Obituaries

Besides the people that lived through the 80s and prospered during the decade, there are also those didn't live through the decade. These people found notoriety in various ways, but it seems that those in show business were the ones most remembered.

We've recently begun adding descriptions of who these people were. Hopefully our brief descriptions will do them justice and remind people for what these people were well known. We recognize that many of these people had extensive careers, so we hope the accomplishment we choose does not diminish the others. Let us know, as always!

  1. Albertson, Jack (1907-1981) - actor, played Grandpa Joe in "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory", The Man in "Chico and the Man"/li>
  2. Andropov, Yuri (1914-1984) - General Secretary of Soviet Union, 1982-1984/li>
  3. Arnaz, Desi (1917-1986)/li>
  4. Astaire, Fred (1899-1987)/li>
  5. Avery, Tex (1909-1980)/li>
  6. Backus, Jim (1913-1989) - actor, played Thurston Howell III in "Gilligan's Island", voice of cartoon character Mr. Magoo/li>
  7. Ball, Lucille (1911-1989)/li>
  8. Basie, William "Count" (1904-1984)/li>
  9. Beaumont, Hugh (1909-1982) - actor, played Ward Cleaver on "Leave it to Beaver"/li>
  10. Belushi, John (1949-1982)/li>
  11. Bergman, Ingrid (1915-1982)/li>
  12. Blanc, Mel (1908-1989) - voice artist of Looney Tunes characters and many other cartoon characters/li>
  13. Bolger, Ray (1904-1987)/li>
  14. Bonham, John "Bonzo" (1948-1980) - Led Zeppelin drummer/li>
  15. Brezhnev, Leonid (1906-1982) - Soviet leader. General Secretary of Soviet Union, 1977-1982./li>
  16. Bryant, Paul "Bear" (1910-1983)/li>
  17. Brynner, Yul (1920-1985)/li>
  18. Burton, Cliff (1962-1986) - bass player for Metallica/li>
  19. Burton, Richard (1925-1984)/li>
  20. Cagney, James (1899-1986)/li>
  21. Capote, Truman (1924-1984)/li>
  22. Carpenter, Karen (1951-1983) - singer of the Carpenters/li>
  23. Carter, Billy (1937-1988) - younger brother of Preseident Jimmy Carter, introduced "Billy Beer"/li>
  24. Challenger astronauts (1986) - Greg Jarvis (b. 1944), Christa McAuliffe (b. 1948), Ronald McNair (b. 1950), Ellison Onizuka (b. 1946), Judith Resnick (b. 1950), Dick Scobe (b. 1939), Mike Smith (b. 1945)/li>
  25. Chapin, Harry (1942-1981)/li>
  26. Chapman, Graham (1941-1989)/li>
  27. Cheever, John (1912-1982)/li>
  28. Chernenko, Konstantin (1911-1985) - General secretary of Soviet Union, 1984-1985/li>
  29. Clark, Dr. Barney (1921-1983) - first artificial heart recipient/li>
  30. Cohn, Roy (1986)/li>
  31. Colasanto, Nicholas (1924-1985)/li>
  32. Coogan, Jackie (1914-1984)/li>
  33. Crabbe, Buster (1908-1983)/li>
  34. Crothers, Scatman (1910-1986)/li>
  35. Cullen, Bill (1920-1989)/li>
  36. Dali, Salvador (1904-1989)/li>
  37. Davis, Bette (1908-1989)/li>
  38. Demarest, William (1910-1983)/li>
  39. Dempsey, Jack (1895-1983) - world heavyweight boxing champion (191-1926)/li>
  40. Duchess of Windsor (1986)/li>
  41. Dunne, Dominique (1959-1982) - actress, Dana (the older daughter) in Poltergeist/li>
  42. Durante, Jimmy (1893-1980)/li>
  43. Fechit, Stepin (1986)/li>
  44. Feldman, Marty (1934-1982)/li>
  45. Fonda, Henry (1905-1982)/li>
  46. Ford II, Henry (1917-1987) - grandson of carmaker Henry Ford/li>
  47. Fosse, Bob (1927-1987)/li>
  48. French, Victor (1934-1989)/li>
  49. Gaye, Marvin (1939-1984)/li>
  50. Gershwin, Ira (1897-1983)/li>
  51. Gibb, Andy (1958-1988) - popular disco singer/li>
  52. Gleason, Jackie (1916-1987)/li>
  53. Godfrey, Arthur (1903-1983)/li>
  54. Goodman, Benny (1909-1986)/li>
  55. Gordon, Ruth (1896-1985) - actress, played Maude in "Harold and Maude"/li>
  56. Gould, Chester (1900-1985) - cartoonist, creator of "Dick Tracy"/li>
  57. Grant, Cary (1904-1986)/li>
  58. Greene, Lorne (1915-1987)/li>
  59. Gromyko, Andrei (1909-1989)/li>
  60. Halas, George (1893-1983) - NFL Hall of Fame football player/li>
  61. Haley, Bill (1925-1981)/li>
  62. Hamilton, Margaret (1902-1985) - actress, played the Wicked Witch in "Wizard of Oz"/li>
  63. Hayworth, Rita (1918-1987)/li>
  64. Hexum, Jon-Erik (1957-1984) - actor, male model/li>
  65. Hirohito, Emperor (1901-1989)/li>
  66. Hitchcock, Alfred (1899-1980) - Master of Suspense/li>
  67. Hoffman, Abbie (1936-1989)/li>
  68. Holden, William (1918-1981)/li>
  69. Horowitz, Vladimir (1904-1989)/li>
  70. Houseman, John (1902-1988)/li>
  71. Hubbard, L. Ron (1911-1986) - founder of Scientology/li>
  72. Hudson, Rock (1925-1985)/li>
  73. Janssen, David (1930-1980)/li>
  74. Jones, Carolyn (1929-1983) - actress, played Morticia Addams on "The Addams Family"/li>
  75. Kaufman, Andy (1949-1984)/li>
  76. Kaye, Danny (1913-1987)/li>
  77. Kelly, Grace (1929-1982)/li>
  78. Kennedy, David (1955-1984) - son of Robert F. Kennedy/li>
  79. Khomeini, Ayatollah (1902-1989)/li>
  80. King, Martin Luther, Sr. (1899-1984)/li>
  81. Knight, Ted (1923-1986)/li>
  82. Kroc, Ray (1902-1984) - founder of McDonald's/li>
  83. Lanchester, Elsa (1902-1986)/li>
  84. Landon, Alf (1887-1987) - GOP presidential candidate in 1936/li>
  85. Lawford, Peter (1923-1984)/li>
  86. Lennon, John (1940-1980) - musician/singer from the Beatles/li>
  87. Liberace (1919-1987)/li>
  88. Lodge, Henry Cabot (1902-1985)/li>
  89. Louis, Joe (1914-1981)/li>
  90. Lynde, Paul (1926-1982)/li>
  91. Malamud, Bernard (1914-1986) - author, wrote "The Natural"/li>
  92. Maravich, Pistol Pete (1947-1988) - famous basketball player/li>
  93. Marcos, Ferdinand (1917-1989)/li>
  94. Maris, Roger (1934-1985)/li>
  95. Marley, Bob (1945-1981)/li>
  96. Martin, Billy (1928-1989) - five-time manager of the New York Yankees/li>
  97. Marvin, Lee (1924-1987)/li>
  98. Mason, James (1909-1984)/li>
  99. McQueen, Steve (1930-1980)/li>
  100. Merman, Ethel (1909-1984)/li>
  101. Miró, Joan (1893-1983) - Spanish surrealist painter/li>
  102. Mitchell, John (1931-1988)/li>
  103. Morrow, Vic (1929-1982)/li>
  104. Nelson, Ricky (1940-1985)/li>
  105. Niven, David (1910-1983)/li>
  106. O'Rourke, Heather (1975-1988)/li>
  107. Olivier, Laurence (1907-1989)/li>
  108. Olsen, Johnny (1910-1985) - game shows announcer/li>
  109. Onassis, Christine (1950-1988) - billionairess/li>
  110. Orbison, Roy (1936-1988)/li>
  111. Ormandy, Eugene (1899-1985) - violinist and conductor/li>
  112. Owens, Jesse (1913-1980)/li>
  113. Pickens, Slim (1919-1983)/li>
  114. Radner, Gilda (1946-1989)/li>
  115. Rand, Ayn (1905-1982) - best-selling author, founder of Objectivism/li>
  116. Reed, Donna (1921-1986)/li>
  117. Reynolds, Frank (1923-1983) - ABC news anchor/li>
  118. Rhoads, Randy (1956-1982) - lead guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne/li>
  119. Riddle, Nelson (1921-1985)/li>
  120. Robinson, Max (1939-1988) - first full-time black evening news anchor/li>
  121. Rowan, Dan (1922-1987)/li>
  122. Sanders, Colonel Harland (1890-1980) - founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken/li>
  123. Schroeder, William (1986) - longest living recipient of a permanent artificial heart/li>
  124. Secretariat (1970-1989) - race horse, won Triple Crown/li>
  125. Sellers, Peter (1925-1980) - actor, "Jacques Clouseau" in Pink Panther movies/li>
  126. Silvers, Phil (1911-1985)/li>
  127. Smith, Kate (1986)/li>
  128. Sweet, Dolph (1920-1985) - actor, "Chief" on Gimme a Break!/li>
  129. Swigert, Jack (1931-1982) - astronaut on Apollo 13/li>
  130. Truman, Bess (1885-1982) - First lady (guess who was President)/li>
  131. Truman, Harry (1980) - not the former-President. He lived next to Mount St. Helens till it erupted/li>
  132. Tucker, Forrest (1919-1986)/li>
  133. Veeck, Bill (1986)/li>
  134. Warhol, Andy (1928-1987)/li>
  135. Webb, Jack (1920-1982) - actor, played Sgt. Joe Friday on "Dragnet"/li>
  136. Weissmuller, Johnny (1904-1984)/li>
  137. Welles, Orson (1915-1985)/li>
  138. West, Mae (1890-1980)/li>
  139. Williams, Tennessee (1911-1983)/li>
  140. Wood, Natalie (1938-1981)/li>