THOSE WE LOST IN 2024, PART 1

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DAVID SOUL
Date of death:	January 4, 2024
Age at death:	80
Cause of death:	Not disclosed. It is known that he suffered from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.
About:	David Soul was an American-British actor and singer. With a career spanning five decades, he rose to prominence for portraying Detective Kenneth "Hutch" Hutchinson in the American television series Starsky & Hutch from 1975 to 1979. During his career, Soul also found success as a singer, achieving a number one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1977 with "Don't Give Up on Us",
By the way:	In the mid-1990s, Soul moved to the United Kingdom, forging a new career on the West End stage,

 

GLYNIS JOHNS
Date of death:	January 4, 2024
Age at death:	100
Cause of death:	Natural causes
About:	Glynis Johns was a British actress known best for her role as suffragette mother Winifred Banks in Mary Poppins.  In a career spanning eight decades on stage and screen, Johns appeared in more than 60 films and 30 plays. She received various accolades throughout her career, including a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award, as well as nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award and a Laurence Olivier Award. She was one of the last surviving stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood and classical years of British cinema.
By the way:	With the death of Olivia de Havilland in 2020, Johns became the oldest living Academy Award nominee in any acting category. In 2021, with the death of Betty White, she became the oldest living Disney Legend.

 

NORMAN JEWISON
Date of death:	January 20, 2024
Age at death:	97
Cause of death:	Not disclosed.
About:	Norman was a Canadian filmmaker known for directing films which addressed topical social and political issues, often making controversial or complicated subjects accessible to mainstream audiences. Among numerous other accolades, he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director three times in three separate decades, for In the Heat of the Night (1967), Fiddler on the Roof (1971), and Moonstruck (1987). He was nominated for an additional four Oscars, three Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award, and won a BAFTA Award. He received the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences's Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in 1999.
By the way:	Jewison's films received 46 Academy Award nominations and won 12 Oscars. "I have tended to show humanity as fallible, sensitive, befuddled, misled but redeemable, rather than mindless, relentlessly violent," he wrote in his autobiography in 2004. "I want people to recognise themselves in the movies I make. I don't enjoy no-brainer action movies."

  

TROY BECKWITH
Date of death:	January 24, 2024
Age at death:	48
Cause of death:	Cancer
About:	Troy  Beckwith was an Australian television actor, known for his roles as Bazza in Pugwall and Michael Mellop in The Miraculous Mellops, as well as being the second actor to play Michael Martin in the soap opera Neighbours, from 1992 until 1994, with several guest reappearances until 1998.
By the way:	Beckwith played Michael Martin between 1991 and 1998 on Neighbours and was known as one of Neighbours' most iconic villains with his character branded as 'Sicko Micko'.

 

CARL WEATHERS
Date of death:	February 1, 2024
Age at death:	76
Cause of death:	Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
About:	Carl Weathers was an American actor, voice actor and professional American football player. He was well known for portraying the roles of Apollo Creed in the Rocky, Al Dillon in Predator, Chubbs Peterson in Happy Gilmore and Little Nicky, and as himself on the comedy series Arrested Development.
By the way:	A famous and successful football star at San Diego State, he played with the Oakland Raiders and retired from the sport in 1974, in order to give full attention to his goal: to be an actor. Weathers’ big break came when producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff chose him to play "Apollo Creed" in the blockbuster "sleeper" Rocky (1976) (real-life boxing legend Ken Norton was originally signed for the part, but it eventually went to Weathers).

 

KELVIN KIPTUM
Date of death:	February 11, 2024
Age at death:	24
Cause of death:	Kiptum and his coach Gervais Hakizimana died in a road traffic collision in Kenya.
About:	Kelvin Kiptum was a Kenyan long-distance runner who ran his first ever marathon in Valencia at the end of 2022. Just a few months later, the Kenyan ran his second, the London Marathon, and won it. His third, in Chicago in October 2023, saw him break the world record for the fastest ever marathon time - two hours and 35 seconds - smashing fellow Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge's record by 34 seconds.
By the way:	Kiptum was tipped to be the first person in history to run a marathon in under 2 hours.

 

FLACO
Date of death:	February 23, 2024
Age at death:	13
Cause of death:	On February 23, 2024, Flaco was found on the ground on West 89th Street, seriously injured. Volunteers from the nearby Wild Bird Fund, alerted by residents, came to assist. Flaco was pronounced dead shortly thereafter.  Wild Bird Fund volunteers reported injuries on his chest and right eye. He was found to have collided with the building, sustaining injuries either from the collision or impact with the ground. A necropsy conducted by the Bronx Zoo revealed both harmful levels of rat poison and pigeon herpesvirus in Flaco's system as a result of eating poisoned rats and feral pigeons. The viral infection caused extensive damage and inflammation of several internal organs, weakening him and thus making him more susceptible to a building collision. According to the WCS, these conditions were severe enough to be fatal even without such a collision.
About:	Flaco was a male Eurasian eagle-owl who escaped his long-time enclosure at Central Park Zoo in New York City after someone cut the protective netting in February 2023. Flaco subsequently resided in and around Central Park. His escape attracted significant public and press attention, especially as he was of a species not native to North America. There were concerns for his ability to feed himself after being captive for so long, since he had not previously needed to fly or hunt, but he was seen successfully catching and eating rats a week after his escape. Attempts to recapture Flaco failed, and a petition circulated advocating that he remain free. Zoo officials ceased attempts to recapture him once it became clear he was eating on a regular basis and his flying skills improved.
By the way:	Following his death, people began leaving photos, cards, and other mementos under an oak tree Flaco frequently roosted in. Hundreds of followers gathered for a memorial service at the tree, during which attendees eulogized, sang, and read letters and poems. Flaco's death brought additional scrutiny to the issue of building standards for windows that reduce the likelihood of bird collisions and deaths.

 

BRIAN MULRONEY
Date of death:	February 29, 2024
Age at death:	84
Cause of death:	Mulroney had been suffering from prostate cancer and died after a fall.
About:	Martin Brian Mulroney was a Canadian politician. He was the twenty-third Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984 to June 25, 1993, and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms and he was also known for being very opposed to apartheid in South Africa.
By the way:	A state funeral for Mulroney was held at the Notre-Dame Basilica, as the funeral procession entered Notre-Dame, church bells tolled 84 times in recognition of Mulroney's age at his death.

 

M. EMMET WALSH
Date of death:	March 19, 2024
Age at death:	88
Cause of death:	Cardiac arrest
About:	Michael Emmet Walsh was an American movie, television, stage, and voice actor. He appeared in over 200 movies and television series and is best known for his roles in Christmas with the Kranks, Wild Wild West and Blade Runner.

 

LOUIS GOSSETT JNR
Date of death:	March 29, 2024
Age at death:	87
Cause of death:	Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
About:	Louis Gossett Jr was an American actor on stage, screen and television and was also an accomplished writer, producer and director. Off-screen, he was a social activist, educator, and author dedicated to enriching the lives of others. Film and television credits include Roots, The Josephine Baker Story" and  "An Officer and a Gentleman".
By the way:	He was the first African-American to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as drill Sergeant Emil Foley in "An Officer and a Gentleman".

 

BARBARA RUSH
Date of death:	March 31, 2024
Age at death:	97
Cause of death:	Complications from dementia
About:	Barbara Rush was an American stage, movie, and television actress, known for her roles in It Came from Outer Space!, Bigger Than Life, When Worlds Collide, The Young Philadelphians, and Robin and the Seven Hoods. She also appeared on television shows such as Peyton Place, Batman, All My Children, 7th Heaven and Knight Rider. She won a Golden Globe Award in 1954.
By the way:	She co-starred opposite some of Hollywood's top leading males: James Mason, Montgomery Clift, Marlon Brando, Dean Martin, Paul Newman, Richard Burton and Kirk Douglas. In most cases, she played brittle wives, conniving "other women" or socialite girlfriend types.

 

KEITH BARNES
Date of death:	April 8, 2024
Age at death:	89
Cause of death:	Unknown
About:	William Keith Barnes, also known by the nickname of "Golden Boots", was a Welsh-born Australian rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s and 1960s, and coached in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. He was a fullback for the Australian national team and for the Balmain Tigers. He played in 14 tests between 1959 and 1966, as national captain on 12 occasions. He was known as "Golden Boots" due to his exceptional goal-kicking ability. After his playing days he became a referee and later co-commentated on the Amco Cup on Network Ten with Ray Warren in the 1970s. He is considered one of the nation's finest footballers of the 20th century.
By the way:	I saw him play.

 

O J SIMPSON
Date of death:	April 11, 2024
Age at death:	76
Cause of death:	Prostate cancer
About:	Orenthal James "O. J." Simpson, also known by his nickname, The Juice, was an American football player and movie actor. He originally became famous as a running back at the collegiate and professional levels, and was the first NFL player to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season. He later worked as an actor, spokesman, and broadcaster. O. J. Simpson is famous for being accused of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman in 1994.
By the way:	In 2007, Simpson faced more lawsuits. He was arrested  and later charged with numerous felonies that included  robbery, burglary, assault, first-degree kidnapping with the use of a deadly weapon,  coercion with the use of a deadly weapon, conspiracy to commit robbery, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, and conspiracy to commit a crime. Simpson was convicted on all counts and was imprisoned, being granted parole in 2017 and released.

  

DUANE EDDY
Date of death:	April 30, 2024
Age at death:	86
Cause of death:	Cancer
About:	Duane Eddy was a Grammy Award-winning American rock guitarist, best known for the music that he played without singing words. He was probably best known for his hit song Rebel Rouser (1958) and Peter Gunn. Although his popularity waned in the 1960s, Eddy’s playing influenced a bevy of guitarists, including Hank Marvin of the Shadows, George Harrison, and Bruce Springsteen.
By the way:	Released in 1960, Eddy was the first rock and roller to have a signature model guitar.

 

BERNARD HILL
Date of death:	May 5, 2024
Age at death:	79
Cause of death:	Not known.
About:	Bernard Hill was a British actor, known for roles in movie blockbusters films such as Captain Edward Smith in Titanic, King Theoden in The Lord of the Rings movie series, and as the Warden of the San Quentin Prison in Clint Eastwood's True Crime. For his roles in Titanic and The Lord of the Rings, Hill had roles in two of the three movies with the most Academy Awards of all time. He is the only actor to appear in two movies with a record 11-Academy Award win.
By the way:	For his roles in Titanic and The Lord of the Rings, Hill had roles in two of the three movies with the most Academy Awards of all time. He is the only actor to appear in two movies with a record 11-Academy Award win.

  

BRIAN WENZEL
Date of death:	May 6, 2024
Age at death:	94
Cause of death:	Not known. Wenzel had two mini strokes in 2018 and  went into an Adelaide nursing home in September 2022 with dementia.
About:	Brian Wenzel was an Australian actor, comedian, director and singer. He was in the entertainment business itinerantly for some 60 years, including circus, stage, television and film. After numerous character roles in Crawford Productions serials and films, and after appearing in the ABC serial Certain Women and The Young Doctors, he was cast in the permanent role of Frank Gilroy, an old-fashioned and upright police sergeant (later chef and barman) of the fictional Wandin Valley in A Country Practice, opposite co-star Lorrae Desmond, which he played from 1981 to 1993.
By the way:	Wenzel appeared in a television advertisement for the Advance Medical Institute in a role about sexual dysfunction therapy. His Sgt Gilroy character (now 80 years old) arrives to save the day when a newlywed wife complains about her husband "speeding" in bed and then prosecutes him in court. The advertisement created much controversy] and Wenzel was featured on A Current Affair, defending the advertisement and stating that he was "an actor and this is what I do" and being thrown into the spotlight after almost 15 years out of it.

  

ROGER CORMAN
Date of death:	May 9, 2024
Age at death:	98
Cause of death:	Not known
About:	Roger Corman was an American movie director, producer, and actor who made dozens of low-budget B-movies such as Swamp Women (1955), The Little Shop of Horrors (1960), and The Saga of the Viking Women and Their Voyage to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent. He was best known for six movies based on the short stories of Edgar Allan Poe that include House of Usher (1960), The Pit and the Pendulum (1961), and The Masque of the Red Death (1964).
By the way:	His film The Stranger (1962) was a serious look at racial integration in the South, starring a very young William Shatner. Critically praised and winning a prize at the Venice Film Festival, the movie became Corman's first--and, for many years, only--commercial flop. He called its failure "the greatest disappointment in my career." As a consequence of the experience, Corman opted to avoid such direct "message" films in the future and resolved to express his social and political concerns beneath the surface of overt entertainments.

 

FRANK IFIELD
Date of death:	May 18, 2024
Age at death:	86
Cause of death:	Pneumonia
About:	Frank Ifield  was a British-born Australian country music singer and guitarist who often incorporated yodelling into his music. Born in the United Kingdom, Ifield grew up in rural Australia where he started performing hillbilly music in his teens. He released singles which were successful in Australia and New Zealand. He returned to the UK in 1959 where he had four number-one hits on the UK Singles Chart in the early 1960s with his cover versions of "I Remember You", "Lovesick Blues", "The Wayward Wind" and "Confessin' That I Love You".
By the way:	In 1986, he contracted pneumonia, which resulted in removal of part of a lung and damage to his vocal cords. He relocated to Sydney in 1988 and was unable to sing or yodel for years as he recovered.

 

MORGAN SPURLOCK
Date of death:	May 23, 2024
Age at death:	53
Cause of death:	Problems caused by cancer
About:	Morgan Spurlock was an American documentary filmmaker, humorist, television producer, screenwriter and political activist, was best known for the directing and starring in the documentary Super Size Me (2004). The movie earned him an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature nomination. He also directed Where in the World Is Osama bin Laden? (2008), The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special – In 3-D! On Ice! (2010), POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (2011), Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope (2011) and One Direction: This Is Us (2013).
By the way:	Spurlock's documentary Super Size Me was released in the U.S. on May 7, 2004. He conceived the idea for the film when he was at his parents' house for Thanksgiving, and while watching TV saw a news story about a lawsuit brought against McDonald's by two teenage girls who blamed the fast food chain for their obesity. The film was produced for $65,000 and made $22 million in return. The film depicts an experiment Spurlock conducted in 2003, in which he claimed he ate three McDonald's meals every day (and nothing else) for 30 days, although he later disclosed he also drank copious amounts of alcohol. The film's title derives from one of the rules of Spurlock's experiment: he would not refuse the "super-size" option whenever it was offered to him but would never ask for it himself. The result, according to Spurlock, was a diet with twice the calories recommended by the USDA. Further, Spurlock attempted to curtail his physical activity to better match the exercise habits of the average American; he previously walked about 3 miles (4.8 km) a day, whereas the average American walks 1.5 miles (2.4 km). Over the course of filming, Spurlock gained 25 pounds (11 kg), became quite puffy, and suffered liver dysfunction and depression by the end.

  

ROBERT PICKTON
Date of death:	May 31, 2024
Age at death:	74
Cause of death:	In May 19, 2024, Pickton was attacked by another prisoner at the Port-Cartier Institution in Quebec. The prisoner, stabbed Pickton in the head with a "broken broom-like handle." He was hospitalized and put on life support after being airlifted to a hospital. Pickton died at a hospital in Quebec City, Quebec from problems caused by his injuries
About:	Robert Pickton, also known as the Pig Farmer Killer or the Butcher, was a Canadian serial killer, serial rapist, pig farmer and possible cannibal. He is thought to be the serial killer with the most murders in Canadian history. Pickton is believed to have begun his murders in the early 1990s after taking ownership of his family's pig farm. He was arrested in 2002 and was later convicted in 2007 of the second-degree murders of six women. Pickton was charged with the deaths of an additional twenty women, many of them from Vancouver, but these charges were dropped in 2010. Pickton was sentenced to life in prison, with no possibility of parole for 25 years—the longest possible sentence for second-degree murder under Canadian law at the time he was sentenced.
By the way:	During the trial's first day of jury evidence, Pickton had confessed to forty-nine murders to an undercover officer, who was pretending to be a cellmate. It was reported that Pickton told the officer that he wanted to kill another woman to make it an even fifty, and that he was caught because he was "sloppy".

 

WILLIE MAYS
Date of death:	June 18, 2024
Age at death:	93
Cause of death:	Heart failure
About:	Willie Mays, nicknamed "The Say Hey Kid" was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) centre fielder. He spent almost all of his 22 season career playing for the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. His career began in 1951 and he retired in 1973.  In 1999, Mays placed second on The Sporting News's "List of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players", placing second to Babe Ruth. Roberto Clemente said of Mays: "To me, Willie Mays is the greatest who ever played."
By the way:	Mays was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in 1979 and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2015.

 

DONALD SUTHERLAND
Date of death:	June 20, 2024
Age at death:	88
Cause of death:	Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
About:	Donald Sutherland was a Canadian actor whose career spanned six decades. Considered one of the best actors never nominated for an Academy Award, he was given an Academy Honorary Award in 2017. Sutherland was a prominent anti-war activist during the Vietnam War era. Sutherland rose to fame after roles in the war films The Dirty Dozen (1967), M*A*S*H (1970), and Kelly's Heroes (1970). He subsequently appeared in many leading and supporting roles, including Klute (1971), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978),  JFK (1991), Six Degrees of Separation,  Space Cowboys (2000), The Italian Job (2003), and Pride & Prejudice (2005). He portrayed President Snow in The Hunger Games franchise (2012–2015).
By the way:	Sutherland’s break came with his last-minute replacement for an actor that had dropped out of a film. The role he played was that of the dopey but loyal Vernon Pinkley in the war film The Dirty Dozen (1967). The film also starred Lee Marvin, Charles Bronson, and Telly Savalas. The picture was an instant success as an action/war film, and Sutherland played upon this success by taking another role in a war film: this was, however, a comedy called M*A*S*H (1970) which landed Sutherland the starring role alongside Elliott Gould and Tom Skerritt.