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Archive through March 13, 2006

The TVClubHouse: General Discussions ARCHIVES: 2006 Jun. ~ 2006 Dec.: Free Expressions (ARCHIVES): Passings (ARCHIVES): Archive through March 13, 2006 users admin

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Twiggyish
Member

08-14-2000

Tuesday, March 07, 2006 - 4:14 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Twiggyish a private message Print Post    
If anyone is an angel, it has to be her. She truly made the most of her life. I feel very sad that she died.

Hukdonreality
Member

09-29-2003

Tuesday, March 07, 2006 - 4:22 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Hukdonreality a private message Print Post    
Rest in peace, Dana. God knows you deserve both rest and peace. What an inspiration she was/is. I'm sure that she had prepared her son for the possibility, but it will still be awful for him. I don't care what disease killed her, it's just so sad that this woman with a huge heart and conviction for helping others will no longer be here.

Jimmer
Moderator

08-30-2000

Tuesday, March 07, 2006 - 4:29 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Jimmer a private message Print Post    
Gosh I was sorry when Christopher died. Sad for him and his family and sad as well in general as he was doing so much good promoting the research needed to overcome so many diseases and disabilities.

That's a nice picture that Vee posted.

Julieboo
Member

02-05-2002

Tuesday, March 07, 2006 - 4:46 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Julieboo a private message Print Post    
Did anyone see Erin Kramp on Oprah? She was a lady who died, and left her young daughter a ton of video and audio tapes on all sorts of subjects. She also bought her many gifts, each to be opened at a certain occasion.

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Tuesday, March 07, 2006 - 7:57 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
Oh my.. I didn't know Dana was gone. My parents also passed 4 months apart but they were also 80.

This is just incredibly sad.

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Tuesday, March 07, 2006 - 8:03 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
Filmmaker Gordon Parks Dies at 93


Mar 7, 8:44 PM (ET)

By POLLY ANDERSON

NEW YORK (AP) - Gordon Parks, who captured the struggles and triumphs of black America as a photographer for Life magazine and then became Hollywood's first major black director with "The Learning Tree" and the hit "Shaft," died Tuesday, a family member said. He was 93.

Parks, who also wrote fiction and was an accomplished composer, died in New York, his nephew, Charles Parks, said in a telephone interview from Lawrence, Kan.

"Nothing came easy," Parks wrote in his autobiography. "I was just born with a need to explore every tool shop of my mind, and with long searching and hard work. I became devoted to my restlessness."

He covered everything from fashion to politics to sports during his 20 years at Life, from 1948 to 1968.


But as a photographer, he was perhaps best known for his gritty photo essays on the grinding effects of poverty in the United States and abroad and on the spirit of the civil rights movement.

"Those special problems spawned by poverty and crime touched me more, and I dug into them with more enthusiasm," he said. "Working at them again revealed the superiority of the camera to explore the dilemmas they posed."

In 1961, his photographs in Life of a poor, ailing Brazilian boy named Flavio da Silva brought donations that saved the boy and purchased a new home for him and his family.

"The Learning Tree" was Parks' first film, in 1969. It was based on his 1963 autobiographical novel of the same name, in which the young hero grapples with fear and racism as well as first love and schoolboy triumphs. Parks wrote the score as well as directed.

In 1989, "The Learning Tree" was among the first 25 American movies to be placed on the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress. The registry is intended to highlight films of particular cultural, historical or aesthetic importance.


The detective drama "Shaft," which came out in 1971 and starred Richard Roundtree, was a major hit and spawned a series of black-oriented films. Parks himself directed a sequel, "Shaft's Big Score," in 1972, and that same year his son Gordon Jr. directed "Superfly." The younger Parks was killed in a plane crash in 1979.

Parks also published books of poetry and wrote musical compositions including "Martin," a ballet about the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Parks was born Nov. 30, 1912, in Fort Scott, Kan., the youngest of 15 children. In his 1990 autobiography, "Voices in the Mirror," he remembered it as a world of racism and poverty, but also a world where his parents gave their children love, discipline and religious faith.

He went through a series of jobs as a teen and young man, including piano player and railroad dining car waiter. The breakthrough came when he was about 25, when he bought a used camera in a pawn shop for $7.50. He became a freelance fashion photographer, went on to Vogue magazine and then to Life in 1948.

"Reflecting now, I realize that, even within the limits of my childhood vision, I was on a search for pride, meanwhile taking measurable glimpses of how certain blacks, who were fed up with racism, rebelled against it," he wrote.

When he accepted an award from Wichita State University in May 1991, he said it was "another step forward in my making peace with Kansas and Kansas making peace with me."

"I dream terrible dreams, terribly violent dreams," he said. "The doctors say it's because I suppressed so much anger and hatred from my youth. I bottled it up and used it constructively."

In his autobiography, he recalled that being Life's only black photographer put him in a peculiar position when he set out to cover the civil rights movement.

"Life magazine was eager to penetrate their ranks for stories, but the black movement thought of Life as just another white establishment out of tune with their cause," he wrote. He said his aim was to become "an objective reporter, but one with a subjective heart."

The story of young Flavio prompted Life readers to send in $30,000, enabling his family to build a home, and Flavio received treatment for his asthma in an American clinic. By the 1970s, he had a family and a job as a security guard, but more recently the home built in 1961 has become overcrowded and run-down.


Still, Flavio stayed in touch with Parks off and on, and in 1997 Parks said, "If I saw him tomorrow in the same conditions, I would do the whole thing over again."

In addition to novels, poetry and his autobiographical writings, Parks' writing credits included nonfiction such as "Camera Portraits: Techniques and Principles of Documentary Portraiture," 1948, and a 1971 book of essays called "Born Black."

His other film credits included "The Super Cops," 1974; "Leadbelly," 1976; and "Solomon Northup's Odyssey," a TV film from 1984.

Recalling the making of "The Learning Tree," he wrote: "A lot of people of all colors were anxious about the breakthrough, and I was anxious to make the most of it. The wait had been far too long. Just remembering that no black had been given a chance to direct a motion picture in Hollywood since it was established kept me going."

Last month, health concerns had kept Parks from accepting the William Allen White Foundation National Citation in Kansas, but he said in a taped presentation that he still considered the state his home and wanted to be buried in Fort Scott.

Two years ago, Fort Scott Community College established the Gordon Parks Center for Culture and Diversity.

Jill Warford, its executive director, said Tuesday that Parks "had a very rough start in life and he overcame so much, but was such a good person and kind person that he never let the bad things that happened to him make him bitter."

---

Ladytex
Member

09-27-2001

Tuesday, March 07, 2006 - 10:01 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Ladytex a private message Print Post    
darn ...

Mocha
Member

08-12-2001

Wednesday, March 08, 2006 - 5:31 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Mocha a private message Print Post    
bloody hell...

Jimmer
Moderator

08-30-2000

Wednesday, March 08, 2006 - 8:27 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Jimmer a private message Print Post    
He was an absolutely brilliant photographer. I love his work. The first camera that the above mentions him buying in a pawnshop was something called a Voightlander Brilliant. His pictures communicate so much about the subjects and he had such a wonderful range.

"I have tried to show – picture by picture, word by word – things as they are: the darkness and the light, the cheerful faces and the disgruntled ones."

"My ultimate joy comes from the freedom to express my experiences through photography – to capture my feelings, the images of my fellow humans, and the nature of their conditions."
-- Gordon Parks


Vee
Member

02-23-2004

Wednesday, March 08, 2006 - 8:36 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Vee a private message Print Post    
Just one example of countless thousands of Gordon Parks's photographs...

C

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Thursday, March 09, 2006 - 9:55 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
Here was one of the pictures with that article.. it saved with some bizarre extension .. let's see if I fixed it.

obit

Mocha
Member

08-12-2001

Thursday, March 09, 2006 - 9:57 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Mocha a private message Print Post    
God has called alot of good ones home lately...

Mamie316
Member

07-08-2003

Thursday, March 09, 2006 - 1:11 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Mamie316 a private message Print Post    
Isn't that the truth?

Native_texan
Member

08-24-2004

Thursday, March 09, 2006 - 2:33 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Native_texan a private message Print Post    
Reported here since January 1, 2006:

Lou Rawls
Shelley Winters (I’m reading her first autobiography and WOW!!!!)
Wilson Pickett
Tony Franciosa
Chris Penn
Fayard Nicholas
Gene McFadden
Wendy Wasserstein
Coretta Scott King
Al Lewis
Betty Friedan
Allen Shalleck
Franklin Cover
Peter Benchley
Andreas Katsulas
William Cowsill
Richard Bright
Curt Gowdy
Don Knotts
Darren McGavin
Dennis Weaver
Jack Wild
Kirby Puckett
Dana Reeve
Gordon Parks

Chaplin
Member

01-08-2006

Thursday, March 09, 2006 - 2:37 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Chaplin a private message Print Post    
It has been a bad year and it is only March!!!!!!!

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Thursday, March 09, 2006 - 3:15 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
Lance

Lance Armstrong Comforts Dana Reeve's Son


Mar 9, 5:44 PM (ET)


NEW YORK (AP) - Lance Armstrong spent Wednesday morning comforting 13-year-old Will Reeve, less than two days after his mother, Dana Reeve, died of lung cancer.

"I would say that his spirits were pretty good considering that, in the last 18 months, he's lost his father, his mother and his grandmother," Armstrong told syndicated entertainment show "Inside Edition."

"In situations like this," Armstrong said, "all you can do is say, 'Hey buddy, I'm here if you want to go hang out, if you want to play games, whatever you want to do, I'm here.'"

Will's father, Christopher Reeve, died in October 2004 from complications from an infection. The former "Superman" actor was nearly totally paralyzed in a horse-riding accident in 1995.

Armstrong said he became close to Will during his mother's illness and the two spent time together during the last few months.

"I love hanging with him," the cyclist said. "I never thought I'd say that about a 13-year-old, but he's a great kid. He's a big sports fan. He's an athlete himself. Will is not your normal 13-year-old. He's a smart, well-adjusted, mature, humble kid."

Dana Reeve was her husband's constant companion and supporter during the ordeal of his rehabilitation, winning worldwide admiration. With him, she became an activist in the search for a cure for spinal-cord injuries.

The Christopher Reeve Foundation is yet to announce plans for a funeral.

Lyn
Member

08-07-2002

Saturday, March 11, 2006 - 1:59 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Lyn a private message Print Post    
Habs legend Bernard 'Boom Boom' Geoffrion loses battle with cancer

Boomboom Geoffrion

I grew up watching him play...even us girls tried to copy his slapshots. The Habs are retiring his number tonight - he missed seeing it by ONE DAY. sigh

Jimmer
Moderator

08-30-2000

Sunday, March 12, 2006 - 7:54 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Jimmer a private message Print Post    
My Mom and Dad were big hockey fans and my Mom had a bit of a crush on Boom Boom that my Dad used to tease her about.

Anyway, my Dad got great seats to the games (front row) and my Mom was thrilled she was going to get to see her hero close-up. Well they were both enjoying the game and Mom was admiring Boom Boom. At one point, there was a break in the play and Boom Boom slowly skated by and gave her a great big smile. LOL - The only thing was that he didn’t have any teeth!

Anyway, they had a great time at the game and my Mom always liked Boom Boom even if his image on the ice didn’t quite measure up to her illusions!

It's hard to hear about these people passing on.

Chaplin
Member

01-08-2006

Sunday, March 12, 2006 - 10:53 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Chaplin a private message Print Post    
That is sad about Bernard (Boom Boom)!!!!!!!!!!

Native_texan
Member

08-24-2004

Monday, March 13, 2006 - 10:44 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Native_texan a private message Print Post    
And we've lost another one:

Oscar winning actress Maureen Stapleton dies at 80

Link

Mamie316
Member

07-08-2003

Monday, March 13, 2006 - 10:57 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Mamie316 a private message Print Post    
Too sad.

Abby7
Member

07-17-2002

Monday, March 13, 2006 - 6:04 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Abby7 a private message Print Post    
'Press Your Luck' Host Dies in Plane Crash
Craft went down in Pacific Monday morning
March 13 2006

LOS ANGELES -- Peter Tomarken, the host of the 1980s game show "Press Your Luck," died Monday morning when a small plane carrying him and two other passengers crashed in the Pacific Ocean.

According to news reports, Tomarken, 63, and two other people were aboard a Beechcraft 36 when it hit the ocean near the Santa Monica Pier a little after 9:30 a.m. Monday. The pilot reported engine failure not long after the aircraft's takeoff from Santa Monica Airport, a couple of miles inland from the crash site.

Rescuers recovered two bodies -- those of Tomarken and his wife, Kathleen, 41. Authorities are seeking a third person who was reportedly aboard.

Tomarken hosted "Press Your Luck," which was a daytime hit on CBS from 1983-86. The show is notable for its animated "Whammy" characters that took contestants' money when they landed on them, and for a 1984 scandal in which a player named Paul Michael Larson discovered a pattern in the show's game board and used it to win more than $100,000.

Larson wasn't doing anything illegal, but the show's producers later reprogrammed the game board to move randomly and keep other players from beating the game.

Tomarken was also an actor, with appearances on "Ally McBeal," "The Rockford Files" and "Heaven Can Wait" to his credit.

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Monday, March 13, 2006 - 7:10 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
Ah I heard that there was a small plane that went down.. not who was on it.



Sherbabe
Member

07-28-2002

Monday, March 13, 2006 - 7:47 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Sherbabe a private message Print Post    
The obit for Maureen Stapleton did not say she is survived by sister, Jean from Archie Bunker fame. Weren't they sisters?

Tess
Member

04-13-2001

Monday, March 13, 2006 - 8:36 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Tess a private message Print Post    
Sherbabe, I looked them both up on imdb to be sure and it says they were not sisters. They were not related at all. I wondered the same thing though I didn't think they were.