Miriam Colon –
Actress, theater director, Mama Montana.
August 20, 1936 – March 3, 2017.
Aged 80 years.
Most recognized for: When TV & movie casting directors said “get me a Puerto Rican broad,” Miriam’s phone would blow up. But after 6 and a half decades in Hollywood, the role we know her best for was as Tony Montana’s mother in Scarface.
Lynne Stewart –
Defense attorney, convicted felon, lost cause addict.
October 8, 1939 – March 7, 2017.
Aged 77 years.
Most recognized for: As the defense attorney in several high-profile US court cases, she has represented terrorist leaders, hijackers, cop killers, and even Gambino crime family underboss Sammy “The Bull” Gravano. Did she get them off the hook? Usually not.
Joe Rogers Sr. –
Businessman, short-order cook, hash slinger.
1919 – March 7, 2017.
Aged 97 years.
Most recognized for: As founder of Waffle House, he’s partly responsible for the heartburn you experience upon waking on the couch after a night of blacked-out binge drinking.
Robert Osbourne –
Actor, film historian, the old guy on the old movie channel.
May 3, 1932 – March 6, 2017.
Aged 84 years.
Most recognized for: He was the white haired old fella with the velvety pipes that hosted old movies on TCM. And for all you confused millennials, TCM stands for Turner Classic Movies.
Dr. Thomas Starzl –
Surgeon, author, mad scientist.
March 11, 1926 – March 4, 2017.
Aged 90 years.
Most recognized for: Regarded as “the father of modern transplantation,” he performed the first human liver transplant in 1963… and then the first successful human liver transplant in 1967. 4 years of practice makes perfect, apparently.
Tommy Page –
Singer/songwriter, music industry exec, pretty boy.
May 24, 1970 – March 3, 2017.
Aged 46 years.
Most recognized for: A collaboration with The New Kids on the Block, his single “I’ll Be Your Everything” went to number 1 on the charts in 1990. Then, after transitioning to various board-room roles within the music biz and making big-big bucks for a few decades, he decided to off himself.
Joseph Wapner –
Judge, author, root beer mascot.
November 15, 1919 – February 26, 2017.
Aged 97 years.
Most recognized for: He was the no nonsense gavel banger on The People’s Court… and the center of Raymond Babbit‘s universe.
Selected by: J. Kaplan
Bill Paxton –
Actor, director, TV polygamist.
May 17, 1955 – February 25, 2017.
Aged 61 years.
Most recognized for: His portayal of Chet in 1985’s Weird Science showed abusive older siblings around the world how it’s really done.
Neil Fingleton –
Actor, basketball player, bean-pole.
December 18, 1980 – February 26, 2017.
Aged 36 years.
Most recognized for: Played Mag the Mighty on “Game of Thrones” and a handful of other freakishly tall movie characters. At 7 feet 7 inches tall, he once held the Guinness record for tallest person in the European Union. That’s a big muhfukker.
Ivan Koloff –
Wrestler, author, foreign heel.
August 25, 1942 – February 18, 2017.
Aged 74 years.
Most recognized for: Known as “The Russian Bear,” he played the Soviet bad-guy in the earlier days of the WWF, NWA, and ECW. Unfortunately for the Bear, Nikolai Volkoff gained greater notoriety by playing a nearly identical character… maybe because he actually was Soviet instead of Canadian.
Larry Coryell –
Musician, guitarist, jazz junkie.
April 2, 1943 – February 19, 2017.
Aged 73 years.
Most recognized for: Widely regarded as the Godfather of Fusion, he collaboarted with all the jazz greats… and, of course, shot a lot of heroin. Because what’s jazz without heroin, right?
Daryl Easton –
Magician, lecturer, somebody that should have stuck to card tricks.
August 13, 1955 – February 24, 2017.
Aged 61 years.
Most recognized for: After decades of touring the world performing and teaching his craft, wound up accidentally hanging himself while trying to figure out some stupid rope trick.