Here are the most recent deaths in the national news, as reported at Legacy.com, the fifth
week of January 2023. Legacy.com is where you can find any obituary,
or publish an obituary in any newspaper in America, and beyond.
Actress Lisa Loring died January 28, 2023, at a hospital in Burbank, California. She
died of a stroke at the age of 64. She played Wednesday Addams, the sweet but
morbid young daughter in the 1960s TV series “The Addams Family.”
Loring is being remembered as the first to play Wednesday, helping to create a pop culture
icon who is still relevant today. Actress Cindy Williams died January 25, 2023,
in Los Angeles. She died after a brief illness at the age of 75.
She starred as Shirley Feeney in the beloved 1970s sitcom, “Laverne & Shirley.” Audiences
loved her friendship with Penny Marshall’s Laverne and their hilarious slapstick comedy.
Williams is also being remembered for movies including “American Graffiti,” and “The
Conversation.” Musician Floyd Sneed died January 27, 2023,
at the age of 80. He was the drummer for Three Dog Night, playing
on ‘60s and ‘70s hits including “One,” “Black and White,” and “Mama Told Me
Not to Come.” Sneed is also being remembered for his bass
backing vocals on the number one hit “Joy to the World.”
Musician Dean Daughtry died January 26, 2023, in Huntsville, Alabama. He died of natural
causes at the age of 76. He was a founding member and the keyboardist
for the southern rock band Atlanta Rhythm Section.
Daughtry is being remembered for co-writing the band’s hit songs, “So into You”
and “Imaginary Lover.” Sportscaster Billy Packer died January 26,
2023, in Charlotte, North Carolina. He died of kidney failure at the age of 82.
He was a longtime college basketball broadcaster, covering decades of the NCAA tournament.
Packer is being remembered as the voice of the Final Four from the 1970s through the
2000s. World War II veteran Harold Brown died January
12, 2023, in Port Clinton, Ohio at the age of 98.
He was a Tuskegee Airman, who had a longtime dream of flying and joined the military as
soon as he graduated high school in 1942. He is being remembered for surviving an angry
mob and being held as a prisoner of war after his plane was downed in Austria.
Brown remained in the U.S. Air Force for more than two decades, flying missions in the Korean
War before retiring in 1965 as a lieutenant colonel.
Hockey player Bobby Hull died January 30, 2023, at his home in Wheaton, Illinois at
the age of 84. He was a star of the Chicago Black Hawks in
the 1950s through ‘70s, becoming the first player to score more than 50 goals.
Hull is being remembered as “The Golden Jet” and a Hockey Hall of Famer.
Musician Tom Verlaine died January 28, 2023, in New York City. He died after a brief illness
at the age of 73. He was a singer, songwriter and guitarist
who led the legendary punk band Television. Verlaine is being remembered for influencing
many other artists, including REM, U2, and Sonic Youth.
Singer and songwriter Barrett Strong died January 29, 2023, at his home in La Jolla,
California at the age of 81. He recorded the first hit for Motown Records
in 1960 – “Money (That’s What I Want),” which was later covered by the Beatles.
Strong is being remembered for co-writing many other hits for Motown artists, including
“I Heard it Through the Grapevine,” “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” and “Just My Imagination
(Running Away with Me.)” Businessman Ira “Bob” Born died January
29, 2023, at the age of 98. The longtime president of the Just Born candy
company, which manufactures marshmallow Peeps, he was called, “the Father of Peeps,”
for inventing a way to mass-produce the popular candy and make it available nationwide.
He is also being remembered for inventing the spicy cinnamon candy Hot Tamales.
Born was a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II.
Screenwriter Gregory Allen Howard died January 27, 2023, in Miami. He died of heart failure
at the age of 70. He wrote the screenplay for the award-winning
sports drama “Remember the Titans.” Howard is also being remembered for his screenplays
for the movies “Ali” and “Harriet.” Former U.S. Senator David Durenberger died
January 31, 2023, at his home in St. Paul, Minnesota. He died of heart failure at the
age of 88. A Republican from Minnesota, he served in
the Senate for 16 years in the 1970s through 1990s. Amid an ethics scandal over misused
funds, he was censured by the Senate in 1990. He is being remembered for his support of
environmental protections and his sponsorship of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Durenberger was a U.S. Army veteran who served in the 1950s in the Counterintelligence Corps,
then spent six years in the Army Reserve. John Adams died January 30, 2023, in Cleveland.
He died after suffering several health issues at the age of 71.
He was a superfan of the Cleveland Indians, later renamed the Cleveland Guardians, known
for drumming on his bass drum as the players took the field and during exciting moments
during the game. Adams is being remembered as a beloved Cleveland
institution, memorialized in the team’s Hall of Fame.
Actress Annie Wersching died January 29, 2023, in Los Angeles. She died of cancer at the
age of 45. She was known for a wide variety of TV performances,
including a starring role as Renee Walker on “24” and a recent turn as the Borg
Queen on “Star Trek: Picard.” Wersching is also being remembered for roles
on TV shows such as “Runaways,” “The Rookie,” “Timeless,” and “The Vampire
Diaries.” 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. 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 Virginia have been lowered to honor the memory of former state Delegate Jimmie
Massie the third. Flags in Massachusetts have been lowered to
honor the memory of former Representative Alice K. Wolf.
Flags in North Carolina have been lowered to honor the memory of Tribal Elder and former
Chairman of the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation, John "Blackfeather" Jeffries.
Flags in South Dakota have been lowered to honor the memory of former state Representative
and state court Judge John Jones. Flags in Pennsylvania have been lowered to
honor the memory of EmergyCare EMT Michael Harrington, who died in the line of duty.
Flags in California have been lowered to honor the memory of Selma Police Officer Gonzalo
Carrasco Jr., who died in the line of duty. This week also marks several notable anniversaries.
Twenty years ago this week, the crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia died in an accident
during reentry. Their names were Michael P. Anderson, David M. Brown, Kalpana Chawla,
Laurel Clark, Rick Husband, William C. McCool, and Ilan Ramon.
Thirty-five years ago this week, actress Heather O’Rourke died at the age of 12. She was
the rising young star of the classic horror movie “Poltergeist” and its two sequels.
Seventy-five years ago this week, civil rights leader Mahatma Gandhi died at the age of 78.
He used nonviolent resistance as he led the struggle to secure India’s independence
from the British empire. Seventy-five years ago this week, aviation
pioneer Orville Wright died at the age of 76. He and his brother invented the first
successful motorized airplane. Musician Rick James was born 75 years ago
this week. He died in 2004 at the age of 56. He was known for funk classics including “Super
Freak.” Actor Sherman Hemsley was born 85 years ago
this week. He died in 2012 at the age of 74. He starred in the TV sitcoms “The Jeffersons”
and “Amen.” There are many more celebrity anniversaries
this week, and we pay tribute to them in a video titled, "The Week the Music Died," part
of our new Tuesday video series. 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.