birthday Honours.
In 2018 Fischer was inducted into the America's Cup Hall of Fame and the Australian Sailing Hall of Fame.
COD:
Not disclosed
TOM SIZEMORE
Date of death:
3 March, 2023
Age at death:
61
About:
American actor.
Sizemore started his career with supporting appearances in Born on the Fourth of July (1989), Lock Up (1989), and Blue Steel (1990). These appearances led to more prominent roles in films like Passenger 57 (1992), True Romance (1993), Striking Distance (1993), Natural Born Killers (1994), Strange Days (1995), Heat (1995), and The Relic (1997).
In 1998, Sizemore starred in Saving Private Ryan, his most commercially successful film. He later appeared in Bringing Out the Dead (1999), Black Hawk Down (2001), and Pearl Harbor (2001).
Sizemore received a Golden Globe nomination for his lead role in the television film Witness Protection (1999).
In 2007, VH1 aired the reality series Shooting Sizemore (2007), which depicted Sizemore's struggle to regain his career amid addictions to methamphetamine and heroin. Sizemore also participated in other reality series related to his addiction, including Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew (2010) and Celebrity Rehab Presents Sober House (2010). He appeared in the revival series of Twin Peaks (2017).
By the way:
In February 2017, Sizemore pleaded no contest to two charges of domestic abuse for assaulting his girlfriend, for which he was sentenced to 36 months of summary probation, 30 days of community service and a year-long domestic violence program. He was also subject to two protective orders associated with the charges and ordered to pay various fees. The deal was made by Sizemore to avoid spending 210 days in jail. In a 2013 interview, Sizemore claimed that he began to achieve sobriety after a stern interrogation from fellow actor Robert De Niro.
COD:
On February 18, 2023, Sizemore suffered a brain aneurysm at his Los Angeles home and was hospitalized at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in critical condition. On February 27, Sizemore's representative issued a statement indicating that doctors had determined there was "no further hope" for Sizemore to recover and had "recommended end-of-life decisions" to his family.
TOPOL
Date of death:
9 March 2023
Age at death:
87
About:
Chaim Topol commonly known as Topol, was an Israeli actor, singer, and illustrator. He is best known for his portrayal of Tevye, the lead role in the stage musical Fiddler on the Roof and the 1971 film adaptation, performing this role more than 3,500 times from 1967 through 2009.
Topol began acting during his Israeli army service as a member of the Nahal entertainment troupe. He later toured Israel with kibbutz theatre and satirical theatre companies. He was a co-founder of the Haifa Theatre.
He won a Golden Globe for Best Actor and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his 1971 film portrayal of Tevye, and was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actor for a 1991 Broadway revival of Fiddler on the Roof.
Topol was a founder of Variety Israel, an organization serving children with special needs, and Jordan River Village, a year-round camp for Arab and Jewish children with life-threatening illnesses, for which he served as chairman of the board. In 2015 he was awarded the Israel Prize for lifetime achievement.
By the way:
After Topol's death, the family revealed that he had been involved in Mossad missions in the 1960s and 1970s. They said he went on unexplained trips abroad while equipped with a miniature state-of-the-art camera and tape recorder, and that he was in regular contact with Mossad officer Peter Malkin, who came on visits to the family home through the backyard in disguise. On several occasions, Topol carried out wiretapping and other operations with Malkin, using his international acclaim to divert attention from Malkin.
COD:
Topol’s son said in an email that his father had Alzheimer’s disease, which had caused his health to deteriorate over the last year.
ROBERT BLAKE
Date of death:
9 March 2023
Age at death:
90
About:
American actor best known for starring in the 1967 film In Cold Blood, playing the title role in the late 1970s television series Baretta, and playing the Mystery Man in the 1997 film Lost Highway.
By the way:
Blake's later career unravelled in 2002, when he was arrested for the 2001 murder of his second wife, Bonny Lee Bakley. Blake was acquitted of the murder in criminal court in 2005, but he was found liable in a civil court for her wrongful death.
On November 18, 2005, a jury found Blake liable for the wrongful death of his wife and ordered him to pay $30 million. On February 3, 2006, Blake filed for bankruptcy.
Blake's attorney, M. Gerald Schwartzbach, appealed the court's decision on February 28, 2007. On April 26, 2008, an appeals court upheld the civil case verdict, but cut Blake's penalty assessment to $15 million.
Blake maintained a low profile after his acquittal and filing for bankruptcy, with debts of $3 million for unpaid legal fees as well as state and federal taxes.
COD:
Heart disease
DICK FOSBURY
Date of death:
12 March 2023
Age at death:
76
About:
Fosbury was an American high jumper, who is considered one of the most influential athletes in the history of track and field.
He won a gold medal at the 1968 Olympics, revolutionizing the high jump event with a "back-first" technique now known as the Fosbury flop. His method was to sprint diagonally towards the bar, then curve and leap backwards over the bar, which gave him a much lower center of mass in flight than traditional techniques. This approach has seen nearly universal adoption since Fosbury's performance in Mexico. Though he never returned to the Olympics, Fosbury continued to be involved in athletics after retirement and served on the executive board of the World Olympians Association.
By the way:
In 2014, Fosbury unsuccessfully challenged Steve Miller for a seat in the Idaho House of Representatives. Fosbury ran for Blaine County Commissioner against incumbent Larry Schoen in 2018, won the seat, and took office in January 2019.
COD:
Fosbury died after a short bout with a recurrence of lymphoma.
JOHN SATTLER
Date of death:
20 March, 2023
Age at death:
80
About:
John Sattler was an Australian professional rugby league footballer played as a prop in the 1960s and 1970s. He captained South Sydney to four premiership victories from 1967 to 1971 and who played four Tests for Australia – three as national captain.
Known as "Satts", he was one of the hardmen of Australian rugby league and was regarded as an aggressive on field player but a softly spoken gentleman off the field – hence his other nickname "Gentleman John".
His son Scott Sattler also played professionally, winning a premiership with the Penrith Panthers in 2003.
By the way:
In the 1970 grand final, Sattler played with a broken jaw to help Souths to victory over Manly. In the premiership decider of 1970 South Sydney were up against the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles at the Sydney Cricket Ground on 19 September. Having lost the previous Grand Final to the Balmain Tigers, Souths were desperate to win. Approximately ten minutes into the game Sattler collapsed after being hit with a forearm by Manly forward John Bucknall while not in possession of the ball. He suffered a double fracture to his jaw but pleaded to teammate Mike Cleary, "Hold me up so they don't know I'm hurt". He was helped up and continued to play in the game. At half time Souths were leading 12–6 when his teammates learnt about his injury.
During the interval he refused treatment and insisted he continue playing. He also told the side, "the next bloke who tries to cut me out of the play is in trouble," to prevent his teammates trying to protect him from further injury. At the end of the game South Sydney had scored 3 tries to nil in a 23–12 victory. He later went to hospital to receive treatment but only after receiving the Giltinan Shield and making an acceptance speech.
John Bucknall did not finish the game.
COD: Dementia
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