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Former First Lady Nancy Reagan Dies at 94

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LOS ANGELES (AP) – Former first lady Nancy Reagan has died at 94 in Bel-Air, California.

Assistant Allison Borio says Mrs. Reagan died Sunday at her home of congestive heart failure.

Her marriage to Ronald Reagan lasted 52 years until his death in 2004.

A former actress, she was Reagan’s closest adviser and fierce protector on his journey from actor to governor of California to president of the United States.

She rushed to his side after he was shot in 1981 by a would-be assassin, and later endured his nearly decade-long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. In recent years she broke with fellow Republicans in backing stem cell research as a way to possibly find a cure for Alzheimer’s.


Dead Man’s Wife, Girlfriend Place Obituary In Same Newspaper

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ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) – Two versions of a New Jersey man’s obituary have appeared together in a newspaper – one saying he’s survived by his wife, and the other saying he’s survived by his girlfriend.

Both obituaries in the Press of Atlantic City agree that Leroy Bill Black, of Egg Harbor Township, died Tuesday of lung cancer caused by fiberglass exposure.

However, the obituary with top billing says he’s survived by his “loving wife” and a son. The second announcement, right beneath the first one with the same photo of Black, says he’s survived by his son, a host of siblings and his long-time girlfriend.

A person who answered the phone at Greenidge Funeral Home, which is handling arrangements, wouldn’t comment on the two obituaries and would only say the funeral home works at the discretion of the wife.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Report: Actor Martin Landau Dies At 89

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Martin Landau, the chameleon-like actor who gained fame as the crafty master of disguise in the 1960s TV show “Mission: Impossible,” then capped a long and versatile career with an Oscar for his poignant portrayal of aging horror movie star Bela Lugosi in 1994’s “Ed Wood,” has died. He was 89.

Landau died Saturday of unexpected complications during a short stay at UCLA Medical Center, his publicist Dick Guttman said.

“Mission: Impossible,” which also starred Landau’s wife, Barbara Bain, became an immediate hit upon its debut in 1966. It remained on the air until 1973, but Landau and Bain left at the end of the show’s third season amid a financial dispute with the producers. They starred in the British-made sci-fi series “Space: 1999” from 1975 to 1977.

Landau might have been a superstar but for a role he didn’t play — the pointy-eared starship Enterprise science officer, Mr. Spock. “Star Trek” creator Gene Rodenberry had offered him the half-Vulcan, half-human who attempts to rid his life of all emotion. Landau turned it down.

“A character without emotions would have driven me crazy; I would have had to be lobotomized,” he explained in 2001. Instead, he chose “Mission: Impossible,” and Leonard Nimoy went on to everlasting fame as Spock.

Ironically, Nimoy replaced Landau on “Mission: Impossible.”

After a brief but impressive Broadway career, Landau had made an auspicious film debut in the late 1950s, playing a soldier in “Pork Chop Hill” and a villain in the Alfred Hitchcock classic “North By Northwest.”

He enjoyed far less success after “Mission: Impossible,” however, finding he had been typecast as Rollin Hand, the top-secret mission team’s disguise wizard. His film career languished for more than a decade, reaching its nadir with his appearance in the 1981 TV movie “The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan’s Island.”

He began to find redemption with a sympathetic role in “Tucker: The Man and his Dream,” the 1988 Francis Ford Coppola film that garnered Landau his first Oscar nomination.

He was nominated again the next year for his turn as the adulterous husband in Woody Allen’s “Crimes and Misdemeanors.”

His third nomination was for “Ed Wood,” director Tim Burton’s affectionate tribute to a man widely viewed as the worst Hollywood filmmaker of all time.

“There was a 10-year period when everything I did was bad. I’d like to go back and turn all those films into guitar picks,” Landau said after accepting his Oscar.

In “Ed Wood,” he portrayed Lugosi during his final years, when the Hungarian-born actor who had become famous as Count Dracula was ill, addicted to drugs and forced to make films with Ed Wood just to pay his bills. A gifted mimic trained in method acting, Landau had thoroughly researched the role.

“I watched about 35 Lugosi movies, including ones that were worse than anything Ed Wood ever made,” he recalled in 2001. “Despite the trash, he had a certain dignity about him, whatever the role.”

So did the New York-born Landau, who had studied drawing at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and worked for a time as a New York Daily News cartoonist before switching careers at age 22.

He had dabbled in acting before the switch, making his stage debut in 1951 at a Maine summer theater in “Detective Story” and off-Broadway in “First Love.”

In 1955, he was among hundreds who applied to study at the prestigious Actors Studio and one of only two selected. The other was Steve McQueen.

On Broadway, Landau won praise for his work in “Middle of the Night,” which starred Edward G. Robinson. He toured with the play until it reached Los Angeles, where he began his film career.

Landau and Bain had two daughters, Susan and Juliet. They divorced in 1993.

‘Beetle Bailey’ Cartoonist Mort Walker Dies At 94

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Comic strip artist Mort Walker, a World War II veteran who satirized the Army and tickled millions of newspaper readers with the antics of the lazy private “Beetle Bailey,” died Saturday. He was 94.

Walker died at his home in Stamford, Connecticut, said Greg Walker, his eldest son and a collaborator. His father’s advanced age was the cause of death, he said.

Walker began publishing cartoons at age 11 and was involved with more than a half-dozen comic strips in his career, including “Hi and Lois,” ”Boner’s Ark” and “Sam & Silo.” But he found his greatest success drawing slacker Beetle, his hot-tempered sergeant and the rest of the gang at fictional Camp Swampy for nearly 70 years.

The character that was to become Beetle Bailey made his debut as Spider in Walker’s cartoons published by the Saturday Evening Post in the late 1940s. Walker changed Spider’s name and launched “Beetle Bailey” as a college humor strip in 1950.

At first the strip failed to attract readers and King Features Syndicate considered dropping it after just six months, Walker said in a 2000 interview with The Associated Press. The syndicate suggested Beetle join the Army after the start of the Korean War, Walker said.

“I was kind of against it because after World War II, Bill Mauldin and Sad Sack were fading away,” he said. But his misgivings were overcome and Beetle “enlisted” in 1951.

Walker attributed the success of the strip to Beetle’s indolence and reluctance to follow authority.

“Most people are sort of against authority,” he said. “Here’s Beetle always challenging authority. I think people relate to it.”

“Beetle Bailey” led to spin-off comic strip “Hi and Lois,” which he created with Dik Browne, in 1954. The premise was that Beetle went home on furlough to visit his sister Lois and brother-in-law Hi.

Fellow cartoonists remembered Walker on Saturday as a pleasant man who adored his fans. Bill Morrison, president of the National Cartoonists Society, called Walker the definition of “cartoonist” in a post on the society’s website.

“He lived and breathed the art every day of his life. He will be sorely missed by his friends in the NCS and by a world of comic strip fans,” Morrison said.

Fellow cartoonist Mark Evanier said on his website that Walker was “delightful to be around and always willing to draw Beetle or Sarge for any of his fans. He sure had a lot of them.”

“Beetle Bailey,” which appeared in as many as 1,800 newspapers, sometimes sparked controversy. The Tokyo editions of the military newspaper Stars & Stripes dropped it in 1954 for fear that it would encourage disrespect of its officers. But ensuing media coverage spurred more than 100 newspapers to add the strip.

Shortly after President Bill Clinton took office, Walker drew a strip suggesting that the draft be retroactive in order to send Clinton to Vietnam. Walker said he received hundreds of angry letters from Clinton supporters.

For years, Walker drew Camp Swampy’s highest-ranking officer, Gen. Amos Halftrack, ogling his secretary, Miss Buxley. Feminist groups claimed the strip made light of sexual harassment, and Walker said the syndicate wanted him to write out the lecherous general.

That wasn’t feasible because the general was such a fixture in the strip, Greg Walker said Saturday. His father solved the problem in 1997 by sending Halftrack to sensitivity training.

“That became a whole theme that we could use,” said Greg Walker, who with his brother, Brian, intends to carry on his father’s work. Both have worked in the family business for decades.

“Beetle Bailey” also featured one of the first African-American characters to be added to a white cast in an established comic strip. (“Peanuts” had added the character of Franklin in 1968.) Lt. Jack Flap debuted in the comic strip’s panels in 1970.

In a 2002 interview, Walker said that comics are filled with stereotypes and he likes to find humor in all characters.

“I like to keep doing something new and different, so people can’t say I’m doing the same thing all the time. I like to challenge myself,” he said.

Walker also created “Boner’s Ark” in 1968 using his given first name, Addison, as his pen name, and “Sam & Silo” with Jerry Dumas in 1977. He was the writer of “Mrs. Fitz’s Flats” with Frank Roberge.

In 1974, he founded the Museum of Cartoon Art in Connecticut to preserve and honor the art of comics. It moved twice before closing in 2002 in Boca Raton, Florida, as the International Museum of Cartoon Art. Walker changed the name to the National Cartoon Museum and announced in 2005 plans to relocate to the Empire State Building in New York. But the following year, the deal to use that space fell through.

In 2000, Walker was honored at the Pentagon with the Army’s highest civilian award — the Distinguished Civilian Service award — for his work, his military service and his contribution to a new military memorial.

He also developed a reputation for helping aspiring cartoonists with advice.

“I make friends for people,” he said.

Addison Morton Walker was born Sept. 3, 1923, in El Dorado, Kansas, and grew up in Kansas City, Missouri.

In 1943 he was drafted into the U.S. Army, serving in Europe during World II. He was discharged as a first lieutenant, graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia and pursued a career as a cartoonist in New York.

Walker most recently oversaw the work of the staff at his Stamford studio, Comicana.

Besides sons Greg and Brian, Walker is survived by his second wife, Catherine; daughters Polly Blackstock and Margie Walker Hauer; sons Neal and Roger Walker; stepchildren Whitney Prentice and Priscilla Prentice Campbell and several grandchildren.

Funeral services will be private.

Patricia Morison, Broadway And Hollywood star, Dies At 103

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Patricia Morison, who originated the role of an overemotional diva in the Broadway musical “Kiss Me, Kate,” starred on stage opposite Yul Brynner in “The King and I” and appeared in films alongside Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn, died Sunday at age 103.

Morison died of natural causes at her home in Los Angeles, publicist Harlan Boll said.

With her long auburn hair and fiery blue-gray eyes, Morison radiated a sophisticated sex appeal.

She had “the most sensual mouth of any lady in the movies,” Gregory William Mank wrote in his book “Women in Horror Films, 1940s.”

Broadway actress Merle Dandridge posted a picture of herself with Morison on Sunday and tweeted out a tribute.

“Rest, Beautiful Patricia Morison,” Dandridge said. “It was an honor to follow in your footsteps.”

Morison’s career got off to a rocky start. At 18 she was cast in the 1933 Broadway comedy “Growing Pains,” which lasted 29 performances. “I was so bad in it, they fired me in rehearsals,” Morison told the Los Angeles Times in 2015. “I cried so hard they gave me a walk-on.”

Her second Broadway role five years later was only marginally better — “The Two Bouquets” with Alfred Drake lasted 55 performances — but Hollywood noticed and Paramount signed her. (The New York Times praised her “willowy elegance.”) Morison made her film debut in 1939’s “Persons in Hiding,” but she often found her options in the studio system frustrating.

She appeared as Empress Eugenie in 1943’s “The Song of Bernadette,” opposite John Garfield in the 1943 thriller “The Fallen Sparrow” and in the 1945 Tracy-Hepburn romantic comedy “Without Love.”

She was often cast as the femme fatale or villain, including the mastermind in 1946’s “Dressed to Kill,” sparring with Sherlock Holmes, played by Basil Rathbone. Her other films included “Danger Woman” and “Tarzan and the Huntress.”

Morison’s death was first reported Sunday by The Hollywood Reporter.

Born in New York, she was the daughter of playwright and actor William R. Morison and Salina Morison. She studied acting and movement with Martha Graham. In 1935, she understudied Helen Hayes in “Victoria Regina” on Broadway.

After Paramount replaced her in several films, Morison left the studio and joined Al Jolson on a USO tour of Britain to entertain troops in 1942. She returned to get a part in one of her most-remembered films — “Hitler’s Madman.” She also played opposite Lon Chaney Jr. in “Calling Dr. Death” in 1943 and Victor Mature in “Kiss of Death.”

To appear in “Kiss Me, Kate,” Morison needed to get out of a commitment to appear in what was a new line of work for actors in 1947 — a TV series. She had been cast as a psychiatrist who helps a detective solve cases. The producer shot all of her 13 segments on the show in a quick two-week period.

“Kiss Me, Kate,” in which she was reunited with Drake, turned out to be Cole Porter’s biggest musical success and gave Morison the opportunity to play the temperamental Lili Vanessi and sing such songs as “Wunderbar” and “So in Love.”

She told The Associated Press in 1988 that she went to Porter’s home to audition for him but picked a Rodgers and Hammerstein song to sing. “I thought it was safer,” she explained. She went on perform the role for almost 1,500 performances on Broadway and in London. The New York Times called her “an agile and humorous actress who is not afraid of slapstick and who can sing enchantingly.”

In 1954, Morison appeared on Broadway as a replacement Anna Leonowens with Brynner in “The King and I” and joined him on tour. She took over the role in 1952 shortly after Gertrude Lawrence died while performing the lead character. “She was marvelous,” Brynner said. “I could do anything with her.”

One story she told frequently was knocking on Brynner’s stage door and opening it to find Brynner sitting naked, in a Buddha style position, waiting to get his skin stained with a special juice to look like the King of Siam.

In 2000, she was struck by a car and the right side of her body was badly hurt.

Morison, who never married, lived in a Los Angeles apartment with a piano upon which there were signed photographs of Porter and Oscar Hammerstein II.

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Kennedy reported from New York. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits.

Follow Dalton at https://twitter.com/andyjamesdalton .

‘World Is A Better Place Without Her’: Woman’s Obituary Stuns Readers

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REDWOOD FALLS, MN (CBS Local) – A mother’s obituary in a Minnesota newspaper took an ugly turn when the writer chose to air the woman’s dirty laundry after her death.

The five-paragraph memorial to 80-year-old Kathleen Dehmlow began like most obituaries, but quickly turned into an attack on Dehmlow and her past. The obituary alleges that the mother of two walked out on her children and had another child with her husband’s brother.

The shocking obituary which was published in the Redwood Falls Gazette, adds that her children Gina and Jay were raised by their grandparents after Dehmlow left for California. “She will not be missed by Gina and Jay, and they understand that this world is a better place without her,” the letter ended. It is not known who paid for the obituary to be placed in the Gazette.

Stunned readers posted the June 4 article on Twitter where the vengeful obit quickly went viral, getting re-tweeted over 13,000 times.

Several people chose to take the high road when commenting on Dehmlow’s passing on May 31 and encouraged her children to move forward. “May you both find healing and peace after the passing of Kathleen,” Michelle Peterson wrote.

5-Year-Old Dies From Cancer, But Not Before Preparing His Own Obituary

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(CNN) — “My name is: Garrett Michael Boofias

My birthday is: I am 5 years old

My address is: I am a Bulldog!

My favorite color is: Blue….and Red and Black and Green … ”

These lines mark the beginning of Garrett Michael Matthias’ obituary, words he spoke to his parents before losing his battle to a rare form of pediatric cancer.

The Iowa boy made up the surname Boofias because his real name was too hard for him to pronounce. He also went by “The Great Garrett Underpants.”

In his obituary, he expressed his love for Batman and Thor and his family. He hated pants and needles and the illness. He was diagnosed with cancer nine months ago and died Friday.

“We never necessarily talked about his funeral, so we never had the conversation with him that he was going to die,” his mother Emilie Matthias told CNN affiliate WHO. “But we had a lot of conversations around, ‘When I die I want to do this.'”

Garrett planned an imaginative funeral, with five bouncy houses (one for each year of his life), snow cones, and of course, Batman.

“I want to be burned (like when Thor’s Mommy died) and made into a tree so I can live in it when I’m a gorilla,” he wrote.

And he wanted fireworks.

“That’s him speaking. Those are his words verbatim,” his father Ryan Matthias told WHO. “When I read it, I’m just like ‘Wow’. Sounds like Garrett just yapping at me.”

CNN was not able to reach Garrett’s parents Thursday.

They said they will honor his wishes with a symbolic Thor-influenced burial ceremony and fireworks on Saturday.

“A private burial of Garrett’s ashes will be held at a later time once his parents figure out how the hell to get his ashes made into a tree and locate a nature preserve, so his tree resides in a protected area,” they wrote.

Read the full obituary here.

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Former Raiders Coach Tony Sparano Dead At 56

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MIAMI (AP) — Tony Sparano once beat Bill Belichick with the single wing, but wasn’t as old as that made him sound.

Sparano was only 56 when he died unexpectedly Sunday. The Minnesota Vikings announced his death in a statement that did not provide a cause.

He had been the Vikings’ offensive line coach since 2016.

The most memorable moment in Sparano’s 19-year NFL coaching career came in 2008, when he was a rookie head coach with the Miami Dolphins, inheriting a team that had gone 1-15 the previous season. In Week 3 he surprised Belichick with a single wing-style formation that the Dolphins called the wildcat, and they won at New England 38-13.

The wildcat became a fad around the league, and the stunning upset propelled Sparano’s team to 11 wins and the AFC East title. It’s one of two playoff berths for the franchise since 2002.

That was Sparano’s lone winning season, and he was fired in 2011 after going 29-32 in Miami. He was popular with his players, but a dismal home record, declining attendance and a falling-out with general manager Jeff Ireland accelerated his firing by owner Stephen Ross.

Sparano was the Oakland Raiders’ interim head coach in 2014 after the team fired Dennis Allen, and he went 3-9. He also worked as an assistant for the Browns, Redskins, Jaguars, Cowboys and 49ers, and most recently for Vikings coach Mike Zimmer.

“I love Tony Sparano,” Zimmer said in a statement. “He was a great teacher, a grinder of a worker and had a toughness and fighting spirit that showed in our linemen. He was a great husband, father and grandfather and a great friend to me. This is just sinking in for us, but Tony will be sorely missed by all.”

Sparano’s former players also paid tribute.

“Heart broken and lost for words! We lost a great man,” tweeted Brian Hartline, who played receiver for Sparano in Miami.

“Damn I’m at a loss for words,” tweeted Raiders Pro Bowl tackle Donald Penn. “Coach Sparano taught me so much not just about football about life also.”

Sparano played at the University of New Haven where he was a four-year letterman. He was hired as New Haven’s head coach in 1994 and held that position for five seasons.

In Miami, Sparano lost his first two games before turning to the wildcat. Six times they ran plays from the formation at New England, snapping the ball directly to running back Ronnie Brown, and four of those plays resulted in touchdowns.

“It was like playing hide and go seek, making them guess,” Brown said at the time.

Sparano said the Dolphins began practicing the wildcat during training camp but waited until the Patriots game to spring it.

“This is not something that just came up and we scribbled on the board a couple of days ago,” the coach said.

Defenses soon adjusted, and a sputtering offense in Sparano’s final two seasons at Miami contributed to his firing. But the Dolphins haven’t won at New England since the wildcat game.

“We were saddened to learn of Tony Sparano’s tragic and unexpected passing,” owner Ross said in a statement. “Tony made an indelible impact on our team’s history. His toughness, grit and leadership were evident to everyone who had the chance to coach with or play for him.”

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For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL


‘Mama’s Family’ Actor Ken Berry Dies At 85

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(CNN) — Actor Ken Berry, known for his roles in American TV comedies such as “F Troop” and “Mama’s Family,” died Saturday, according to a hospital spokesperson.

Berry, 85, died at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California, according to Patricia Aidem.

Berry played Capt. Wilton Parmenter on the 1960s sitcom “F Troop,” and Vinton Harper/ Carl Harper in “Mama’s Family,” which ran from 1983 to 1990, according to his page on IMDb.

Berry appeared in other classic TV series such as “The Andy Griffith Show,” “Mayberry R.F.D” and “Fantasy Island, according to IMDb.

“I’m feeling so much love and gratitude for the affection and kindness expressed by Ken’s friends and admirers. And to Susie Walsh, Ken’s dear partner for the last 26 years, for bringing him laughter and devotion and care,” Berry’s ex-wife, Jackie Joseph-Lawrence, posted on Facebook.

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Obituary: Nugget Markets Chairman

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WOODLAND (CBS13) — The man behind Woodland-based Nugget Markets has passed away. According to his family, Eugene (Gene) Stille passed away peacefully in his sleep earlier this month.

Stille was chairman of Nugget Markets and was a third-generation grocer. In the mid-1950s, he took over the family business which his grandfather founded in 1926.

ALSO: Nugget Markets Rises On Forbes List Of Best Companies To Work For

There are currently 12 Nugget Markets across Northern California.

In 2016, Nugget Markets was ranked #13 on Fortune’s Best Companies to Work For.

In lieu of sending flowers, the Stille family asks people to contribute to Yolo Hospice.

‘Saved By The Bell’ Actor Dustin Diamond Dies Following Cancer Diagnosis

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Actor Dustin Diamond, best known for his role as lovable geek “Screech” on TV’s “Saved By The Bell”, has died, according to reports.
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