January

Bob Anderson (swordmaster) -- Dead. Died January 1, 2012. Born September 15, 1922. Choreographed sword fights and trained actors for The Princess Bride, The Lord of the Rings and the Star Wars movies as well as the Highlander series. 

Jenny Tomasin (actress) -- Dead. Hypertensive heart disease. Died January 3, 2012. Born November 30, 1936. Ruby on Upstairs/Downstairs, also appeared on Dr. Who and Emmerdale. 

Eve Arnold (phtographer) -- Dead. Died January 4, 2012. Born April 21, 1912. Photographer known for shooting the famous (Marilyn Monroe, Marlena Dietrich) and the unknown (starving children). 

Roger Boisjoly (engineer/ethics lecturer) -- Dead. Cancer Died January 6, 2012. Born April 25, 1938. A Morton Thiokol engineer who argued against launching the Challenger in January 1986 as he believed the O-rings would fail due to the cold. He was overruled. Despite the fact he was right, NASA made it hard for him to work in the industry after he resigned from Morton Thiokol (now ATK Space Systems). Received the AAAS Scientific Freedom and Responsibility Award in 1988. 

Jerome Rubin (futurist/lawyer) -- Dead. Stroke Died January 9, 2012. Born March 9, 1925. A lawyer who helped develop an early commercial database (Lexis/Nexis) and predicted eBooks. 

Mary Raftery (journalist) -- Dead. Died January 10, 2012. Born 1957. Irish journalist who produced documentaries on child sexual abuse by the Catholic Church (States of Fear)   

Richard Threlkeld (journalist) -- Dead. Car accident. Died January 13, 2012. Born November 30, 1937. Journalist who alternated between working at CBS and ABC, one of the last journalists out of Saigon in 1975. 

Etta James (singer) -- Dead.. Leukemia. Died January 20, 2012. Born January 25, 1938. Jazz singer, best known for the classic "At Last." 

Dick Tufeld (voice) -- Dead. Died January 22, 2012. Born December 11, 1926. Famous line: "Danger, danger Will Robinson!" Lost in Space, heard on other Irwin Allen shows, died 3 years after the robot driver Bob May. 

Bingham Ray (movie company manager) -- Dead. Stroke Died January 23, 2012. Born circa 1954. Suffered a stroke while attending the Sundance Film Festival, co-founder of October Films, president of United Artists.

James Farentino (actor) -- Dead. Heart failure. Died January 24, 2012. Born February 24, 1938. On many TV series since the '60s, including Dynasty and a stint as Doug Ross's father on ER, divorced from Michele Lee. 

Robert Hegyes (actor) -- Dead. Heart attack. Died January 26, 2012. Born May 7, 1951. Epstein on Welcome Back Kotter, Cagney and Lacey, died about 7 months before fellow Kotter alum Ron Palillo. 

John Rich (TV director) -- Dead. Died January 29, 2012. Born July 6, 1925. Directed many episodes of The Dick Van Dyke Show and All in the Family (including the famous Sammy Davis, Jr. episode) 
Damien Bona (writer) -- Dead. Heart attack. Died January 29, 2012. Born March 18, 1955. Co-wrote Inside Oscar. 

February

Don Cornelius (producer/host) -- Dead.Suicide-gunshot. Died February 1, 2012. Born September 27, 1936. The man who brought you Soul Train. 

Nello Ferrara (candy company director/lawyer) -- Dead. Died February 3, 2012. Born circa 1918. Studied law but went to work at his father's company (Ferrara Pan Candy) and invented Lemonhead and Atomic FireBall candies. 

Ben Gazzara (actor) -- Dead. Pancreatic cancer. Died February 3, 2012. Born August 28, 1930. Run for Your Life and more movies than you'd imagine. 

Peter Breck (actor) -- Dead. Dementia Died February 6, 2012. Born March 13, 1929. The TV series Maverick and The Big Valley, loads of '60s and '70s TV guest spots. 

Patricia Stephens Due (civil rights leader) -- Dead. Thyroid cancer. Died February 7, 2012. Born December 9, 1939. An organizer for civil rights in the South in the '60s, she later wrote an award-winning book (Freedom in the Family: A Mother-Daughter Memoir of the Fight for Civil Rights) on her experiences with her daughter Tananarive Due. 

Jill Kinmont Boothe (educator/skiier) -- Dead. Died February 9, 2012. Born February 16 1936. Skiier on a track for the Olympics before she became paralyzed in an accident; inspired two movies (The Other Side of the Mountain) based on her accident and rehabilitation. 

Jeffrey Zaslow (writer) --Dead. Car accident. Died February 10, 2012. Born October 6, 1958. Advice columnist (All That Jazz) and journalist (Wall Street Journal) who became the co-writer of a number of memoirish-books, including Randy Pauch's The Last Lecture and Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelly's Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope. Killed while on a book tour for The Magic Room. 

Whitney Houston (singer/actress) -- Dead. Rumor. Drowning/effects of atherosclerotic heart disease and cocaine use. Died February 11, 2012. Born August 9, 1963. Very talented singer in the '80s and '90s. "I Wanna Dance with Somebody Who Loves Me." Too young to be listed here, she was included here for 10 years due to persistant rumors about her health, died at 48. 

David Kelly (actor) -- Dead. Died February 12, 2012. Born July 11, 1929. The faux-Ned in Waking Ned Devine; not to be confused with the American TV producer. 

Gregg Jevin (legend) -- Dead. Debatable - either drowned or sat on his pen. Died February 23, 2012. Born circa 1960. An actor of mythic proportions, he was a Zelig-like performer who popped in and out of plays, TV shows and movies on whim. 

Jan Berenstain (cartoonist/writer) -- Dead. Stroke. Died February 24, 2012. Born July 26, 1923. With her husband Stan, she wrote and illustrated over 200 Berenstain Bears books. 

Davy Jones (singer/actor) -- Dead. Heart attack. Died February 29, 2012. Born December 30, 1945. Former Monkee, raised horses. 

March

Ralph McQuarrie (artist) -- Dead. Parkinson's disease. Died March 3, 2012. Born June 13, 1929. Propobably best-known for his conceptual art for Star Wars.

Joan Taylor (actress/businesswoman) -- Dead. Died March 4, 2012. Born August 18, 1929. Earth vs. the Flying Saucers, 20 Million Miles to Earth, wrote the script for Fools Rush In and managed the syndication of Hawaii 5-0 for many years. 

Robert B. Sherman (songwriter) -- Dead. Died March 5, 2012. Born December 19, 1925. With his brother Richard, he wrote iconic music for Disney ("It's a Small World After All" and the score for Mary Poppins), one of the liberators of Dachau. 

Adrienne Rich (poet/essayist) -- Dead. Complications of rheumatoid arthritis Died March 27, 2012. Born May 16, 1929. Won the National Book Award for Diving into the Wreck. 

Warren Stevens (actor) -- Dead. Lung disease. Died March 27, 2012. Born November 2, 1919. Extremely busy TV actor during the '50s, '60s and '70s, he starred in Forbidden Planet as the ship's doctor. 

Earl Scruggs (country musician) -- Dead. Died March 28, 2012. Born January 6, 1924. Flatt and Scruggs. 

April

Thomas Kinkade (painter/businessman) -- Dead. Overdose of alcohol and Valium. Died April 6, 2012. Born January 19, 1958. Turned "painted lights" in landscapes into a multi-million dollar business. 

Mike Wallace (newscaster) -- Dead. Died April 7, 2012. Born May 9, 1918. 60 Minutes, portrayed by Christopher Plummer in The Insider, worked until he was nearly 89.

Jonathan Frid (actor) -- Dead. Died (Friday) April 13, 2012. Born December 2, 1924. Most famous as Barnabas Collins in Dark Shadows, died just before the Depp DS remake came out (in which Frid had a cameo), played Jonathan Brewster in an '80s Broadway revival of Arsenic and Old Lace. 

Dick Clark (host/producer/for a long time "the world's oldest teenager") -- Dead. Heart attack. Died April 18, 2012. Born November 30, 1929. Host of American Bandstand, The $10,000 Pyramid, and New Year's Rockin' Eve, continued working after suffering a severe stroke in 2004. 

Levon Helm (drummer/actor) -- Dead. Throat cancer. Died April 19, 2012. Born May 26, 1940. Played with The Band ("The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down") and played Loretta Lynn's father in Coal Miner's Daughter 

Joel Goldsmith (composer) -- Dead. Died April 29, 2012. Born November 19, 1957. Wrote most of the music for the various Stargate TV series. 

May

George Lindsey (actor) -- Dead. Died May 6, 2012. Born December 17, 1928. Longtime Hee-Haw regular, Goober Pyle on the Andy Griffith Show, fundraiser for the Alabama Special Olympics. 

Maurice Sendak (writer) -- Dead. Stroke. Died May 8, 2012. Born June 10, 1928. Great kids' book writer, Where the Wild Things Are. 

Vidal Sassoon (hairstylist/businessman) -- Dead. Died May 9, 2012. Born January 17, 1928. The first celebrity hairstylist to globally market products, he gave Mia Farrow her memorable haircut for Rosemary's Baby. 

Donna Summer (singer) -- Dead. Breast/lung cancer. Died May 17, 2012. Born December 31, 1948. The Disco Queen, her hits included "Love to Love Ya Baby (a short version and a 17 minute version)," "On the Radio" and "She Worked Hard for the Money." 

Robin Gibb (singer/songwriter) -- Dead. Cancer. Died May 20, 2012. Born December 22, 1949. Part of the Bee Gees (the thin one), Saturday Night Fever. 

Leo Dillon (artist) -- Dead. Died May 26, 2012. Born March 2, 1933. Illustrated the Dangerous Visions collections and many children's books with his wife Diane. 

Dick Beals (voice) -- Dead. Died May 29, 2012. March 16, 1927. The original voice for Speedy Alka-Seltzer, Gumby and Davey (Davey & Goliath). 

Doc Watson (guitarist) -- Dead. Complications following colon surgery. Died May 29, 2012. Born March 3, 1923. Legendary flat-picking guitarist who won many Grammys for best folk recording. 

June

Richard Dawson (actor/gameshow host) -- Dead. Rumor. Esophageal cancer. Died June 2, 2012. Born November 20, 1932. Survey says dead. Leering Family Feud host, a Laugh-in and Hogan's Heroes regular. 

Kathryn Joosten (actress/psychiatric nurse) -- Dead. Lung cancer. Died June 2, 2012. Born December 20, 1939. The West Wing, died not long after filming her character's death scene for the finale of Desperate Housewies.

Ray Bradbury (author/futurist) -- Dead. Died June 5, 2012. Born August 22, 1920. The Martian Chronicles and Fahrenheit 451, wrote the script for movies such as Moby Dick.

Frank Cady (actor) -- Dead. Rumor. Died June 8, 2012. Born September 8, 1915. Mr. Drucker on Green Acres. 

Ann Rutherford (actress) -- Dead. Heart disease. Died June 11, 2012. Born November 2, 1917. Carreen in Gone with the Wind, appeared in some Andy Hardy movies. 

Rodney King (man who begged us all to just get along) -- Dead. Drowning. Died June 17, 2012. Born April 2, 1965. Man beaten by cops, cops found not guilty of police brutality, verdict sparked LA riots and Rodney asked people to "just get along."   

LeRoy Neiman (artist) -- Dead. Died June 20, 2012. Born June 8, 1921. Painted for Playboy, many Olympics Games and illustrated many pop culture events of the '60s and '70s.

Nora Ephron (director/writer) -- Dead. Cancer. Died June 26, 2012. Born May 19, 1941. Wrote Heartburn, a thinly-veiled account of her marriage to Carl Bernstein, went on to direct movies like Sleepless in Seattle. 

Doris Singleton (actress) -- Dead. Died June 26, 2012. Born September 28, 1919. Frequent co-star of Lucille Ball in series including I Love Lucy. 

Don Grady (composer/actor) -- Dead. Cancer. Died June 27, 2012. Born June 8, 1944. Robbie on My Three Sons, a Mouseketeer, older brother of Eight is Enough's Lani O'Grady, composed music for the Discovery Channel and for The Phil Donahue Show. 

Richard Isay (psychiatrist/writer) -- Dead. Cancer. Died June 28, 2012. Born December 13, 1934. Psychiatrist who fought institutionalized homophobia among psychoanlysts, wrote books including Becoming Gay. 

http://pl524.pairlitesite.com/dps/2012.html

July

Andy Griffith (actor/singer) -- Dead. Died July 3, 2012. Born June 1, 1926. Opie's dad in the '60s, Matlock later. 

Ernest Borgnine (actor) -- Dead. Died July 8, 2012. Born January 24, 1917. TV's McHale's Navy, Marty, appeared on ER episodes in his 90s, once married to Katy Jurado, and, very briefly, to Ethel Merman. 

Richard D. Zanuck (movie mogul) -- Dead. Heart attack. Died July 13, 2012. Born December 13, 1934. Producer of hits like The Sting, Driving Miss Daisy and Alice in Wonderland.

Celeste Holm (actress) -- Dead. Died July 15, 2012. Born April 29, 1919. Appeared in the Oscar Reunion segment 1998, Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 1947 for Gentleman's Agreement. 

Kitty Wells (singer) -- Dead. Died July 16, 2012. Born August 30, 1919. "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels." 

Simon Ward (actor) -- Dead. Died July 20, 2012. Born October 16, 1941. Young Winston, Zulu Dawn. 

Sally Ride (astronaut/physicist) -- Dead. Pancreatic cancer. Died July 23, 2012. Born May 26, 1951. In 1983, she was the first American woman in space. 

Sherman Hemsley (actor) -- Dead. Died July 24, 2012. Born February 1, 1938. George on The Jeffersons. 

Chad Everett (actor) -- Dead. Lung cancer. Died July 24, 2012. Born June 11, 1936. Starred in Medical Center 

Geoffrey Hughes (actor) -- Dead. Prostate cancer. Died July 27, 2012. Born February 2, 1944. Keeping Up Appearances and Coronation Street. 

Tony Martin (singer/actor) -- Dead. Died July 27, 2012. Born December 25, 1913. Sang "When I'm With You" with Shirley Temple, first husband of Alice Faye, married to Cyd Charisse for over 60 years. 

Maeve Binchy (writer) -- Dead. Died July 30, 2012. Born May 28, 1940. Wrote Circle of Friends and Tara Road. 

Gore Vidal (writer) -- Dead. Pneumonia. Died July 31, 2012. Born October 3, 1925. Wrote as Edgar Box after his controversial novel The City and the Pillar (a fairly tame novel on homosexuality) blacklisted him, wrote other novels (Julian, Myra Breckenridge), plays (Visit to a Small Planet) and commentaries. 

August

Marvin Hamlisch (composer) -- Dead. Died August 6, 2012. Born June 2, 1944. Wrote music for The Way We Were and A Chorus Line, adapted Scott Joplin's ragtime music for The Sting. Probably the only person to win an Oscar, Tony, Grammy, Emmy and a Pulitzer Prize. 

Judith Crist (critic/professor) -- Dead. Died August 7, 2012. Born May 22, 1922. Critic for the Today Show and New York Herald Tribune, she was a Columbia professor for many years.

Al Freeman, Jr. (actor/professor) -- Dead. Died August 9, 2012. Born March 21, 1934. My Sweet Charlie, played Elijah Muhammad in Malcolm X, first black man to win an acting Daytime Emmy. 

Carlo Rambaldi (Special effects engineer) -- Dead. Died August 10, 2012. Born September 15, 1925. Special effects designer for Steven Spielberg (ET and Close Encounters of the Third Kind) and for the '70s King Kong. 

Helen Gurley Brown (writer/editor) -- Dead. Died August 13, 2012. Born February 18, 1922. Sex and the Single Girl, longtime editor of Cosmopolitan, married to producer David Brown. 

Ron Palillo (actor/artist) -- Dead. Died August 14, 2012. Born April 2, 1949. Horshack on Welcome Back Kotter, later sent himself up in a few Ellen episodes, active as a pen and ink artist and a teacher, died about 7 months after fellow Kotter alum Robert Hegyes. 

Phyllis Thaxter (actress) -- Dead. Alzheimer's disease. Died August 14, 2012. Born November 20, 1919. Busy TV/movie actress in the '40s/'50s/'60s, played Ma Kent in the 1978 version of the movie Superman. 

Harry Harrison (writer) -- Dead. Died August 15, 2012. Born March 12, 1925. Wrote the Stainless Steel Rat books, Make Room, Make Room (later adapted as the movie Soylent Green) and the Bill, the Galactic Hero books. 

William Windom (actor) -- Dead. Congestive heart failure. Died August 16, 2012. Born September 28, 1923. Many bit parts in movies, much TV (including Star Trek), won an Emmy for My World and Welcome To It, spent years on Murder She Wrote, played the D.A. in his first movie part in To Kill a Mockingbird. 

Tony Scott (director) -- Dead. Suicide (bridge leap). Died August 19, 2012. Born June 21, 1944. Directed Top Gun and Crimson Tide, co-produced the TV series Numb3rs. 

Phyllis Diller (comedian) -- Dead. Died August 20, 2012. Born July 17, 1917. One of the first women stand-up comics on TV, she frequently performed with Bob Hope. 

Jerry Nelson (puppeteer) -- Dead. Died August 23, 2012. Born July 10, 1934. Muppet puppeteer who performced The Count and Robin. 

Josepha Sherman (editor/writer) -- Dead. Died August 23, 2012. Born December 12, 1946. An editor and folklorist who also wrote media tie-in books (Star Trek, Buffy) 

Neil Armstrong (astronaut) -- Dead. Complications of heart surgery. Died August 25, 2012. Born August 5, 1930. First man to walk on the moon...left many footprints...

September

Hal David (lyricist) -- Dead. Stroke. Died September 1, 2012. Born May 25, 1921. Longtime collaborator of Burt Bacharach, wrote the lyrics for songs like "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on my Head" and "Alfie." 

Michael Clarke Duncan (actor) -- Dead. Aftereffects of a heart attack. Died September 3, 2012. Born December 10, 1957. The Green Mile, Armageddon, voicework for Kung Fu Panda. 

Andy Williams (singer) -- Dead. Bladder cancer. Died September 25, 2012. Born December 3, 1927. Probably best-known for "Moon River" and "The Days of Wine and Roses," he was one of the first Branson theater owners, once married to Claudine Longet, an early champion of The Osmond Brothers. 

Herbert Lom (actor) -- Dead. Died September 27, 2012 Born January 9, 1917. Best-known as Dreyfus in the Pink Panther flicks. 

Michael O'Hare (actor) -- Dead. Heart attack. Died September 28, 2012. Born May 6, 1952. Best-known for playing Jeffrey Sinclair in Babylon 5. 

October

Alex Karras (actor/football player) -- Dead. Kidney failure, stomach cancer, dementia. Died October 10, 2012. Born July 15, 1935. Former Detroit Lion who went on to do football commentary and acting, including memorable supporting roles in Blazing Saddles and Victor, Victoria, married to Susan Clark. 

Gary Collins (actor) -- Dead. Died October 13, 2012. Born April 30, 1938. Performed in many '60s and '70s TV shows and served as the MC of the Miss America Pageant in the '80s and '90s, married to Mary Ann Mobley for nearly 45 years. 

George McGovern (politician) -- Dead. Died October 21, 2012. Born July 19, 1922. Liberal senator who ran for president and lost the 1972 election to Richard Nixon (and don't blame the people from Massachusetts for Nixon...). 

November

Art "Mr. Food" Ginsburg (TV chef) -- Dead. Pancreatic cancer. Died November 21, 2012. Born circa 1931. Butcher who created and sold short cooking segments to local stations, ending each show with "Oooh, it's so good!" 

Deborah Raffin (actress/entrepreneur) -- Dead. Leukemia. Died November 21, 2012. Born March 13, 1953. Once Is Not Enough, Noble House, a founder of Dove Books-on-Tape which published many books including A Brief History of Time in audio. 

Diana Birkenfield (Muppets producer) -- Dead. Died November 22, 2012. Born circa 1926. One of the longtime producers of Muppets and Fraggle Rock. 

Larry Hagman (actor) -- Dead. Throat cancer. Died November 23, 2012. Born September 21, 1931. Lived for years after a liver transplant, starred in Dallas (and its reboot) and I Dream of Jeannie, son of Mary Martin. 

Joseph Murray (surgeon) -- Dead. Stroke. Died November 26, 2012. Born April 1, 1919. Performed the first kidney transplant in 1954, later won a Nobel Prize for that, was a leading plastic surgeon, wrote his autobiography, Surgery Of The Soul: Reflections on a Curious Career. 

Zig Ziglar (motivational speaker) -- Dead. Pneumonia. Died November 28, 2012. Born November 6, 1926. Folksy, popular speaker who wrote books like See You At the Top and Raising Positive Kids in a Negative World. 

Susan Luckey (actress/singer) -- Dead. Died November 29, 2012. Born April 4, 1938. Appeared in three classic musicals, The Music Man (as Zaneeta Shin), Carousel (as Louisa Bigelow) and the original Mary Martin Peter Pan (as an Indian). 

December

Eileen Moran (special effects producer) -- Dead. Cancer Died December 2, 2012. Born January 23, 1952. Produced effects for many movies, including The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and Avatar. 

Dave Brubeck (jazz pianist and composer) -- Dead. Heart failure (day before his 92nd birthday) Died December 5, 2012. Born December 6, 1920. Wanted to be a rancher; instead, helped popularize jazz in America with pieces like "Take Five." Biography: It's About Time: The Dave Brubeck Story.

N. Joseph Woodland (engineer/inventor) -- Dead. Died December 9, 2012. Born September 6, 1921. Patented the basic concept behind what would become the bar code in the early '50s, about 30 years before it became commonly used. 

Ravi Shankar (sitarist/60s icon) -- Dead. After-effects of heart surgery. Died December 11, 2012. Born April 7, 1920. Famous friend of the Beatles, particularly George Harrison, who called him "the godfather of world music." Father of sitarist Anoushka Shankar and singer Norah Jones.  Home Page  Wikipedia  twitter  IBDB  IMDb  Obituary  FindAGrave

Rachel D'Avino (Teacher/hero) -- Dead. Murdered by semiautomatic-carrying gunman. Died December 14, 2012. Born circa 1983. Teacher's aide who worked with special needs students and was murdered protecting her students.

Dawn Hochsprung (Principal/hero) -- Dead. Murdered by semiautomatic-carrying gunman. Died December 14, 2012. Born circa 1965. One of the first people murdered in the Newtown gun massacre, she ran a school so well that she inspired the teachers to protect the children no matter what. 

Anne Marie Murphy (Teacher/hero) -- Dead. Murdered by semiautomatic-carrying gunman. Died December 14, 2012. Born July 25, 1960. Special education teacher who was murdered shielding her students from the Newtown gunman, make memorial contributions to Autism Speaks. 

Lauren Rousseau (Teacher/hero) -- Dead. Murdered by semiautomatic-carrying gunman. Died December 14, 2012. Born June 8, 1982. Murdered along with her students. 

Mary Sherlach (Psychologist/hero) -- Dead. Murdered by semiautomatic-carrying gunman. Died December 14, 2012. Born circa 1956. Tried to rush the gunman with the principal before he got further into the school. 

Vicki Soto (Teacher/hero) -- Dead. Murdered by semiautomatic-carrying gunman. Died December 14, 2012. Born circa 1985. Teacher murdered after hiding her students from the Newtown gunman. 

Jean Harris (headmistress (in more ways than one)) -- Dead. Died December 23, 2012. Born April 27, 1923. Murdererd her longtime lover (the Scarsdale Diet Doctor), but, while in prison, started a number of programs for incarcerated women. 

Charles Durning (actor) -- Dead. Died December 24, 2012. Born February 28, 1923. Won a Tony Award for a revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Pappy O'Daniel in O Brother Where Art Thou, Snyder in The Sting, fought at the Battle of Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge, died same day as Jack Klugman

Jack Klugman (actor) -- Dead. Died December 24, 2012. Born April 27, 1922. Missing a vocal cord; Oscar on TV's Odd Couple, also played Quincy, stayed married to Brett Somers while separated from her for many years, got married again in 2008, died same day as Charles Durning. 

Gerry Anderson (TV producucer) -- Dead. Died December 26, 2012. Born April 14, 1929. Creator of many kids' TV shows, usually with puppets: Thunderbirds, Supercar and the "adult" show without: Space: 1999. 

Harry Carey, Jr. (cowboy actor) -- Dead. Died December 29, 2012. Born May 16, 1921. In dozens of Westerns, from Red River to Tombstone. 

Norman Schwarzkopf (soldier) -- Dead. Pneumonia. Died December 27, 2012. Born August 22, 1934. A leader of Desert Storm, his father was a New Jersey cop who helped investigate the kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby. 

July

Rachel D'Avino (Teacher/hero) -- Dead. Murdered by semiautomatic-carrying gunman. Died December 14, 2012. Born circa 1983. Teacher's aide who worked with special needs students and was murdered protecting her students.

Dawn Hochsprung (Principal/hero) -- Dead. Murdered by semiautomatic-carrying gunman. Died December 14, 2012. Born circa 1965. One of the first people murdered in the Newtown gun massacre, she ran a school so well that she inspired the teachers to protect the children no matter what. 

Anne Marie Murphy (Teacher/hero) -- Dead. Murdered by semiautomatic-carrying gunman. Died December 14, 2012. Born July 25, 1960. Special education teacher who was murdered shielding her students from the Newtown gunman, make memorial contributions to Autism Speaks. 

Lauren Rousseau (Teacher/hero) -- Dead. Murdered by semiautomatic-carrying gunman. Died December 14, 2012. Born June 8, 1982. Murdered along with her students. 

Mary Sherlach (Psychologist/hero) -- Dead. Murdered by semiautomatic-carrying gunman. Died December 14, 2012. Born circa 1956. Tried to rush the gunman with the principal before he got further into the school. 

Vicki Soto (Teacher/hero) -- Dead. Murdered by semiautomatic-carrying gunman. Died December 14, 2012. Born circa 1985. Teacher murdered after hiding her students from the Newtown gunman. 

Jean Harris (headmistress (in more ways than one)) -- Dead. Died December 23, 2012. Born April 27, 1923. Murdererd her longtime lover (the Scarsdale Diet Doctor), but, while in prison, started a number of programs for incarcerated women. 

I don't want to sound insensitive but I don't think these 7 people belong on this list.

What happened in Newtown Ct. was a tragic event that became nationally recognized as something that all of us would have hoped would never happen.  The actions of the six women who died that day, trying to protect the children they were in charge of, would put them at the top of my "Hero's who died in 2012" list.

I might be reaching but could there have been a hidden agenda for having them on a "Famous people" list?

They were virtually unknown until the day they died, acting as the Hero's they showed themselves to be.

Again, I don't want to sound insensitive, I just think they belong on a different list than this one.  Of all the other people on the list, they are the only one's identified as "something/hero"

As for Jean Harris ... could someone explain to me why she would be on a list of "Famous people" because she "Murdererd her longtime lover"?

As for Jean Harris ... could someone explain to me why she would be on a list of "Famous people" because she "Murdererd her longtime lover"?

Jean Harris Scarsdale - I remember big, big headlines and television news reports when this murder happened.  It was big news.  A lot bigger than several other people on this list.

As for Jean Harris ... could someone explain to me why she would be on a list of "Famous people" because she "Murdererd her longtime lover"?

Jean Harris Scarsdale - I remember big, big headlines and television news reports when this murder happened.  It was big news.  A lot bigger than several other people on this list.

I just think that putting people who kill other people on "Famous people" lists, is the wrong thing to do.

It might incourage other weak minded people to do similar things, so they too can get on the "Famous people" list.

The one on that list who affected me the most was Harry Harrison (August).
Slippery Jim is one of my all time favourite characters and still makes me laugh.
Never was keen on Bill the Galactic Hero but loved the To The Stars and Deathworld series.
RIP Harry and thanks for the huge enjoyment you brought me and many others.

The one on that list who affected me the most was Harry Harrison (August).
Slippery Jim is one of my all time favourite characters and still makes me laugh.
Never was keen on Bill the Galactic Hero but loved the To The Stars and Deathworld series.
RIP Harry and thanks for the huge enjoyment you brought me and many others.

I loved reading him.  Have all the Deathworld series (I think).  I don't have "The Mothballed Spaceship", short story in tribute to John W. Campbell.  There is also a Return to Deathworld series written with a Russian author.  I don't think that's been put into English yet, though, if ever.

U-MV112 - Jim Carroll - People Who Died