LITE 98.7 » celebrity death

Racing Legend Dick Trickle Commits Suicide

Chris Chaberski — Fri, 17 May 2013 20:41:14 +0000

Richard "Dick" Trickle died Thursday at the age of 71. His body was discovered next to his pickup truck at a cemetery in Lincoln County, North Carolina, after the longtime NASCAR and short-track driver shot himself, according to police.

'One Day at a Time' Star Bonnie Franklin Dies at 69

Cassandra Rose — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 19:02:22 +0000

Bonnie Franklin, who played an enigmatic single mom trying to find herself in the classic 1970s sitcom ‘One Day at a Time,’ has passed away due to complications from pancreatic cancer. She was 69 years old. A theatre veteran, Bonnie is best known for playing Valerie Bertinelli and Mackenzie Phillips’ TV mom on CBS from [...]

Etch A Sketch Inventor Dies at Age 86

Donald Deane — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 17:33:22 +0000

Andre Cassagnes, the man responsible for inventing the venerable Etch A Sketch, a toy that inspired countless children ever since it was introduced in 1960, has died at age 86 in France. According to the Ohio Art Co., the toy’s manufacturer, Cassagnes died in a Paris suburb on Jan. 16 due to undisclosed causes. “Etch [...]

Former SEAL, 'American Sniper' Author Chris Kyle Killed at Gun Range, Possibly by Marine

Chris Chaberski — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 13:58:37 +0000

Chris Kyle, a highly decorated Iraq War veteran and one of the most accomplished snipers in American military history, was killed while at a gun range outside Fort Worth, Texas, on Saturday. Reports are now surfacing about the man suspected of shooting him, Eddie Ray Routh, a former Marine and also an Iraq vet, whom Kyle, 38, may have been trying to aid in coping with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Former NYC Mayor Ed Koch Dies at 88

Daniel J. Cassavaugh — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 17:54:28 +0000

Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch died early Friday morning at the age of 88 after spending the last several months in and out of hospitals. He was admitted to New York Presbyterian Medical Center last week. He was moved to intensive care late Thursday as his condition worsened. Sources told the New York Post that [...]

'Diff'rent Strokes' Dad Conrad Bain: Dead at 89

Cassandra Rose — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 18:36:31 +0000

Conrad Bain, best known for his role as adoptive father Phillip Drummond on the ’70s to ’80s sitcom ‘Diff’rent Strokes,’ has died at the age of 89. According to his family, the Golden Globe-winning actor passed away at home on Monday night (Jan. 14) in Livermore, Calif. The circumstances surrounding his death are currently unknown. [...]

'Snakes on a Plane' Director David R. Ellis Dead at 60

Damon Houx — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 00:30:26 +0000

Stuntman turned director David R. Ellis has passed away at the age of 60. He was prepping his next movie when he died suddenly of unknown causes. Though Ellis would never be considered an auteur, his no-nonsense approach and eye for good schlock made him one of the best B-movie directors in the business. Ellis [...]

Retired General Norman Schwarzkopf Dead at 78

Chris Kissel — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 15:46:20 +0000

Norman Schwarzkopf, the retired American general who led coalition forces in the 1991 Gulf War, died of pneumonia Thursday in Tampa, Florida at the age of 78, the Associated Press reports. Forces led by Schwarzkopf drove Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi army from Kuwait during the US-led campaign. Schwarzkopf’s distinguished career, topped by the Gulf War victory, [...]

Jenni Rivera Dead After Plane Crash: Artists React on Twitter

Amy Sciarretto — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 16:50:27 +0000

Kevin Winter, Getty Images

The Latin pop community was rocked to its core over the weekend, when news that a plane transporting popular singer Jenni Rivera from a show in Monterrey, Mexico had gone missing early Sunday morning (Dec. 9). The wreckage was discovered later in

Arlen Specter, Former U.S. Senator, Dead at 82

Chris Kissel — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 21:28:52 +0000

Arlen Specter, the bristly former Republican senator from Pennsylvania who often made headlines by playing the political center and confounding Republican colleagues in the Senate, died today at age 82. According to Specter's family, his death was due to complications from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

R.I.P. Andy Williams: "Moon River" Singer Dies at 84

Nick Romano — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 14:39:03 +0000

Andy Williams, the man who famously lent his voice to the Oscar-winning song "Moon River" from 'Breakfast at Tiffany's,' passed away on Tuesday after a long battle with bladder cancer.

Williams first made his cancer public knowledge in November 2011 when he made the announcement on stage at the Andy Williams Moon River Theater. But he assured fans that he wanted to fight it and that he didn't consider the diagnosis a "death sentence."

Jerry Nelson, the Man Behind the 'Sesame Street' Count, Has Passed

Emerald Catron — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 15:18:32 +0000

It’s a sad day for lovers of ‘Sesame Street’ everywhere — Jerry Nelson, the puppeteer who gave Count von Count his voice passed away Thursday of unspecified causes at the age of 78. In addition to the Count, Nelson also voiced Sherlock Hemlock, the Amazing Mumford and other characters for the show, as well as [...]

River Phoenix's Final Film Finally Ready To Screen 20 Years After His Death

Sean O'Connell — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 16:14:37 +0000

Nearly 20 years after he passed away from a heart attack caused by a drug overdose, River Phoenix’s final film will finally make its world premiere this September. Phoenix was working on George Sluizer’s ‘Dark Blood’ when he died outside the Viper Room in 1993. The director abandoned the project shortly after losing his lead [...]

Sherman Hemsley, TV's George Jefferson, Dies at 74

Jeremy Taylor — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 19:01:10 +0000

Sherman Hemsley, a television fixture of the ’70s and ’80s, has died at his home in El Paso, Texas at age 74. His passing is being attributed to “natural causes.” Hemsley, who was born in Philadelphia and had a theater background, got his big break in 1973 when he joined the cast of the hit [...]

Sally Ride, First American Woman in Space, Dead at 61

Amy Sciarretto — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 14:56:57 +0000

Sally Ride, the first American woman to go into space, has died. Ride, 61, passed away peacefully at her home in La Jolla, CA. on Monday, July 23 after a 17-month battle with pancreatic cancer.

'Encyclopedia Brown' Author Donald J. Sobol Dies at 87

Jeremy Taylor — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 18:29:23 +0000

Donald J. Sobol, the author of the extremely popular boy-detective book series ‘Encyclopedia Brown,’ died last week of natural causes. He was 87. If you were born after 1960, you’ve likely read at least one of the almost 30-book strong franchise, which follows the mystery-solving adventures of the 10-year-old Brown and his tomboy sidekick Sally Kimball. While ‘Encyclopedia [...]

Sage Stallone, Son of Sylvester Stallone, Found Dead

Nick Romano — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 15:46:55 +0000

Sage Stallone, the son of Sylvester Stallone, was found dead by his housekeeper alone in his Los Angeles apartment on Friday afternoon. Paramedics pronounced the 36-year-old’s death when they arrived on the scene. TMZ reports that the cause was due to an overdose of prescription pills found in his apartment, though details regarding his state [...]

Ernest Borgnine, Oscar-Winning Actor, Dead at 95

Nick Romano — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 16:25:58 +0000

Ernest Borgnine, the iconic movie and television actor, passed away on Sunday. His spokesman Harry Flynn told The Associated Press that Borgnine died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center surrounded by his family. Many will remember him for his iconic role of Marty Piletti in the 1955 film ‘Marty,’ which not only won over the nation’s heart [...]

R.I.P. Maurice Sendak, Author Of 'Where The Wild Things Are'

Sean O'Connell — Wed, 09 May 2012 18:09:46 +0000

There’s going to be a wild rumpus in heaven tonight. Maurice Sendak, beloved author and illustrator of such children’s classics as ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ and the controversial ‘In the Night Kitchen,’ passed away in Danbury, Conn. following complications from a recent stroke. He was 83. Sendak started publishing stories in the 1950s, reaching [...]

George 'Goober' Lindsey From 'The Andy Griffith Show' Dies at 83

Townsquare Staff — Mon, 07 May 2012 16:01:52 +0000

George Lindsey, best known for his portrayal as the dense but gentle “Goober Pyle” on ‘The Andy Griffith Show,’ has died after suffering from a brief illness. He was 83 years old. In a statement released through the Marshall-Donnelly-Combs Funeral home in Nashville, Griffith said, “George Lindsey was my friend. I had great respect for [...]