IN REMEMBERANCE, 2008

Although we lost our past archives moving to our present web host Blogger.com this past September; long time readers of The Free Choice e-zine know that at the close of each year, we take a brief look back to remember once more those we have lost within the past year.

The men and women of the world’s armed forces and emergency response services who gave up their lives to protect others.
Our friends, family, and loved ones whose presence are sorely missed.

And amongst the more notable names are Edmund Hillary: the first mountain climber officially recognized for reaching the top of Mount Everest in 1953.
Actors Don S. Davis (Stargate: SG-1), Ivan Dixon, Charlton Heston, Van Johnson, Heath Ledger , Paul Newman, Roy Schieder, Paul Scofield, and Richard Widmark.
Actor/director/producers Mel Ferrer and Sydney Pollack.
Actresses Estelle Getty (The Golden Girls), Beverly Garland, Evelyn Keyes, Anita Page, Suzanne Pleshette (The Bob Newhart Show), and Majel Barrett-Roddenberry, who needs no introduction to Star Trek fans.
Actress/dancer Cyd Charisse.
Albert Hofmann, the Swiss chemist accredited for discovering the drug commonly known as LSD.
Famed pin-up model Bettie Page and artist Dave Stevens, who helped revive her popularity within his creation The Rocketeer.
Animator Bill Melendez, who oversaw all the Peanuts animated productions.
Artists Michael Turner (Witchblade, Fathom) and Edd Cartier, who painted a lot of magazine covers, amongst other things. For examples of his work, just look at the reprints of The Shadow and Doc Savage from Nostalgia Press.
Author and commentator William F. Buckley, Junior.
Authors Robert Asprin (of the Myth Adventures), Arthur C. Clarke, Michael Crichton, and Studs Turkel.
Betty James of Slinky toy fame.
Cabaret star and actress Eartha Kitt, a class act.
Chess masters Karen Asrian and Bobby Fischer.
Classic Disney animator Ollie Johnson, the last of the original “Nine Old Men”.
Comedian, author, and actor George Carlin.
Comedian/actors Harvey Korman, Dick Martin, and Bernie Mac.
Fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent.
Forest J. Ackerman, the man who, among other things, is accredited with coining the term “sci-fi”, short for science fiction.
Gary Gygax, the co-creator of Dungeons and Dragons.
Irvine Robbins, the co-founder of Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream.
Jerry Wexler, the music journalist who coined the term “rhythm and blues”.
Johnny Podres, Major League Baseball’s first World Series Most Valuable Player.
Journalist Tim Russert.
Larry Harmon, not the original, but perhaps the most famous Bozo the Clown.
Maila Numri, known to her fans as Vampira.
Medical pioneer Michael DeBakey and Doctor Adrian Kantrowitz, who actually performed the first human heart transplant in the United States.
Musicians Eddy Arnold, Bo Diddley, Johnny Griffin, Isaac Hayes, Jerry Reed, Levi Stubbs of The Four Tops, and founding Pink Floyd member Richard Wright.
Politician Jesse Helms.
Richard Knerr, the co-founder of Wham-O Toys, responsible for the hula hoop, the Frisbee, and a lot of other fun stuff.
Special effects and make up artist Stan Winston.
Sportscaster Jim McKay.
The multi-talented Odetta.
Voice actor Don LaFontaine, mostly known as the narrator for a lot of movie promos.
And last, but certainly not least since this list tried to be alphabetical...
W. Mark Felt, the former Watergate informant known as “Deep Throat”.