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Canwest News Service
January.
Jan. 1
Helen Suzman. For decades she was the only elected official in South Africa to speak out against Apartheid. She also used to visit Nelson Mandela in prison and was twice nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts. She was 91.
Jan. 2.
Jett Travolta. The 16-year-old son of actors John Travolta and Kelly Preston, who had undisclosed disabilities, died of a seizure while the family vacationed in the Bahamas.
Jan. 6
Ron Asheton. A guitarist and founding member of the rock band The Stooges, which included Iggy Pop, was found dead in his home in Ann Arbor, Mich. Foul play was not suspected.
Jan. 10
Jean Pelletier. Longtime former mayor of Quebec City, Pelletier moved to Ottawa as chief of staff to former prime minister Jean Chretien. A public inquiry ascribed some blame for the sponsorship scandal to Pelletier and he was twice fired by Paul Martin as head of Via Rail only to win wrongful dismissal lawsuits. He died of cancer in hospital in Quebec. He was 73.
Jan. 11
Daryl (Doc) Seaman. An oil industry pioneer who bought the Altanta Flames hockey team and moved them to Calgary in 1980. He died in Calgary, aged 86.
Jan. 13
Patrick McGoohan. A British raised television and movie actor is best remembered for playing Number 6, a former spy held prisoner by the government in the cult program The Prisoner died after a short illness. He was 80.
Jan. 14
Ricardo Montalban. A Mexican born actor best known for playing the mysterious host of Fantasy Island, Mr. Roarke. He was 88.
Jan. 16
Andrew Wyeth. An American painter known for the sad realism of his paintings died at his home near Philadelphia. He was 91.
John Mortimer. The British author who created the curmudgeon lawyer Rumpole of the Bailey died at his home outside London after a long illness. He was 85.
Jan. 17
Susanna Foster. A singer and actress from the 1930s and 1940 starred as the original Christine in the 1943 version of Phantom of the Opera. She was 84.
Jan. 21
Stan Hagen. British Columbia minister of agriculture and lands collapsed at a Victoria tea house and died from a heart attack. He was 68.
Jan. 23
Helen Maksagak. The first Commissioner of the new territory of Nunavut. She died of cancer in Cambridge Bay. She was 77.
Jan. 26
James Brady. American journalist whose claim to fame is being the main contributor to Page Six the iconic celebrity gossip page of the New York Post. He was 80.
Jan. 27
John Updike. American writer famous for poetry, short stories, essays as well as novels he won two Pulitzer Prizes for books about Harry (Rabbit) Angstrom in the early 1980s. He died of lung cancer. He was 76.
Jan. 29.
John Martyn. British folksinger who was as well known for his guitar playing as for his substance abuse. He was 60.
Feb. 2.
Russ Germain. Veteran CBC radio host, known for his love of grammar, lost his battle with cancer at the age of 62.
Feb. 3
Millard Fuller. The founder of Habitat for Humanity, a charity that helps build affordable housing to help people out of poverty, died after a brief illness. He was 74.
Feb. 6
John Grace. A former journalist with the Ottawa Journal, he became Canada’s first privacy commissioner, then was appointed Information Commissioner. He died in Ottawa of a heart attack. He was 82.
James Whitmore. Versatile American actor, he won acclaim on Broadway and in movies and television. He died of lung cancer at his Malibu home. He was 87.
Feb. 7
John H. (Jack) Cover. American scientist with the space program in the 1960s also invented the technology for the first conducted energy stun gun which he dubbed a Taser. He was 88.
Feb. 8
Gary Rosenfeldt. Rosenfeldt and his wife Sharon formed Victims of Violence, a national support and lobby group, after stepson Daryn Johnsrude, 16, was murdered by serial killer Clifford Olson in 1981. Rosenfeldt died in Ottawa of lung cancer at the age of 67.
Feb. 10
Michele Demers, the president of PIPS, the public service union representing professionals, scientists and engineers collapsed during a speech in Montreal. She died during surgery on a brain aneurysm. She was 57.
Feb. 14
Louie Bellson. An American big band drummer, composer and bandleader. He was 84.
Feb. 28
Paul Harvey. Pioneer in radio news broadcasting in the United States from the 1950s until 1990. He was 90.
March 2
Michael Baker. The finance minister of Nova Scotia, Baker died of cancer at his home in Lunenburg. He was 52.
March 3
Gilbert Parent. Former speaker of the House of Commons in the 1990s and long time liberal MP died of colon cancer in hospital in Toronto. He was 73.
March 5
John Lundrigan. A Progressive Conservative who represented Newfoundland at the federal and provincial level from the late 1960s through 1970s, he went on to be a teacher and businessman. He died in Upper Island Cove, NL at age of 70.
March 6
Colleen Howe. The wife of hockey legend Gordie Howe, she acted as his agent and was a successful businesswoman. She died of complications from Pick’s disease in her Detroit area home. She was 76.
March 9
Larry Regan. A player, coach and general manager in the NHL, he won the rookie of the year in 1957. In 1968 as general manager of the Los Angeles Kings he punched a referee to entice fans to games. He died in hospital in Ottawa of Parkinson’s disease. He was 78.
March 11
Tom Hanson. Canadian Press photographer died after collapsing on the ice during a pickup hockey game in Ottawa. He was 41.
March 12
Captain Matthew Davis, 34, of St. John’s; First Officer Tim Lanouette, 48, of Comox, B.C.; Thomas Anwyll, 46, of Langley, B.C.; Peter Breen, 55, of St. John’s; Gary Corbett, 46, of Conception Bay South, N.L.; Wade Drake, 42, of Fortune, N.L., Wade Duggan, 32, of Witless Bay, N.L.; Colin Henley, 38, of St. John’s; Ken MacRae, 47, of Greenwood, N.S.; Derrick Mullowney, 51, of Bay Bulls, N.L.; Burch Nash, 44, of Fortune, N.L.; Paul Pike, 49, of Shearstown, N.L.; Corey Eddy, 32, of Paradise, N.L.; and John Pelley, 41, of Deer Lake, N.L.; Allison Maher, 26, of Aquaforte, N.L. were killed in a helicopter crash into the North Atlantic. They were en route to their jobs at oil drilling rigs in the North Atlantic. One person, Robert Decker, 30, survived.
March 14
Millard Kaufman, 92. Prolific Hollywood screenwriter who also created the cartoon character Mr. Magoo. He died of heart failure.
March 15
Ron Silver. American actor and long time Democrat activist, he switched to the Republican Party after 9/11. He died in New York after a two-year battle with esophageal cancer.
March 16
Carolyn Kowaleski, 64 of Caledonia, Ont; Robert Lacas, 56, of Quebec City; Marilyn Jackson, 67, of Vancouver were killed when their tour bus was hit by a truck driver near the Mexican town of Saltillo.
March 17
Gaston Labreche, a retired judge and human rights advocate from Montreal died when his tour bus crashed in bad weather near the town of Resistencia, Argentina.
March 18
Nathasha Richardson. British actress died of brain injuries in New York City a few days after an innocuous looking fall on a ski hill at Mont Tremblant, Que. She was 45.
March 21
Doug Frith. After a short career in federal politics, he became a lobbyist for the motion picture industry and helped get a law passed that bans illegal recordings of movies. He died of a heart attack in Ottawa, aged 64.
March 26
Shane McConkey. Vancouver-born extreme skier won several national and international skiing competitions, including the X Games and World Extreme Skiing Championships. He died jumping off a cliff with a parachute while filming a movie in Italy. He was 39.
April 5
Rogers Walls, a former architect who designed some prominent buildings in Saskatoon died five weeks after being shot in the neck in Honduras. He asked to be removed from life support rather than live as a quadriplegic. He died in Saskatoon, aged 71.
April 7
Dr. Allan Morris, 74, was the chairman of Hockey Canada’s board of directors and spent forty years involved with the game. He died in hospital in Oakville, Ont.
April 12
Sitara Achakzai, 52, a member of the provincial council was assassinated by gunmen in front of her Kandahar home. She lived in exile in Germany for many years and has family in the Markham, Ont. area. The Taliban claimed responsibility.
Marilyn Chambers. An adult film actress best known for starring in the classic X-rated film Behind the Green Door in 1972. She was found dead in her Los Angeles area home. She was 56.
Nick Hills. The former editor of the Vancouver Sun and wire service Southam News in the mid 1980s to early 1990s, Hills died in a long term care facility in England. He was 70.
Danny Cameron. Former leader of the Confederation of Regions Party that was the official opposition in New Brunswick from 1991-1995. He died in Fredericton, aged 84.
April 13
Mark (The Bird) Fidrych, 54, is best remembered for his rookie season with the Detroit Tigers in 1976 when he won many games, talked to the baseball and carried a thick mop of blond hair that resembled the children’s character Big Bird. He was found at his Massachusetts farm under a truck.
Harry Kalas, 73, was the play by play announcer for the Philadelphia Phillies who coined the phrase “outta here!” about home runs. He collapsed before the game in Washington.
April 19
Robert Black. One of two brother’s who turned their father’s Toronto appliance store into the Black’s Photography chain of stores. He died in hospital in Toronto of a blood clot. He was 80.
April 21
Ashley Hegi. One of 40 known cases of Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria syndrome, she died of a premature aging disease that turned her teenage body into a tiny old woman with bad joints and wrinkled skin. She was 17 and died in hospital in Lethbridge, Alta.
April 25
Bea Arthur. American actress best known for playing Maude in the 1970s sitcom and Dorothy Zbornak in the Golden Girls a decade later. She died of cancer in her home in Los Angeles. She was 86.
April 28
Ekaterina Maximova. Prima ballerina with the Bolshoi for from 1958 to 1988 who continued with the troupe as a choreographer died at her home new Moscow. She was 70.
Ted Reynolds. Longtime CBC sportscaster covered all sports for radio and television for 50 years. He died in Vancouver at the age of 83.
May 2
Jack Kemp. Former football player spent one season with Calgary but the rest of his time with the Buffalo Bills. He went on to be a Republican Congressman, cabinet minister under George H.W. Bush, then unsuccessful vice-presidential running mate in 1996. Kemp died of cancer at his home in Bethesda Md, age 73.
May 4.
Dom Deluise. The portly comedic actor was a star in theatre, television and movies and the author of two cookbooks. He died in hospital in Los Angeles. He was 75.
May 7
Hugh Stansfield. The Chief Judge of the British Columbia provincial court died after a six year battle with multiple myeloma, a cancer of the plasma cells. He was 57.
May 26
Charles Dalfen. Former head of the CRTC he was a big booster of Canadian made television programming. He died of a heart attack. He was 66.
Peter Zezel. A 15-year journeyman hockey player with the NHL who ran a hockey school after retirement died of hemolytic anemia, a blood disease. He died in his hometown of Toronto at the age of 44.
June 3
Sam George. The brother of Dudley George, killed by provincial police during a native protest at Ipperwash park in Ontario in 1995. He was instrumental in pressuring the government to hold an inquiry about the shooting. He died of cancer at 56.
Koko Taylor. Legendary American blues singer whose signature song was Wang Dang Doodle, died in Chicago of complications from surgery. She was 80.
June 4
David Carradine. American actor best known for the Kill Bill movies and the Kung Fu television series died in his hotel room in Thailand while filming a movie. He was 72.
June 8
Sheila Finestone. Longtime Liberal MP from Montreal was a junior cabinet minister in the Chretien governments in the 1990s. She died of cancer in Montreal. She was 82.
June 14
William Rogers McIntyre. Former justice of the Supreme Court from 1979 to 1989 he wrote the original definition of equality rights in the Charter of Rights. He died in Victoria at age 91.
Bob Bogle. Lead guitarist for the 1960s rock band The Ventures, best known for instrumental songs like Walk, Don’t Run and the theme to Hawaii Five-O died in his hometown of Tacoma, Wash. after a brief illness. He was 75.
June 23
Ed McMahon. Long time sidekick for late night talk show host Johnny Carson, McMahon died in Los Angeles at age 86.
June 25
Farrah Fawcett. American actress best known for the 1970s program Charlie’s Angels and the pin up poster from the same period died of cancer in Santa Monica, Calif. She was 62.
Michael Jackson. Hugely successful musician and entertainer for decades, Jackson’s eccentric personal life and allegations of child abuse dominated the later years. He was weeks away from a series of comeback concerts when he died of a heart attack in Los Angeles. He was 50.
June 29
Dave Batters. The former Conservative MP committed suicide at his home in Regina. He had been battling depression and a dependency on prescription medication for a year. He was 39.
July 1
Karl Malden. American actor with a large nose and a penchant for playing gruff characters in movies and television for four decades. He was 97.
Sarah Bahris. The 19-year-old Jehovah’s Witness from Vernon B.C. who went to court for the right to refuse blood transfusions as part of cancer treatment died of cancer.
July 4
Steve McNair. Former NFL quarterback was killed, along with his mistress, in what appeared to be a murder-suicide at his home in Nashville, Tenn. He was 36.
July 5
Leo Mol. Internationally renowned sculptor from Winnipeg. He was 94.
July 6
Robert McNamara. Former American secretary of defence, he was considered the architect of the Vietnam War. He died in Washington at the age of 93.
July 11
Arturo Gatti. Montreal raised former title winning boxer, Gatti was found dead in a resort in Brazil. Despite initially arresting his wife, Amanda Rodrigues, 23, Brazilian officials ruled his death a suicide. His family does not accept that conclusion. He was 37.
July 17
Gordon Waller. Half the 1960s singing duo Peter and Gordon, who sang Beatles compositions like A World Without Love. He died of a heart attack in Norwich, Conn. age 64.
Charles Gonthier. Former Supreme Court Justice who retired from the bench in 2003 after 14 years. He was 80 and died of cancer.
Walter Cronkite. American journalist credited with setting standards for television journalism died in New York. He was 92.
July 19
Frank McCourt. Irish born writer best known for his brutal memoirs of growing up in poverty in Ireland, Angela’s Ashes, died of meningitis. He was 78.
July 21
Gidget. The chihuahua used in the Taco Bell restaurant ads that aired from 1997 to 2000 and made the catchphrase “Yo quiero Taco Bell” part of pop culture died in Los Angeles. She was 15.
July 22
A mother and two daughters drowned in a hotel swimming pool in Gananoque, Ont. 43-year-old mother Naila Yasmin died July 19, her 14-year-old daughter Kinza Kaianad on July 20 and her 11-year-old daughter Sunaila Kaianad July 22. Yasmin, her husband, daughters and two sons were vacationing from Toronto.
Mark Leduc. The 47-year-old boxer, who learned the sport in prison, won a silver medal for Canada at the 1992 Olympics. He died of heat stroke in a hotel sauna in Toronto.
July 26
Jerry Yanover. Liberal backroom strategist had worked on Parliament Hill since the late 1960s. He was 62.
July 30
Joy Langan. Former NDP MP and labour organizer from the Vancouver area died of breast cancer. She was 66.
Aug. 1
Corazon Aquino. The widow of a Philippines politician who led a successful revolution against dictator Ferdinand Marcos in the 1980s then became the country’s president. She died of cancer in Manila. She was 76.
Aug. 3
Jack Lawrence. Legendary Bay St. trader and his companion died when a float plane crashed on their way home to Toronto from his Muskoka cottage. He was 75.
Aug. 6
Donald Marshall Jr. A Mi’kmaq from Cape Breton was convicted of murder at 17, then spent 11 years in jail only to be exonerated when a Royal Commission concluded the racist justice system failed him. He became a champion of native rights in 1999 when the Supreme Court overturned his conviction for fishing without a licence and upheld native treaty rights to make a living from fishing. He died in hospital in Cape Breton from complications of lung disease. He was 55.
John Hughes. An American screenwriter and director who was responsible for many of the hit movies in the 1980s including Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and The Breakfast Club died of a heart attack while walking in New York City. He was 59.
Stanley Haidasz. Former Liberal MP then senator from Toronto died in Toronto, age 86.
Aug. 10
Sylvia Lennick. A theatre and television actress, she was a long time member of the Wayne and Shuster comedy troupe. She died of pneumonia in Toronto at 93.
Aug. 11
Eunice Kennedy Shriver. Sister of John F. Kennedy, she died in hospital after a series of strokes. She was 88.
Aug. 13
Les Paul. He created some of the original designs for electric guitars for the Gibson company and pioneered multi-track recording. He died of pneumonia in hospital in White Plains, N.Y. He was 94.
Aug. 14
Ted Teeder Kennedy. Former Toronto Maple Leaf helped win the Stanley Cup five times during 13 seasons in the 1940s and 1950s. He died of heart failure at a nursing home in Port Colborne, Ont. He was 83.
Aug. 17
Viola Wyse. Chief of the Snuneymuxw band near Nanaimo died of a brain aneurysm. She was considered a strong leader and consensus builder between First Nations and other levels of government. She was 61.
Aug. 18
Kim Dae-jung, former president of South Korea won a Nobel Peace Prize for trying to bring the two Koreas closer together. He was 85.
Robert Novak. Longtime conservative American political commentator died of brain cancer at his home in Washington. He was 78.
Aug. 19
Don Hewitt. Creator of the American newsmagazine program 60 Minutes died of pancreatic cancer at his home in Bridgehampton, NY. He was 86.
Aug. 20
Leo Obstbaum. The director of design for the Vancouver Olympics was responsible for medals, mascots and the look of the torches died suddenly at his Vancouver home. He was 40.
Aug. 22
Muriel Duckworth. Longtime peace activist and founder of the Voice of Women, died a few days after a fall at her cottage near Magog, Que. She was 100.
Aug. 23
Ryan Jenkins. The son of a wealthy Calgary architect who was famous for appearing on reality television programs, Jenkins was on the run from allegations he murdered his former wife, Jasmine Fiore, in California the week before. He was found dead from an apparent suicide in a hotel in Hope B.C. He was 32.
Aug. 25
Edward Kennedy. Longtime American senator and last brother of the famous political clan. He died of brain cancer at 77.
Dominick Dunne. A former movie producer and novelist he made is mark as a magazine writer for Vanity Fair covering celebrity trials including the man who murdered his own actress daughter Dominque, O.J. Simpson, and the Menendez brothers. He died of bladder cancer at his New York home. He was 83.
Aug. 26.
Sam Etcheverry. Legendary quarterback he won four Grey Cups with the Montreal Alouettes, three as a player, and one as coach. He was 79 and died in Montreal of cancer.
Sept. 11.
Crystal Lee Sutton. She was the North Carolina textile worker who led the effort to unionize the factory in the 1970s that was depicted in the Oscar winning movie Norma Rae. She died of brain cancer in Burlington N.C. She was 68.
Sept. 12
Norman Borlaug. Nobel Prize winning scientist who developed high-yield crops using genetics and chemical fertilizers. He died of lymphoma at his Dallas home. He was 95.
Sept. 14.
Patrick Swayze. American actor and dancer best known for two movies Dirty Dancing and Ghost. He died of pancreatic cancer in Los Angeles. He was 57.
Jody Powell. As Jimmy Carter’s press secretary helped the obscure Georgia governor become president in 1976. He was 65.
Keith Floyd. A British celebrity chef from the 1980s hosted many cooking shows in his day. He died at his home in Dorset, England of bowel cancer. He was 65.
Sept. 16
Mary Travers. One-third of the folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary, who had hits like Blowing in the Wind and Puff the Magic Dragon died of leukemia in hospital in Danbury Conn. She was 72.
Sept. 18
Doug Fisher. His political career began by defeating C.D. Howe in the general election of 1957. After a short parliamentary career he became a political columnist from 1965 until his retirement in 2006. He died on the eve of his 90th birthday in a nursing home in Ottawa.
Sept. 24
Nelly Arcan. Quebec writer who won critical acclaim for her first novel, Putain. She was found dead in her Montreal apartment. She was 35.
Sept. 25.
Susan Atkins. A member of the Manson family cult she was convicted of a string of gruesome murders in a 1969 Los Angeles killing spree, including pregnant actress Sharon Tate. She died of cancer in prison. She was 61.
Pierre Falardeau. A Quebec filmmaker best known for the Elvis Gratton series of films, he was also an outspoken separatist. Falardeau died of cancer in hospital in Montreal. He was 62.
Sept. 27
William Safire. A conservative political columnist for the New York Times, he also wrote a popular column on language and grammar. He died of pancreatic cancer in hospice in Maryland. He was 79.
Sept. 28.
Lucy Vodden. A nursery school drawing of his classmate Lucy `in the sky with diamonds’ by Julian Lennon was the inspiration for the famous Beatles Song in 1967. Vodden, formally Lucy O’Donnell died of lupus at a London hospice. She was 46.
Sept. 30
Ray Nettles. Former star football player with five different CFL teams in a nine-year career. He died in a hospice in Florida following a struggle with liver and lung cancer. He was 60.
Oct. 4
Mercedes Sosa. Argentinian folksinger who was the voice of the poor during the era of military junta’s in South America. She died in Argentina of kidney problems at the age of 74.
Oct. 6
Douglas Campbell. Scottish born Canadian actor of stage and the CBC program The Great Detective died in hospital in Montreal from complications related to some chronic health conditions. He was 87.
Oct. 7
Irving Penn. An American fashion and portrait photographer whose work first appeared in Vogue in 1943. He died at his home in New York aged 92.
Oct. 12.
Normee Ekoomiak. An Inuit painter and embroiderer who wrote the book Arctic Memories that was also illustrated with his works. Ekoomiak died from illness after living in a Ottawa homeless shelter for many years. He was 61.
Oct. 13
Al Martino. A popular American crooner with hits like Volare and Spanish Eyes he also stared as a singer in the original Godfather movie. He collapsed at his home in Springfield Illinois of an apparent heart attack. He was 82.
Oct 14.
Lou Albano. A professional wrestler and manager from the 1950s to the 1990s he might be best know for portraying Cyndi Lauper’s father in the music video Girls Just Wanna Have Fun with his trademark rubber band in his beard. He died at his home in Carmel, N.Y. after years of ill health. He was 76.
Oct. 19
Joseph Wiseman. Montreal born actor who was best know as the first villain in the James Bond movie franchise when he played Dr. No in 1962. He died at his home in Manhattan after years of declining health. He was 91.
Oct. 20
Margaret Fitzgerald. Believed to be the oldest Canadian at the time of her death from natural causes in a Moncton nursing home, Fitzgerald was 113.
Oct. 22
Jack Poole. The chairman of the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee that won the bid to host the 2010 winter olympics, Poole was also a successful businessman in Vancouver. He died of pancreatic cancer at age 76.
Soupy Sales. American comedian whose peak of fame was in the 1950s and 60s and whose best gag was pies to the face. He was 83.
Oct. 28
Ted Nebbeling. A former mayor of Whistler and junior provincial cabinet minister, Nebbeling helped Vancouver win the 2010 Olympic bid. He was also the first gay politician to marry his partner in 2003. He died at home in Vancouver from colon cancer. He was 65.
Oct. 31
Claude Levi-Strauss. French intellectual and founder of the field of structural anthropology died in Paris at the age of 100.
Nov. 1.
Robert H. Rines. An American inventor who helped develop underwater sonar that helped find the wreck of the Titanic in 1985. Fascinated with the legend of the Loch Ness Monster he used the technology to try and prove the creature was real. He died in Boston of heart failure. He was 87.
Dr. Constantine (Gus) Mitges was a federal Member of Parliament from 1972 until 1993 for the Owen Sound, Ont. area. He died in hospital in Guelph at the age of 90.
Ashley Neufeld. A 21-year-old from Brandon, Man. who played college softball in North Dakota drowned with two team mates in a livestock pond near Dickinson N.D. it is believed they drove into the pond by accident in the dark.
Nov. 8
Vitaly Ginzburg, one of the fathers of the Soviet hydrogen bomb, won the Nobel Prize for Physics. He died in Moscow of heart failure. He was 93.
Nov. 10
Robert Enke. A German soccer star with the team Hanover 96, he jumped in front of a train near Hanover. Enke suffered from depression but hid it from the soccer world. He was 32.
Nov 16.
Edward Woodward. The English actor died after suffering from illnesses including pneumonia. Woodward, known for roles including the TV series The Equalizer and the film The Wicker Man. He was 79.
Nov. 21
Art Cowie. Former Vancouver area municipal and provincial politician and landscape architect, Cowie died of respiratory failure. He was 75.
Dr. Willie Lambert. Former star football player with McGill he played briefly for the Alouettes before devoting himself to dentistry. He died of congestive heart failure in Montreal. He was 72.
Nov. 22
Haydain Neale. A Juno-winning singer-songwriter who was the creative force behind the Canadian R&B group Jacksoul. Neale who was seriously injured in a 2007 collision on his scooter and was rehabilitated enough to release a new album next month died of lung cancer in Toronto. He was 39.
Nov. 27
Gerald Yetman. Longtime union activist in Cape Breton he served on the executive of the Canadian Union of Public Employees for decades. He died in a Glace Bay nursing home of complications from Alzheimer’s disease. He was 83.
Nov. 28
Gilles Carle. Influential Quebec filmmaker made dozens of movies and won a myriad of award over a 50 year career. He died of complications from Parkinson’s disease in hospital in Granby, Que. He was 80.
Nov. 29.
Robert Hyndman. A decorated war pilot who became a celebrated war painter and art teacher died of pneumonia in hospital in Ottawa. He was 94.
Andrew Donald Booth. A computer scientist and engineer he helped pioneer the first computers. He died of heart and kidney failure in hospital in Victoria. he was 91.
Dec. 2.
Maggie Jones. Long time star of the British soap opera Coronation Street she played the sharp tongued Blanche Hunt. She was 75.
Dec. 8
James Delorey. The seven-year-old autistic boy was missing in the woods near his Sydney, Cape Breton home for two days without a coat and during a blizzard before rescuers found him. He died in hospital in Halifax of complications from hypothermia.
Dec. 9
Goldie Semple. A long-standing member of the Shaw Festival acting company, died of cancer at her home in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. She was 56.
Gene Barry. An American actor from film (The War of the Worlds), television (Bat Masterson) and stage (La Cage Aux Folles) died at age 90.
Dec. 10
Guy Lacelle. A Canadian ice climber, died in an avalanche created by climbers above him while climbing in a gully in Hyalite Canyon in Montana. He was 54 and lived in Prince George B.C.
Jean-Robert Gauthier. Long time Ottawa based Liberal politician served in both the House and the Senate until his retirement in 2004. He suffered a stroker earlier this week after years of illness. He was 80.
Dec. 15
Evangelist Oral Roberts died of pneumonia complications after a fall at his home in California. He was 91.
Dec. 16.
Yegor Gaidar. A Russian economist who spearheaded economic reforms following the collapse of the Soviet Union. He died in his Moscow home from complications from blood clots. He was 53.
Roy Disney. The nephew of company founder Walt Disney he is credited with reviving the animations studio and re-energizing the Disney brand. He died of cancer in Los Angeles. He was 79.
Dec. 17
Chris Henry. A wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals fell out of a pickup truck in Charlotte, N.C. during an argument with his wife and died from his injuries. He was 26.
Jennifer Jones. Hollywood actress and of the 1940s and 1950s influential trustee of the Norton Simon Museum died at her home in Malibu at the age of 90.
Dec. 19
Kim Peek. The savant who served as the model for the autistic genius portrayed by Dustin Hoffman in the 1988 film Rain Man. He died of a heart attack at his home in Murray, Utah. He was 58.
Dec. 20
Actress Brittany Murphy, star of films such as Clueless and Girl, Interrupted died after being found unconscious in the shower of her Hollywood home. She was 32.
Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri. A dissident cleric in Iran he was as an architect of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Montazeri died of a heart attack at his home in Qom, Iran.
Dec. 21
Maurice Nadon. Former Commissioner of the RCMP from 1974 to 1977 he opened the force to women and modernized many other polices. He died in a seniors residence in Pembroke, Ont. He was 89.
