# Strange Celebrity Deaths **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 7, 2002, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-celebrity-deaths/122760 "2002-08-07T12:54:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Elvis_Rojo)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-celebrity-deaths/122760/1 "2002-08-07T12:54:08Z")
I was heartborken today to hear that Jashua Ryan Evans died this week. He was the midget who played Timmy on **Passions** , the only saving grace of the show and reason I and many others watched it. The odd thing is, he died just a day or two after they aired the episode in which his character died. It reminded me of how Schultz died the day the final comic of _The Peanuts_ ran. Both deaths seem highly odd in their timing. Does anyone remember any other rather oddly timed celebrity deaths? ---
**Author:** ![Umbriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9de053/32.png) [@Umbriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Umbriel)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-celebrity-deaths/122760/2 "2002-08-07T14:07:34Z")
Well, I must say that I don’t consider Schultz’s death all that mysterious. He was terminally ill, and had put most of his affairs in order. Whether he directly helped matters along, or merely hit some sort of subconscious “off switch”, I didn’t find it especially shocking. The “Timmy” death is a much more interesting coincidence. I don’t know if you’d consider them “celebrities”, but ex-presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, signers of the Declaration of Independence and political arch-rivals, both died on July 4, 1826. ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-celebrity-deaths/122760/3 "2002-08-07T14:22:04Z")
Peter Finch died before he was able to collect his Best Actor Award for “Network.” Talk about poor timing. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-celebrity-deaths/122760/4 "2002-08-07T14:42:45Z")
Legend has it that the song Jackie Wilson when he suffered his heart attack was “Lonely Teardrops,” which features the line “My heart is cryin’, cryin. . .” It didn’t kill him outright, but did put him in a coma for several years before he eventually died. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-celebrity-deaths/122760/5 "2002-08-07T19:44:36Z")
Houdini died on Halloween. ---
**Author:** ![kawliga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ea666f/32.png) [@kawliga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kawliga)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2002, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-celebrity-deaths/122760/6 "2002-08-08T07:24:01Z")
So did Vincent Price. ---
**Author:** ![kawliga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ea666f/32.png) [@kawliga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kawliga)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2002, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-celebrity-deaths/122760/7 "2002-08-08T07:53:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kawliga \* > \*\*So did Vincent Price. \*\* Disregard my previous post. According to IMDB he died on October 25th. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2002, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-celebrity-deaths/122760/8 "2002-08-08T13:07:08Z")
Dick Shawn died of a heart attack while performing onstage. Many in the audience thought it was part of the act. Then there’s J.I. Rodale, a famous nutrition expert of his time. When appearing on the Dick Cavett Show, in the early 70s, he said, “I’m so healthy I expect to go on and on.” However, when the next guest was being introduced, Rodale died of a heart attack. During the height of the Dreyfuss case controversy, Felix Faure, the president of France, died in the midst of a game of erotic strangulation with a prostitute. The details were not immediately released, of course, leading to rumors that he was killed because he knew too much. McLean Stevenson, who played Henry Blake in the TV show M_A_S_H, died on February 15, 1996. Roger Bowen, who played Henry Blake in the movie M_A_S_H, died the next day. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2002, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-celebrity-deaths/122760/9 "2002-08-08T13:48:16Z")
Here’s an excerpt from a website advertising [The Hollywood Book of Death!](http://www.hollywoodinvestigator.com/parishbook.htm) “It hurts, it hurts … I’m dying, I’m dying!” Those were the heart-rending final gasps of Hervé Villechaize, the diminutive Fantasy Island star whose tragic short life ended in a 1993 suicide, according to James Parish’s shocking new Hollywood Book Of Death! Villechaize spoke into a tape recorder – still running as blood gushed from self-inflicted gunshot wounds to his broken heart – draining life from his tiny sickly body! Before shooting, Villechaize taped a heart-breaking final message to his towering live-in love, the 5’8" Kathy Self: “Kathy, I can’t live like this anymore,” said Villechaize. “I’ve always been a proud man and always wanted to make you proud of me. You know you made me feel like a giant, and that’s how I want you to remember me. I’m doing what I have to do.” Villechaize’s suffered from a form of dwarfism in which internal organs are normal-sized – but crammed into a tiny body. He lost most of his $3.6 million Fantasy Island windfall on bad business and bad women. Too late in his tragically short life of 50 years, Villechaize found his true love, Kathy – his health by now rapidly deteriorating! Villechaize could not sleep on his back, a lung had failed, and he was always coughing up blood. On September 4, 1993, he shot his own broken heart. Villechaize’s final act was to muffle the gun under two pillows – so as not to disturb his beloved Kathy’s sleep! Villechaize’s heart-rending suicide is one of over 125 shocking celeb death tales in The Hollywood Book Of Death, in which Parish reveals how: - Dana Plato’s fiancé Robert Menchaca awoke to find the Diff’rent Strokes star lying beside him in bed – a cold and lifeless corpse! The 35-year-old Plato had intentionally overdosed on painkillers and Valium – then lay down to die beside her 28-year-old boy toy! Even more shocking: Plato’s relatives alleged that the heartless Menchaca attended the funeral with a camera – hoping to hawk lurid death photos of his fiancée’s corpse to sleazy tabloids! - After Katherine Cochran filed for divorce from Chico and the Man star Freddie Prinze, Prinze became so “crazed” over losing his 10-month-old son – he shot himself to death before the horrified eyes of his manager, Marvin “Dusty” Snyder! Amazingly, despite having already filed for divorce, Katherine Cochran sued – and got! – nearly $1 million in malpractice settlements from the psychiatrist and doctor who treated Prinze’s depression! Yet while Cochran blamed doctors for Prinze’s death, Prinze wrote in his suicide note: “No one had anything to do with this. My decision totally.” But Prinze’s grief-stricken mother had another theory: “If anyone killed him, it was Hollywood!” - Hogan’s Heroes’ Bob Crane was no hero! He not only cheated on his wives – he videotaped his sordid perversions for his own cheap thrills! Police found over 50 sickening videotapes of Crane’s kinky sexcapades in the seedy motel room in which his battered bloody corpse was found! – by a “shapely actress” whom Crane promised to “advise” on her audition tapes! ---
**Author:** ![Slacker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Slacker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slacker)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2002, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-celebrity-deaths/122760/10 "2002-08-08T14:18:30Z")
The exclamation points in the above post have overloaded my senses! I have to lay down for a while… ---
**Author:** ![Minor\_Irritant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Minor\_Irritant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Minor_Irritant)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2002, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-celebrity-deaths/122760/11 "2002-08-08T21:49:09Z")
Demond Llewelyn, who played Q in the James Bond movies, was killed in a car crash shortly after the movie in which his character retired was released. And was Lupe Velez really found face-down in a toilet, or is that an urban legend? ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2002, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-celebrity-deaths/122760/12 "2002-08-08T21:59:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Knowed Out \* > \*\*…awoke to find the Diff’rent Strokes star lying beside him in bed – a cold and lifeless corpse! > > \*\* I’m glad I didn’t take her up on her offer “to fuck a moviestar” for $100 that she once made me… ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2002, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-celebrity-deaths/122760/13 "2002-08-08T22:23:40Z")
Not an entertainer, but former Vice President (of the U.S.) Alben Barkley was giving a college commencement speech. He had just uttered the words “I would rather be a servant in the house of the Lord than to dwell in the seats of the mighty” when he stopped, gasped and dropped dead. ---
**Author:** ![quarx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/50afbb/32.png) [@quarx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quarx)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-celebrity-deaths/122760/14 "2002-08-09T00:19:55Z")
Just thought I’d use this thread to ressurect (sorry!) an old thread of mine about Michael Gothard ( [link](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=112034&highlight=michael+gothard) ) This is the only question I’ve ever put to the SDMB which no one’s been able to answer. I’ll ask just ONCE more, and then I’ll shut up about it, I promise. Does anyone know about the untimely demise of this actor? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-celebrity-deaths/122760/15 "2002-08-09T00:23:51Z")
Archbishop Oscar Romero was peforming the sacrement of the Eucharist at Mass when he was gunned down by right-wing military thugs. Just as he said, “This is my blood, shed for you and for all…” he was shot through the heart. Two priests who were at our church died of heart attacks while saying Mass. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-celebrity-deaths/122760/16 "2002-08-09T00:33:25Z")
Paul “Bear” Bryant died only a month after retirement from U. of Alabama. Some people seem to live for their work… ---
**Author:** ![ladybug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/46a35a/32.png) [@ladybug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladybug)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-celebrity-deaths/122760/17 "2002-08-09T00:47:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by quarx \* > \*\*Just thought I’d use this thread to ressurect (sorry!) an old thread of mine about Michael Gothard ( [link](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=112034&highlight=michael+gothard) ) This is the only question I’ve ever put to the SDMB which no one’s been able to answer. I’ll ask just ONCE more, and then I’ll shut up about it, I promise. Does anyone know about the untimely demise of this actor? \*\* According to [this site](http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/DetailsServlet/epid-0/showid-0/personid-16692/moduleid-38), it was suicide by hanging. Not a lot of info, I know, but it was all I could find. Now I’m curious, too! ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-celebrity-deaths/122760/18 "2002-08-09T00:52:56Z")
Didn’t Edger Bergan die the night after his farewell performance? ---
**Author:** ![Odieman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a87d85/32.png) [@Odieman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odieman)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-celebrity-deaths/122760/19 "2002-08-09T00:53:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Minor Irritant \* > \*\* > And was Lupe Velez really found face-down in a toilet, or is that an urban legend? \*\* Paging Eve…Paging Eve…your help is wanted… ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-celebrity-deaths/122760/20 "2002-08-09T01:13:35Z")
**Eve** is busy shaving her head, so I thought I’d just drop in and repost this tidbit she shared the last time somebody brought up the untimely demise of Lupe Velez\*: > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Eve_ > Poor Lupe. She was Catholic, she was pregnant, she was unmarried. So she took an overdose of barbituates and died. The end. > > Except . . . Kenneth Anger, when he was writing his largely fictional piece of crap “Hollywood Babylon” in the early '60s, decided that wasn’t funny enough. So he had her accidentally drowning in her toilet while throwing up the pills. A lot of people still believe that, even though it’s physically impossible to drown in a toilet unless you have someone holding you by the ankles, dunking ypu. \*Now that I think of it, The Untimely Demise of Lupe Velez would make an excellent country/western song [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-celebrity-deaths/122760.md?page=2)