Vivian Vance (comic sidekick)

Cause of death: Cancer

Birth: Jul. 26, 1909
Death: Aug. 17, 1979

Veteran Broadway actress fondly remembered for playing Lucille Ball’s landlady, ‘Ethel Mertz’ in the hit 1950s television sitcom “I Love Lucy.” She was born Vivian Roberta Jones on 26 July 1909 in Cherryvale, Kansas, the second of six children. After her family moved to Independence KS, she was able to study drama under Anna Ingleman and William Inge. However, throughout her childhood, Vivian’s desire to be an actress clashed with her mother’s strict religious beliefs, and at the age of sixteen she ran away to Tulsa, Oklahoma to become an actress, taking the stage name ‘Vivian Vance,’ after a high school classmate she admired. Unfortunately for Vance, her first attempt at a show business career was a failure. Later, when the family moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, Vance joined the Albuquerque Little Theatre, and began the long path that would lead her to stardom. In 1932, she headed for the Broadway stage, where she struggled as a chorus girl. She got her first break in the musical “Music in the Air,’ and after understudying for Ethel Merman in “Anything Goes,” she starred with comic actor Ed Wynn in “Hooray for What!” as Kay Thompson’s last minute replacement. Although she had become a top performer, the demands of the onstage life took their toll on Vance, and in 1945 she suffered a nervous collapse. After her recovery, she returned to the stage in “Voice of the Turtle” at the La Jolla Playhouse, where she was spotted by Desi Arnaz and offered the role that would make her a household name. Paired with William Frawley as ‘Fred and Ethel Mertz,’ Vance and Frawley made a convincing couple despite their twenty-five year age difference. However, their offstage relationship was less than cordial, a situation exacerbated by Frawley’s heavy drinking. Moreover, Vance didn’t exactly relish playing the role of a frumpy “older” neighbor, since in reality she was only 2 years Lucille Ball’s senior. In 1954, she became the first actress to be awarded an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress. After “I Love Lucy” ended in 1957, she divorced her husband, remarried, and moved to Stamford Connecticut. In 1962 she reprised her role as Lucy’s sidekick on “The Lucy Show,” but the grind of bicoastal commuting didn't suit her, so after three years she limited her performances to guest appearances, which also continued into “Here’s Lucy,” the third Lucille Ball sitcom. In 1974 she and her husband moved to Belvedere, California (just north of Francisco Bay) so she could be near her sister. In 1977 she was diagnosed with breast and bone cancer, and died of it on 17 August 1979 in Belvedere at the age of 70.

Burial:
Cremated, Ashes scattered.

John Wayne (actor)

Cause of death: Cancer

Birth: May 26, 1907
Death: Jun. 11, 1979

He is noted mostly for his military and cowboy roles, and an American Icon. Fiercely patriotic and a staunch American, he represented an American ideal of rugged individualism. Politically conservative and hawkish, he was directly the opposite of many Hollywood stars, and often ridiculed for his political opinions. Born Marion Robert Morrison in Winterset, Iowa, his family moved to southern California, where his father owned a ranch, and he learned to ride a horse. When the ranch failed, his family moved to Glendale, California, where he attended high school, and had an airdale dog named "Duke" (source of his later nickname). When he narrowly missed getting an appointment to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, he went to the University of Southern California (USC) on a football scholarship. Actor Cowboy Tom Mix got him a summer job as a prop man, in exchange for USC football tickets. On the set, he became lifelong friends with Director John Ford, for whom he began doing bit parts. His first film, in 1930, was "Men Without Women." After bit parts in some 70 films, his breakthrough came in the 1939 film "Stagecoach," where he emerged a star. He holds the record for the actor playing the most leading parts, in 142 movies. He stayed mostly with his best acting roles, those of strong military men or fierce independent cowboys, since that suited the audiences. He was exempt from military service in World War II due to an ear infection which left him partially deaf. In 1948, he starred in "Red River", giving a dynamic performance which made critics take notice. However, he is best remembered for his performance in the John Ford cavalry trilogy, "Fort Apache", "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon", and "Rio Grande". He had good film chemistry with Maureen O'Hara, and in 1952, he made "The Quiet Man" with her, considered by many to be Wayne's most endearing film. When Republic Pictures refused to make "The Alamo", Wayne started his own studio, Batjac, and made the film (1960). In 1968, during the Vietnam War, he made the film "The Green Berets", considered the only pro-Vietnam War film made in that period. He won an Oscar (his only one) for his role as a boozy, one-eyed, over-the-hill lawman in "True Grit" (1969), a role he reprised in "Rooster Cogburn" (1975). His acting abilities were often underrated by the critics, yet he was always a professional actor who knew his lines, his mark, and was on time for shooting.

Inscription: Tomorrow is the most Important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday

Burial:
Pacific View Memorial Park
Corona del Mar
Orange County
California, USA

Plot:
Bayview Terrace, section 575

Norman Fell (actor)

Cause of death: Cancer

Birth: Mar. 24, 1924
Death: Dec. 14, 1998

Norman Noah Fell[1] (born Norman Feld March 24, 1924 – December 14, 1998) was a Golden Globe award-winning American film and television actor most famous for his role as landlord Mr. Roper on the popular sitcom Three's Company and its spin-off, The Ropers.

Fell was born Norman Feld in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to a Jewish family, and studied drama at Temple University after serving as a tail gunner in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II.[2]

Though Fell mostly acted on television, he also had small character roles in several motion pictures including the original Ocean's Eleven, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, PT 109, The Graduate (in which he also played a landlord), Bullitt, and Catch-22 as Sergeant Towser. He appeared alongside Ronald Reagan in Reagan's last film, The Killers.

During the filming of Ocean's Eleven, Norman was considered a member of the infamous Rat Pack.

He received his Golden Globe Award in 1979, for Best TV Actor in a Supporting Role, for Three's Company. He was also nominated for an Emmy Award, but not for Three's Company, but rather for his dramatic performance in the miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man, in which he played Nick Nolte's character's boxing trainer.

His final television appearance was in a cameo as Mr. Roper on an episode of the sitcom Ellen in 1997.

Burial:
Mount Sinai Memorial Park
Los Angeles
Los Angeles County
California, USA

Plot:
Garden of Heritage, Columbarium of Tradition, Niche 1601A

Grandpa Jones (country comic/banjo wizard)

Cause of death: Complications from a series of strokes

Birth: Oct. 20, 1914
Death: Feb. 19, 1998

Louis Marshall "Grandpa" Jones (born October 20, 1913 in Niagara, Kentucky – February 19, 1998) was an American banjo player and "old time" country and gospel music singer.

Jones spent his teenage years in Akron, Ohio where he began singing country music tunes on a local radio show. By 1935 his pursuit of a musical career took him to WBZ (AM) radio in Boston, Massachusetts where he met musician/songwriter Bradley Kincaid who gave him the nickname "Grandpa" due to his off-stage grumpiness at early-morning radio shows. Jones liked the name and decided to create a stage persona based around it.

Performing as "Grandpa Jones," he played the banjo, yodeled, and sang mostly old-time ballads. The vaudevillian humor was a bridge to television entertainment. Jones played a style of banjo called frailing, which gave it the rough back woods flavor of his performances. Some of his more famous songs include, "T is for Texas" and "Mountain Dew." He also wrote the song "Eight More Miles to Louisville". Moving to Nashville, Tennessee, he became part of the Grand Ole Opry and was a regular cast member on the popular TV show, Hee Haw.

Jones was one of the most popular cast members of the long-running Hee Haw. A favorite skit had off-camera cast members asking "Hey Grandpa, what's for supper?" to which he'd describe either a delicious, country-style meal ("Buttermilk biscuits smothered in chicken gravy, home-fried potatoes, collard greens and Grandmother's fresh-baked blueberry pie à la mode!" and the cast would reply, "Yum, yum!") or, more often than not, something terrible ("Because you were bad, thawed out TV dinners!" at which the cast would scoff, "Yuck!"). A running gag was that the window he was pretending to polish in this skit had no glass, and that Jones would slip his fingers through the empty panes. Jones also joined castmates Buck Owens, Roy Clark and Kenny Price with a gospel segment at the end of each show.

A resident of rural Ridgetop, Tennessee outside of Nashville, he was a neighbor and friend of fellow musician David "Stringbean" Akeman. On the morning of November 11, 1973, Jones discovered the bodies of Akeman and his wife who had been murdered during the night by robbers.

In 1978 Grandpa Jones was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. An autobiography of him, Everybody's Grandpa: Fifty Years Behind The Mike was published in 1984 (with assistance from Charles K. Wolfe).

In January of 1998, he suffered a stroke after his second show performance at the Grand Ole Opry and died a few weeks later. He is interred in the Luton Memorial Methodist Church cemetery in Nashville.

Burial:
Luton Memorial Methodist Church Cemetery
Nashville
Davidson County
Tennessee, USA

Lloyd Bridges (actor)

Cause of death: Natural causes

Birth: Jan. 15, 1913
Death: Mar. 10, 1998

Bridges was born in San Leandro, California, the son of Harriet Evelyn (née Brown) and Lloyd Vernet Bridges, Sr., who was involved in the California hotel business and once owned a cinema. Bridges graduated from Petaluma High School in 1931. He studied political science at UCLA, where he we a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter. He also met his future wife there, Dorothy Dean Simpson; they married in 1938 on St. Pete's Beach at sunrise.

Bridges made his Broadway debut in 1939 in a production of Shakespeare's Othello. He made a few film appearances before enlisting in the U.S. Coast Guard. Following World War II, he returned to film acting. He was blacklisted briefly in the 1950s after he admitted to the House Un-American Activities Committee that he had once been a member of the Actors Lab, a group with links to the Communist party. He resumed working after being cleared by the FBI, finding his greatest success in television.


Bridges in The Sound of Fury (1950)Bridges gained wide recognition as Mike Nelson, the main character in the television series Sea Hunt, which ran from 1958-1961. Following that success, he starred in the eponymous anthology The Lloyd Bridges Show, which included appearances by his sons Beau and Jeff. Bridges was offered the role of Captain Kirk on Star Trek before the role went to William Shatner. Additionally, he was a regular cast member in the Rod Serling western series The Loner (which lasted one season from 1965 to 1966), and in the two NBC failures San Francisco International Airport (1970/71) and Joe Forrester (1975/76). Later, he appeared in Paper Dolls (1984) and Capital News (1990), both for ABC, and again with Harts of the West (1993), this time for CBS. He played the role of Commander Cain in the Battlestar Galactica two-part episode "The Living Legend".

Bridges played significant roles in several popular mini-series, including Roots, How the West Was Won, and The Blue and the Grey. For more than forty-five years, Bridges was a frequent guest star on television series. He earned two Emmy Award nominations four decades apart. The first came in 1957 for an episode of The Alcoa Hour. Then he was nominated again in 1998 for his role as Izzy Mandelbaum on Seinfeld.

Bridges appeared in more than 150 films. He started as a contract performer for Columbia Pictures, appearing in classics such as High Noon, Little Big Horn, and Sahara. By the end of his career, he was a staple of parody films such as Airplane!, Hot Shots!, and Jane Austen's Mafia!.

A world federalist, Bridges once said, “The devastation caused by war and the pollution of our environment knows no boundaries. Only an effective world government could provide sufficient law and have the power to control these destructive forces".[1] He was also involved in several organizations, including the American Oceans Campaign and Heal the Bay, a Los Angeles-based group.

Bridges died of natural causes at age 85 on March 10, 1998. He was the father of actors Jeff Bridges and Beau Bridges and the grandfather of Jordan Bridges.

An episode of Seinfeld ("The Burning") was dedicated in memory of Lloyd Bridges. He had played the character of Izzy Mandelbaum in the episodes "The English Patient" and "The Blood".

Burial:
Cremated, Location of ashes is unknown.

Phil Hartman (comic)

Cause of death: Homicide

Birth: Sep. 24, 1948
Death: May 28, 1998

Born Philip Edward Hartmann in Brantford, Ontario, Canada, he was one of eight children. He grew up in Connecticut and Southern California and described himself as a class clown. He joined the comedy group "The Groundlings" in 1975. Hartman's co-wrote the feature film "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure" in 1978 for fellow Groundling, Paul Reubens. Hartman also worked as a graphic artist, designing album covers for Poco's 1978 album “Legend”, three albums by the band America, and the logo for Crosby, Stills and Nash. In 1986, Hartman joined the cast of “Saturday Night Live” and stayed for eight seasons. From 1991 to 1998, Hartman also provided the voices for Lionel Hutz and Troy McClure in the animated television series “The Simpsons”. Hartman left SNL in 1994 for a role in the ensemble comedy “NewsRadio” in which he played radio newsman Bill McNeal. Hartman also co-starred in several feature films, including "Greedy", "House Guest," "Blind Date," "The Three Amigos," "The Coneheads," "Quick Change," and "So I Married an Axe Murderer." On May 28, 1998 police responded to Hartman’s home after a report of shots being fired. Hartman’s wife Brynn had barricaded herself in their bedroom where she had all ready shot Hartman three times while he’d slept. Their two children were evacuated from the house by police. Mrs. Hartman then shot herself. The couple, both dead of gunshot wounds, were found in the master bedroom by police. Toxicology testing later showed Mrs. Hartman had a blood alcohol level of approximately .12 percent as well as evidence of cocaine and anti-depressants. The motive behind the murder/suicide is unknown. After Hartman’s death, “The Simpsons” show retired his characters rather than find a replacement voice actor and “NewsRadio” produced a special episode in which the cast sincerely mourned him via the death of Hartman's character Bill McNeal. Hartman was posthumously nominated for an Emmy Award for his portrayal of McNeal.

Burial:
Cremated, Ashes scattered at sea.

Specifically:
Ashes Scattered over Santa Catalina's Emerald Bay, California

Robert Young (actor)

Cause of death: Respiratory failure

Birth: Feb. 22, 1907
Death: Jul. 21, 1998

In a career that lasted over fifty years, Robert Young performed on stage, screen and radio, appearing in some 100 movies before making a successful transition to television. He was born in Chicago coming west when his family relocated to Los Angeles at age seven. Introduced to acting while attending Lincoln High School, he then pursued an acting career after graduation by enrolling at the Pasadena Playhouse. Sharpening his acting abilities while touring with a stock company in their production, 'The Ship,' a talent scout saw him resulting in a screen test and a debut in 'The Black Camel,' an early Charlie Chan Mystery. Signed by MGM, he received a major career boost in 'The Sin of Madelon Claudet' opposite stage star Helen Hayes. He found work in England appearing in the Alfred Hitchcock's movie, 'Secret Agent' then staring in 'It's Love Again,' two elaborate productions. A few of his many films: ' Remember Last Night, The Canterville Ghost, Secret Agent, The Enchanted Cottage, They Won't Believe Me (his best) and Crossfire.' His older brother was Roger Moore (Joe Young). Roger was active as a mainstay character actor who appeared in hundreds of uncredited roles in films. In 1949, disenchanted with his secondary status in his movie career, Robert Young ventured into radio, starring in a family comedy, Father Knows Best, which ran for five years then became a television series enjoying a five year run. The program won numerous awards while Robert Young was Emmy-nominated four times, winning twice. In 1960, the program had casting difficulties and was cancelled. Robert Young disappeared from Hollywood during most of the 1960s reappearing in 1969 in a pilot film 'Marcus Welby, M.D' which became a hit television series for the next seven years presenting him with his third Emmy for his portrayal of the doctor. With the demise of the program, Young appeared in a couple of TV Welby movies and then won acclaim in a television film dealing with Alzheimer's disease and euthanasia. The aging actor unable to obtain movie or television roles involuntarily retired. Robert Young died in his Westlake, California home at the age of 91 of respiratory failure. A private funeral service was held at Forest Lawn attended by only his family and close invited friends. He was interred beside his wife Betty, whom he met while both were students at Lincoln High and who had died four years previously ending their marriage of sixty years.

Burial:
Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)
Glendale
Los Angeles County
California, USA

Plot:
Graceland, Lot 5905

Jack Lord (actor)

Cause of death: Congestive heart failure

Birth: Dec. 30, 1920
New York
New York County
New York, USA

Death: Jan. 20, 1998
Honolulu
Honolulu County
Hawaii, USA

Born John Joseph Patrick Ryan, but called himself Jack Lord when he began acting in the early 1950s. He was an accomplished artist. Two of his paintings were acquired by New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art and the British Museum of Modern Art by the time he was twenty. He became a member of the Actors Studio. He acted by night and sold cars by day. He appeared on Broadway, replacing Ben Gazzara as Brick in the original production of Tennessee Williams' "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," before going to Hollywood. Lord appeared in several classic feature films, among them "Man of the West" (1958) starring Gary Cooper. Early in his career, he met his wife, Marie de Narde. He was a fine arts major at NYU and was there on a football scholarship. Marie soon left her career as a successful fashion designer, to support Jack in becoming an actor. He appeared in the movie "Dr. No," but mainly did television, where he was cast in a succession of villain roles. Through the late 1950s and 1960s, he made guest appearances on scores of TV series. His first starring role in a TV series was in the western, "Stoney Burke," which lasted only a year. When that series was over, he worked for several years singing western songs at rodeos and fairs. A veteran of theater, film and television, Lord will be remembered best for the role that made him famous, that of Steve McGarrett, on the television show "Hawaii Five-O," which ran from 1968 to 1980 in 284 episodes. He directed many of the episodes. The series was seen in 80 countries, with a weekly audience estimated at more than 300 million. It's still seen daily on hundreds of stations in reruns. The show was shot entirely on location at Lord's insistence. He died of congestive heart failure at his home in Honolulu, Hawaii, at the age of 77.

Burial:
Cremated

Specifically:
Ashes scattered in the ocean near his Kahala condominium

Roy Rogers (actor)

Cause of death: Congestive heart failure

Birth: Nov. 5, 1911
Death: Jul. 6, 1998

He was born Leonard Franklin Slye in Cincinnati, Ohio to a musical family. His father played guitar and his Kentucky-born mother was a singer. Leonard grew up in Duck Run, Ohio a little town near Portsmouth. He quit high school after two years forced to work in a shoe factory to help support his family. At nineteen, he moved to California and formed a band which became known as the Sons of The Pioneers. Soon, they were on the radio and with the songwriting of Bob Nolan a band member, they yodeled and sang their way to stardom. Their recording "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" becoming a number one hit on the charts. Leonard began working as an extra at Republic Pictures. Given the name "Roy Rogers" he teamed up with his horse Trigger, and made his first picture "Under Western Stars" while receiving a contract with Republic Pictures which lasted 13 years producing some 37 movies. During World War II, Roy became "The King of The Cowboys," while making numerous USO tours with his horse Trigger raising millions of dollars through the sale of War Bonds. He began making movies with Dale Evans known as "The Queen of the West." which led to marriage and a partnership which lasted the rest of their lives. With the onset of television, The Roy Rogers Show staring Roy, Dale and co-star Pat Brady, Trigger, Dale's horse Buttermilk and their dog Bullet aired on NBC lasting for seven years while the song penned by Dale, "Happy Trails" became a hit and the Rogers theme song. His continued recordings produced another major hit with "Candy Kisses" and finally while Roy and Dale were running their museum in Victorville, California in late life another hit which put him back on the charts "Hold On Partner" from a special "Tribute" album he made at age 80. In 1988, he was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame. The couple remained favorites through their connection with Christian programs and the Roy Rogers Museum in Victorville. Roy Rogers died at the age of 86 in his home in at Apple Valley, California from heart failure. A public service was held at the Church of the Valley with a western theme laced with frontier Army traditions. With the singing of his western songs by the Sons of the Pioneers, his body was conveyed in a glass enclosed 1898 hearse drawn by a single Clydesdale to his final resting place while accompanied by an array of people dressed in old western style garb. Dale joined him upon her death and even the animals who starred with the famous couple, Trigger who lived to be 33, Dales horse Buttermilk and even the dog Bullet were all mounted with places of honor in the Roy Rogers-Dale Evans Museum. However: the stuffed animals as well as the museum, suffering from dwindling attendance, hit the trail and was moved from Victorville to Branson, Missouri in 2003.

Burial:
Sunset Hills Memorial Park
Apple Valley
San Bernardino County
California, USA

David Doyle (TV actor)

Cause of death: Heart attack

Birth: Dec. 1, 1929
Death: Feb. 26, 1997

He is perhaps best remembered for his role as detective John Bosley on the television series Charlie's Angels, for which reason he is occasionally mixed up with TV actor Tom Bosley. He is also remembered by younger generations as being the voice of Grandpa Lou Pickles on the Nickelodeon animated television series Rugrats until his death. Doyle died of a heart attack at the age of 67 in Los Angeles, California on February 26, 1997. The role of Grandpa Lou Pickles was taken over by Joe Alaskey, better known as the voice of Plucky Duck in Tiny Toon.

Doyle was born in Omaha, Nebraska to Mary Ruth Fitzgerald and Lewis Raymond Doyle, an attorney. His maternal grandfather, John Fitzgerald, was a prominent railroad builder and banker in Nebraska.[1] He graduated from Campion High School in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin in 1947. Doyle was married twice, first to Rachel, then Anne Nathan Doyle. Doyle had a sister who was mostly a stage actress, Mary Doyle, who died from lung cancer in 1995.

Burial:
Cremated, Ashes given to family or friend.

Jesse White (actor)

Cause of death: heart attack following surgery

Birth: Jan. 4, 1917
Death: Jan. 9, 1997

an American television, film and stage character actor. He is best remembered for portraying the Maytag repairman in television commercials, a role he played from 1967 to 1988.

Born in Buffalo, New York and raised in Akron, Ohio, White began acting in local stage productions at 15. After moving to Cleveland, he worked a variety of jobs while working the nightclub circuit. In the late 1930s, he appeared in vaudeville performances. In 1942, White made his Broadway debut in The Moon is Down followed by the role of a sanitarium orderly in Harvey. He would later reprise his role in the 1950 film version and the 1972 television movie.[1]

In 1947, White made his film debut in a small part in Kiss of Death. During the 1950s, he began landing roles on televisions show including appearances in Make Room for Daddy and Dear Phoebe. In 1954, he landed a semi regular role on Private Secretary starring Ann Sothern. The role led to another semi regular part in The Ann Sothern Show in 1960. White guest starred on Four Star Playhouse and The Bob Cummings Show. He also appeared in roles in The Bad Seed (1956), Designing Woman (1957) with Lauren Bacall, and Marjorie Morningstar (1958) with Natalie Wood and Gene Kelly.

Throughout the 1960s, White also appeared on The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Donna Reed Show, The Beverly Hillbillies, That Girl, and I Dream of Jeannie. In 1967, he began his long running stint as the "lonely" Maytag Repairman in television commercials. White continued appearing in both television and films during his Maytag stint. His last onscreen role was in an episode of Seinfeld in 1996.

In addition to film and television work, White lent his voice to several cartoons including Jonny Quest, Garfield and Friends, and Inspector Gadget.

In 1942, White married Celia Cohn. The couple had two daughters, Carole Ita White who later became an actress, and Janet Jonas.

Burial:
Mount Sinai Memorial Park
Los Angeles
Los Angeles County
California, USA

Denver Pyle (actor)

Cause of death: Lung cancer

Birth: May 11, 1920
Death: Dec. 25, 1997

Pyle was born in Bethune in Kit Carson County in eastern Colorado, to farmers Maude W. and Ben H. Pyle;[1] he was the nephew of journalist Ernie Pyle and had one brother, Willis. After graduation from high school, Pyle briefly attended college before he decided to pursue a career in show business. He worked as a drummer and band member until the start of the Second World War, when he entered the Merchant Marines.

After the war ended, Pyle began his film career, having starred in several motion pictures throughout the 1950s and 1960s. He made several appearances as "Briscoe Darling", the gruff patriarch of a clan of musical hillbillies, on CBS's The Andy Griffith Show. He also appeared in a number of Westerns by John Ford, including The Horse Soldiers with William Holden and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. One of his early roles was a villain in an Adventures of Superman TV episode called "Beware the Wrecker".

His most known television role may have been that of Uncle Jesse Duke in the CBS series The Dukes of Hazzard (1979–1985). In addition, Pyle played the role of Mad Jack in the NBC series The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams (1977–1978), the antagonist in Bonnie and Clyde (1967), Buck Webb (Doris Day's father) during the first two seasons of CBS's The Doris Day Show (1968–1970), and Briscoe Darling on The Andy Griffith Show (1960-1968).

In his later life, Pyle played mostly cameo television roles and retired from full time acting. His last cinematic movie role was alongside Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster and James Garner in the 1994 film Maverick. His last known acting role was a reprisal of Jesse Duke in the 1997 made-for-TV movie The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion!. He frequently appeared on Gunsmoke and Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater, Frontier Justice, all on CBS.

Pyle would claim in later life that he was a U.S. Navy veteran who had been wounded in action at Guadalcanal. However the National Personnel Records Center stated in 1991 that there was no evidence that Denver Pyle had ever served on active duty in the Navy. Pyle’s statements were not resolved prior to his death. As a Merchant Mariner with veteran status, the exact extent of his military service remains unclear to this day.[citation needed]

Pyle died of lung cancer on Christmas Day 1997. His presents that year were auctioned on Ebay with all proceeds going to charity.

His son, David Pyle is a Master Chief Petty Officer in the United States Navy. He resides in Newport Beach, California and is the owner of Los Angeles-area vocational medical career schools, American Career College and West Coast University. He has four children: Henry, Mary Lynn, Annie and Willie.

Burial:
Forreston Cemetery
Forreston
Ellis County
Texas, USA

Burgess Meredith (actor)

Cause of death: Melanoma and Alzheimer's Disease

Birth: Nov. 16, 1907
Cleveland
Cuyahoga County
Ohio, USA

Death: Sep. 10, 1997
Malibu
Los Angeles County
California, USA

Born in Cleveland Ohio, the youngest of three children, in the late 1920s, he drifted to New York City, where he had numerous jobs including selling vacuum cleaners, clerking at Macy's, and working as a runner on Wall Street. He then made two trips to South America as an ordinary seaman on an ocean liner, after which he was fired for disobeying orders. In 1933 he joined Eva Le Gallienne's theatre company in New York. His debut role of Red Barry in ‘Little Ol' Boy', a play of reform school life gained him notice. His film premier was ‘Winterset' in 1936. He was a founder of the New Stage Society in 1937 and in the following year served as vice president of Actors' Equity. He attracted attention as 'George' in a 1939 film adaptation of the book ‘Of Mice and Men'. His career was put on hold during World War II when he joined the United States Army Air Corps, where he attained a captaincy. With the end of the war he demonstrated his versatility in both dramatic and comedic roles, and appeared in four different starring roles in the ‘The Twilight Zone' until being named an unfriendly witness and blacklisted by the House Un-American Activities Committee, after which studio work disappeared. There is a conspicuous gap in his filmography between 1950 and 1957 as a result. With the help of industry friend including Otto Preminger, Meredith came back to the screen with a vengeance appearing in more than eighty roles after the end of his working exile, most memorably perhaps as 'The Penguin' on the television series "Batman". In 1960, he received a special Tony Award for ‘A Thurber Carnival.' He appeared in ‘Madame X' in 1966 with Lana Turner; and ‘Stay Away, Joe' with Elvis Presley in 1968. He was nominated for a Tony Award in 1974 as Best Director for ‘Ulysses in Nighttown.' He landed the role of Rocky Balboa's trainer, 'Mickey', in ‘Rocky', to great acclaim. He returned for four of the five ‘Rocky' sequels, appearing in flashback in ‘Rocky V'. He earned back-to-back Academy Award nominations, in 1975 for ‘The Day of the Locust' and in 1976 for ‘Rocky'. He also did a great deal of voice over work, serving as the spokesman for Skippy Peanut Butter and United Air Lines, among others including the narrator's role in ‘Twilight Zone: The Movie' in 1983. His last films included the ‘Grumpy Old Men' duology the last of which was released in 1995. He died two years later at his home in Malibu, California.

Burial:
Cremated, Ashes given to family or friend.

James Stewart (actor)

Cause of death: Pulmonic blood clot

Birth: May 20, 1908
Death: Jul. 2, 1997

James Stewart was born in Indiana, Pennsylvania, where he had an ideal childhood with encouraging and supporting parents. When he won the Best Actor Oscar in 1940 for his role in "The Philadelphia Story," he sent it to his father saying, "It belongs to us both." His dad, who owned a hardware store, kept it on a shelf for 25 years where it could be viewed by the customers. James had great empathy for his hometown and years later they would erect and dedicate a statue to him in the town square with him in attendance. He attended Princeton University and came away with a degree in architecture. He was the first movie star to enter the service in World War II, joining a year before Pearl Harbor, becoming a Colonel. James flew 20 combat missions, earned the Air Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross presented to him by Gen Jimmy Doolittle, The Croix de Guerre presented by France and seven battle stars. He was promoted to brigadier general while serving in the Air Force Reserve. His movie career spanned over forty years during which he portrayed many different characters who were always morally resolute. Some of his Western credits and there were many: "The Far Country, The Man from Laramie, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, How the West Was Won, Cheyenne Autumn, and the Shootist." In a general category: "You Can't Take It With You, Mr Smith Goes to Washington and Harvey" but a few. He made four Hitchcock thrillers: "Rope," "Rear Window," "The Man Who Knew Too Much" and "Vertigo." James Stewart had a radio and TV career and even had time to write poetry published in book form by Crown Publishing. He died at his home of a pulmonary blood clot at the age of eighty nine. Jimmy Stewart's funeral service was held at The Presbyterian Church which was the family church in Beverly Hills. The Stewart family sat in the same pew for forty years. Here he was married and where his wife's funeral was held a few years prior to his own. His legacy and many memorials remain: The James Stewart Museum is located in Indiana, Pennsylvania his home town. He was presented a Life Achievement Award by The American Film Institute. His movie "It's A Wonderful Life" has become a classic and part of the American Christmas tradition with a showing by almost every TV station in the land on Christmas day. He was awarded the Medal of Freedom, "America's highest Civilian Honor." The City of Los Angeles erected the Jimmy Stewart Flagpole which stands atop a rock pedestal with a plaque affixed which is the starting point of the Jimmy Stewart Marathon in Griffith Park and run each year. The flag is raised each morning honoring his patriotic service to the country, his stable family life and a salute to one of Hollywoods most enduring actors. His stepson was killed at the age of twenty four in Vietnam and is interred beside the couple.

Burial:
Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)
Glendale
Los Angeles County
California, USA

Plot:
Wee Kirk Churchyard, Space 2, Lot 8, near the statue of a man holding an arrow. To the left of the Wee Kirk of the Heather Church on the hill.

Jack Nance (actor)

Cause of death: He died as a result of head injuries incurred in a fight at a donut shop the previous day

Birth: Dec. 21, 1943
Death: Dec. 30, 1996

He is best remembered for his role of sawmill owner 'Pete Martell' in the television series "Twin Peaks." Born in Boston, Massachusetts, of Irish ancestors, and raised in Dallas, Texas, he began his acting career playing children's theater, working for the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. In the early 1970s, he was cast in the role of 'Henry Spencer' in "Eraserhead" (1977), a film that took nearly five years to make. Other small, supporting roles followed, in such films as "Dune" (1984), "Ghoulies" (1985), "The Blob" (1988 remake of the classic 1950s film), and "Colors" (1988). In 1990, he won the role of quirky sawmill owner 'Pete Martell' in "Twin Peaks." In 1991, his wife, Nancee Kellee, committed suicide, and his roles declined after that. He continued making appearances in later movies, in such less remembered films as "Love and a .45" (1994), "Across the Moon" (1995), "Voodoo" (1995), and "Assault on Dome 4" (1996). In December 1996, he was involved in a brawl with two men in Winchell's donut shop in Pasadena, California, and received several blows to the head. A friend checked on him the next morning and found him dead, and his death has been recorded as a homicide.

Burial:
Cremated, Ashes scattered at sea.

Ted Bessell (director/actor)

Cause of death: Aortic aneurysm

Birth: Mar. 20, 1935
Death: Oct. 6, 1996

Born in New York City. He was a piano prodigy and at age 12 performed a recital at Carnegie Hall. By the time he graduated from college in 1958, he had decided to become an actor. His early work included guest appearances in soap operas. He launched his career in 1961, playing an elevator operator in the feature film "Lover Come Back." He become a semi-regular on "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C." in 1966. His big break would be as Don Hollinger on the Marlo Thomas television series "That Girl" (1966). He also played small roles in a few feature films, including "Don't Drink the Water" (1969). Following the end of "That Girl," Bessell starred opposite a chimpanzee in the short-lived "Me and the Chimp" (1972). The 1970s were a slow time for him. He had a few memorable appearances as the boyfriend of Mary Tyler Moore on her sitcom. The 1980s included two unsuccessful attempts at TV sitcoms: "Good Time Harry" (1980) and "Hail to the Chief" (1985) in which he played Patty Duke's husband. By the late 1980s, He had largely abandoned acting and became a television director. In 1989, he shared an Emmy for directing an episode of Fox television's "Tracey Ullman Show." At the time of his death, he was preparing to direct a movie version of the Television series "Bewitched". He died of an aortal aneurysm at the age of 61.

Burial:
Woodlawn Cemetery
Santa Monica
Los Angeles County
California, USA

Plot:
Section 12
GPS (lat/lon): 34.0178, -118.47387

Jason Bernard (actor)

cause of death: heart attack

Birth: May 17, 1938
Death: Oct. 18, 1996

He started his career by playing Seldon in the blaxploitation classic film "Thomasina and Bushrod" (1974). Other film roles followed with "Friday Foster" (1975), "Car Wash"(1976), "Paint It Black" (1986), and "While You Were Sleeping" (1995). Some of his most remembered TV roles include Preston Wade in the daytime drama "Days of Our Lives" from 1982 to 1983, Inspector Marquette in the 1980s TV series "Cagney and Lacey," the chronically humorless publishing executive Mr. Paul Bracken in the 1991 Fox sitcom "Herman's Head," and his supporting role in the Lifetime movie "Sophie and the Moonhanger"(1995). He was a very popular addition to the Wing Commander franchise in 1994 as Captain William Eisen. His last feature film role was that of a judge in the Jim Carrey comedy "Liar Liar" (1997). On October 18, 1996, Bernard was driving in Hollywood when he suffered a fatal heart attack at the age of 58.

Burial:
Cremated, Ashes given to family or friend.

Herb Edelman (actor)

Cause of death: Emphysema

Birth: Nov. 5, 1933
Death: Jul. 21, 1996

The 6'5", Emmy-nominated actor began his career by performing in the Broadway theater production of Neil Simon's Barefoot in the Park in 1963; a role he reprised when the play was adapted to television in 1967. Though appearing in numerous television sitcoms and movies throughout the 70s and 80s, Herbert Edelman is most remembered for his part as Stan Zbornack, Dorothy's ex-husband in the popular, comedic sitcom The Golden Girls, which ran from 1985 to 1992. Edelman also played memorable parts as regular or recurring characters on the popular sitcoms and Knots Landing, Cagney & Lacey, Murder, She Wrote, St. Elsewhere, Welcome Back, Kotter, and Maude, where he first played opposite his Golden Girls partner, Bea Arthur. Born in Brooklyn, New York in November of 1933, Edelman originally attended Cornell University to pursue a degree in veterinary medicine. During a stint as a taxi cab driver in 1963, he met stage director, Mike Nichols, after picking him up in his cab. Fate was his tip that night, and Edelman went on to an acting career in stage, film, and television that spanned three decades. Personally, Edelman was married – for six years – to soap opera actress, Louise Sorel. After the marriage ended in 1970, Edelman was later linked with his St. Elsewhere costar, the British actress, Christina Pickles. The two were romantically involved until his death. On July 21, 1996, in Woodland, California, Herb Edelman, aged only 62, lost his fight with emphysema.

Burial:
Unknown

Tommy Rettig (businessman/kid actor)

Cause of death: Heart attack

Birth: Dec. 10, 1941
Death: Feb. 15, 1996

Best remembered for his role of 'Jeff Miller on the "Lassie" television series from 1954 to 1957. He appeared in numerous films throughout the 1950s, including "The River of No Return" with Robert Mitchum and Marilyn Monroe and the cult classic "The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T." After high school, he was unsuccessful at returning to a career in acting and worked at a variety of jobs before discovering his talent for computer programming. He was one of the designers of dBASE III, started his own software company and wrote several computer software handbooks becoming highly respected in the computer field. He made an appearance on "The New Lassie" as the adult 'Jeff Miller' teaching Lassie to use the computer.

Burial:
Cremated, Ashes scattered at sea.

Morey Amsterdam (actor)

Cause of death: Heart attack

Birth: Dec. 14, 1908
Chicago
Cook County
Illinois, USA

Death: Oct. 27, 1996
Los Angeles
Los Angeles County
California, USA

Born in Chicago, Illinois, USA, to a Jewish family, he began working in vaudeville in 1922 as the straight man for his brother's jokes. He was also a cellist, a skill which he used throughout his career. By 1924, he was working in a speakeasy operated by Al Capone. After being caught in a gunfight, Amsterdam moved to California and sought work writing jokes. His enormous repertoire and ability to come up with a joke on any subject earned him the nickname "The Human Joke Machine." He sometimes performed with an actual machine on his chest, hanging by a neck strap. When he turned a hand crank on the gadget and paper rolled out, he would then read the machine's joke -- although the paper was blank.

During the 1930s, Amsterdam hosted a radio show and also wrote songs, including "Why Oh Why Did I Ever Leave Wyoming." He copyrighted the popular "Rum and Coca-Cola," although the song was written by a Trinidadian calypsonian, Lord Invader. Amsterdam lost an eventual copyright suit over the song. In the early 1940s he was a screenwriter, contributing joke dialogue for two East Side Kids films. By 1947, he was performing on three daily radio shows. Beginning in 1948, he appeared on the radio show Stop Me If You've Heard This One.

In 1948, Amsterdam began hosting his own television show, The Morey Amsterdam Show which ran on CBS from December 1948 to March 1949 and on DuMont from April 1949 to October 1950.

In 1950, he costarred on the comedy-variety show, Broadway Open House, television's first late-night entertainment show, on the NBC network. Among his regular guests was a song-and-dance man named Art Carney. The cigarette girl was future author Jacqueline Susann, wife of the producer of the show, Irving Mansfield. Jazz musician Johnny Guarneri led the band. Selected episodes of The Morey Amsterdam Show can be viewed on TV4U.Com.

Amsterdam's most famous role is comedy writer Buddy Sorrell on The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961-1966), a role suggested for him by his friend Rose Marie, who also appeared on the show. Amsterdam wrote lyrics for the show's theme song, which were never heard on the air but have been performed by Dick Van Dyke in concert.

He also played "Cappy," owner of the local nightclub, in the Beach Party movies of the 1960s.

Amsterdam and Rose Marie later appeared as panelists on The Hollywood Squares and guest-starred together in a February 1996 episode of the NBC sitcom Caroline in the City (his final television appearance). They also co-starred in the 1966 film, "Don't Worry, We'll Think of a Title," a comedy co-written and co-produced by Amsterdam. (The film also features Richard Deacon, their co-star on "The Dick Van Dyke Show," plus a cameo by the show's co-producer Danny Thomas.) Amsterdam was an occasional panelist on Match Game during the 1970s. He appeared as a small-time criminal in several episodes of the soap opera The Young and the Restless in the 1990s.

Burial:
Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)
Los Angeles
Los Angeles County
California, USA

Plot:
Court of Remembrance, furthest north-east section, C-3632

Howard Rollins (actor)

Cause of death: Lymphoma

Birth: Oct. 17, 1950
Death: Dec. 8, 1996

Born Howard Ellsworth Rollins, Junior, nicknamed Ho Ro. Studied theater in Maryland at Towson State College. "Our Street" the nation‚s first black soap opera featured Howard as "Slick". 1964 Howard was nominated for an Emmy for Best Supporting Actor on the daytime soap opera "Another World". In 1974 he left Baltimore for New York City to pursue his career in acting. 1981 he won an Oscar nomination for his role as Coalhouse Walker, Jr., in "Ragtime". Howard got his start in acting in "Of Mice and Men" and then "On The Block". Howard starred in other movies and nighttime television series: "A Soldier‚s Story", "New York Undercover" and "Remember Wenn". Howard is well known for his role as Virgil Tibbs, "In The Heat of the Night". Due to spending a month in jail in 1993 and continuous legal issues, he was dropped from In The Heat of the Night. In 1995 he made his final feature film, "Drunks".

Burial:
Woodlawn Memorial Park
Baltimore
Baltimore city
Maryland, USA

McLean Stevenson (actor)

cause of death: cardiac arrest

Birth: Nov. 14, 1927
Death: Feb. 15, 1996

Character Actor, Comedy Writer. He was born Edgar McLean Stevenson in the Illinois area known as the twin cities, Normal-Bloomigton to a father who was a cardiologist. His extended family was a provider of famous politicians to the American scene. While attending Bloomington High School he was active in sports however there was never any indication of an acting career. Stevenson was confused after high school graduation, had no apparent occupational direction and his quest was nomadic...a medical supply salesman, insurance clerk, radio announcer, clown on live TV and a stint in the Navy before enrollment at Northwestern University coming away with a theater arts degree and a desire for a show business career. A visit to New York while attending a political function was his defining moment and well placed advise motivated him toward a show business career. Stevenson decided to stay while enrolling at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy where Lee Strasberg and Sandy Meisner were instructors. He spent much of the 60's in the city while performing in nightclubs and comedy spots leaving to work the summers in stock theatre at Warsaw, Indiana. His first Broadway stage break came in 1962 with a title role in "The Music Man" followed by parts in "Bye Bye Birdie" and "I'll Always Remember Miss What's Her Name." He broke into TV as a guest actor on various series such as "Naked City" and "The Defenders." When acting roles were scarce, he wrote revue comedy which further established him in show business. Hollywood beckoned in 1968 and initially work was found as a writer for the "Smothers Brothers Show." While guesting on various venues, he landed a regular role on the "The Doris Day Show" and simultaneously appeared on "The Tim Conway Comedy Hour." A tryout for a comedy series called "MASH" landed him a leading role as mythical Henry Blake, commander of the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War which became his career highlight and made him an American household name. He performed this character, a laid-back, off-centered commanding officer from its premiere in Sept 1972 until miffed by the secondary role asked to leave and was willingly written out during the 1974-75 season. His departure hardly led to his dream of a leading man status. He was very busy but a series of sitcoms all were cancelled after the first season..."Celebrity Challenge of the Sexes" "The McLean Stevenson Show" "In the Beginning, Hello, Larry" and "Dirty Dancing." (movie spinoff) He appeared 56 times as host of "The Tonight Show" substituting for Johnny Carson during his absences. His movie appearances were scanty with a small role in "The Christian Licorice Store" and the ET film "The Cat From Outer Space. McLean performed in public service as the spokesman for USAir and First Alert. He was barely active in the 90's having been diagnosed with cancer but hosted "The Crosby Clambake" on the Nashville Network from 1991 to 1993 performing for the last time with a supporting role in the 1994 PBS miniseries "Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City." He died from a heart attack following surgery for cancer in Tarzana, California and was cremated. A memorial services was held at the Bel Air Presbyterian Church, Van Nuys. Legacy...During his three years on the MASH series, Stevenson collected three Emmy nominations and in 1974 garnered an Emmy nomination for writing a MASH episode entitled "The Trial of Henry Blake". Interesting family history...He was a member of the family that gave American politics two famous Adlai Stevensons...one was vice president of the United States under Grover Cleveland from 1893-1897 and the other was governor of Illinois, twice the Democratic party's nominee for president and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Many others, minor Illinois official originated from the Stevenson family He worked as the press secretary to candidate Stevenson during his quest for the White House in 1952 and again in 1956. Stevenson was also the brother of actress Ann Whitney. He was very instrumental in his final years working with various charities while appearing in scores of golf tournaments, telethons and other fund raising events. His favorite, where he was the national spokesman, The Children's Burn Foundation in Sherman Oaks, California. He was motivated from memories of his own having been seriously burned as a child by a Halloween pumpkin. In a bit of trivia...Stevenson McLean's hasty departure from MASH and his post era disappointing career has led to the coining of a word. "McLeaning" derived from his middle name which in-turn came from McLean County, Indiana, his birth place. Its connotation in Hollywood denotes an actor leaving a show and his or her character's subsequent demise.

Burial:
Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)
Los Angeles
Los Angeles County
California, USA

Plot:
Courts of Remembrance, Columbarium of Valor, niche G64649

Ed Flanders (actor)

Cause of death: Suicide

Birth: Dec. 29, 1934
Death: Feb. 22, 1995

Edward Paul Flanders (December 29, 1934 – February 22, 1995) was an American actor best known for his Emmy Award-winning role as Dr. Donald Westphall in the television series St. Elsewhere.

Flanders was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the son of Bernice (née Brown) and Francis Michael Grey Flanders.[1] Flanders began his acting career on Broadway before moving on to guest parts in television series. From 1967 through 1975, Flanders appeared in more than a dozen American TV shows, including six appearances on Hawaii Five-O (as six different characters). During this time, he was also prolific in TV movies. He also married actress Ellen Geer during this time; they later divorced.

In the late 1970s, Flanders moved away from small TV roles to take major credits in both TV and feature films. In 1982, he commenced his role in St. Elsewhere, which was to earn him four Emmy nominations as Outstanding Lead Actor in a TV Series. He won this award in 1983. After a stormy departure from the series in 1987, he returned for two more episodes including the 1988 series finale. During a scene in which Westphall addressed the staff, Flanders began speaking extemporaneously about the quality of art and had to be edited for broadcast. However, Flanders continued his working relationship with executive producer Bruce Paltrow in the short-lived 1994 CBS series, The Road Home.

Flanders continued working in telemovies in the early 1990s, but was suffering from depression, particularly after his 1992 divorce from his second wife. He took his own life by a self-inflicted gunshot wound on February 22, 1995 age 60 in Denny, California.

Burial:
Cremated, Ashes given to family or friend.

Hugh O'Connor (actor)

Cause of death: gunshot

Birth: Apr. 7, 1962
Death: Mar. 28, 1995

Hugh O'Connor was born in Rome, Italy. When he was six days old he was adopted by Carroll O'Connor and his wife Nancy. Carroll was in Rome filming Cleopatra. He was named after Carroll O'Connor's brother, who died in a motorcycle accident in 1961. When he was 16 he was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma. He survived the cancer with chemotherapy and two surgeries, but became addicted to drugs. He had been taking prescription drugs for the pain and marijuana for nausea. He quickly became addicted to harder drugs. Despite numerous stays at rehabilitation clinics, he never conquered his addiction.

He was married to Angela Clayton, a wardrobe assistant on In the Heat of the Night, on March 28, 1992, and their son Sean Carroll O'Connor was born in 1993.

On March 28, 1995, the third anniversary of his marriage, O'Connor called his father to tell him he was going to end his life. He told his father he believed he could not beat the drugs and could not face another drug rehabilitation program. Carroll called the police, who arrived at Hugh's Pacific Palisades home just as he shot himself in the head. The police later determined he had cocaine in his blood.

Hugh O'Connor was cremated and his remains buried at the Church of St. Susanna in Rome, Italy. He has a cenotaph at his father's gravesite, leading many people to believe that he is buried there.

Burial:
Westwood Memorial Park *
Los Angeles
Los Angeles County
California, USA

Plot:
Cremated remains buried at the Church of St. Susanna in Rome, Italy.
*Cenotaph

Gale Gordon (actor)

Cause of death: lung cancer

Birth: Feb. 2, 1906
Death: Jun. 30, 1995

Gale Gordon (February 20, 1906 – June 30, 1995) was an American character actor. Remembered best as Lucille Ball's longtime television foil — and particularly as cantankerously combustible, tightfisted bank executive Theodore J. Mooney, on Ball's second television situation comedy, The Lucy Show — Gordon was just as respected for his earlier career in classic American radio, where he was once the highest-paid actor in the medium, even though he was never a top-billed radio star.

Born Charles T. Aldrich, Jr. in New York City, the son of British actress Gloria Gordon and her vaudevillian husband Charles Aldrich, Gordon's first big radio break came was the recurring role of Mayor La Trivia on Fibber McGee and Molly, before playing Rumson Bullard on the show's successful spinoff, The Great Gildersleeve. Gordon was the first actor to play the role of Flash Gordon, in the 1935 radio serial The Amazing Interplanetary Adventures of Flash Gordon. [1] In 1950, Gordon played John Granby in the radio series "Granby's Green Acres", which became the basis for the 1960s television series, "Green Acres." Gordon went on to create the role of pompous principal "Osgood Conklin" on Our Miss Brooks, carrying the role to television when the show moved there in 1952. In the interim, Gordon turned up as Rudolph Atterbury on My Favorite Husband, which starred Lucille Ball in a precursor to I Love Lucy." Gordon and Ball previously worked together on "The Wonder Show" starring Jack Haley from 1938 to 1939. The two had a longterm friendship as well as recurring professional partnership. In addition, Gordon landed a recurring role as fictitious Rexall Drugs sponsor representative Mr. Scott on yet another radio hit, The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show, staying with the role as long as Rexall sponsored the show.

The widely acknowledged master of the "slow-burn" temper explosion in character, Gordon was actually the first pick to play Fred Mertz on I Love Lucy, but he was committed to Our Miss Brooks and had to decline the offer in favor of William Frawley. But he did make two guest shots on the show as Ricky Ricardo's boss, Alvin Littlefield, owner of the Tropicana Club where Ricky's band played, and later played a judge on a The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour episode. (Gordon also had a co-starring role in the television comedy Pete and Gladys.)

In 1962, Ball created The Lucy Show and planned to hire Gordon to play Mr. Mooney, the banker who was first Lucy Carmichael's executor and subsequently her employer, when she went to work in his bank. Gordon, however, was still under contract to play the second Mr. Wilson (after the death of Joseph Kearns) on Dennis the Menace. When that show ended in spring 1963, Gordon joined The Lucy Show as Mooney for the 1963-64 season. In the interim, Charles Lane played the similar Mr. Barnsdahl character for the 1962-63 season. The somewhat portly Gordon was not only adept at physical comedy, but could do a perfect cartwheel. He did this once on The Lucy Show, and again as a guest on The Dean Martin Show.

After the sale of Desilu studios, Ball shut down The Lucy Show in 1968 and retooled it into Here's Lucy. She used Gordon yet again---this time as her irascible boss (and brother-in-law) Harry Carter, at an employment agency that specialized in unusual jobs. It was really the Lucy Carmichael/Mr. Mooney relationship continued with new names and a new setting.

Gordon all but retired when Here's Lucy ended (although he did reprise his role of Mr. Mooney in the first aired episode of Hi Honey, I'm Home!), but in the 1980s he came out of retirement to join Ball one last time, for the short-lived Life With Lucy. When Lucille Ball finally called it a career, Gale Gordon turned out to be the only actor to have co-starred or guest-starred in every weekly series, radio or television, she had done since the 1940s.

Gale Gordon died of lung cancer at age 89 in Escondido, California not long after the death of Virginia, his wife of nearly 60 years. They had no children.

Burial:
Cremated, Ashes given to family or friend.

Slappy White (actor/comedian)

Cause of death: Heart Attack

Birth: Sep. 20, 1921
Death: Nov. 7, 1995

(born Melvin White, September 20, 1921, Baltimore, MD, died November 7, 1995, Brigantine, NJ) was an American comedian and actor. He worked with Redd Foxx on the Chitlin' circuit of stand-up comedy during the 1950s and 1960s. He appeared on the television shows Sanford and Son, Blossom, and Cybill and in the films Mr. Saturday Night and Amazon Women on the Moon.

One of his jokes: "I went into a new barbershop in my neighborhood and told the brother, "Give me that Afro look". Well, I fell asleep in the chair. And when I woke up, I had a bone in my nose."

Slappy White's official biography reported that he actually "ran away to join the circus" as a child. White's most notable success in later years was his being a fixture at the infamous Friar's Club "Roasts" where he routinely delivered memorable performances that stood toe to toe with roast legends like Milton Berle, Jackie Vernon, Pat Buttram and Dick Shawn. White was very well known as a reliable "heavy hitter" by the roast organizers, capable of "saving" a roast that had lost momentum due to lesser comics bombing.

Among the many of Slappy White's risque' routines performed at the roasts was a joke about an early spiritual black man questioning God about his physical features thusly: "... and so the black man said to God... Lord why is my skin this dark?" "... and the Lord replied My Son, it is so that the intense sun in Africa will not burn you" "... and then he said Lord, why is my head covered with large mass of kinky hair?" "... and the Lord replied My Son that is so that the mosquitoes and other insects in Africa cannot bite your head" "... so this Black dude says ... Then God, why the fuck am I in Detroit?"

In contrast to the ability to hold his own in the off-color humor world of the Friars Roasts, Slappy White also wrote and performed a highly respected and innovative "straight" routine using one black and one white glove while reciting his poem about equality between men. Performed many times at the height of the civil rights movement in America, White once recounted that President John F. Kennedy gave it a heartfelt standing ovation.

Although not as well known today, Slappy White was one of several unsung heroes who paved the way for the enormous success of the generations of black comedy performers who followed him. White has enjoyed somewhat of a minor renaissance after his death owing to some select "bootleg" recordings of the Friars Club Roasts becoming available through outlets of comedy records.

Burial:
Unknown

Dean Martin (singer/actor)

Cause of death: Acute respiratory failure

Birth: Jun. 7, 1917
Steubenville
Jefferson County
Ohio

Death: Dec. 25, 1995

Legendary Singer, Actor, and Comedian. Born Dino Paul Crocetti in Stuebenville, Ohio. Before acheiving stardom, he performed various job duties, some of which were as a steelmill worker, a service station attendant, a gambler, and he also tried to be a professional boxer. As a boxer, he fought under the name of "Kid Crochet." When asked about his boxing career, he said that he had won "all" but 11 of his 12 bouts. In 1946 his life would change forever when he met a very hard working young up-start named Jerry Lewis. This would mark the beginning of one of Hollywood's greatest teams. During the next 11 years and 16 films, the team of Martin and Lewis not only brought about super-stardom, but it also brought a lot of personal conflicts. These conflicts not only led to their break-up, but the hurt was felt by the two for a great number of years. After the Martin-Lewis split, 1958-59 brought two films for Dean, "The Young Lions" (1958) and a film entitled "Rio Bravo" (1959). In this film, he was not only starring with another Hollywood icon, John Wayne, but also a very popular teen idol, Ricky Nelson. While sharing songs with Nelson in this film, it became a hit with music fans everywhere. A 1960 film, however, added yet another high point in his career. The mega-hit film "Oceans Eleven" would bring with it the ever famous "rat pack" label, when he was teamed with Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop, and Peter Lawford. This proved to be an enduring bond among these greats. Dean's film career continued until 1965, when he made a daring venture into the television industry with "The Dean Martin Show." He hosted this show until 1973, and earned a Golden Globe award. His show would change, and by adding a panel of some of Hollywood's biggest names, the "Dean Martin's Celebrity Roast" was formed. This show would be known as one of the best in television history, and will remain a classic. When the show's run ended in 1984, and after a 19 year stint in tv, he thought it was a time to relax, but after a short respite, he went on a singing tour with his old friends of the "rat pack." But 1987 would bring with it a very tragic event, one from which Dean would never recover, when his son, Dean Paul Martin, was killed in a plane crash. Dean immediately left the rat pack tour, never to return, and he resigned to a solitary life until his death on a Christmas day. In his personal life, Dean was married 3 times, of which all ended in divorce. His first wife was Betty Mcdonald (1940-49) and had 4 children. His second wife was Jeanne Biegger (1949-73) 3 children. And his third wife Catherine Hawn (1973-76) with one step daughter. As a singer, he was known as one of the greatest crooners, and "Dino" was an extremely popular singer with the Italian segment of society. Dean has been honored by Hollywood with 2 stars on the Walk of Fame.

Burial:
Westwood Memorial Park
Los Angeles
Los Angeles County
California, USA

Plot:
Sanctuary of Love, left side
GPS (lat/lon): 34.05869, -118.44067

Joe E. Ross (actor)

Cause of death: heart attack

Birth: Mar. 15, 1914
Death: Aug. 13, 1982

Joe E. Ross (March 15, 1914 - August 13, 1982), was an American actor known for his trademark "Ooh! Ooh!" exclamation, which he used in many of his roles.

He was born Joseph Roszawikz in New York, New York. After attending Seward Park High School, in 1930, he left school at the age of 16 to become a singing waiter at the Van Cortlandt Inn in the Bronx. When the cafe added a girl dancer and singer, Ross was promoted to announcer. He added some jokes and became a comedian.

In 1938, he appeared at the Queens Terrace, near Jackson Heights, New York. Jackie Gleason had already been playing there for 16 weeks, and the manager was about to ask Gleason to stay a while longer. Ross heard of the opening, auditioned for it, got the contract, and also stayed 16 weeks. Ross then turned burlesque comic on the Schuster circuit out of Chicago.

His career was interrupted by World War II, and he served in the Army Air Corps at Camp Blanding, Florida, and later was sent to England.

After war, Ross took the stand as announcer-comic at Billy Gray's Bandbox in Hollywood. He kept his ties to burlesque intact, and appeared in Irving Klaw's feature-length theatrical film Teaserama (1955), a filmed re-creation of a burlesque show.

In 1955, Joe worked at a nightclub in Miami Beach called Club Ciro. It was there that he was spotted by Nat Hiken and Phil Silvers, who were planning a show called You'll Never Get Rich (later known as The Phil Silvers Show) and immediately loved Joe's comedic talent. He was hired on the spot and cast as mess sergeant Rupert Ritzik.

Ross made Ritzik a memorable character. Ritzik was henpecked, dumb, and greedy, so he was an easy mark for Sgt. Bilko's con games. Whenever Ritzik had a sudden inspiration, he would hesitate and stammer "Ooh! Ooh!" before articulating his idea. This catchphrase came from the actor's own frustration when he couldn't remember his next line. Phil Silvers recalled deliberately straying from the scripted dialogue and giving Ross the wrong cues, thus prompting a genuinely confused reaction and an agonized "Ooh! Ooh!" from Ross.

After the The Phil Silvers Show ended in 1959, Nat Hiken went on to produce Car 54, Where Are You? and cast Joe E. Ross in his most famous role as Patrolman Gunther Toody of New York's 53rd Precinct. Fred Gwynne, another Bilko alumnus, played Toody's partner, Francis Muldoon. Toody could usually be counted on at some point to say,"Ooh! Ooh! Francis!" Ross became so identified with his policeman role that he recorded an album of songs entitled "Love Songs from a Cop." Roulette Records released the LP in 1964.

Ross's personal life was as noisy and troubled as his screen characters. Silvers estimated that Ross was married 11 times.

Ross also starred as Gronk in Sherwood Schwartz's ill-fated 1966 sitcom It's About Time, which featured two 1960s American astronauts who were thrown back in time to the prehistoric era.

Ross also was a prominent cartoon voice into the 70s, playing the stereotypical bumbling sergeant in many cartoons such as Hong Kong Phooey (as Sgt. Flint) and Help! It's The Hair Bear Bunch (as Botch). His "Ooh! Ooh!" phrase was emulated by Frank Welker in the animated series Fangface.

Ross died while on stage on August 13, 1982 in Los Angeles, California at the age of 68.

Burial:
Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)
Los Angeles
Los Angeles County
California, USA

Plot:
Summerland, L-149
GPS (lat/lon): 34.15137, -118.3185

Paul Lynde (comedian)

Cause of death: Heart attack

Birth: Jun. 13, 1927
Mount Vernon
Knox County
Ohio

Death: Jan. 10, 1982
Beverly Hills
Los Angeles County
California

Lynde played Samantha's mischievous Uncle Arthur (the practical joker) on the television show "Bewitched." Comic-Actor-Panelist. Born in Mount Vernon, Ohio, Paul Lynde was one of six children of Hoy and Sylvia Lynde. Upon viewing the original “Ben-Hur” film at the tender age of five, little Paul announced he would be a rich and famous actor when he grew up. By the end of his life 50 years later, he was indeed both. Paul Lynde attended Mount Vernon High School, graduating in 1944. Encouraged by his high school drama coach, young Paul enrolled at Northwestern University's Speech and Drama School, where he completed his studies in 1948 as “Best Student Actor of the Year.” After graduation he pursued an actor’s life in New York, surviving four years by waiting tables and selling his own blood for five dollars a pint in order to scrape together the money he needed for food and rent, hoping for a chance at the big time. On Thanksgiving Day 1950, Paul won an amateur talent contest which led to his first New York nightclub gig. Other successful club dates followed, and he was soon cast in “New Faces of 1952”, a hit revue which led to comedy roles in the original stage (and later screen) production of “Bye Bye Birdie.” Besides “Birdie” (with Ann-Margret - 1963), Paul Lynde’s film credits include “New Faces” (with Eartha Kitt - 1954), “Under the Yum Yum Tree” (with Jack Lemmon - 1963), “Son of Flubber” (with Fred Mac Murray - 1963), “Send Me No Flowers” (with Rock Hudson - 1964), “The Glass Bottom Boat” (with Doris Day - 1966), “Charlotte’s Web” (with Debbie Reynolds - 1973), “Rabbit Test” ( with Billy Crystal - 1978), and “The Villain” (with Kirk Douglas - 1979). Television appearances run the gamut from “Bewitched”, “Donny & Marie”, “Love American Style”, “The Munsters”, “The Carol Burnett Show”, and “What’s My Line?”, to his own Special “Paul Lynde Goes Maaad!”, “I’ve Got A Secret”, and - of course - “Hollywood Squares”, where he occupied the center square for nearly a dozen years total, collecting two Emmy Awards for his caustic wit, wisecracking his way to financial independence, gaining international recognition by answering such questions put to him by host Peter Marshall as: “In the ‘Wizard of Oz,’ the lion wanted courage and the tin man wanted a heart. What did the scarecrow want?” Paul: “He wanted the tin man to notice him.” Recorded performances include “New Faces of 1952” (RCA - 1952), “Bye Bye Birdie” (Columbia - 1960), “Zingers From The Hollywood Squares” (Event Records - 1974), and “This is Broadway’s Best” (Columbia CD - 2000). He achieved success as a comedy writer, club performer, director, recording artist, actor on Broadway, in films, television, cartoons and summer stock, and - off the clock - one of Hollywood's finest chefs. About his overloaded schedule he complained, “I can't even get three weeks off to have cosmetic surgery!” Although engaged in ongoing personal struggles in private life, as tabloids and newspapers occasionally reported, Paul Lynde remained appreciated by those in his profession, his personal friends, and legions of fans alike. He was perhaps most famous just for being Paul Lynde. Enigmatic to himself, he opined “I don't know who the hell Paul Lynde is, or why he's funny, and I prefer it to be a mystery to me. An actor shouldn't undergo psychoanalysis, because there are a lot of things you're better off not knowing.” The 55 year old actor passed away unexpectedly on January 10, 1982 of a massive heart attack, in his Beverly Hills North Palm Drive home. His body was discovered in the early hours of January 11 by concerned friends, seeking to determine why Paul Lynde had failed to attend a dinner party the night before. Hollywood services were held at Westwood Village Memorial Park in Westwood, California, with interment at Amity Cemetery, Amity, Ohio.

Burial:
Amity Cemetery
Knox County
Ohio, USA

John A. Belushi

Cause of death: Overdose of cocaine and heroin

Birth: Jan. 24, 1949

Death: Mar. 5, 1982
Hollywood
Los Angeles County
California, USA

In 1975 a new skit comedy program was being cast and John won a spot with an audition featuring his soon to be familiar Samurai character as a pool hustler. John formed a partnership with fellow cast mate Dan Aykroyd and together they introduced the Blues Brothers with a rendition of "Hey Bartender" in the spring of 1978 on SNL and followed it with the released of an album; “Briefcase Full of Blues”. That same year saw the release of “National Lampoon's Animal House” and John became a huge star. John continued as a member of SNL until September of 1979.

Burial:
Elmwood Cemetery and Mausoleum *
River Grove
Cook County
Illinois, USA
*Cenotaph