10 Notable Losses in 2009.

(This post is written in association with a Group Writing Project initiated by Daniel Scocco of DailyBlogTips.  Daniel will publish the list of all participants in the project on his blog on Monday, December 14th).

Walter Cronkite

Walter Cronkite died at age 92.  While I was growing up he was the news anchor that all other news anchors aspired to be.  My remembrances of Walter Cronkite was his distinct voice and sign off every night “And that’s the way it is” at the end of each news cast. He was also broadcasting when John F. Kennedy was pronounced dead in 1963. I remember distinctly that he could not speak at one point.  My parents met him a number of years ago on Martha’s Vineyard while waiting for a ferry to bring them to the mainland. Walter and his wife were heading to the mainland to attend a christening. He was very easy-going in his manner and was very approachable.  Ironically, we were vacationing in Martha’s Vineyard this past summer when we heard of his death.  Walter had a home on the Vineyard and was an avid sailor.  I remember looking at his home overlooking the harbor in Edgartown the day we heard of his death.  Needless to say, he was a giant in the broadcasting business.

Patrick Swayze

Patrick Swayze died at age 57 from pancreatic cancer.  I remember him from three different movies.  The one that was most popular was “Dirty Dancing” and his infamous quote “No one puts Baby in the corner”.  His dancing and acting talents truly shined in that movie.  The second most-popular movie of his was “Ghost” with Demi Moore and Whoopie Goldberg.  The other notable movie that I particularly enjoyed was “Roadhouse” in which he plays an undersized bouncer who turns a honky-tonk saloon into a respectable establishment through some strong-arm tactics.

Ted Kennedy

Ted Kennedy, after a battle with brain cancer, died at age 77.  Regardless of your politics you have to admit that this man worked tirelessly as a legislator for the common man.  Some ofthe legislation that Kennedy played a major role in include the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Votings Rights Act of 1965, the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act, and the 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act.  He also had to withstand the tragic losses of his two brothers, John and Robert, by assassination.  His oldest brother Joe Jr, also died tragically in a plane crash in World War II. He did have a failed attempt at the White House in 1980 running against then incumbent president Jimmy Carter.  He will be forever remembered for his car accident in 1969 on Chappaquiddick Island, where Mary Jo Kopechne drowned and he pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of the accident.

Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson died on June 25^th, 2009 at the age of 50.  He was probably the most recognizable performer in the world.  Michael and I were born in the same year two months apart so, needless to say, we figuratively grew up together.  I distinctly remember his music with his brothers in the Jackson 5 when I was younger.  According to Wikipedia, the Thriller album in 1982 is the largest selling album of all time selling over 100 million copies worldwide.  I will never forget the video that was also went along with this smash hit.  Michael will always be known for his changing appearance including his skin color and nose starting in the late 1970s.  He was also accused of child sexual abuse in 1993 but was not brought to court but in 2005 was accused of multiple counts including the molestation of a minor.  In June of 2005 he was found not guilty of all charges.

Farah Fawcett

Farah Fawcett, known for her distinct hairstyle and her role on Charlie’s Angels died of cancer the same day as Michael Jackson, June 25^th.  Farah, one of the stars of the blockbuster TV show, “Charlie’s Angels” was also known for the famous swimsuit poster (seen to the left) which sold 12 million copies in 1976.  She documented her cancer struggles in “Farrah’s Story” which was broadcast on May 15^th by NBC.

Ed McMahon

Ed McMahon, sidekick of Johnny Carson for roughly 30 years, died at age 86 also in June.  Ed was known for his “Heeeeere’s Johnny” introduction on every Tonight Show.  He was also known for his belly laugh at Johnny’s every joke.  His financial problems were well-chronicled later in his life.

David Carradine

David Carradine, known for his role as Kwai Chang Caine, in the TV series Kung Fu also died in June at the age of 72. He was the son of legendary actor John Carradine. David died accidentally of asphyxiation in Bangkok, Thailand.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver

Eunice Kennedy Shriver, known as the founder of Special Olympics, died at 88 years old. She was the 5th child born to Rose and Joseph Kennedy. Her husband, Sargent Shriver, was George McGovern’s running mate in his failed 1972 Presidential campaign. Her daughter, Maria Shriver, married to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, is also a journalist and author.

Bea Arthur

Bea Arthur, was known for two roles in particular, Maude Findlay in the situation comedy “Maude” and Dorothy Zbornak in “The Golden Girls”. She was 86 when she died on April 25th. She won Emmy Awards for her roles on both sitcoms. She was not only a TV star but a stage actress as well winning a Tony Award as Best Featured Actress in a Musical in 1966 for her performance as Vera Charles in the original cast of Mame. I distinctly remember first seeing Bea Arthur in “All in the Family”, as Edith Bunker’s cousin, where she burst onto the scene with the pronouncement of “Maudie’s here”.

Ricardo Montalban

Ricardo Montalban died on Jan 14th, 2009 at 88 years old. When I think of Ricardo Montalban there are a number of images that come to mind. One, of course, was his role in Fantasy Island as Mr Rourke opposite Tattoo, played by Herve Villechaize. Another image I have is of Ricardo Montalban’s Chrysler Cordoba commercial where he extolled the virtues of “Corinthian Leather”. But, probably the most famous image I have of Ricardo Montalban is his role as Khan in both the original Star Trek series and a re-creation of that same role in the 1982 film Star Trek II, The Wrath of Khan.

Images used under Creative Commons License: Cronkite|Swayze|Kennedy|Jackson|Fawcett|McMahon|Carradine|Shriver|Arthur|Montalban

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