Here are the most recent deaths in the national news, as reported at Legacy.com, the second
week of February 2023. Legacy.com is where you can find any obituary,
or publish an obituary in any newspaper in America, and beyond.
Rapper Dave Jolicoeur, also known as Trugoy the Dove, died February 12, 2023, at the age
of 54. He was a member of the pioneering rap trio
De La Soul. Their playful tone, rhymes and mellow style were an influential alternative
to the grittier mainstream hip hop of the late 1980s and early ‘90s.
Jolicoeur is also being remembered as a member of the hip hop collective Native Tongues and
for co-writing the Gorillaz hit song, “Feel Good Inc.”
Actor Austin Majors died February 11, 2023, in Los Angeles at the age of 27.
He was best known for playing Theo Sipowicz, son of detective Andy Sipowicz, in the acclaimed
police drama “NYPD Blue.” Majors also had appearances in hit shows like
“NCIS,” “ER,” and “How I Met Your Mother,” as well as playing the voice of
Young Jim in Disney’s “Treasure Planet.” Actor Cody Longo died February 8, 2023, in
Austin, Texas, at the age of 34. He played rock star idol Eddie Duran in the
family drama Hollywood Heights, and appeared in the long-running soap opera Days of Our
Lives. Longo is also being remembered as a singer
who released several charting singles. Pioneering record producer Marianne Mantell
died January 22, 2023, in Princeton, New Jersey. She died of complications from a fall at the
age of 93. Her death was reported this month. Mantell helped launch the audiobook industry
when she co-founded Caedmon Records in 1952. It was the very first major record label devoted
to spoken word recordings of literature. Thanks to her, audiences everywhere could
listen to great authors read their own work, including Dylan Thomas, Ernest Hemingway,
Gertrude Stein, and many others. Automobile engineer-turned- executive Shoichiro
Toyoda died February 14, 2023, of heart failure at the age of 97.
The son of the Toyota Motor Company’s founder, he became its president and chairman in the
1980s and ‘90s, overseeing Toyota’s transformation into one of the world’s leading car manufacturers.
Toyoda is being remembered for his commitment to building high quality products, as well
as launching the luxury-brand Lexus, and the first hybrid car, the Prius.
Filmmaker Hugh Hudson died February 10, 2023, at a hospital in London. He died after a brief
illness at the age of 86. He directed the Oscar-winning film “Chariots
of Fire,” which remains a beloved classic sports drama of the 1980s.
Hudson is also being remembered for films including “Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan,
Lord of the Apes.” Businessman Ted Lerner died February 12, 2023,
at his home in Chevy Chase, Maryland. He died of complications from pneumonia at the age
of 97. He was the owner of the Washington Nationals
Major League Baseball team, beloved by fans for bringing the DC area its first World Series
victory in 95 years, in 2019. Lerner is also being remembered for his successful
real estate empire and philanthropic giving. Hall of Fame swimming champion Greta Andersen
died February 6, 2023, at the age of 95. She won gold and silver medals for her native
Denmark at the 1948 Summer Olympics. Afterwards, she moved to California and kept on making
athletic history. As a marathon swimmer, she broke 18 world
records, crossing both the English Channel and the Santa Catalina Channel near Los Angeles.
Psychologist Charles Silverstein died January 30, 2023, in New York City. He died of lung
cancer at the age of 87. His death was announced this month.
He was best known for his successful fight to have homosexuality de-listed as a mental
illness, in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders, in 1974. Silverstein is also being remembered as the
co-author of the groundbreaking 1977 book, “The Joy of Gay Sex,” and as the founding
editor-in-chief of the academic “Journal of Homosexuality.”
Football player Conrad Dobler died February 13, 2023, in Pueblo, Colorado, at the age
of 72. He was an offensive lineman who played left
guard for 10 years in the NFL, most notably with the St. Louis Cardinals of the 1970s.
Dobler is being remembered as a fierce player who would proudly break the rules to protect
his quarterback. The title of his autobiography was, “They Call Me Dirty.”
Former Disney executive turned author Dave Hollis died at his home in Dripping Springs,
Texas last weekend at the age of 47. After years at Disney where he worked on “Black
Panther” and “Star Wars,” he joined his then-wife, Rachel Hollis, in launching
a self-help enterprise based on her book “Girl, Wash Your Face.”
Hollis is also being remembered for his podcast “Rise Together” and his own motivational
nonfiction books. American antiwar activist David Harris died
February 6, 2023, at his home in Mill Valley, California. He died of lung cancer at the
age of 76. He was a leader of the draft resistance movement
during the Vietnam War. He married Joan Baez, whom he met through his activism, and spent
time in federal prison for refusing to serve. Harris is also being remembered as a journalist
for Rolling Stone, where his articles included a profile of wounded veteran Ron Kovic.
Sportscaster and baseball player Tim McCarver died February 16, 2023, in Memphis, Tennessee
at the age of 81. He was an All-Star catcher who played for
two World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals teams during the 1960s.
McCarver is even better remembered for his Hall of Fame broadcasting career. He was a
color commentator for 24 World Series. Actor Raquel Welch died February 15, 2023,
following a short illness at the age of 82. She was a leading actress and pinup model
of the 1960s and ‘70s, starring in such films as “One Million Years B.C.,” “Fantastic
Voyage,” and “The Three Musketeers.” Welch’s characters were strong, confident
women—much like the actress herself. She is also being remembered as a successful businesswoman
with her own line of wigs and a health and fitness program.
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.
On February 13, 2023, three students were killed in a shooting that occurred on the
campus of Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. Their names are:
Arielle Diamond Anderson Brian Fraser
Alexandria Verner 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 Rhode Island have been lowered to honor of the memory of Command Sergeant Major
Richard Winkelman of the Rhode Island National Guard.
Flags in West Virginia have been lowered to honor the memory of West Virginia delegate
Jack Roop. Flags in South Dakota have been lowered to
honor the memory of former State Senator Frank Simpson.
Flags in Wisconsin have been lowered to honor the memory of Milwaukee Police Department
officer Peter Jerving. Flags in Florida have been lowered to honor
the memory of the 17 lives lost in the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High
School in Parkland, Florida. Flags in Michigan have been lowered to honor
the memory of the victims of the shooting at Michigan State University in East Lansing,
Michigan. Flags in Oregon have been lowered in honor
of Gresham Firefighter Brandon Norbury. Flags in New Jersey have been lowered in honor
of Assemblyman Francis L. Bodine. Flags in Kansas have been lowered in honor
of the 10,000 Kansans lost due to COVID-19. Flags in Tennessee have been lowered in honor
of Chief warrant officer three Danny Randolph and Chief warrant officer three Daniel Wadham
of the Tennessee National Guard and Major General Gary L. Harrell of Delta Force.
This week also marks several notable anniversaries. Sixty years ago this week, writer Sylvia Plath
died at the age of 30. Her poetry and her novel “The Bell Jar” have become American
classics. Actor Oliver Reed was born 85 years ago this
week. He died in 1999 at the age of 61. He starred in movies including “The Three Musketeers”
and “Tommy.” Labor leader Jimmy Hoffa was born 110 years
ago this week. He went missing in 1975 and was declared dead in 1982. His disappearance
generated headlines and continues to be a controversial topic.
Abolitionist Frederick Douglass was born 205 years ago this week. He died in 1895 at the
age of 77. His anti-slavery writings and speeches were crucial in the fight for freedom from
enslavement. There are many more celebrity anniversaries
this week, and we pay tribute to them our new Tuesday video series, “Death Anniversaries
and Birthdays.” You can read more about the lives of the people
featured in this video on Legacy.com. You can also follow Legacy.com on Facebook
and subscribe to our channel on YouTube to stay up to date on national news deaths.