A hip TV detective... A classic sitcom darling...
A man with impeccable fashion sense... A legendary character actor...
...And a comedian turned genie... These are the stories of the lives we lost in June 2021.
Karla Burns was a singer and actress best known for her work in musical theater.
She became the first Black actor to win England’s prestigious Olivier Award, for her performance in “Show Boat.”
Burns died June 4, after a series of strokes, at the age of 66.
John Paragon was an actor who played Jambi the Genie on the cult classic kids’ show, “Pee-wee's Playhouse.”
He was also a member of the Groundlings improv troupe,
and he appeared in movies like “UHF” and “Honey, I Blew Up the Kid.”
Paragon died April 3, of heart disease at the age of 66. His death was publicly announced in June.
Henry “Nacho” Laun was a reality TV personality who was a longtime friend of Mark and Donnie Wahlberg,
and was featured on their family’s reality TV show, “Wahlburgers.”
He was known for taking on ambitious eating challenges on the show.
Laun died June 1, of an accidental overdose at the age of 54.
Ernie Lively was an actor and the father of actress Blake Lively.
He starred alongside his daughter in the movie “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.”
He also made appearances on TV shows like “That 70s Show” and “The West Wing.”
Lively died June 3, of cardiac complications at the age of 74.
Bobby Unser Jr. was a racecar driver and stunt driver who was the son of racing legend Bobby Unser.
Unser had several racing wins, but he focused more on stunt driving.
He worked on TV shows like “Walker, Texas Ranger.”
Unser died June 13, of blood clots following surgery for a broken hip at the age of 65.
Jessica Morris founded the nonprofit organization Our Brain Bank, supporting people who have glioblastoma.
She worked to create a network of patient-centered care
for herself and others fighting the aggressive form of brain cancer.
Morris died June 8, of glioblastoma, at the age of 57.
Jim “Mudcat” Grant was a Major League Baseball pitcher best known for his time with the Minnesota Twins.
He became the first Black pitcher in the American League to win 20 games in a season, and the first to win a World Series game.
Grant died June 11 at the age of 85.
Mike Marshall was a Major League Baseball pitcher who became the first relief pitcher to win the Cy Young Award.
He was best known for his seasons with the Montreal Expos and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1970s.
Marshall died June 1, at the age of 78.
Joanne Linville was an actress known for her appearance as a Romulan commander on “Star Trek”
her character’s romantic tension with Mr. Spock was unforgettable.
She also made notable appearances on “The Twilight Zone” and “Columbo.”
Linville died June 20, at the age of 93.
Ray MacDonnell was an actor who starred on “All My Children” as Dr. Joe Martin, patriarch of the Martin family.
He was on the show for an incredible 40 years, appearing on the first episode in 1970 and the last episode in 2011.
MacDonnell died June 10, of natural causes at the age of 93.
Stuart Damon was an actor best known for starring on “General Hospital” as Dr. Alan Quartermaine for 30 years.
He won an Emmy Award for his performance.
He was also a Broadway actor, and he had recurring roles on “As the World Turns” and “Days of Our Lives.”
Damon died June 29, of kidney failure at the age of 84.
Leroy Jones was a defensive end with the San Diego Chargers in the 1970s and 80s.
He was a member of the Chargers’ famed 1980 defensive line, nicknamed the Bruise Brothers.
Jones died June 11, at the age of 70.
Jim Fassel was the former head coach of the New York Giants. He took them to the Super Bowl in 2001.
He also coached for the University of Utah and was offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens.
Fassel died June 7, of a heart attack at the age of 71.
Johnny Solinger was the lead singer of the metal band Skid Row from 1999 to 2015.
He replaced original lead singer Sebastian Bach and sang on singles like “Ghost.”
Solinger died June 26, after announcing he was suffering from liver failure at the age of 55.
Lil Loaded was a rapper known for his viral hit song, “Block Baby.”
He had other internet hit songs, like “Gang Unit.”
Lil Loaded died May 31, at the age of 20. His death was publicly announced in June.
Heidi Ferrer was a screenwriter best known for her work on TV shows like “Dawson’s Creek” and "Wasteland.”
She also wrote the movies “The Hottie and the Nottie” and “Princess.”
Ferrer died May 26, by suicide after battling long-haul COVID-19 for more than a year, at the age of 50.
Her death was publicly announced in June.
F. Lee Bailey was a criminal defense attorney who worked with high-profile defendants
like Patty Hearst and Sam Sheppard. He was also a member of the “Dream Team” of lawyers
who represented O.J. Simpson in his 1995 murder trial.
Bailey died June 3 at the age of 87.
Lucinda Riley was a bestselling Irish author known for historical fiction, including her series “The Seven Sisters.”
She just published the seventh book in the series, “The Missing Sister,” in April.
Riley died June 11, of cancer at the age of 56.
Mark Eaton was a basketball player with the Utah Jazz, who was a two-time NBA defensive player of the year.
Standing 7 foot 4, he played center, and he holds the NBA record for most shots blocked in a game.
Eaton died May 28, in a bicycle accident at the age of 64. His death was announced in June.
Alex Harvill was a daredevil who held the Guinness World Record for the longest dirt-to-dirt motorcycle jump.
Harvill was doing a practice run before trying for another world record, for a ramp-to-dirt jump, on June 17,
when he died in a motorcycle accident at the age of 28.
Lisa Banes was an actress best known for roles in movies like “Gone Girl” and “Cocktail.”
She also had recurring roles on TV shows like “The King of Queens” and “One Life to Live.”
Banes died June 14, in a traffic accident, at the age of 65.
Joe Lara was an actor who starred as Tarzan in the TV series “Tarzan: The Epic Adventures.”
He was also in action movies like “Steel Frontier” and “Doomsdayer.”
Lara died May 29, in a small plane crash at the age of 58. His death was announced in June.
Gift of Gab was a rapper with the hip hop duo Blackalicious.
Their songs include “Alphabet Aerobics” and “Make You Feel That Way.”
Born Tim Parker, Gift of Gab was known for his fast and nimble rapping style, with creative lyrics.
He died June 18, of natural causes at the age of 50.
Donald Rumsfeld was the U.S. Secretary of Defense under presidents Gerald Ford and George W. Bush.
He played a major role in the U.S. going to war with Iraq and Afghanistan.
Rumsfeld died June 30, of multiple myeloma at the age of 88.
Ned Beatty was a prolific actor whose memorable movies include “Deliverance,” “Superman,” and “All the President’s Men.”
He was nominated for an Oscar for his performance in “Network.”
He was the voice of teddy bear Lotso in the movie “Toy Story 3.”
He also starred on TV in “Homicide: Life on the Street” and had a recurring role on “Roseanne” as Dan’s father.
Beatty died June 13, of natural causes at the age of 83.
Clarence Williams III was an actor best known for starring as Linc in the hip TV detective series “The Mod Squad” in the 1960s and ‘70s.
He also starred in movies, playing Prince’s father in “Purple Rain”
as well as taking featured roles in “Tales from the Hood,” “Half Baked,” and “Reindeer Games.”
Williams died June 4, of colon cancer at the age of 81.
Arlene Golonka was an actress who played Millie on “The Andy Griffith Show” and its spin-off, “Mayberry R.F.D.”
She was also in other shows like “MASH” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” and movies like “Airport ‘77.”
Golonka died May 31, of complications of Alzheimer’s disease at the age of 85.
Her death was announced in June.
Frank Bonner was an actor best known for his iconic role as ad salesman Herb Tarlek
on the classic sitcom “WKRP in Cincinnati.”
Bonner always made audiences laugh with Herb’s garish plaid suits, matching white tie and shoes, and crass antics.
He also starred in the 1990s revival of the show, “The New WKRP in Cincinnati,”
as well as in “Saved by the Bell: The New Class” and “Just the Ten of Us.”
Bonner died June 16, of complications of Lewy body dementia at the age of 79.
You can read more about the lives of the people featured in this video on Legacy.com.