Here are the most recent deaths in the national news, as reported at Legacy.com, the second
week of August 2023. Legacy.com is where you can find any obituary,
or publish an obituary in any newspaper in America, and beyond.
Rapper Magoo died August 13, 2023, at the age of 50.
Born Melvin Barcliff, he was half of the rap duo Timbaland & Magoo, alongside superstar
producer Timbaland. Magoo is being remembered for hits like “Up
Jumps Da’ Boogie” and “Luv 2 Luv U.” A note to remember: Sometimes, personal information
such as someone's cause of death is not announced immediately, or publicly at all, by their
family or the authorities. Every family has a right to their privacy.
Actress Shelley Smith died August 8, 2023, at a hospital in Los Angeles. She died of
cardiac arrest at the age of 70. She starred in the sitcoms “The Associates”
and “For Love and Honor” in the 1980s, and she frequently competed on game shows
like “Super Password” and “The 10,000 Pyramid.”
Smith is also being remembered for helping families with the in vitro fertilization company
she founded. Music executive Clarence Avant died August
13, 2023, in Los Angeles at the age of 92. He founded two record labels and mentored
iconic musicians like Quincy Jones, Jay-Z, Whitney Houston, and Lionel Richie.
Avant is being remembered as “The Black Godfather” for his profound influence on
the music industry. Lyricist Tom Jones died August 11, 2023, in
Sharon, Connecticut. He died of cancer at the age of 95.
He wrote the lyrics to the off-Broadway hit “The Fantasticks,” considered the longest-running
musical in U.S. history. Jones is also being remembered for the musicals
“110 in the Shade” and “Celebration.” Musician David LaFlamme died August 6, 2023,
after fighting Parkinson’s disease at the age of 82.
He was a co-founder of It’s a Beautiful Day, a psychedelic rock and folk band of the
1960s and ‘70s. He is being remembered for cowriting and singing
the counterculture hit “White Bird.” LaFlamme was a U.S. Army veteran who served
in the 1960s. Singer and actress Patricia Bredin died August
13, 2023, in Nova Scotia at the age of 88. In 1957, she became the first singer from
the United Kingdom to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest.
Bredin is also being remembered for her performances in such movies as “The Treasure of Monte
Cristo” and on Broadway in “Camelot.” Author Nechama Tec died August 3, 2023, in
New York City at the age of 92. She was a Holocaust survivor who went on to
study and tell the stories of that terrible chapter of human history.
Tec is being remembered for such books as “Defiance: The Bielski Partisans,” which
was adapted into a 2008 movie starring Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber.
Actress Linda Haynes died July 17, 2023, in Summerville, South Carolina at the age of
75. Her death was announced this week. She starred in the 1977 movie “Rolling Thunder,”
a performance that inspired director Quentin Tarantino.
Haynes is also being remembered for her roles in such movies as “The Nickel Ride,” “Coffy,”
and “Human Experiments.” Photographer John Fielder died August 11,
2023, of pancreatic cancer at the age of 73. He was known for his breathtaking images of
Colorado’s natural beauty, including his bestselling book “Colorado 1870–2000.”
Fielder is also being remembered for his work toward environmental conservation in Colorado.
Actress Léa Garcia died August 15, 2023, in Gramado, Brazil, at the age of 90.
She was a star of the Oscar-winning 1959 film “Black Orpheus.”
Garcia is also being remembered for her performances in such telenovelas as “A Escrava Isaura,”
as well as for her anti-racist activism in Brazil.
Hockey player Bobby Baun died August 14, 2023, at the age of 86.
He was a hard-hitting defenseman for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1950s through ‘70s.
Baun is being remembered for the legendary game-winning goal he scored in the 1964 Stanley
Cup finals, playing on a broken ankle. Actor and filmmaker Darren Kent died August
11, 2023, at the age of 36. He had a role as a goatherder on “Game of
Thrones.” Kent is also being remembered for movies like
“Sunny Boy,” “Snow White and the Huntsman,” and “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.”
Singer Renata Scotto died August 16, 2023, in Savona, Italy, at the age of 89.
She was an operatic soprano, especially known for her performances of “Madama Butterfly.”
Scotto is being remembered as an icon, one of the greatest sopranos of her time.
TV host Michael Parkinson died August 16, 2023, at his home in Bray, England, at the
age of 88. He was the longtime host of the BBC talk show
“Parkinson,” known for his interviews with more than 2000 celebrities over the years.
Parkinson is being remembered affectionately as “Parky,” one of Britain’s all-time
greatest talk show hosts. Record executive Jerry Moss died August 16,
2023, at his home in Bel-Air, California, at the age of 88.
Alongside Herb Alpert, he was the co-founder of A&M Records, which quickly became the world’s
largest independent record label. He is being remembered for nurturing the careers
of musical icons like the Carpenters, the Police, and Janet Jackson.
Moss was a U.S. Army veteran who served in the 1950s.
Linguist Dorothy Casterline died August 8, 2023, at the age of 95.
Deaf since her teens, she was a cowriter of the first dictionary of American Sign Language
in the 1960s. Casterline is being remembered for her important
work in standardizing American Sign Language and achieving its recognition as a valid language.
Native American advocate Ada Deer died August 15, 2023, at the age of 88.
A leader of the Menominee Nation, she was the first woman to head the Bureau of Indian
Affairs, appointed by President Bill Clinton. Deer is being remembered for her lifetime
of work to restore Native American rights. Football player Alex Collins died August 13,
2023, in Lauderdale Lakes, Florida. He died of injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident
at the age of 28. He was a running back with the Baltimore Ravens,
Seattle Seahawks, and the USFL’s Memphis Showboats.
Collins is being remembered for his interest in Irish dance, which he practiced to improve
his footwork – he would also celebrate a touchdown with a few steps.
As information on the wildfires in Hawaii continues to develop, we now know that at
least 111 people have died, and more than 1200 remain unaccounted for.
One of Legacy’s charity partners, the World Central Kitchen, has a team on the ground
in Hawai’i, providing fresh meals to the evacuated residents and emergency workers.
You can click the Donate button on this video’s YouTube page to support the World Central
Kitchen’s relief effort directly — or if you’re watching on Facebook, just click
the link in our video description. In addition to featuring current deaths in
the news, Legacy.com also honors the lives and legacies of notable people who died in
the past. Here are some of this week’s anniversaries. Five years ago this week, singer Aretha Franklin
died at the age of 76. She was known as the “Queen of Soul” for her enduring classics
like “Respect,” “Chain of Fools,” and “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.”
Nineteen years ago this week, chef Julia Child died at the age of 91. She inspired generations
of Americans to try French cooking with her bestselling cookbooks and TV shows.
Thirty-three years ago this week, actress and singer Pearl Bailey died at the age of
72. She was widely seen on TV in the 1960s and ‘70s, had a hit song with “Takes Two
to Tango,” and won a Tony Award for her performance in “Hello, Dolly!”
Forty-six years ago this week, musician and actor Elvis Presley died at the age of 42.
He was called the “King of Rock and Roll,” a sensation of the 1950s and ‘60s whose
enduring songs included “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Hound Dog,” and “Can’t Help Falling
in Love.” Seventy-five years ago this week, baseball
player Babe Ruth died at the age of 53. He was a legendary member of the Boston Red Sox
and New York Yankees. Actor, dancer, and singer Patrick Swayze was
born 71 years ago this week. He died in 2009 at the age of 57. His many beloved movies
included “Dirty Dancing” and “Ghost.” Baseball player Roberto Clemente was born
89 years ago this week. He died in 1972 at the age of 38. A right fielder for the Pittsburgh
Pirates, he was the first Latino player inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Musician Don Ho was born 93 years ago this week. He died in 2007 at the age of 76. One
of Hawai’i’s most famous entertainers, he was known for his signature song, “Tiny
Bubbles.” Actress Rose Marie was born 100 years ago
this week. She died in 2017 at the age of 94. She was a star of “The Dick Van Dyke
Show” and a regular on “Hollywood Squares.” Actress and singer Mae West was born 130 years
ago this week. She died in 1980 at the age of 87. One of the great sex symbols of the
20th century, she was known for her risqué double entendres and for her long career,
which spanned vaudeville, Broadway, movies, and more.
Every week in the United States, flags are lowered to half-staff to honor the lives of
Americans whose communities are mourning their loss. Here are the most recent half-staff
memorial flag honors. Flags in Hawai’i and Nebraska have been
lowered to honor the memory of those lost from the Maui wildfires.
Flags in New Jersey have been lowered to honor the memory of Senator and Assemblyman James
S. Cafiero. Flags in Kansas have been lowered to honor
the memory of Fairway police officer Jonah Oswald, who died in the line of duty.
Flags in Wisconsin have been lowered to honor the memory of U.S. Marine Corps Lance Corporal
Tanner Kaltenberg. Flags in South Carolina have been lowered
to honor the memory of Dillon County Sheriff Douglas Pernell Sr.
Flags in North Carolina have been lowered to honor the memory of former state Representative
E. Graham Bell Sr. Flags in Pennsylvania have been lowered to
honor the memory of Former First Lady Ellen Casey.
You can read more about the lives of the people featured in this video on Legacy.com.
At Legacy.com, ANY family can publish an obituary in honor of a loved one’s memory, online
and in local newspapers everywhere. Just visit Legacy.com and select your local community.
You can also follow Legacy.com on Facebook and subscribe to our channel on YouTube to
stay up to date on national news deaths.