Celebrity Death Thread

[DanO]

Heard the first part of this on the radio. That is great.

[Passepartout]

RIP Mr Rickles!

[NewOrleansLion]

John Warren Geils, a/k/a J. Geils, has passed on.

http://www.wcvb.com/article/guitarist-known-as-j-geils-found-dead-in-massachusetts-home/9263211

[Dan V]

John Warren Geils, a/k/a J. Geils, has passed on.

http://www.wcvb.com/article/guitaris...s-home/9263211

He was the guitarist, not the lead singer (Peter Wolf).

The rock stars keep falling one by one......

[DanO]

RIP J. Geils.

[jaadam4]

Charlie Murphy passed away from leukemia today.

[DanO]

RIP Charlie.

[Panoptes]

Dang..... RIP Charlie Murphy.

Plenty of time for some bball and pancakes with Prince now.

[jaadam4]

And Rick James!

[Panoptes]

Repeat from nfl news..

Steelers owner Dan Rooney dies

4/13/2017 10:07:23 PM

Dan Rooney, who succeeded his father as Steelers team president and rose to become one of the most powerful and beloved owners in sports, died Thursday at the age of 84, Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Born Daniel Milton Rooney, he succeeded his father and Steelers founder, Art Sr., as team president. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000, making the Rooneys only the second father-son combination to be enshrined. Under his leadership since the late 1960s, the Steelers transformed from lovable losers into a Super Bowl dynasty in the 1970s and remain among the most successful and popular franchises in the game.

He did more than lead the Steelers, however. He became a powerful voice in the NFL for decades, often out of the public eye. He helped settle two players’ strikes, served on many league committees and was a confidante and adviser to three commissioners. He fought to give more opportunities for minority coaches to ascend in the NFL, an effort that prompted the adoption of what is known as the Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview at least one minority coach in the process of hiring a head coach.

Then at an age when many cut back on their activities, Rooney took on more in an entirely different field when President Barack Obama appointed him as United States Ambassador to Ireland, a job he began two weeks before his 77th birthday.

Rooney ranked for decades among the most powerful voices in the NFL. Yet he handled himself with the kind of modesty that endeared him to colleagues and office workers alike, showing up daily at his only place of business, the offices of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“Dan has always led with humility,’’ said Hall of Famer Joe Greene while presenting Rooney for induction into Canton in 2000. “When things go as planned, Dan is in the background. When things don’t go as planned, he’s in the forefront.”

Said former coach Bill Cowher, “He was like a father, a friend, a mentor, a boss who inspired others around him. He was a people person and he never forgot where he came from. He epitomized Pittsburgh — hard working, humble, no-nonsense, tell it the way it is and never forget where he came from. That’s him, that’s Pittsburgh.”

Said Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert, like Rooney a graduate of North Catholic High School, “You could speak all day and never encompass what he means, not only to the Steelers but to this game.

“I just think it’s his sincere interest in people, first and foremost, and his ability to treat everybody fairly but also encompassing a great understanding of our game and in particular the Pittsburgh Steelers.”

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*Does this mean that we can formally ditch the Rooney rule that every team still circumvents?

[DanO]

RIP Dan.

[Panoptes]

Erin Moran, star of 'Happy Days' dies at 56

Published April 23, 2017

Poor thing lived a tortured post child actor life.

Cause, undetermined in this headline story.

[DanO]

RIP Erin.

[Passepartout]

Really 56-years old is very young as Erin really had a very hard life after the show. RIP!

[fontes91]

I heard she was homeless at one point. Way too young. Maybe Tom Bosley was able to greet her wherever she is. RIP