# Famous people whom are deceased... poll

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-whom-are-deceased-poll/34038>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [September 21, 2000, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-whom-are-deceased-poll/34038 "2000-09-21T19:32:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-whom-are-deceased-poll/34038/21 "2000-09-22T03:33:17Z")

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Jim Henson-someone already mentioned him but I wanted to second the motion.

John Gielgud-Miliana, you got there first on this one. Did you ever hear his statement “I’m an actor, of COURSE I can play a heterosexual!”

Isaac Asimov  
Robert Heinlein

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**Author:** ![Junior\_Spaceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Junior\_Spaceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Junior_Spaceman)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-whom-are-deceased-poll/34038/22 "2000-09-22T03:47:43Z")

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Sterling Morrison - the guitarist from the Velvet Underground. What a great thinker and musician.

William Burroughs - I always thought I’d get around to writing to him, but put it off until it was too late.

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**Author:** ![jabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/db5fbb/32.png) [@jabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabe)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-whom-are-deceased-poll/34038/23 "2000-09-22T04:19:06Z")

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Chris Farley, my idol.

Obi-Wan Kenobi, although Jedi’s never die.

John Belushi, ever time I wear a toga I think of him.

Bob Hope, he was a genius.

I know he’s not dead, but damn close

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**Author:** ![beakerxf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc79bd/32.png) [@beakerxf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beakerxf)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-whom-are-deceased-poll/34038/24 "2000-09-22T05:32:02Z")

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Jim Henson, Jim Henson, Jim Henson…it can’t be stressed enough.

I have to agree with many said thus far

Audrey Hepburn  
Jessica Tandy

Then are those who died young and leave me wondering what they could have accomplished:

Gilda Radner  
Phil Hartman (Man, I miss Troy McClure and News Radio)  
Madeline Kahn  
Bob Marley  
Kurt Cobain  
Jimi Hendrix

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**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-whom-are-deceased-poll/34038/25 "2000-09-22T05:48:09Z")

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This is an obscure one, but Pete Duel. He was in the popular (but short-lived) 70s western, “Alias Smith and Jones”. If he hadn’t killed himself, that show would have run several years. He robbed us of his talent, and of a great show.

Phil Hartman - another talent we were robbed of far too soon.

Walt Disney. It seemed when he died, the Disney company (amusement parks, production company) went to pot. (Or started to.)

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**Author:** ![silent\_rob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@silent\_rob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silent_rob)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-whom-are-deceased-poll/34038/26 "2000-09-22T06:01:10Z")

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Everyone I was going to say has been mentioned, but I’ll say some of them again: Phil Hartman (one of my personal heroes), John Belushi, Andy Kaufman, Chris Farley, Jimmy Stewart (still probably my favourite actor), John Lennon, and Jim Henson (I have the episode of the Muppets after he died, where all of the Muppets sing “If Just One Person Believes In You”…makes me teary-eyed just thinking of it).

Just reading this thread made me really sad. ☹

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**Author:** ![Kilt-wearin\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/82dd89/32.png) [@Kilt-wearin\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilt-wearin_man)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-whom-are-deceased-poll/34038/27 "2000-09-22T07:03:36Z")

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Stevie Ray Vaughan, definitely.

Jim Henson

Roger Zelazny (his Amber novels ended just begging for one last volume…alas, I’ll never know how it will end.)

Hendrix died before I knew who he was, (I was in diapers at the time) so I can’t honestly say I miss him, not knowing what it was like when he was around…but he could’a made so much more music…

Roy Orbison.

Desmond Llewellyn - “Q” from the James Bond series.

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**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-whom-are-deceased-poll/34038/28 "2000-09-22T16:58:20Z")

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I have to agree with others’ choice of Jim Henson. Only after he died did I realize how much he actually meant. Ditto for Phil Hartman–especially as it was so unexpected.

One I’d have to vote for, who probably won’t be known by many people on the Board, is Malcolm Marshall. Marshall played cricket for West Indies, Hampshire, and various South African states, and coached Natal and West Indies until the summer of last year, when he died of cancer at the age of 41. At the time of his death Marshall was trying to lead the West Indies side to where it was while he was playing–as the best in the world. He was probably the greatest fast bowler of the last 30 years, and was quickly becoming one of the best coaches.

Marshall was important to me because he was my first “favorite player” when I started following cricket ten years ago. He was always just thrilled to be playing the game.

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**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-whom-are-deceased-poll/34038/29 "2000-09-22T17:08:36Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by MagicalSilverKey \*  
> \*\*What famous person(s) who(m) is/are currently deceased, do you miss a great deal and wish they were still living?
> 
> I terribly miss Vincent Price. \*\*

Amen! His two Dr. Phibes movies were excellent.

I miss Gilda Radner, Phil Hartman, and Elizabeth Montgomery.

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**Author:** ![John\_Corrado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a88e4f/32.png) [@John\_Corrado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Corrado)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-whom-are-deceased-poll/34038/30 "2000-09-22T17:14:02Z")

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Jim Henson.  
John Lennon.  
Freddy Mercury.

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**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-whom-are-deceased-poll/34038/31 "2000-09-22T19:24:34Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by xanadu \*  
> \*\*and especially Walter Matthau. \*\*

AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! how come I never heard of this until now? don’t they say stuff like this on the news? damn this sucks I really liked his stuff.

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**Author:** ![vandal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/858c86/32.png) [@vandal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vandal)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-whom-are-deceased-poll/34038/32 "2000-09-22T19:48:07Z")

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Chris Farley. Motivational Speaker. Enough said.

Phil Hartman. Brilliant. Simply brilliant.

Brandon Lee. His first few movies weren’t anything to brag about, but I enjoyed _The Crow_. He seemed to have a lot of potential.

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**Author:** ![Welfy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e56c9b/32.png) [@Welfy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Welfy)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-whom-are-deceased-poll/34038/33 "2000-09-22T20:05:27Z")

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Vincent Price (Edward Scissorhands; The Pit and the Pendelum are two of my all-time favorite movies)  
Jim Henson (I grew up watching Sesame Street)  
Chris Farley  
Walter Matthau

And others:  
Charles Schultz  
John Denver  
Princess Diana  
Audrey Hepburn  
Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez  
John F Kennedy Jr.

I’m sure I could think of more…

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**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2000, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-whom-are-deceased-poll/34038/34 "2000-09-23T00:59:31Z")

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John Denver

I miss him.

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**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2000, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-whom-are-deceased-poll/34038/35 "2000-09-23T01:08:11Z")

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I’ll echo two earlier names:

Robert Heinlein  
Freddy Mercury

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**Author:** ![Kieras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a87d85/32.png) [@Kieras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kieras)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2000, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-whom-are-deceased-poll/34038/36 "2000-09-23T03:04:33Z")

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All mine have nothing to do with the other. In no specific order:  
Chris Farley- Extremely talented you actor on the height of his career. Came to a very unexpected tradgic end. We will never know what might have came of the comedy industry now that this man is gone  
Kurt Cobain-To hell with Courtney. I feel for his daughter and hope that her mother doesnt brain wash her. His career was much short lived and all his songs will remain #1 forever  
Mother teressa- She done wonders for people with no hope left. She taught them to never give up and that there was always hope. She touched so many lives .

Princess Diana- A beautiful women with a huge heart for children. Her death shocked the nation with mother teressa’s death shortly after.

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**Author:** ![NicePete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee7513/32.png) [@NicePete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NicePete)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2000, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-whom-are-deceased-poll/34038/37 "2000-09-23T04:23:59Z")

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I’ll concentrate on people who died too soon, otherwise the list would be way too long and would include myriad historical figures.

Frank Zappa  
Jerry Garcia  
Charles Schultz  
John Belushi  
J.D. Salinger (OK, he ain’t dead, but he might as well be)  
Jimi Hendrix  
Andy Kaufman  
Gilda Radner  
Madeline Kahn

I can’t believe nobody else has mentioned…

Wally

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**Author:** ![andygirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@andygirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andygirl)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2000, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-whom-are-deceased-poll/34038/38 "2000-09-23T04:37:55Z")

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Shel Silverstien. I love his books.  
Jim Henson. I was quite young when he died, but I remember the muppets singing that song…

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**Author:** ![Saint\_Zero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@Saint\_Zero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Zero)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2000, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-whom-are-deceased-poll/34038/39 "2000-09-23T05:18:31Z")

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“That’s my fishing boat, Bond.” – Desmond Llewellyn. Good old Q. I’ll miss him.

Roger Zelazny. I’ll miss not knowing the ending to the saga, but I can always write my own…

Jim Henson. Definetly.

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**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2000, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-whom-are-deceased-poll/34038/40 "2000-09-23T06:00:55Z")

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Walt Kelly.

BTW, you tried too hard with the grammar here. It should be “Famous people _who_ are deceased.”

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