Rolling Obituary Thread: 2018

Baroness Trumpington, then Jean Barker, was my old headmaster's wife, so I got to witness the famous incident when she jumped - fully clothed and in front of the whole school - into the swimming pool, to mark her final prize-giving. That happened in 1975. It was finally reported in the main Radio 4 news bulletin this morning. Some stories take longer to break than others.

I had to laugh when she chose her absurd title, as it was entirely typical of her humour. I also have my suspicions about the title of her autobiography. Coming Up Trumps, indeed!

(her full title being Baroness Trumpington of Sandwich)

(Slightly curiously worded) detail in a wikipedia article.

The whole article is odd!

trumpington wiki bio is horrific

Stephen Hillenburg, creator Spongebob Squarepants, 57

just seen. extremely :(

gosh :(

https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/spongebob-squarepants-creator-dead-dies-stephen-hillenburg-1203037362/

I am pretty positive watched that May 1, 1999 premiere of SpongeBob SquarePants, which followed the Kids' Choice Awards. Nickelodeon's PR says "Steve imbued ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ with a unique sense of humor and innocence that has brought joy to generations of kids and families everywhere" and that "generations" is now accurate.

oh no that is devastating news ;_;
I didn’t know he had ALS

i couldn’t work for the first 3 months after I moved to the US so I would hang out at my inlaws while Mr Veg was working & every afternoon my 5 yo niece and I would watch Spongebob together - to this day one of my best memories. I became a huge fan & to this day I’ll still watch it whenever I’m scrolling through & I see it’s on tv. It’s such a brilliant, joyful cartoon.

Harry Leslie Smith, 95.

His son just shared the news, time of death 3.39 Ontario time.

RIP Harry.

I can recall someone from the Tory twattersphere trying to insinuate he was a sock account because you can't have a war vet saying nice things about Corbyn and constantly criticising austerity.

There were arch-centrists casting similar aspersions on him, too. In recent times their silence on the matter was welcome and long may it continue.

bit weird having his death live tweeted tbh but rip harry smith

The aspersions are especially odd considering elderly Christian women were (are) a big contingent of demos (esp during the Iraq war protests)

His son said that it was his dad's wish to have an online vigil, so he complied. Nice mention/eulogy on PMQs just now.

Bleecker Bob

just an hour ago I passed the sushi place or whatever that used to be his shop, would've left a flower if I'd known

I miss all those record stores on Bleecker so much

I miss all those record stores on Bleecker so much

I won't speak ill of the dead

speaking ill of the dead are usually the best posts on here!

Gloria Katz

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/gloria-katz-dead-american-graffiti-writer-star-wars-script-doctor-was-76-1164737

I won't speak ill of the dead

yeah, stay in your lane!

Think there might be a whole thread about Bleecker Bob’s behavior, or at least a good part of one.

my friend apparently heard him say racist stuff and wd only shoplift after that

V principled

Robert Morris. Minimalist artist

https://www.artforum.com/news/robert-morris-1931-2018-77802

George H.W. Bush, 94

Alone and unloved we can only hope

Steered Nation Through Turbulent Era

41 PASSES AT 94...
'Kinder, Gentler Nation'...
World events shaped presidency...
War, oil, politics...
Man with golden resume...
THE POLITICAL DYNASTY...
LIFE IN PHOTOS...

Was he the pretzel guy or what that his son?

the one that already looked like an embalmed corpse for the last 3 decades.

Threw up on a Japanese Prime Minister, got you now.

rest in piece georgia bush, u will be mist

https://media.giphy.com/media/l3vRm5in3u3MJhgE8/giphy.gif

Ken Berry

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ken-berry-dead-f-troop-mamas-family-star-was-85-999739

who remains of the song-and-dance-men

Seeing on Facebook--Memphis Jazz and r'n'b guitarist Calvin Newborn passed away today.

As is becoming my routine on this thread, here's Gilbert Gottfried's recent-ish (2015) interview with Berry:

https://www.gilbertpodcast.com/ken-berry/

RIP. Do his appearances on The Carol Burnett Show get a mention in the obits?

And RIP Calvin Newborn as well

Sorry, don’t think I watched too many of the 130 episodes of Mama’s Family, maybe none to completion. Impressed with the long list of guest star appearances on myriad non-Carol Burnett related shows.

Could just about barely take Mama & Co. at non-lethal sketch length.

So it’s mentioned that Mayberry R.F.D. was cancelled by CBS as part of the “rural purge.” I wonder how often Ken Berry and Roy Clark crossed paths.

This article is full of interesting detail: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rural_purge?wprov=sfti1

this is an interesting contrast to the moonves-led regular bro and hot corpse uprising of the 90s

Kevin Grisham's The Rural Perjuror.

Rural juror?

oh wait I see

Funny, I never really thought about any sort of rural purge, but yeah, I remember all those hillbilly shows. Dukes of Hazzard, too, I suppose.