Died November 2016

When People Needed Help, Russell Friedman Was There

Now his friends at the Grief Recovery Institute honor his life by continuing his work.

Alice Drummond (1928 - 2016), Ghostbuster actress

Alice Drummond, the character who was featured as the librarian in “Ghostbusters,” died Wednesday, November 30, 2016 according to multiple news sources. She was 88.

Peng Chang-kuei (1918–2016), General Tso’s Chicken creator

Peng Chang-kuei, the Chinese chef credited with creating General Tso’s Chicken, has died in Taiwan, according to multiple news sources. He was 98.

Andrew Sachs (1930 - 2016), Fawlty Towers actor

British actor Andrew Sachs was known best for playing Spanish waiter Manuel on “Fawlty Towers.”

Michael "Jim" Delligatti (1918–2016), Big Mac creator

Michael "Jim" Delligatti, who created McDonald's iconic Big Mac sandwich, has died at the age of 98, according to multiple news sources.

Grant Tinker (1925 - 2016), former NBC CEO

Grant Tinker, the former CEO of the National Broadcasting Co., died Monday, Nov. 28, 2016, at his estate in California. He was 91.

Joe Esposito (1938 - 2016), Elvis Presley's close friend and road manager

Elvis Presley's close friend and road manager Joe Esposito has died, according to The Associated Press. He was 78.

Tennessee Wildfire Victims

Fourteen people have died due to the wildfires in the Great Smoky Mountain region of Tennessee.

Tony Martell (1926–2016), T.J. Martell Foundation founder

Music executive who founded the T.J. Martell Foundation for leukemia research.

Colonel Abrams (1949–2016), house music pioneer

Colonel Abrams, a singer who was one of the house and dance music pioneers of the 1980s, died Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016, according to multiple news sources. He was 67.

Fritz Weaver (1926 - 2016), The Twilight Zone actor

Fritz Weaver, a stage, film, and television actor whose credits include the TV miniseries "Holocaust," died Saturday, Nov. 26, 2016, in New York, New York. He was 90.

Ron Glass (1945–2016), Barney Miller, Firefly actor

Ron Glass, the actor known best for his work on “Barney Miller” and “Firefly,” died Friday, Nov. 25, 2016, according to Variety. He was 71.

Fidel Castro (1926 - 2016), longtime Communist leader of the Republic of Cuba

Fidel Castro, the longtime Communist leader of the Republic of Cuba, died Nov. 25, 2016. He was 90.

Florence Henderson (1934 - 2016), The Brady Bunch star

Florence Henderson, the actress known to millions as Carol Brady from TV’s “The Brady Bunch,” died Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016, of heart failure. She was 82.

Ralph Branca (1926 - 2016), All-Star Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher

Ralph Branca, the beloved three-time All-Star pitcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers who gave up a home run known as the Shot Heard 'Round the World, died Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2016, according to multiple news sources, including The Associated Press. News of Branca's death also spread on social media. Bobby Valentine, the former manager of the New York Mets, who is married to Branca's daughter Mary, said Branca, "one of the greatest guys to ever throw a pitch or sing a song, is (no) longer with us," Valentine wrote in a Twitter message. "Ralph Branca Passed this morning."

Willie N. Rogers (1915–2016), Tuskegee Airman

Willie N. Rogers, the oldest surviving member of the original Tuskegee Airmen who became legendary for their service in World War II, died Nov. 18, 2016, in St. Petersburg, Florida. He was 101. A longtime resident of St. Petersburg, Rogers died of stroke complications, according to the Tampa Bay Times. The brave military men known as the Tuskegee Airmen became legendary for their service in World War II. The first African-American aviators in the U.S. armed forces, they fought valiantly for their country at a time when segregation still limited their lives and their rights.

William Trevor (1928 - 2016), award-winning Irish writer

William Trevor, the award-winning Irish novelist, playwright, and author of short stories, died Monday, Nov. 21, 2016, in England, according to multiple news sources. He was 88. Trevor was a three-time winner of the Whitbread Prize (now known as the Costa Book Awards). He also was a five-time nominee for the Booker Prize, most recently for his 2009 novel “Love and Summer.” Writers paid tribute to their colleague. John Banville, the author of “Time Pieces: A Dublin Memoir” praised Trevor in The Irish Times as “one of the great short-story writers, at his best the equal of Chekhov and Babel. But we should also celebrate his novels, in particular ’Mrs. Eckdorf in O’Neill’s Hotel,’ an inexplicably neglected twentieth-century masterpiece. … His death is a heavy loss to Irish letters and to world literature.”

Ruth Gruber (1911–2016), photojournalist and humanitarian

Ruth Gruber, photojournalist and humanitarian who helped 1,000 Jewish refugees come to the U.S. during World War II, has died at the age of 105.

Sharon Jones (1956–2016), Dap-Kings lead singer

The soul and funk singer who fronted Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings.

Mentor Williams (1946 - 2016), Drift Away songwriter

Mentor Williams, a music producer and songwriter who penned the hit “Drift Away,” died Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2016, in Taos, New Mexico, according to multiple news sources. He was 70.

Denton Cooley (1920 - 2016), pioneer in open heart surgery

Dr. Denton A. Cooley, the surgeon who performed the world's first artificial heart implant, died Friday, Nov. 18, 2016. He was 96.

Lisa Lynn Masters (1964 - 2016), Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt actress

The actress starred in an episode of "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" and also hadroles on "Gossip Girl," "Ugly Betty," "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," and, most recently, "Nashville."

Mose Allison (1927–2016), jazz and blues pianist

Mose Allison was a legendary blues and jazz pianist.

Gardnar Mulloy (1913 - 2016), tennis champion

Gardnar Mulloy, a former No. 1 professional tennis player from the United States, died Nov. 14, 2016, in Miami, Florida, according to multiple news sources. He was 102 and would have celebrated his 103rd birthday next week.

Holly Dunn (1957 - 2016), Are You Ever Gonna Love Me singer

The former country singer-songwriter had two No. 1 hits in the late '80s and early '90s with "Are You Ever Gonna Love Me" and "You Really Had Me Going."

Gwen Ifill (1955–2016), PBS NewsHour co-anchor

Gwen Ifill, a veteran television journalist who served as moderator and managing editor of the Public Broadcasting Service’s talk show “Washington Week,” died Monday, Nov. 14, 2016, of cancer, according to the network. She was 61.

Leon Russell (1942 - 2016), legendary rock musician and songwriter

The legendary rock musician and songwriter died Nov. 13, 2016, at his home in suburban Nashville, Tennessee.

Dawn Coe-Jones (1960 - 2016), Canadian professional golfer

Dawn Coe-Jones, a Canadian professional golfer, died Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016, after a battle with brain cancer, according to multiple news sources. She was 56.

Al Caiola (1920–2016), guitarist on Mrs. Robinson, Stand by Me

Versatile session guitarist who played the “Bonanza” theme.

Julie Gregg (1937 - 2016), actress in The Godfather

Julie Gregg, the actress who played Sonny Corleone’s wife, Sandra, in the first two “Godfather” movies, died Monday, Nov. 7, 2016, of cancer at her home in Van Nuys, California, according to The Hollywood Reporter. She was 79.

Bill Stanfill (1947 - 2016), Miami Dolphins defensive end

Bill Stanfill, a former Miami Dolphins defensive end, died Thursday, Nov. 10, 2016, of complications from a bad fall, according to multiple news sources. He was 69.

Robert Vaughn (1932–2016), The Man from U.N.C.L.E. star

Actor Robert Vaughn was known for "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.," "The Magnificent Seven," and "Superman III."

Leonard Cohen (1934–2016), Hallelujah singer and songwriter

Leonard Cohen, a legendary Canadian-born singer-songwriter, died Monday, Nov. 7, 2016, according to multiple news sources. He was 82.

Willard Smith Sr. (2016), Will Smith's father

Will Smith Sr., the father of actor Will Smith, died Nov. 7, according to his son's ex-wife, Sheree Fletcher. Willard Carroll Smith Sr. was a refrigeration engineer and U.S. Air Force veteran who lived in West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In addition to his famous son, he had three other children: Pamela and twins Harry and Ellen, all of whom survive him. He is also survived by Smith II's three children, Will "Trey" III, Jaden, and Willow. In an interview with Studio Q, Smith Sr. thanked the lord for his son's success. Asked what his favorite of Smith II's movies was, he said, "Surprisingly, 'Six Degrees of Separation,' because that was his first movie that he really acted. That was his first real acting role. That's still my favorite. I guess next in line would be 'Enemy of the State.'" Will Smith II described his father in an interview with Essence magazine: "Dad was tough but not tyrannical. He kept me in line. He’d get this look that said, 'One more step, Will, and it’ll get ugly.' He was an independent businessman – he set up refrigeration in supermarkets – and he always provided for us. He’s a steady and positive figure in my life."

Joe Marquette (1937 - 2016), Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer

Joe Marquette, a Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer who covered the Olympics and Super Bowls, has died at the age of 79, according to The Associated Press.

Janet Reno (1938 - 2016), former U.S. attorney general

The former United States attorney general who served under President Bill Clinton died Monday, Nov. 7, 2016, after a long battle with Parkinson's disease.

Marek Svatos (1982 - 2016), Colorado Avalanche forward

Marek Svatos, a former NHL forward for the Colorado Avalanche, has died at the age of 34, according to multiple news sources.

Jean-Jacques Perrey (1929 - 2016), electronic music pioneer

Jean-Jacques Perrey, a French pioneer of electronic music, died Friday, Nov. 4, 2016, of lung cancer in Lausanne, Switzerland, according to multiple news sources. He was 87.

John Orsino (1938 - 2016), MLB catcher

John Orsino, a former Major League Baseball catcher, died Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016, in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, following a long illness, according to The Associated Press. He was 78.

Kay Starr (1922–2016), 1950s jazz and pop singer

Pop and jazz singer popular in the 1950s.