A legendary home run hitter. One of the funniest women alive.
A beloved 1950s pop star. The King of cable talk shows. And a groundbreaking star of
stage and screen. These are the stories of the lives we lost in January 2021.
Actress Marion Ramsey was best known for her role as the soft-spoken Officer Laverne Hooks in
“Police Academy” and five of its sequels. Ramsey also appeared in TV shows including MacGyver and
Beverly Hills 90210. She died January 7, after a short illness, at the age of 73.
Tanya Roberts was an Angel, a Bond girl, and a mom. She starred in the final season
of Charlie’s Angels, and went on to costar in the James Bond film A View to a Kill.
Later, Roberts played Midge Pinciotti, Donna’s mom, in the sitcom That 70’s Show.
She died January 4, of complications from a UTI, at the age of 65.
Dearon “Deezer D” Thompson was an actor and rapper beloved for playing Nurse Malik McGrath on the hit
TV show ER. He appeared in movies including Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion and
CB4. Thompson also released several Christian hip hop albums. He died January 7, at the age of 55.
Harry Beal was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who was the first to sign up when the Navy SEALs
were established in 1962. He had already served on the underwater demolition team,
a precursor to the SEALs, for several years. Beal is credited with being the SEAL who pulled
John Glenn out of the water after his historic spaceflight. He died January 26, at the age of 90.
Actor Gregory Sierra performed on TV shows including Barney Miller, where he played
Detective Sergeant Chano Amengual. On Sanford and Son, he was the Sanfords’ neighbor, Julio Fuentes.
Sierra also played the original Vice Unit commander in Miami Vice,
for the show’s first four episodes. He died January 4, of cancer, at the age of 83.
Mira Furlan starred as Minbari Ambassador Delenn in the 1990s sci-fi series Babylon 5.
Later, she played the mysterious Danielle Rousseau in Lost. Furlan was a well-known
actress in her home country, the former Yugoslavia, before immigrating to the U.S.
She died January 20, of complications of West Nile virus, at the age of 65.
Siegfried Fischbacher was one-half of the legendary Las Vegas magic duo, Siegfried and
Roy. He and Roy Horn wowed audiences with their flashy illusions and white tigers and lions.
Siegfried and Roy helped change the face of Vegas with their family-friendly show. Just months
after Horn’s death, Fischbacher died January 13, of pancreatic cancer, at the age of 81.
Frank Shankwitz co-founded the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grants wishes to children
with critical illnesses. Shankwitz was inspired to create the foundation when he was working as
an officer of the Arizona Highway Patrol. He and other officers met a young boy dying of leukemia,
and they lifted his spirits by making him an honorary Highway Patrol officer – and
the first Make-A-Wish kid. Shankwitz died in January, at the age of 77.
Gerry Marsden was the lead singer of Gerry and the Pacemakers, who, like the Beatles,
came out of 1960s Liverpool. They had hits including How Do You Do It, I Like It,
and Ferry Cross the Mersey. Narrator: In studio this afternoon Gerry Marsden
was recording an old song to help the people in his hometown. Fellow Liverpudlian Paul
McCartney joins voices tomorrow. It’s a song about their city, now sung for its people.
Marsden (singing): So ferry across the Mersey, cause this
land’s the place I love and here I’ll stay. Narrator:
They’re releasing the record quickly to get the money to those who need it.
The Gerry and the Pacemakers version of You’ll Never Walk Alone, from the musical Carousel,
became the beloved anthem of the Liverpool Football Club.
Marsden died January 3, at the age of 78.
Ed Bruce was a musician and actor who wrote the classic country hit Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies
Grow Up to Be Cowboys, made famous by Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings. Bruce had his own #1
hit with You’re the Best Break This Old Heart Ever Had. Bruce also co-starred alongside James Garner
in the ‘80s TV series Bret Maverick. He died January 8, of natural causes, at the age of 81.
Edward Fletcher was a rapper who went by the name Duke Bootee when he co-wrote and
recorded the influential song The Message with Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five.
It was one of the first hip-hop songs to offer a serious look at inner-city life.
The Message was widely sampled, and inspired other hip-hop artists to use their music as
a tool for social justice. Fletcher died January 13, of congestive heart failure, at the age of 69.
Jimmie F. Rodgers was an early rock and roll star who had a #1 hit in 1957 with Honeycomb.
He was popular throughout the ‘50s, with hits including Kisses Sweeter than Wine
and Secretly. One of his later hits, It’s Over, from 1966, was also recorded by Elvis Presley
for his comeback concert, Aloha from Hawaii. Rodgers died January 18, at the age of 87.
Joanne Rogers was the widow of Fred Rogers, the longtime host of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.
They met while they were in college, and they were married for more than 50 years. Joanne Rogers:
It’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood. We need all the appreciators we can have to
battle the divisions that we’re facing. Rogers was also an accomplished concert pianist,
performing in the Rogers-Morrison piano duo. She died January 14, at the age of 92.
Hal Holbrook played Mark Twain for more than 60 years,
inhabiting the role of the great American author in a long-running one-man show,
and winning a Tony Award for his work. Holbrook starred on TV’s Evening Shade, and he appeared
alongside his wife, Dixie Carter, on Designing Women. He died January 23, at the age of 95.
Dorothy “Dot” Cole was, at 107 years old, the oldest living U.S. Marine. She became
one of the first women to enlist in the Women’s Reserve Marine Corps in 1943, with a dream of
flying planes for her country in World War II. Though Cole already had her pilot’s license,
she was placed in a secretarial job instead, as most women in the military were in those days.
She died January 7, of a heart attack, at the age of 107. Don Sutton was a pitcher who
played for the Dodgers for 16 of his 23 seasons in Major League Baseball.
He also pitched for the Brewers, the A’s, and the Angels. Sutton was a four-time All-Star,
and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015. He died January 18, of cancer, at the age of 75.
Tommy Lasorda was the longtime manager of the Dodgers, who led the team to two
World Series wins, four National League pennants, and eight division titles.
Colorful and charismatic, he was beloved by his team and their fans. After his retirement,
Lasorda became an ambassador for the Dodgers and often appeared at their games and events.
He died January 7, of cardiac arrest, at the age of 93.
Hank Aaron was the Home Run King—a baseball superstar who played for the Braves for most
of his major league career. He smashed Babe Ruth’s long-standing home run record in 1974,
and he held that record for 33 years with his career total of 755 home runs. Aaron endured
racist hate mail and death threats as he chased the record, though many fans enthusiastically
supported him and cheered him on. Newsreel: Hank Aaron follows with a scorching liner through
the shortstop for a base hit and more heads in hot water with runners on first and second.
Aaron was a World Series champion and the National League’s MVP in 1957, and
he was a 25-time All-Star. He died in his sleep January 22, of natural causes, at the age of 86.
Larry King was the longtime host of the award-winning talk show, Larry King Live on
CNN. He was one of the most successful talk show hosts of all time. His charm was in his interview
style – he asked simple questions that encouraged people to share fascinating stories. Larry King:
When I was a kid the idea of talking to a President of the United States would have
been as far away from me as any—forget it, no chance. Today: distinct chance.
I could talk to a President. I’ll pick up a phone. King interviewed an estimated 50,000 newsmakers
– from presidents to rock stars and more. He died January 23, of sepsis at the age of 87.
Cloris Leachman was a beloved movie star for decades, from her Oscar-winning turn in The
Last Picture Show to her hilarious performance in Young Frankenstein.
She was just as funny on TV, where she’s remembered as Phyllis from The Mary Tyler
Moore Show. Later in her career, she played quirky characters on Malcolm in the Middle,
Raising Hope, and American Gods. Cloris Leachman: Well you have to be a certain age before they
can say eccentric. Goes with the word about granny, which is spry.
If I were younger he would say I’m, well when I was in 6th grade they
said I was cute but silly. So from silly to eccentric depends on what age you are.
In 2008, Leachman became the oldest contestant ever on Dancing With the
Stars. She died January 27, of natural causes, at the age of 94.
Cicely Tyson became an acting legend with her portrayals of strong Black women,
including a sharecropper in Sounder and a freed slave in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman.
She played Kunta Kinte’s mother in Roots, and Coretta Scott King in King.
Tyson brought grace and dignity to every role she portrayed. She decided early in her career
that she would carefully choose the parts she accepted, refusing to play any role that was
degrading to Black people or women. Cicely Tyson: As far as I know right now there is no work at all
for Black actors and very few of us have worked in the past year. I think the major problem is
that we are not just considered actresses. If we were considered actresses we would be
up for the same roles as, for instance I would be up for the same role as Jane Fonda,
if I were considered an actress, rather than a Black actress, which limits my ability to
work because I have two strikes against me: I have not only the strike that I’m a woman,
but I’m a Black woman. Tyson was honored with an Oscar nomination for Sounder,
as well as the Kennedy Center Honors, the Presidential Medal of Freedom,
and the NAACP’s Springarn Medal. She died January 28, at the age of 96.
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