Some More 2020 Deaths, October-December: Gibson, Morgan, Dinkins, Maradona, Prowse, and Johnson

DEATHS IN OCTOBER

BOB GIBSON, 84

Baseball Hall of Famer and dominating St. Louis Cardinals pitcher.  Died October 2.

JOE MORGAN, 77

Hall of Fame second baseman became the sparkplug of the dominant Cincinnati teams of the mid-1970s.  Died October 11.

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DEATHS IN NOVEMBER

DAVID DINKINS, 93

Broke barriers as New York City's first black mayor.  Died November 23.

DIEGO MARADONA, 60

Argentine soccer great who scored the "Hand of God" goal in 1986 and led his country to that year's World Cup title.  Died November 25.

DAVE PROWSE, 85

British weight lifter-turned-actor who was the body of arch-villain Darth Vader in the original "Star Wars" trilogy.  Died November 28.

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DECEMBER

RAFER JOHNSON, 86

Won the decathlon at the 1960 Rome Olympics and helped subdue Robert F. Kennedy's assassin in 1968.  Died December 2.

Some More 2020 Deaths in July: Downs, Riviera and Cain

 Deaths in July 2020.

JULY

HUGH DOWNS, 99

Genial broadcaster who became one of television's most welcome faces on news, game and talk shows.  Died July 1.

NAYA RIVIERA,  33

Singer and actor who played a gay cheerleader in the TV hit musical comedy "Glee,"  Died July 8.

HERMAN CAIN, 74

Former Republican presidential candidate and former CEO of a Godfather's Pizza chain.  Died July 30.

Some More 2020 Deaths: Shula, George, Christo, Unseld, Smith, Reiner

Deaths in May and June.

DON SHULA, 90

He won the most games of any NFL coach and led the Miami Dolphins to the only perfect season in league history.  Died May 4.

PHYLLLIS GEORGE, 70

Former Miss America who became a female sportscasting pioneer on CBS' "The NFL Today."  Died May 14.

CHRISTO, 84

He was known for ephemeral public art projects that often involved wrapping large structures in fabric.  Died May 31.

WES UNSELD, 74

The workmanlike Hall of Fame center who led Washington to its only NBA championship.  Died June 2.

JEAN KENNEDY SMITH, 92

Last surviving sibling of President John F. Kennedy.  Died June 2.

CARL REINER, 98

Writer, actor, director who rose to comedy's front ranks as creator of "The Dick Van Dyke Show."  Died June 29.

Some More 2020 Deaths: Marsalls, Graves, Prine, Drucker, Khan

DEATHS IN APRIL

ELLIS MARSALLS JR. 85

Jazz pianist, teacher and patriarch of a New Orleans musical family.  Died April 1.

EARL GRAVES SR., 85

He championed black businesses as founder of the first black-owned magazine focusing on black entrepreneurs.  Died April 6.

JOHN PRINE, 73

The singer-songwriter who explored the heartbreaks, indignities and absurdities of everyday life.  April 7.

MORT DRUCKER, 91

The Mad magazine cartoonist who for decades lovingly spoofed politicians, celebrities and popular culture.  (He sure warped me a tad.)  Died April 9.

IRRFAN KHAN, 54

A veteran character actor in Bollywood movies.  Died April 29.

Some More 2020 Deaths: Neal, Lowery, Withers

MARCH 2020

FRED "CURLY" NEAL, 77

The dribbling wizard who entertained millions with the Harlem Globetrotters.  March 26.

THE REV. JOSEPH E. LOWERY, 98

A veteran civil rights leader who helped the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.  March 27

BILL WITHERS, 81

He wrote and sang songs in the 1970s including "Lean on Me," "Lovely Day" and "Ain't No Sunshine."  March 30.

Some More 2020 Deaths: Wright, Johnson, Mubarak, Welch and McNally

FEBRUARY

MICKEY WRIGHT, 85

Golf great who won 13 majors among her 82 victories and gave the new LPGA a crucial lift.  Died Feb. 17.

KATHERINE JOHNSON, 101

A mathematician who calculated rocket trajectories and Earth orbits for NASA's early space missions and was later portrayed in the 2016 hit film "Hidden Figures."  Feb. 24.

HOSNI MUBARAK, 91

The Egyptian leader who was the autocratic face of stability in the Middle East for nearly 30 years being being forced from power.  Feb. 25.

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MARCH

JACK WELCH, 84

He transformed General Electric Co. into a highly profitable multinational conglomerate.  March 1.

TERRENCE McNALLY, 81

One of America's great playwrights whose prolific career included winning Tony Awards for the plays "Love! Valour! Compassion!" and "Master Class" and the musicals "Ragtime" and "Kiss of the Spider Woman."  Died March 24

Some More 2020 Deaths-- Part 2: Heath, Jones, Lehrer and Clark

These are folks I didn't write about in my December list of deaths.

DEATHS IN JANUARY

JIMMY HEATH, 93

Grammy-nominated jazz saxophonist.  Died Jan. 19

TERRY JONES, 77

Founding member of the really zany Monty Python group.  Died Jan. 21

JIM LEHRER, 85

Longtime host of the nightly PBS "News Hour."  Died Jan. 23.

MARY HIGGINS CLARK, 92

"Queen of Suspense" whose stories of women beating the odds made her one of the world's most popular writers..  Died Jan. 31.

Some More 2020 Deaths-- Part 1: Stern, Larsen and Peart

From the December 27, 2020, Chicago Tribune "World mourns losses in year of virus" by Bernard McGhee, AP.

I have already listed a lot of people who died last year in the last several posts from 2020.  These are additional ones.  Any music people in the list will have a more detailed mention in my Down Da Road I Go blog under Music Deaths.

This has the deaths listed by month.

JANUARY

DAVID STERN-  77

The basketball-loving lawyer who ran the NBA for 30 years as the longest-serving commissioner.  Jan. 1.

DON LARSEN, 90

Threw a perfect game in 1956 with the New York Yankees for the only no-hitter/perfect game in World Series history.  Jan. 1.

NEIL PEART, 67

Renowned drummer for the Canadian band Rush.  Jan. 7

We Remember People We Lost in 2020-- Part 7: Stiller, Philbin, Reiner, Prine, Davis and Holm

JERRY STILLER, 92

The George's father in "Seinfeld" and Carrie's in "King of Queens."  With wife, was the comedy duo of Stiller and Meara.  Also in movies like "Zoolander and with his son Ben in "The Heartbreak Kid."  Died May 11.

REGIS PHILBIN, 88

Best known as host of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" and "Live! With Regis and Kelly.  Set a Guinness World Record for "Most Hours on Camera" in 2004. Died July 24.

CARL REINER, 98

Laid the building blocks of TV comedy in the 1950s and 1960s.  Directed movies including four with Steve Martin, including "The Jerk."  Of course "The Dick Van Dyke Show."  Died June 29.

JOHN PRINE, 73

Illinois-born and a great one.  Singer-songwriter.  I liked him before his death, but really didn't know how great he was until I went to YouTube and started listening to his songs.  Wow, what a talent.  Died April 7.

MAC DAVIS, 78

Country singer-songwriter who wrote "In the Ghetto" for Elvis and sang "Baby, Don't Get Hooked On me."  Then there's my favorite "It's Hard to Be Humble."  Died September 29.

IAN HOLM, 88

Star of stage and probably best known for his role as Bilbo Baggins in "The Lord of the Rings."  Died June 19.

We Remember People We Lost in 2020-- Part 6: Brimly, Osmond, Dubois, Lewis, Rogers and Morricone

WILFORD BRIMLEY, 85

Recognized for his thick mustache and down-home drawl and performances in "The China Syndrome," Cocoon," Absence of Malice" and  "The Natural."  Was a real-life cowboy.  Died August 1.

KEN OSMOND (EDDIE HASKELL), 76

If Eddie Haskell doesn't do it, then think "Leave It to Beaver."  Wally's buddy and character indeed.  Died May 18.

JA'NET DUBOIS, 74

Played neighbor Willona Woods on "Good Times" TV show and co-write and sang the theme song to "The Jeffersons."    You know, "Moving On Up."  Okay, stop singing it now.  Died February 17.

REP. JOHN LEWIS, 80

Famed Civil Rights activist and member of the U.S. House of Representatives.  One of the 13 original Freedom Riders and led the "Bloody Sunday" march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.  Died July 17.

KENNY ROGERS, 81

Sang many crossover hits from country to pop like "The Gambler," "Islands in the Stream" and "We've Got Tonight."  First gained fame in the 1960s with the group First Edition and "Just Dropped In (To see What Condition My Condition Was In)."  Died March 20.

ENNIO MORRICONE, 91

Italian composer who orchestrated more than 500 movies including the Spaghetti westerns "A Fistful of Dollars" and "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly."  Died July 6.

We Remember People We Lost in 2020-- Part 5: Lopez, Dennehy, Pointer, Wurtzel and Khan

TRINI LOPEZ, 83

Singer best known for his cover of "If I Had a Hammer" died August 21

BRIAN DENNEHY, 81

Had more than 180 acting credits and lauded for roles a s Willy Loman in "Death of a Salesman" and voice of Django the rat in "Ratatouille."  Died April 15.

PATRICIA EVA "BONNIE" POINTER, 69

Was a member of and songwriter for the Pointer Sisters who won three R&B Grammys for songs such as "Fire," "I'm So Excited" and "Jump for My Love."  Died June 8.

ELIZABETH WURTZEL, 52

Opened the door for dialogue on mental health with her memoir "Prozac Nation: Young and Depressed in America."  Died January 7.

IRRFAN KHAN, 53

Gained fame from his roles in "Life of Pi," "Slumdog Millionaire," "Spider-Man" and "Jurassic World."  Died April 29.

We Remember People We Lost in 2020-- Part 4: Douglas, Willard, Reddy and Van Halen

KIRK DOUGLAS, 103

One of the last remaining stars of Hollywood's Golden Age.  Known for many movies, but the biggest was "Spartacus."  Died February 5.  "My name is Spartacus!"

FRED WILLARD, 86

Always made us laugh on TV and in the movies.  Some of his TV shows:  "Modern Family," "Everybody Loves Raymond.  Plus "This Is Spinal Tap" in the movies.  I had often seen him, but didn't know his name.

HELEN REDDY, 78

She had a lot of hits, including "Delta Dawn" and "Angie Baby" (one really strange song).  But, by far best known  for her 1972 smash "I Am Woman."  Died September 29.  I wrote about the musicians on this list in more detail in my Down Da Road I Go blog under Music Deaths.

EDDIE VAN HALEN, 65

The lead guitarist of the rock band Van Halen, and, what a guitarist.  Some of their great songs: "Jump," "Panama" and "Hot for Teacher."  Married TV Star Valerie Bertinelli of "One Day At a Time."  Died October 6.

We Remember People We Lost in 2020-- Part 3: Sayers, Glenn, Cardoz, Withers and Little Richard

GALE SAYERS, 77

Former NFL running back and member of the NFL Hall of Fame.  Played for the Chicago Bears.  Died September 23.  When he'd break loose, it was off to the races.  The "Kansas Comet,"  Da BEARS!!!!!   A reason I'm a Bears fan.

ANNIE GLENN, 100

Disabilities advocate.  Died May 18.

FLOYD CARDOZ, 59

Chef.  Died March 25

BILL WITHERS, 81

Soul singer.  Died March 30.

LITTLE RICHARD, 87

One of Rock's first successful black crossover artists.  "Tutti Fruiti," "Long Tall Sally, and "Good Golly Miss Molly."  Born Wayne Penniman.  Died May 9.

We Remember People We Lost in 2020-- Part 2: Bryant, Connery, Preston, De Havilland and Trebeck

KOBE BRYANT, 41

Eighteen-time NBA All-Star.  Won five NBA Championships.  Died January 26.

SEAN CONNERY, 90

Probably the most famous and beloved Agent 007s.  Played James Bond 7 times.  Also "The Untouchables," ""Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" and "The Hunt for Red October."  Died October 31.

KELLY PRESTON, 57

Actress.  "Jerry Maguire."  Husband was John Travolta.  Died July 12.

OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND, 104

The last living lead of 1939's "Gone With the Wind."  Played Scarlett O'Hara's sister-in-law.  Nominated for five Academy Awards during her50-year career.  Died July 26.

ALEX TREBECK, 80

Longtime host of "Jeopardy."  Began hosting it in 1984.  Died November 8.

We Remember, People We Lost in 2020-- Part 1: Boseman, Daniels, Ginsburg and Rigg

From the December 6, 2020, Parade Magazine "We remember" by Dillon Dodson.

I do Music Deaths in my Down Da Road I Go blog.

CHADWICK BOSEMAN, 42

Movie actor.  "42" (Jackie Robinson), "Get On Up" (James Brown), "Marshall" (Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall and, of course, "Black Panther." Died August 28.

CHARLIE DANIELS, 83

A whole lot of great music, especially "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" a #1 crossover hit in 1979.  Died July 6.

RUTH BADER GINSBURG, 87

Supreme Court Justice.  Leader in women's rights and gender equality movement.  Died September 18.

DIANA RIGG, 82

Actress "Game of Thrones" and "Avengers" TV show.  Died September 10.