Kevin Barnett, American comedian & television writer, Died at 83

John Mortimer Fourette Smith was born June 23, 1935 and died on January 22, 2019.

He was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church.

Barnett served as the ninth Bishop of Trenton, having previously served as Bishop of Pensacola-Tallahassee from 1991 to 1995.

At the time of his death, he was serving as the Bishop Emeritus of Trenton, having been succeeded upon his retirement for age reasons by his Coadjutor Bishop, former Catholic University of America President David M. O'Connell, on Wednesday, December 1, 2010.

John Mortimer Fourette Smith passed away at 83 years old.

Andrew G. Vajna, Hungarian-American film producer, Died at 74

Andrew G. Vajna was born András György Vajna on August 1, 1944, in Budapest and died on January 20, 2019.

He was a Hungarian-American film producer.

He died at his home in Budapest following a long illness.

Andrew G. Vajna passed away at 74 years old.

Wiet Van Broeckhoven, Belgian radio presenter and writer, Died at 69

Wiet Van Broeckhoven was born on September 1949 and died on January 4, 2019.

 

He was a Belgian radio presenter and writer.

 

He was best known as the host of the radio music shows Njam Njam and Hitbox.

 

Van Broeckhoven was known for his Beatle haircut and knack for humorous one-liners.

At the start, he served as a was a civil servant. 

Van Broeckhoven presented the music shows Njam Njam and Hitbox on Radio 2, where Etienne Smet made the musical selections. 

He was known for his playful style, coming up with humorous one-liners and puns in between musical segments. 

Most of the quotes and one-liners were later compiled in various books. During the last years of his life, Van Broeckhoven was very ill, bedridden, and he no longer appeared in public. 

Wiet Van Broeckhoven passed away at 69 years old.

Dianne Oxberry, British broadcaster, Died at 51

Diane Clare Oxberry was born on August 13, 1967 , in Sunderland, County Durham and died on January 10, 2019.

She was an English broadcaster and weather presenter for the BBC regional news programme North West Tonight. 

Oxberry also fronted the regional current affairs programme Inside Out North West. 

His parents were Francis Joseph Oxberry (1935–1983) and Margaret R. Dent.

She was married to Ian Hindle.

 

The couple had two children and lived in Sale, Greater Manchester.

Oxberry passed away at 51 years old at the Christie Hospital, Manchester, following a short bout with cancer.

Diane Clare Oxberry passed away at 51 years old.

Theo Adam, German opera singer, Died at 92

Theo Adam was born on  August 1, 1926 and died on January 10, 2019.

 

He was a German operatic bass singer.

He had an active international career in opera, concert and recital from the 1940s through the 1990s. 

Adam mostly excelled in portraying roles by Richard Wagner. 

During concert, Adam was a much admired Bach singer and also drew acclaim for his exposition of the title character of Mendelssohn's Elijah. 

Adam was praised for his robust voice and intelligent interpretation, and sometimes criticized for abrasive tone quality,unsteadiness,and wobble.

His 1968 Hamburg film of Fidelio can be found on DVD, with Richard Cassilly, Anja Silja, and Lucia Popp.

He  wrote two books about his life, career, and perspective on opera, Seht, hier ist Tinte, Feder, Papier.

Aus der Werkstatt eines Sängers (Berlin, 1980) and Die hundertste Rolle, oder, Ich mache einen neuen Adam (Munich, 1987).

He  passed away at 92 years old in Dresden.

Annalise Braakensiek, Australian model and actress, Died at 46

Annalise Braakensiek was born on December 9, 1972 and died on January 6, 2019.

She was an Australian model, actress and TV presenter.

During 2002, Annalise Braakensiek married stockbroker Danny Goldberg . In 2018, they separated.

On 6 January 2019, Anana was found dead in her Potts Point apartment, after her friends and family had not heard from her for a few days.

The investigating team said there were no suspicious circumstances.

Annalise Braakensiek passed away at 46 years old.

Jimmy Hannan, Australian game show host and singer, Died at 84

Jimmy Hannan was born on August 25, 1934 and died on January 7, 2019.

He was a Gold Logie-winning Australian variety show host, singer and entertainer and game show host.

Hannan was by far one of the pioneers of television, Hannan won the 1965 Gold Logie award.

His famous single was Beach Ball, which featured The Bee Gees as backing vocalists.

Jimmy also served on the air in Melbourne at The Greater 3UZ.

Melissa Hannan was his daughter, in 1981 she won the Miss Australia title and she was also in the Miss World competition in London that same years.

Jimmy Hannan passed away at 84 years old.

Paul Angerer, Austrian conductor, violist, composer, and radiopresenter, Died at 90

Paul Angerer was bornon May 16, 1927 and died on July 26, 2017.

He was an Austrian violist, conductor, composer and radio presenter.

He studied music theory and composition with Friedrich Reidinger and Alfred Uhl, and conducting with Hans Swarowsky.

Angerer performed in the viola section of Wiener Symphoniker, Tonhalle Orchester Zürich and Orchestre de la Suisse Romande early in his career and was viola soloist with the Wiener Symphoniker from 1953 to 1957.

Then, he started to conduct the Vienna Chamber Orchestra and the orchestras in Bonn and Ulm.

Since 1967 to 1972, Angerer was principal conductor of the Salzburg Opera Theater (Salzburger Landestheater) and led the Südwestdeutsches Kammerorchester from 1971 to 1982.

In 1982, Angerer began conducting the Concilium Musicum Wien and held a teaching position at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna from 1982 to 1992.

Angerer was awarded the Austrian State Prize for Music in 1953 for his Musik für Viola allein and in 2001, he received the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class.

His compositional style was influenced by that of Paul Hindemith.

Angerer's works are published by Verlag Doblinger, Universal Edition, C. Haslinger and Editions M. Reift.

Paul Angerer passed away at 90 years old.

Thomas Füri, Swiss violinist, Died at 70

Thomas Füri was born on July 22, 1947, in Bern, and died on July 23, 2017.

He was a Swiss violinist, and a teacher at the Hochschule für Musik Basel.

Furi studied with his father Erich Füri and with Max Rostal at the Hochschule für Musik Bern.

He completed his studies with Ivan Galamian at the Julliard School in New York.

Since 1973 till 1980 Thomas Füri was leader in Koblenz, Lausanne and Basel.

Then from 1979 till 1993 he led the Camerata Bern.

From 1980 till 1991 Thomas Füri taught at the academies in Winterthur and Zürich.

During 1985 he joined I Salonisti, appearing in the 1997 film Titanic.

During 1993, Furi was awarded the Musikpreis des Kantons Bern.

Since 2000 Thomas Füri has been a member of the Aria Quartet.

He played on a 1761 Giovanni Battista Guadagnini violin.

Thomas Füri passed away at 70 years old.

Amir Fryszer Guttman, Israeli singer, Died at 41

Amir Fryszer Guttman was born on April 25, 1976 and died on July 23, 2017.

He was an Israeli singer, musician, choreographer, actor, and theater director.

Amir died from drowning after being swept away with his niece, whom he had held above water; his niece survived.

Amir Fryszer Guttman passed away at 41 years old.

Barbara Sinatra, American fashion model and showgirl, Died at 90

Barbara Marx Sinatra (née Blakeley) was born on March 10, 1927, and died on July 25, 2017.

She was an American model and showgirl.

She was married to Zeppo Marx from 1959 to 1973 and was the fourth and final wife of Frank Sinatra from 1976 until his death in 1998.

Barbara converted to Roman Catholicism before the marriage.

In her book, Lady Blue Eyes: My Life With Frank, "He [Frank] never asked me to change faith for him, but I could tell he was pleased that I'd consider it."

Barbara Marx Sinatra died in Rancho Mirage, California due natural causes.

Barbara Marx Sinatra passed away at 90 years old.

Tom Blom, Dutch radio and television presenter, Died at 70

Tom Blom was born on September 25, 1946, in The Hague and died on July 3, 2017.

He was a Dutch television and radio presenter.

During 1975, he made his television debut as a announcer at The Johnny Kraaijkamp Show.

Then, he was a presenter of the record program De Eerste de Beste (together with Walter Tiemessen).

Tom Blom passed away at 70 years old.

Robert Alfred Wolff, American sportscaster, Died at 96

Robert Alfred Wolff was born on November 29, 1920, in New York City and died on July 15, 2017.

He was an American radio and television sportscaster.

Wolff began his professional career in 1939 on CBS in Durham, North Carolina while attending Duke University.

Robert was the radio and TV voice of the Washington Senators from 1947 to 1960, continuing with the team when they relocated and became the Minnesota Twins in 1961.

During 1962, Robert joined NBC-TV.

During his later years, he was seen and heard on News 12 Long Island, on MSG Network programming and doing sports interviews on the Steiner Sports' Memories of the Game show on the YES Network.

Bob Wolff passed away at 96 years old.

George A. Romero, American-Canadian film director & screenwriter, Died at 77

George Andrew Romero was born on February 4, 1940 and died on July 16, 2017.

He was an American-Canadian filmmaker, writer and editor.

He best known for his series of gruesome and satirical horror films about an imagined zombie apocalypse, beginning with Night of the Living Dead (1968), which is often considered a progenitor of the fictional zombie of modern culture.

His other films in the series include Dawn of the Dead (1978) and Day of the Dead (1985).

Besides the Dead series, his works include The Crazies (1973), Martin (1978), Creepshow (1982), Monkey Shines (1988) and The Dark Half (1993).

He was often noted as an influential pioneer of the horror film genre, and has been called an "icon" and the "Father of the Zombie Film.

George A. Romero passed away at 77 years old.

Wally Burr, American voice actor and director, Died at 91

Walter S. Burr was born on June 2, 1926 and died on July 9, 2017.

He was also credited as Wally Burr and Walter Burr.

He was an American voice actor and director.

Burr was the voice director for The Transformers and The Transformers: The Movie, Burr was known for his perfectionist recording sessions.

Burr voice directed several other cartoons during the 1980s, such as G.I. Joe, Jem, Inspector Gadget, and Spider-Man.

He vocal performances include The Atom on Superfriends, and Harvey Gabor on Jem, among others.

Walter S. Burr passed away at 91 years old.

Mangesh Tendulkar, Indian cartoonist, Died at 82

Mangesh Tendulkar was born in Kolhapur and died in 2017, in Pune.

He was an Indian artist as cartoonist and humourist.

Tendulkar has also written in many magazines on cartoons.

He was a caricaturist for more than six decades beginning with his earliest sketches in 1954.

Mangesh Tendulkar was very active in creating traffic awareness in Pune city and made a great support to Pune traffic police.

He was a well known a social activist, Mangesh was associated with the traffic branch of the Pune Police.

His book named Cartoons was published in 2001.

Mangesh Tendulkar passed away at 82 years old.

Barry Norman, British film critic and television presenter, Died at 83

Barry Leslie Norman was born on August 21, 1933 and died on June 30, 2017.

He was a British film critic, journalist and television presenter.

Norman was best known for presenting Film... on BBC One from 1972 to 1998; he was the programme's longest-running host.

Norman was the brother of script editor and director Valerie Norman.

He married author Diana Narracott in 1957; the couple lived in Datchworth, Hertfordshire, for many years and both of their daughters were born in the house.

Diana's 2013 book See You in the Morning was written as a celebration of their life together.

Barry Norman passed away at 83 years old.

Paul Hollingdale, British radio personality, Died at 79

Paul Hollingdale was born Paul Wynn on March 30, 1938 and died July 5, 2017.

He was a British radio presenter.

Hollingdale presented the first ever programme broadcast on BBC Radio 2, Breakfast Special.

Hollingdale had presented a show on CNBC in 1962, and can claim to be Britain's first ever pirate radio disc jockey.

He was also the first presenter on Radio 210 in Reading, launching the station in 1976 with The Breakfast Show which ran from 6.00 am to 10.00 am.

For a short period, he also presented an evening show, between 9.00pm and midnight two days a week, giving him just six hours from the finish of one show to the start of the next.

Hollingdale returned to Radio 2 for a special show to mark the 40th anniversary of the station on September 30th 2007.

During 1979, Hollingdale opened Blue Danube Radio, an English language station in Vienna, Austria, and contributed to the station until it closed in 2000.

Later, he relocated to Vienna, where he worked as a broadcaster and film commentator until his death in Brighton.

Paul Hollingdale passed away at 79 years old.

Stevie Ryan, American actress and comedian, Died at 33

Stevie Kathleen Ryan was born on June 2, 1984 in Riverside, California, and died on July 1, 2017.

She was a YouTube personality.

Ryan was known for her YouTube videos and starring in the VH1 series Stevie TV.

At the age of two, she and her family relocated to Victorville, where her parents operated a trucking business.

During 2002, Ryan graduated from Silverado High School.

Ryan was found dead in her home from an apparent suicide by hanging.

Stevie Ryan passed away at 33 years old.

Paolo Limiti, Italian television presenter, Died at 77

Paolo Mario Limiti was born on May 8, 1940, in Milan and died on June 27, 2017.

He was an Italian lyricist, journalist, radio and television writer and presenter.

He started his career as a journalist, then in 1960 he started a long collaboration with Mike Bongiorno as author of his radio and television programs.

Be became especially acive from the mid-1960s as a lyricist, his first hit was Dionne Warwick's "Silent Voices", and he then wrote songs for Mina, Claudia Mori, Mia Martini, Ornella Vanoni, Peppino di Capri, Iva Zanicchi, Albano Carrisi among others.

Paolo was also a successful television presenter, who mainly hosted nostalgic shows about vintage music and about the history of entertainment.

Paolo Limiti received the America Award of the Italy-USA Foundation in 2014.

Paolo Limiti passed away at 77 years old.