For the 30th year running, we present our fondest farewells to the recently departed.

If they were on any lists — or if they mattered at all in the world — you'll find them here.

If you're looking for everybody, then you need to head on over to the Directory.

Choose any date combination:      
Johannes Heesters

65

Johannes Heesters · 108

December 5th, 1903 - December 24th, 2011


Some of his big hits were "Liebling, was wird nun aus uns beiden", "Ich werde jede Nacht von ihnen träumen", and "Tausendmal möchte' ich dich küssen" - all of which translate into "I'm a fucking Nazi".

Vaclav Havel

64

Vaclav Havel · 75

October 5th, 1936 - December 18th, 2011


Czechmate.

Kim Jong-il

63

Kim Jong-il · 70

February 16th, 1941 - December 18th, 2011


Not anymore he not.

Christopher Hitchens

62

Christopher Hitchens · 62

April 13th, 1949 - December 15th, 2011


Well, at least he's gone to a better pla...oops - never mind.

Joe Simon

61

Joe Simon · 98

October 11th, 1913 - December 14th, 2011


From Red Skull to Dead Skull.

Harry Morgan

60

Harry Morgan · 96

April 10th, 1915 - December 7th, 2011


Sherman Tanked.

Dobie Gray

59

Dobie Gray · 71

July 26th, 1940 - December 6th, 2011



Ohhhh, gimme some peat, boys, to fill that hole.
I'm gonna get tossed in a six foot hole and waste away...

Patrice O'Neal

58

Patrice O'Neal · 41

December 7th, 1969 - November 29th, 2011


Elephant has left the room.

Ken Russell

57

Ken Russell · 84

July 3rd, 1927 - November 27th, 2011


His state has been altered.

Walt Hazzard

56

Walt Hazzard · 69

April 15th, 1942 - November 18th, 2011


He changed his name to Mahdi Abdul-Rahman. Good call. So much cooler than Walt Hazzard.

Karl Slover

55

Karl Slover · 93

September 21st, 1918 - November 15th, 2011


As coroner, I do decree
I've examined him most thoroughly
Not only is he merely dead
He's really most sincerely dead!

Heavy D

54

Heavy D · 44

May 24th, 1967 - November 8th, 2011


Getting less so by the minute.

Bil Keane

53

Bil Keane · 89

October 5th, 1922 - November 8th, 2011


It's not that he was JUST the cartoonist who created Family Circus, we'll have you know he ALSO did Channel Chuckles and Silly Philly, to say nothing of the fact that he was PRESIDENT of the National Cartoonists Society for 3 years, AND was close friends with Jeff MacNelly, the creator of Shoe.

That's all we got.

Joe Frazier

52

Joe Frazier · 67

January 12th, 1944 - November 7th, 2011


He went straight from The Thrilla in Manilla to The Quiver in the Liver.

Andy Rooney

51

Andy Rooney · 92

January 14th, 1919 - November 5th, 2011


3 minutes on the air once a week? And we called this guy a journalist? Car chases get more airtime than that.

Dorothy Rodham

50

Dorothy Rodham · 92

June 4th, 1919 - November 1st, 2011


Aside from being Hillary's mom, she was - wait. Why is this chick famous again?

Muammar Gaddafi

49

Muammar Gaddafi · 69

June 7th, 1942 - October 20th, 2011


No more Muammar.

Roger Williams

48

Roger Williams · 87

October 1st, 1924 - October 8th, 2011


He played piano for 9 Presidents. He's playing for 8 of them right now.

Al Davis

47

Al Davis · 82

July 4th, 1929 - October 8th, 2011


He just died, baby.

Steve Jobs

46

Steve Jobs · 56

February 24th, 1955 - October 5th, 2011


Pancreatic cancer. There's no app for that.

Dolores Hope

45

Dolores Hope · 102

May 27th, 1909 - September 19th, 2011


What an amazing life and career. During her working days she...well, really nothing. But in terms of her philanthropy, nobody could have...wait, nothing. But there is no denying her fierce dedication to...hmm. OK. Whatever. She was married to Bob.

Eleanor Mondale

44

Eleanor Mondale · 51

January 19th, 1960 - September 17th, 2011


Her dad was Walter Mondale. That's pretty much it.

Cliff Robertson

43

Cliff Robertson · 88

September 9th, 1923 - September 10th, 2011


He played Hugh Hefner AND JFK. So versatile.

Mark Hatfield

42

Mark Hatfield · 89

July 12th, 1922 - August 7th, 2011


Well, at least the McCoys are happy.

Amy Winehouse

41

Amy Winehouse · 27

September 14th, 1983 - July 23rd, 2011


Tried to make her go to rehab, but she said no, no no.

Milly Del Rubio

40

Milly Del Rubio · 89

August 23rd, 1921 - July 21st, 2011


The reunion tour starts this winter.

Googie Withers

39

Googie Withers · 94

March 12th, 1917 - July 16th, 2011


Don't know who she is? Just go Google Googie.

Sherwood Schwartz

38

Sherwood Schwartz · 94

November 14th, 1916 - July 12th, 2011


So long, little buddy.

Betty Ford

37

Betty Ford · 93

April 8th, 1918 - July 8th, 2011


Say what you want about American cars, but you have to be impressed with a Ford that runs for 93 years.

Dick Williams

36

Dick Williams · 82

May 7th, 1929 - July 7th, 2011


In baseball parlance, he took a beanball.

Peter Falk

35

Peter Falk · 83

September 16th, 1927 - June 23rd, 2011


"One more thing, St. Peter..."

"Where did you get those sandals?"

Clarence Clemons

34

Clarence Clemons · 69

January 11th, 1942 - June 18th, 2011


That blows.

Lawrence Eagleburger

33

Lawrence Eagleburger · 80

August 1st, 1930 - June 4th, 2011


Tastes just like chicken.

Jack Kevorkian

32

Jack Kevorkian · 83

May 26th, 1928 - June 3rd, 2011


He died doing what he loved: dying.

James Arness

31

James Arness · 88

May 26th, 1923 - June 3rd, 2011


Quite apart from receiving the Purple Heart, The Bronze Star and The Combat Infantryman Badge in World War II, he was Marshall Dillion on Gunsmoke. Dude was a BADASS.

Jeff Conaway

30

Jeff Conaway · 60

October 5th, 1950 - May 27th, 2011


Gonaway.

Gil Scott-Heron

29

Gil Scott-Heron · 62

April 1st, 1949 - May 27th, 2011


The Funeral Will Not Be Televised.

Macho Man Randy Savage

28

Macho Man Randy Savage · 58

November 15th, 1952 - May 20th, 2011


Snap him into a bin, Jim!

Harmon Killebrew

27

Harmon Killebrew · 74

June 29th, 1936 - May 17th, 2011


Hall of Famer with 573 home runs, including a 520 footer in 1967 - and we still thought he had something to do with beer.

Seve Ballesteros

26

Seve Ballesteros · 54

April 9th, 1957 - May 7th, 2011


6 under.

Jackie Cooper

25

Jackie Cooper · 88

September 15th, 1922 - May 3rd, 2011


Great Caesar's ghost!

Osama bin Laden

24

Osama bin Laden · 54

March 10th, 1957 - May 2nd, 2011


Good riddance you worthless, pathetic, cowardly scumbag.

Phoebe Snow

23

Phoebe Snow · 60

July 17th, 1950 - April 26th, 2011


Snow falls.

Sidney Lumet

22

Sidney Lumet · 86

June 25th, 1924 - April 9th, 2011


He's dead as hell and he's not going to take this anymore!

Larry Finch

21

Larry Finch · 60

February 16th, 1951 - April 2nd, 2011


This makes the eighth variety of finch that is now extinct.

Farley Granger

20

Farley Granger · 85

July 1st, 1925 - March 27th, 2011


He once had a steamy romance with Shelley Winters. No wonder he was bisexual.

Geraldine Ferraro

19

Geraldine Ferraro · 75

August 26th, 1935 - March 26th, 2011


She had a good run.

Liz Taylor

18

Liz Taylor · 79

February 27th, 1932 - March 23rd, 2011


8 weddings and a funeral.

Zoogz Rift

17

Zoogz Rift · 57

July 10th, 1953 - March 22nd, 2011


He hosted Puke-A-Mania back in the 90s. What? You never saw it? Are you serious?

Pinetop Perkins

16

Pinetop Perkins · 97

July 7th, 1913 - March 21st, 2011


Pine on top of Pinetop.

Warren Christopher

15

Warren Christopher · 85

October 27th, 1925 - March 18th, 2011


Warren, peace.

Ferlin Husky

14

Ferlin Husky · 85

December 3rd, 1925 - March 17th, 2011


Gone on the wings of a dove.

Nate Dogg

13

Nate Dogg · 41

August 19th, 1969 - March 15th, 2011


Play dead. Good boy!

David Broder

12

David Broder · 81

September 11th, 1929 - March 9th, 2011


So this was the guy who pioneered getting people to knock on your door at 7am to ask who you were going to vote for? What a dick.

Jane Russell

11

Jane Russell · 89

June 21st, 1921 - February 28th, 2011


Twice as famous as anyone was back then.

Duke Snider

10

Duke Snider · 84

September 19th, 1926 - February 27th, 2011


The only thing more impressive than his baseball record was the fact that he made it out of Compton High School alive.

Frank Buckles

9

Frank Buckles · 110

January 2, 1901 - February 27th, 2011


You would too, if you were 110.

George Shearing

8

George Shearing · 91

August 13th, 1919 - February 14th, 2011


He died of heart failure on Valentines Day, and he wrote the song "Be Careful, It's my Heart". We all set here?

Betty Garrett

7

Betty Garrett · 91

May 23rd, 1919 - February 12th, 2011


From On The Town to under it.

Chuck Tanner

6

Chuck Tanner · 81

July 4th, 1929 - February 11th, 2011


Might as well, now.

Jack LaLanne

5

Jack LaLanne · 96

September 26th, 1914 - January 23rd, 2011


He exercised every day since he was a teenager, and ate nothing but healthy food his whole life. And he died anyway.

Sargent Shriver

4

Sargent Shriver · 95

November 9th, 1915 - January 18th, 2011


Peace, corpse.

Don Kirshner

3

Don Kirshner · 76

April 17th, 1934 - January 17th, 2011


He's lost that livin' feeling.

Gerry Rafferty

2

Gerry Rafferty · 63

April 16th, 1947 - January 4th, 2011


Gave up the booze and the one-night stands.

Anne Francis

1

Anne Francis · 80

September 16th, 1930 - January 2nd, 2011


Born in the east, played Honey West, and has now officially gone south.

 

 

Guess the Stiff!

Ya gotta bereave!

(d) January 5th, 2004