Welcome, God and All...
It's been some time since I allowed myself the opportunity to post a reflection. Enough has been going on, and it's getting harder to make postings quickly.
Today, though, we once more approach the day of All Hallows; that time in the Church year when we reflect on our own mortality by recalling all who have died. It has become an annual tradition of mine to borrow from the Wikipedian almanac and offer a partial listing of the famous and infamous who were summoned into eternal life over the last twelve months. When I last checked, my name wasn't on the list...but you never know.
October (25 – 31) 2022
25 - Jules Bass, 87, animator and television producer (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, The Last Unicorn) (b. 1935)
28 - Jerry Lee Lewis, 87, singer, ("Great Balls of Fire", "Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On", "High School Confidential") (b. 1935)
31 – Peter J. Rooney, 72, American Roman Catholic deacon, cancer (b. 1950)
November 2022
1 - Takeoff, 28, rapper (Migos) (b. 1994)
5 - Aaron Carter, 34, singer ("Crush on You", "Aaron's Party (Come Get It)", "Leave It Up to Me") (b. 1987)
9 - Fred Hickman, 66, broadcaster (CNN, ESPN, Black News Channel), Emmy winner (2004) (b. 1956)
11 - Gallagher, 76, comedian (b. 1946)
16 - Robert Clary, 96, French-born actor (Hogan's Heroes, Days of Our Lives, The Bold and the Beautiful) (b. 1926)
25 - Irene Cara, 63, singer ("Flashdance... What a Feeling") and actress (Sparkle, Fame), Oscar winner (1983) (b. 1959)
26 - Paul J. Swain, 79, Roman Catholic prelate, bishop of Sioux Falls (2006–2019) (b. 1943)
December 2022
1 - Gaylord Perry, 84, Hall of Fame baseball player (San Francisco Giants, Cleveland Indians, San Diego Padres) (b. 1938)
4 - Bob McGrath, 90, actor (Sesame Street) (b. 1932)
5 - Kirstie Alley, 71, actress (Cheers, Veronica's Closet, Look Who's Talking) (b. 1951)
14 - John Hughes, 92, British-born journalist (The Christian Science Monitor, Deseret News), Pulitzer Prize winner (1967) (b. 1930)
20 - Franco Harris, 72, Hall of Fame football player (Pittsburgh Steelers, Seattle Seahawks) (b. 1950)
31 - Anita Pointer, 74, singer (The Pointer Sisters) (b. 1948)
2023
January
7 - Adam Rich, 54, actor (Eight Is Enough, Dungeons & Dragons, The Devil and Max Devlin) (b. 1968)
9 - Les Brown Jr., 82, musician, actor and producer (b. 1940)
12 - Lisa Marie Presley, 54, singer-songwriter ("Lights Out"), and daughter of Elvis Presley (b. 1968)
13 - Robbie Knievel, 60, daredevil and stuntman (b. 1962)
15 - Ted Savage, 86, baseball player (St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers) (b. 1936)
16 - Frank Thomas, 93, baseball player (New York Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies) (b. 1929)
18 - David Crosby, 81, Hall of Fame singer (The Byrds, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young) and songwriter ("Almost Cut My Hair") (b. 1941)
25 - Cindy Williams, 75, actress (Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, American Graffiti) (b. 1947)
31 - Lou Campanelli, 84, basketball coach (James Madison Dukes, California Golden Bears) (b. 1938)
February
8 - Burt Bacharach, 94, Hall of Fame composer ("Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head", "Walk On By", "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)"), six-time Grammy winner (b. 1928)
13 - Huey "Piano" Smith, 89, R&B pianist and songwriter ("Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu") (b. 1934)
15 - David Oreck, 99, entrepreneur (b. 1923)
15 - Raquel Welch, 82, actress (One Million Years B.C., The Three Musketeers, Fantastic Voyage) (b. 1940)
16 - Tim McCarver, 81, baseball player (St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies) and broadcaster (Fox Sports) (b. 1941)
March
4 - Robert Haimer, 69, musician (Barnes & Barnes) and songwriter ("Fish Heads") (b. 1954)
7 - Tom Love, 85, entrepreneur, founder of Love's (b. 1937)
9 - Robert Blake, 89, actor (Baretta, In Cold Blood, Electra Glide in Blue, Lost Highway) (b. 1933)
10 - Jesús Alou, 80, Dominican baseball player (San Francisco Giants, Houston Astros, Oakland Athletics) (b. 1942)
10 - Napoleon XIV, 84, singer ("They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!") (b. 1938)
11 - Bud Grant, 95, basketball player (Minneapolis Lakers), Hall of Fame football player (Winnipeg Blue Bombers) and coach (Minnesota Vikings) (b. 1927)
13 - Jim Gordon, 77, musician (Derek and the Dominos), songwriter ("Layla") and convicted murderer (b. 1945)
13 - Eric Lloyd Wright, 93, architect (b. 1929)
21 - Willis Reed, 80, Hall of Fame basketball player (New York Knicks) and coach (New Jersey Nets), NBA champion (1970, 1973) (b. 1942)
22 - Len Goodman, 78, English ballroom dancer, television presenter, and coach (Strictly Come Dancing, Dancing with the Stars), bone cancer (b. 1944)
23 - Darcelle XV, 92, drag queen (b. 1930)
30 - Mark Russell, 90, political satirist and comedian (b. 1932)
April
10 - Al Jaffee, 102, cartoonist (Mad, Trump, Humbug) (b. 1921)
19 - Otis Redding III, 59, singer (The Reddings) (b. 1963)
27 - Jerry Springer, 79, television host (The Jerry Springer Show) and politician, mayor of Cincinnati (1977–1978) (b. 1944)
May
6 - Vida Blue, 73, baseball player (Oakland Athletics, San Francisco Giants, Kansas City Royals), three-time World Series champion (1972, 1973, 1974) (b. 1949)
9 - Edward Cullen, 90, Roman Catholic prelate, bishop of Allentown (1998–2009) and auxiliary bishop of Philadelphia (1994–1998) (b. 1933)
11 - Joe A. Garcia, 70, indigenous political activist and musician, president of the National Congress of American Indians (2006–2009) (b. 1952)
21 - Ed Ames, 95, singer (Ames Brothers) and actor (Daniel Boone) (b. 1927)
22 - Peggy Lee Leather, 64, professional wrestler (WWF, NWA) (b. 1959)
22 - James Lewis, 63, singer (Trans-Siberian Orchestra) (b. 1959)
24 - George Maharis, 94, actor (Route 66, The Most Deadly Game, Fantasy Island) (b. 1928)
24 - Tina Turner, 83, American-born Swiss singer ("River Deep – Mountain High", "A Fool in Love") and actress (Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome), eight-time Grammy winner (b. 1939)
June
3 - Michael Sheehan, 83, Roman Catholic prelate, bishop of Lubbock (1983–1993) and archbishop of Santa Fe (1993–2015) (b. 1939)
4 - George Winston, 73, pianist (December, Summer, Forest), Grammy winner (1996) (b. 1949)
7 - The Iron Sheik, 81, Iranian-born Hall of Fame professional wrestler (AWA, WWF) (b. 1942)
8 - Pat Robertson, 93, media mogul, religious broadcaster, chairman of the Christian Broadcasting Network and presidential candidate (1988) (b. 1930)
10 - Ted Kaczynski, 81, mathematician and domestic terrorist (Unabomber Manifesto) (b. 1942)
12 - Treat Williams, 71, actor (Hair, Everwood, Once Upon a Time in America, Chicago Fire) (b. 1951)
26 - Dick Biondi, 90, disc jockey (b. 1932)
29 - Alan Arkin, 89, actor (The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming, Edward Scissorhands, Little Miss Sunshine), Oscar winner (2006) (b. 1934)
29 - Don Kennedy, 93, radio broadcaster (WPIC, NBC Radio, WWPW), television personality (WSB-TV), and voice actor (Space Ghost Coast to Coast) (b. 1930)
July
2 - Joseph John Gerry, 94, Roman Catholic prelate, bishop of Portland (1989–2004) and auxiliary bishop of Manchester (1986–1989) (b. 1928)
3 - Vince Tobin, 79, football coach (Arizona Cardinals) (b. 1943)
6 - Peter Nero, 89, pianist and conductor (Philly Pops), Grammy winner (1962, 1963) (b. 1934)
15 - William O'Malley, 91, Roman Catholic priest and actor (The Exorcist) (b. 1931)
21 - Tony Bennett, 96, jazz and traditional pop singer ("I Left My Heart in San Francisco", "Rags to Riches", "Because of You") (b. 1926)
25 - Rocky Wirtz, 70, businessman, owner of the Chicago Blackhawks (since 2007) and president of Wirtz Corporation (since 2007) (b. 1952)
26 - Randy Meisner, 77, Hall of Fame musician (Eagles, Poco) and songwriter ("Take It to the Limit"), Grammy winner (1976, 1978) (b. 1946)
30 - Paul Reubens, 70, actor (Pee-wee's Big Adventure, Pee-wee's Playhouse, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Blow) (b. 1952)
August
7 - DJ Casper, 58, DJ and songwriter ("Cha Cha Slide") (b. 1965)
22 - Vaccine, 43, musician and record producer (b. 1979)
23 - Terry Funk, 79, Hall of Fame professional wrestler (NWA, WWF) and actor (Paradise Alley, Over the Top, Road House) (b. 1944)
24 - Bray Wyatt, 36, professional wrestler (WWE) (b. 1987)
26 - Tony Roberts, 94, sportscaster (Notre Dame Fighting Irish football) (b. 1928)
27 - Joe the Plumber, 49, conservative activist and commentator (b. 1973)
September
1 - Jimmy Buffett, 76, singer-songwriter ("Margaritaville", "Come Monday", "Cheeseburger in Paradise") and businessman, founder of Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville (b. 1946)
4 - Gary Wright, 80, singer-songwriter ("Dream Weaver", "Love Is Alive") and musician (Spooky Tooth) (b. 1943)
26 - Brooks Robinson, 86, Hall of Fame baseball player (Baltimore Orioles), World Series champion (1966, 1970) (b. 1937)
29 - Dianne Feinstein, 90, politician, member of the U.S. Senate (since 1992), mayor of San Francisco (1978–1988) and president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors (1978) (b. 1933)
October (through 10/28)
5 - Dick Butkus, 80, Hall of Fame football player (Chicago Bears) and actor (Hang Time, Johnny Dangerously) (b. 1942)
7 – The 14 Israeli nationals killed by the Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas
14 - Piper Laurie, 91, American actress (Carrie, The Hustler, Children of a Lesser God), Emmy winner (1987) (b. 1932)
14 - Wadea Al-Fayoume, 6, American child, stabbed at his home in Plainfield Township, Illinois, in a retaliatory hate crime stemming from the Hamas attack on the 7th (b. 2017)
15 - Suzanne Somers, 76, American actress (Three's Company, Step by Step, She's the Sheriff), breast cancer (b. 1946)
23 - Harry Porterfield, 95, American newscaster (WBBM-TV, WLS-TV) (b. 1928)
24 - Richard Roundtree, 81, American actor (Shaft, Se7en, Speed Racer), pancreatic cancer (b. 1942)
26 - Richard Moll, 80, American actor (Night Court, House, Batman: The Animated Series) (b. 1943)
28 - Matthew Perry, 54, American-Canadian actor (Friends, The Whole Nine Yards, Fallout: New Vegas) (b. 1969)
28 – Steven Zeier, ~72, American high school educator, stroke
...and all victims of violence throughout the world.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through Your mercy, O God, rest in peace.
