Goodbye to greats: A roll call of entertainers

SEPTEMBER
Gyorgy Faludy, 95. Poet, translator considered one of Hungary’s greatest literary figures. Sept. 1.

Willi Ninja, 45. Dancer immortalized in “Paris Is Burning.” Sept. 2. AIDS complications.

John Conte, 90. Actor (“The Man With the Golden Arm.”) Sept. 4.

Steve Irwin, 44. Television’s irrepressible “Crocodile Hunter.” Sept 4. Sting ray attack.

Robert Earl Jones, 96. Actor; father of James Earl Jones. Sept. 7.

Daniel Smith, 20. Anna Nicole Smith’s son whose sudden passing made headlines worldwide. Sept 10. Lethal combination of drugs.

Bennie Smith, 72. St. Louis guitarist, played with stars like Chuck Berry. Sept. 10.

Pat Corley, 76. Actor; Phil the barkeep on “Murphy Brown.” Sept. 11.

Joseph Hayes, 88. Author of the novel “The Desperate Hours,” also wrote Tony-winning play, Hollywood screenplay based on it. Sept. 11.

Mickey Hargitay, 80. Actor, bodybuilder; husband of Jayne Mansfield, father of actress Mariska Hargitay. Sept 14.

Oriana Fallaci, 76. Italian journalist noted for probing interviews with powerful people. Sept. 15.

Patricia Kennedy Lawford, 84. Her marriage to Peter Lawford lent Hollywood glamour to the Kennedy dynasty. Sept. 17.

Danny Flores, 77. Played saxophone and shouted “tequila!” on 1950s hit “Tequila!” Sept. 19.

Joe Glazer, 88. Singer-songwriter who rallied union loyalists (“The Mills Weren’t Made of Marble.”) Sept. 19.

Elizabeth Allen, 77. Actress; nominated for Tony for “Do I Hear a Waltz?” Sept. 19.

Sven Nykvist, 83. Oscar-winning Swedish cinematographer; worked with Ingmar Bergman, Woody Allen. Sept. 20.

Edward Albert, 55. Actor (“Butterflies Are Free.”) Sept. 22. Lung cancer.

Sir Malcolm Arnold, 84. British composer; won Oscar for “Bridge on the River Kwai.” Sept. 23.

Etta Baker, 93. Influential blues guitarist; recorded with Taj Mahal. Sept. 23.

Maureen Daly, 85. Noted for 1942 coming-of-age novel “Seventeenth Summer.” Sept. 25.

Ralph Story, 86. Host of 1950s quiz show “The $64,000 Challenge.” Sept. 26.

“Uncle Josh” Graves, 79. His bluesy playing adorned hundreds of bluegrass, country records. Sept. 30.

Prentiss Barnes, 81. Singer with the Moonglows (“Ten Commandments of Love.”) Sept. 30.

Isabel Bigley, 80. Won Tony for role in “Guys and Dolls.” Sept. 30.

OCTOBER
Tamara Dobson, 59. Actress; played Cleopatra Jones in two blaxploitation films. Oct. 2. Multiple sclerosis, pneumonia.

Heinz Sielmann, 89. Zoologist, documentary filmmaker (“Vanishing Wilderness.”) Oct. 6.

Jerry Belson, 68. Emmy-winning comedy writer (“The Tracey Ullman Show.”) Oct. 10.

Gillo Pontecorvo, 86. Directed “The Battle of Algiers,” 1966 epic on Algerian uprising against the French. Oct. 12.

Freddy Fender, 69. Texas’ “Bebop Kid”; sang the smash country ballad “Before the Next Teardrop Falls.” Oct. 14.

Herbert B. Leonard, 84. TV producer (“Naked City.”) Oct. 14.

Sid Davis, 90. Produced quirky educational films warning youngsters of the dangers of drugs, running with scissors. Oct. 16.

Lister Sinclair, 85. Broadcaster and playwright, considered one of Canada’s renaissance men. Oct. 16.

Christopher Glenn, 68. CBS correspondent, announcer; voice of children’s program “In the News.” Oct. 17.

Miriam Engelberg, 48. Graphic author; found improbable humor in her fight with cancer (“Cancer Made Me a Shallower Person.”) Oct. 17.

Spoony Singh, 83. His Hollywood Wax Museum gave tourists the next best thing to a real celebrity. Oct. 18.

Phyllis Kirk, 79. Actress who was stalked by Vincent Price in the horror film “House of Wax.” Oct. 19.

Jane Wyatt, 96. Actress who for six years on “Father Knows Best” was one of TV’s favorite moms. Oct. 20.

Sandy West, 47. Her drumming fueled the influential ’70s rock band the Runaways (“Cherry Bomb.”) Oct. 21. Lung cancer.

Arthur Hill, 84. Character actor; had title role in the early 1970s series “Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law.” Oct. 22.

Lawrence W. Levine, 73. Cultural historian (“Black Culture and Black Consciousness.”) Oct. 23.

Marijohn Wilkin, 86. Country songwriter (“The Long Black Veil.”) Oct. 28.

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