Roll call of deaths for 2013 A Final Goodbye

By BERNARD McGHEE

Associated Press

Here is a roll call of some of the people who died in 2013 in the world of sports, entertainment, politics and news. (Cause of death cited for younger people if available.)

JANUARY

Patti Page, 85. Singer who stumbled across “Tennessee Waltz” and made it one of the best-selling recordings ever. Jan. 1.

Ned Wertimer, 89. He played Ralph the Doorman on all 11 seasons of the CBS sitcom “The Jeffersons.” Jan. 2.

Aaron Swartz, 26. Co-founder of Reddit and activist who fought to make online content free to the public. Jan. 11. Suicide.

Conrad Bain, 89. Veteran stage and film actor who became a star in middle age as the kindly white adoptive father of two young African-American brothers in the TV sitcom “Diff’rent Strokes.” Jan. 14.

Andre Cassagnes, 86. Inventor of Etch A Sketch, toy that generations of children drew on, shook up and started over. Jan. 16.

Pauline Friedman Phillips, 94. Under the name of Abigail Van Buren, she wrote the long-running “Dear Abby” newspaper advice column read by millions. Jan. 16.

James Hood, 70. One of the first black students who enrolled at the University of Alabama a half century ago in defiance of racial segregation. Jan. 17.

Stan Musial, 92. St. Louis Cardinals star with the corkscrew stance and too many batting records to fit on his Hall of Fame plaque. Jan. 19.

Leroy “Sugarfoot” Bonner, 69. Frontman for the hit-making funk music band the Ohio Players. Jan. 26.

Patty Andrews, 94. Last of the singing Andrews Sisters trio whose hits such as the rollicking “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B” and the poignant “I Can Dream, Can’t I?” captured the home-front spirit of World War II. Jan. 30.

FEBRUARY

Ed Koch, 88. Former New York mayor and combative politician who rescued the city from near-financial ruin during three City Hall terms. Feb. 1.

Lavonne “Pepper” Paire-Davis, 88. A star of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League in the 1940s and an inspiration for the central character in the movie “A League of Their Own.” Feb. 2.

Mindy McCready, 37. She hit the top of the country music charts before personal problems sidetracked her career. Feb. 17. Apparent suicide.

Jerry Buss, 80. Los Angeles Lakers’ playboy owner who shepherded the NBA franchise to 10 championships from the ‘80s Showtime dynasty to the Kobe Bryant era. Feb. 18.

Cleotha Staples, 78. Eldest sibling in the influential gospel group The Staple Singers. Feb. 21.

C. Everett Koop, 96. He raised the profile of the surgeon general by riveting America’s attention on the then-emerging disease known as AIDS and by railing against smoking. Feb. 25.

Van Cliburn, 78. Pianist whose triumph at a 1958 Moscow competition helped thaw the Cold War and launched a spectacular career that made him the rare classical musician to enjoy rock-star status. Feb. 27.

MARCH

Bonnie Franklin, 69. Pert, redheaded actress whom millions came to identify with for her role as divorced mom Ann Romano on the sitcom “One Day at a Time.” March 1.

Hugo Chavez, 58. Fiery populist president of Venezuela who declared a socialist revolution, crusaded against U.S. influence and championed a leftist revival across Latin America. March 5. Cancer.

Harry Reems, 65. Male star of 1972’s “Deep Throat,” which brought pornographic film to mainstream audiences. March 19.

George Lowe, 89. Last surviving climber from the team that made the first successful ascent of Mount Everest. March 20.

Joe Weider, 93. Legendary figure in bodybuilding who helped popularize the sport and played a key role in introducing young weightlifter Arnold Schwarzenegger to the world. March 23.

Phil Ramone, 79. Grammy-winning engineer, arranger and producer whose platinum touch included recordings with Ray Charles, Billy Joel and Paul Simon. March 30. Complications from heart surgery.

APRIL

Roger Ebert, 70. First journalist to win a Pulitzer Prize for movie criticism, who, on his long-running TV review program, wielded the nation’s most influential thumb. April 4.

Margaret Thatcher, 87. Conservative British prime minister who infuriated European allies, found a fellow believer in Ronald Reagan and transformed her country by a ruthless dedication to free markets. April 8. Stroke.

Annette Funicello, 70. Child star as a perky Mouseketeer on “The Mickey Mouse Club” in the 1950s, who then teamed with Frankie Avalon on a string of ‘60s fun-in-the-sun movies with names like “Beach Party Bingo.” April 8. Complications from multiple sclerosis.

Jonathan Winters, 87. Cherub-faced comedian whose breakneck improvisations and misfit characters inspired the likes of Robin Williams and Jim Carrey. April 11.

Pat Summerall, 82. Deep-voiced NFL player-turned-broadcaster who spent half of his four decades calling sports famously paired with John Madden. April 16.

Alan Wood, 90. World War II veteran credited with providing the flag in the famous flag-raising on Iwo Jima. April 18.

Al Neuharth, 89. Founder of USA Today, the nation’s most widely read newspaper. April 19.

Allan Arbus, 95. He played the wise — and wisecracking — psychiatrist Dr. Sidney Freedman on TV’s “M.A.S.H.” April 19.

Leopold Engleitner, 107. Oldest known survivor of Nazi concentration camps. April 21.

George Jones, 81. Peerless, hard-living country singer who recorded dozens of hits about good times and regrets and peaked with the heartbreaker “He Stopped Loving Her Today.” April 26.

MAY

Chris Kelly, 34. Half of the 1990s kid rap duo Kris Kross who made one of the decade’s most memorable songs with “Jump.” May 1. Drug overdose.

Jeanne Cooper, 84. Soap opera star who played grande dame Katherine Chancellor for nearly four decades on “The Young and the Restless.” May 8.

Joyce Brothers, 85. Pop psychologist who pioneered the television advice show in the 1950s and enjoyed a long career as a syndicated columnist, author, and TV and film personality. May 13.

Ken Venturi, 82. Golf star who overcame dehydration to win the 1964 U.S. Open and spent 35 years in the booth for CBS Sports. May 17.

Ray Manzarek, 74. Founding member of the 1960s rock group The Doors whose versatile and often haunting keyboards complemented Jim Morrison’s gloomy baritone. May 20. Cancer.

Rev. Andrew Greeley, 85. Outspoken Roman Catholic priest, best-selling author and Chicago newspaper columnist who criticized church hierarchy over the child sex abuse scandal. May 29.

Jean Stapleton, 90. Stage-trained character actress who played Archie Bunker’s far better half, the sweetly naive Edith, in TV’s groundbreaking 1970s comedy “All in the Family.” May 31.

JUNE

Frank Lautenberg, 89. Multimillionaire New Jersey businessman and the last World War II veteran remaining in the U.S. Senate. June 3.

David “Deacon” Jones, 74. Hall of Fame defensive end credited with coining the word sack for how he knocked down quarterbacks. June 3.

Esther Williams, 91. Swimming champion-turned-actress who starred in glittering, aquatic Technicolor musicals of the 1940s and 1950s. June 6.

Richard Ramirez, 53. Serial killer known as the Night Stalker who left satanic signs at murder scenes during a reign of terror in the 1980s. June 7. Liver failure.

James Gandolfini, 51. Actor whose portrayal of a brutal but emotionally delicate crime boss in HBO’s “The Sopranos” turned the mobster stereotype on its head. June 19. Heart attack.

Slim Whitman, 90. Country singer who sold millions of records through TV ads in the 1980s and 1990s and whose song saved the world in the film comedy “Mars Attacks!” June 19.

Bobby “Blue” Bland, 83. Singer who blended Southern blues and soul in songs such as “Turn on Your Love Light” and “Further On Up the Road.” June 23.

JULY

William H. Gray III, 71. He rose to influential positions in Congress and was the first black majority whip. July 1.

Charles “Chuck” Foley, 82. His Twister game launched decades of awkward social interactions at parties. July 1.

Doug Engelbart, 88. Visionary who invented the computer mouse and developed other technology that has transformed the way people work, play and communicate. July 2.

Amar Bose, 83. Acoustic pioneer and founder and chairman of an audio technology company known for the rich sound of its tabletop radios and its noise-canceling headphones. July 12.

Cory Monteith, 31. Actor on the television show “Glee” who had struggled for years with substance abuse. July 13. Overdose of heroin and alcohol.

Helen Thomas, 92. Irrepressible White House correspondent who used her seat in the front row of history to grill nine presidents. July 20.

Dennis Farina, 69. Onetime Chicago cop who as a popular character actor played a TV cop on “Law & Order” during his wide-ranging career. July 22.

Virginia Johnson, 88. Half of the husband-wife research team that transformed the study of sex in the 1960s and wrote two best-selling books on sexuality. July 24.

George P. Mitchell, 94. Billionaire Texas oilman, developer and philanthropist who was considered the father of fracking. July 26.

William Warren Scranton, 96. Former Pennsylvania governor, presidential candidate and ambassador to the United Nations. July 28.

Berthold Beitz, 99. Honored for saving hundreds of Jews in occupied Poland during World War II, he became one of postwar West Germany’s leading industrialists. July 30.

AUGUST

George Duke, 67. Grammy-winning keyboardist and producer whose sound infused acoustic jazz, electronic jazz, funk, R&B and soul in a 40-year-plus career. Aug. 5.

Florin Cioaba, 58. King of the Gypsies, he was a member of the family that has led Romania’s embattled Roma minority since the 19th century. Aug. 18. Heart attack.

Elmore Leonard, 87. Acclaimed crime novelist whose best-sellers and the movies made from them chronicled the violent deaths of many a thug. Aug. 20. Complications from a stroke.

Muriel “Mickie” Siebert, 84. She started as a trainee on Wall Street and became the first woman to own a seat on the New York Stock Exchange. Aug. 24.

Robert R. Taylor, 77. He put soap in pump bottles and forever changed the way people wash up. Aug. 29. Cancer.

David Frost, 74. Veteran broadcaster who won fame around the world for his interview with former President Richard Nixon. Aug. 31.

SEPTEMBER

Rochus Misch, 96. Adolf Hitler’s devoted bodyguard for most of World War II and the last remaining witness to the Nazi leader’s final hours in his Berlin bunker. Sept. 5.

Ray Dolby, 80. American inventor and audio pioneer who founded Dolby Laboratories. Sept. 12.

Eiji Toyoda, 100. Member of Toyota’s founding family who helped create the super-efficient “Toyota Way” production method. Sept. 17.

Ken Norton, 70. Former heavyweight champion who beat Muhammad Ali and then lost a controversial decision to him in Yankee Stadium. Sept. 18.

Hiroshi Yamauchi, 85. He ran Nintendo for more than 50 years and led the Japanese company’s transition from traditional playing-card maker to video game giant. Sept. 19. Pneumonia.

OCTOBER

Tom Clancy, 66. His high-tech, Cold War thrillers such as “The Hunt for Red October” and “Patriot Games” made him the most widely read and influential military novelist of his time. Oct. 1.

Abraham Nemeth, 94. Blind designer of the internationally recognized Nemeth Braille Math Code that simplified symbols for easier use in advanced math and science. Oct. 2.

Vo Nguyen Giap, 102. Brilliant, ruthless commander who led outgunned Vietnamese to victory first over the French and then the Americans. Oct. 4.

Scott Carpenter, 88. Second American to orbit the Earth and first person to explore both the heights of space and depths of the ocean. Oct. 10. Complications from a stroke.

Erich Priebke, 100. Former Nazi SS captain who evaded arrest for nearly 50 years after taking part in one of the worst atrocities by German occupiers in Italy during World War II. Oct. 11.

Hans Riegel, 90. Longtime boss of German candy maker Haribo who took the gummi bear to international fame. Oct. 15.

Ed Lauter, 74. Character actor whose long, angular face and stern bearing made him instantly recognizable in scores of movies and TV shows over five decades. Oct. 16. Mesothelioma.

Lou Scheimer, 84. He founded the Filmation animation studio that produced Saturday morning cartoons including “Fat Albert” and “The Archie Show.” Oct. 17.

Bum Phillips, 90. Folksy Texas football icon who coached the Houston Oilers during their Luv Ya Blue heyday and later led the New Orleans Saints. Oct. 18.

Tom Foley, 84. Courtly former speaker of the U.S. House who lost his seat when Republicans seized control of Congress in 1994. Oct. 18. Complications from a stroke.

Lou Reed, 71. Punk poet of rock ‘n’ roll who profoundly influenced generations of musicians as leader of the Velvet Underground and remained a vital solo performer for decades after. Oct. 27.

NOVEMBER

George Magovern, 89. Pittsburgh cardiovascular surgeon who pioneered artificial heart valves. Nov. 4.

Merrell Williams Jr., 72. Onetime paralegal who took on Big Tobacco as a whistleblower who leaked internal documents exposing health risks and the addictiveness of cigarettes. Nov. 18.

Sylvia Browne, 77. Psychic who made frequent appearances on programs such as “Larry King Live” and “The Montel Williams Show.” Nov. 20.

Jane Kean, 90. Performer who got her start in musical theater but was best known as Trixie alongside Jackie Gleason on a TV revival of “The Honeymooners.” Nov. 26.

Paul Walker, 40. Star of the “Fast & Furious” movie series. Nov. 30. Car crash.

Paul Crouch, 79. Televangelist who built what’s been called the world’s largest Christian broadcasting network. Nov. 30.

DECEMBER

Edward J. “Babe” Heffron, 90. His World War II Army service was recounted in the book and TV miniseries “Band of Brothers.” Dec. 1.

Heinrich Boere, 92. He murdered Dutch civilians as part of a Nazi Waffen SS hit squad during World War II but avoided justice for six decades. Dec. 1.

Nelson Mandela, 95. Colossus of the 20th century who emerged from 27 years in prison to negotiate an end to white minority rule in South Africa and became that nation’s first black president. Dec. 5.

Jang Song Thaek, 67. Uncle of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who was long considered the country’s No. 2 power. Dec. 12. Executed.

Wilfred Billey, 90. A Navajo Code Talker, whose words are inscribed on congressional medals given to his group and who fought to have a World War II comrade recognized for his service. Dec. 12.

Peter O’Toole, 81. Charismatic actor who achieved instant stardom as the title character of “Lawrence of Arabia” and was nominated eight times for an Academy Award. Dec. 14.

Joan Fontaine, 96. Academy Award-winning actress who found stardom playing naive wives in Alfred Hitchcock’s “Suspicion” and “Rebecca” and also was featured in films by Billy Wilder, Fritz Lang and Nicholas Ray. Dec. 15.

Ray Price, 87. One of country music’s most popular and influential singers and bandleaders who had more than 100 hits. Dec. 16.

Al Goldstein, 77. The publisher of Screw magazine who helped break down legal barriers against pornography and raged against politicians and organized religion. Dec. 19.

Mikhail Kalashnikov, 94. His work as a weapons designer for the Soviet Union is immortalized in the name of the world’s most popular firearm, the AK-47 assault rifle, which is often called “a Kalashnikov.” Dec. 23.