# 2003: The Year in Obits **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 23, 2003, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2003-the-year-in-obits/220662 "2003-12-23T16:25:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2003, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2003-the-year-in-obits/220662/1 "2003-12-23T16:25:03Z")
I, for one, will be delighted to see the doorknob hit 2003 in the ass, for personal reasons. It’s been a busy year in celeb obits, as we have noted time and time again. A few people who made go _awwww_ . . . when I read of their demise this past year: Maurice Gibb Richard Crenna Al Hirschfeld Bill Mauldin Nell Carter Johnny Paycheck Tom Glazer Fred Rogers Elaine Barrie Horst Buchholz Karen Morley Lynne Thigpen Thora Hird Michael Jeter Addie McPhail Arbuckle Suzy Parker Wendy Hiller Pepper LaBeija Robert Stack June Carter and Johnny Cash Sloan Wilson Kathleen Winsor Martha Scott David Brinkley Gregory Peck Hume Cronyn Katharine Hepburn Buddy Hackett Barry White Buddy Ebsen Elisabeth Welch Celia Cruz Bob Hope Gregory Hines Jinx Falkenberg Charles Bronson Warren Zevon Larry Hovis John Ritter and Dorothy Fay Ritter Gordon Jump George Plimpton Donald O’Connor Elia Kazan Jack Elam Fred “Rerun” Berry Madame Chiang Kai-Shek Art Carney Penny Singleton Dorothy Loudon Jonathan Brandis Gertrude Ederle Jeanne Crain Hope Lange . . , and the year ain’t over yet. You can spot some more of your personal favorites [here](http://imdb.com/DiedInYear?year=2003&nav=/Sections/Years/2003/include-deaths). ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Love](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Dr.Love](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Love)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2003, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2003-the-year-in-obits/220662/2 "2003-12-23T17:19:40Z")
[Benny Carter](http://www.bennycarter.com/) (Not exactly in the public eye, but still a great loss) ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2003, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2003-the-year-in-obits/220662/3 "2003-12-23T17:23:40Z")
Hunh. I somehow managed to miss David Brinkley’s passing. Bummer. That imdb list is depressing as hell. Not on **Eve’s** list, and just off the top of my head: Robert Palmer. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2003, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2003-the-year-in-obits/220662/4 "2003-12-23T18:04:07Z")
Senator Paul Simon will be sorely missed in the state of Illinois, at least. ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2003, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2003-the-year-in-obits/220662/5 "2003-12-23T22:17:16Z")
And William Roth will be missed in Delaware. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2003, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2003-the-year-in-obits/220662/6 "2003-12-23T23:14:29Z")
Rough year for celebrity deaths. Honestly they usually don’t hit me very hard, but this year I was gobsmacked by Mr. Rogers, Johnny Cash, John Ritter, George Plimpton, Hugh Kenner, and Sam Phillips. And also, six months ago today, my dog. ---
**Author:** ![FisherQueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@FisherQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FisherQueen)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2003-the-year-in-obits/220662/7 "2003-12-24T02:25:00Z")
I’m going to add Neil Postman to the list. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2003-the-year-in-obits/220662/8 "2003-12-24T06:54:55Z")
From the world of rock and roll: **Eric Brann** Guitar player for Iron Butterfly **Zal Yanovsky** of the Lovin’ Spoonful **Noel Redding** bass player for Jimi Hendrix. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2003-the-year-in-obits/220662/9 "2003-12-24T07:44:41Z")
And on the auspicious list we have Lani Riefenstahl. ---
**Author:** ![Intaglio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/71e660/32.png) [@Intaglio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intaglio)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2003-the-year-in-obits/220662/10 "2003-12-24T13:17:37Z")
Buddy Ebsen Died, When?, I thought he was alive and kicking. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2003-the-year-in-obits/220662/11 "2003-12-24T14:57:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Intaglio \* > **Buddy Ebsen Died, When?** July 6. He may have been overlooked in all the Gregory Peck–Katharine Hepburn–Bob Hope hysteria, around the same time. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2003-the-year-in-obits/220662/12 "2003-12-24T16:50:28Z")
The end of the year “in Memoriam” news stories will be pretty long this year. ---
**Author:** ![Raymond\_Luxury\_Yacht](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raymond_luxury_yacht/32/4099_2.png) [@Raymond\_Luxury\_Yacht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raymond_Luxury_Yacht)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2003-the-year-in-obits/220662/13 "2003-12-24T17:19:07Z")
Herb Brooks, coach of the 1980 US Olympic hockey team. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2003-the-year-in-obits/220662/14 "2003-12-24T20:36:28Z")
Damn. Wendy Hiller died? I’ll have to look up when that was. I loved her as Lady Alice More, in _A Man For All Seasons_, plus, of course, many other fine roles.