As the New Year 2018 dawns upon us, I thought I would take a look backward to remember those who died this past year.
Among the multitude of those who passed from this life to eternal repose, I chose those who were part of my life’s journey, among them a number of entertainers who brought moments of happiness and laughter.
And so, with respect and affection, with regret for some, I present a selective roll call of just a few of the people who died in 2017.
JANUARY:
Clare Hollingworth, 105. A British war correspondent who was the first to report the Nazi invasion of Poland that marked the beginning of World War II. Jan. 10.
William Peter Blatty, 89. A former Jesuit school valedictorian who conjured a tale of demonic possession and gave millions the fright of their lives with the best-selling novel and Oscar-winning movie "The Exorcist." Jan. 12.
Gene Cernan, 82. A former astronaut who was the last person to walk on the moon. Jan. 16.
Mary Tyler Moore, 80. The star of TV's beloved "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" whose comic realism helped revolutionize the depiction of women on the small screen. Jan. 25.
Mike Connors, 91. He starred as a hard-hitting private eye on the long-running television series "Mannix." Jan. 26.
Barbara Hale, 94. A movie actress who found her most famous role on television as steadfast secretary Della Street in the long-running "Perry Mason" series. Jan. 26.
John Hurt, 77. An actor who had a half-century career highlighted with memorable performances, two Oscar nominations, a Golden Globe and four British BAFTA awards. Jan. 27.
FEBRUARY:
Irwin Corey, 102. The wild-haired comedian and actor known for his improvisational riffs and nonsensical style who billed himself as "The World's Foremost Authority." Feb. 6.
Norma McCorvey, 69. Her legal challenge under the pseudonym "Jane Roe" led to the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark decision that legalized abortion but who later became an outspoken opponent of the procedure. Feb. 18.
Alan Colmes, 66. The radio and television host and commentator best known as the amiable liberal foil to the hard-right Sean Hannity on the Fox News Channel. Feb. 23.
Bill Paxton, 61. A prolific and charismatic actor who had memorable roles in such blockbusters as "Apollo 13" and "Titanic" while also cherishing his work in "One False Move" and other low-budget movies and in the HBO series "Big Love." Feb. 25. Complications due to surgery.
Joseph Wapner, 97. The retired Los Angeles judge who presided over "The People's Court" with steady force during the heyday of the reality courtroom show. Feb. 26.
MARCH:
Robert Osborne, 84. The genial face of Turner Classic Movies and a walking encyclopedia of classic Hollywood. March 6.
Chuck Berry, 90. He was rock 'n' roll's founding guitar hero and storyteller who defined the music's joy and rebellion in such classics as "Johnny B. Goode," ''Sweet Little Sixteen" and "Roll Over Beethoven." March 18.
Cardinal Miloslav Vlk, 84. He ministered clandestinely to Catholics for years while officially orking as a window-washer during communist rule in Czechoslovakia. March 18.
Chuck Barris, 87. His game show empire included "The Dating Game," ''The Newlywed Game" and that infamous factory of cheese, "The Gong Show." March 21.
APRIL:
Don Rickles, 90. The big-mouthed, bald-headed comedian whose verbal assaults endeared him to audiences and peers and made him the acknowledged grandmaster of insult comedy. April 6.
Erin Moran, 56. The former child star who played Joanie Cunningham in the sitcoms "Happy Days" and "Joanie Loves Chachi." April 22. Cancer.
Jonathan Demme, 73. The eclectic, ever-enthusiastic filmmaker behind the Oscar winners "The Silence of the Lambs" and "Philadelphia," and the director of one of the most seminal concert films ever made, the Talking Heads' "Stop Making Sense." April 26.
MAY:
Powers Boothe, 68. The character actor known for his villain roles in TV's "Deadwood," and in the movies "Tombstone," ''Sin City" and "The Avengers." May 14.
Roger Ailes, 77. He transformed TV news by creating Fox News Channel, only to be ousted at the height of his reign for alleged sexual harassment. May 18.
Dina Merrill, 93. The rebellious heiress who defied her super-rich parents to become a movie star, often portraying stylish wives or "the other woman." May 22.
Roger Moore, 89. The suavely insouciant star of seven James Bond films. May 23.
Manuel Noriega, 83. A former Panamanian dictator and onetime U.S. ally who was ousted as Panama's dictator by an American invasion in 1989. May 29.
Constantine Mitsotakis, 98. A former conservative prime minister remembered for fierce confrontations with Greece's liberal and socialist parties as well as early free-market reforms during a 60-year political career. May 29.
JUNE:
Jim Piersall, 87. A former major leaguer who bared his soul about his struggles with mental illness in his book "Fear Strikes Out." June 3.
Roger Smith, 84. He brought glamour to the TV detective genre as a hip private eye on "77 Sunset Strip." June 4.
Adam West, 88. His straight-faced portrayal of Batman in a campy 1960s TV series lifted the tight-clad Caped Crusader into the national consciousness. June 9.
Bill Dana, 92. A comedy writer and performer who won stardom in the 1950s and '60s with his character Jose Jimenez. June 15.
Helmut Kohl, 87. The physically imposing German chancellor whose reunification of a nation divided by the Cold War put Germany at the heart of a united Europe. June 16.
Michael Bond, 91. He was creator of marmalade-loving children's favorite Paddington bear. June 27.
JULY:
Joaquin Navarro-Valls, 80. A suave, silver-haired Spaniard who was a close confidant of Pope John Paul II, serving for more than two decades as chief Vatican spokesman. July 5.
Martin Landau, 89. The chameleon-like actor who gained fame as the crafty master of disguise in the 1960s TV show "Mission: Impossible," then capped a long and versatile career with an Oscar for his poignant portrayal of aging horror movie star Bela Lugosi in 1994's "Ed Wood." July 15.
George Romero, 77. His classic "Night of the Living Dead" and other horror films turned zombie movies into social commentaries and he saw his flesh-devouring undead spawn countless imitators, remakes and homages. July 16.
John Heard, 71. An actor whose many roles included the father in the "Home Alone" series and a corrupt detective in "The Sopranos." July 21.
Barbara Sinatra, 90. The fourth wife of legendary singer Frank Sinatra and a prominent children's advocate and philanthropist who raised millions of dollars to help abused youngsters. July 25.
June Foray, 99. An actress who gave voice to Rocky the Flying Squirrel and hundreds of other cartoon characters. July 26.
Jeanne Moreau, 89. She was the smoky-voiced femme fatale of the French New Wave who starred in Francois Truffaut's love triangle film "Jules and Jim" and worked with many other acclaimed directors during a decades-long career. July 31.
AUGUST:
Ara Parseghian, 94. He took over a foundering Notre Dame football program and restored it to glory with two national championships in 11 seasons. Aug. 2.
Ty Hardin, 87. A popular film and television actor who starred as the gunman Bronco Layne in the TV Western series "Bronco" and worked with Henry Fonda and Kirk Douglas among others. Aug. 3.
Glen Campbell, 81. The affable superstar singer of "Rhinestone Cowboy" and "Wichita Lineman" whose appeal spanned country, pop, television and movies. Aug. 8.
Dick Gregory, 84. The comedian and activist and who broke racial barriers in the 1960s and used his humor to spread messages of social justice and nutritional health. Aug. 19.
Jerry Lewis, 91. The manic, rubber-faced showman who rose to fame in a lucrative partnership with Dean Martin, settled down to become a self-conscious screen auteur and found an even greater following as the host of the annual muscular dystrophy telethons. Aug. 20.
Richard Anderson, 91. The tall, handsome actor best known for costarring simultaneously in the popular 1970s television shows "The Six Million Dollar Man" and "The Bionic Woman." Aug. 31.
SEPTEMBER:
Shelley Berman, 92. A comedian who won gold records and appeared on top television shows in the 1950s and 1960s delivering wry monologues about the annoyances of everyday life. Sept. 1.
Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, 85. The former Roman Catholic archbishop of Westminster in England. Sept. 1.
Don Williams, 78. An award-winning country singer with love ballads like "I Believe in You." Sept. 8.
Frank Vincent, 80. A veteran character actor known for playing gangster roles, including in "The Sopranos," ''Goodfellas" and "Casino."
Jake LaMotta, 95. An iron-fisted battler who brawled his way to a middleweight title and was later memorialized by Robert De Niro in the film "Raging Bull." Sept. 19.
Hugh M. Hefner, 91. The Playboy magazine founder who revved up the sexual revolution in the 1950s and built a multimedia empire of clubs, mansions, movies and television. Sept. 27.
Anne Jeffreys, 94. The actress and opera singer who likely had her greatest impact on TV audiences as Marion Kerby "the ghostess with the mostess" in the 1950s TV series "Topper." Sept. 27.
Monty Hall, 96. The genial TV game show host whose long-running "Let's Make a Deal" traded on love of money and merchandise and the mystery of which door had the car behind it. Sept. 30.
OCTOBER:
Tom Petty, 66. An old-fashioned rock superstar and everyman who drew upon the Byrds, the Beatles and other bands he worshipped as a boy and produced new classics such as "Free Fallin,' "Refugee" and "American Girl." Oct. 2.
David Patterson Sr., 94. A Navajo Code Talker who used his native language to outsmart the Japanese in World War II. Oct. 8.
Y.A. Tittle, 90. The Hall of Fame quarterback played 17 years in pro football, including a memorable run for the New York Giants at the end of his career. Oct. 8.
Fats Domino, 89. The amiable rock 'n' roll pioneer whose steady, pounding piano and easy baritone helped change popular music while honoring the traditions of New Orleans. Oct. 24.
Robert Guillaume, 89. He rose from squalid beginnings in St. Louis slums to become a star in stage musicals and win Emmy Awards for his portrayal of the sharp-tongued butler in the TV sitcoms "Soap" and "Benson." Oct. 24.
NOVEMBER:
Richard "Dick" F. Gordon Jr., 88. The Apollo 12 astronaut was one of a dozen men who flew around the moon but didn't land there. Nov. 6.
John Hillerman, 84. He played stuffed-shirt Higgins to Tom Selleck's freewheeling detective Thomas Magnum in the 1980s TV series "Magnum, P.I." Nov. 9.
Liz Smith, 94. A syndicated gossip columnist whose mixture of banter, barbs, and bon mots about the glitterati helped her climb the A-list as high as many of the celebrities she covered. Nov. 12.
Charles Manson, 83. The hippie cult leader who became the hypnotic-eyed face of evil across America after orchestrating the gruesome murders of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and six others in Los Angeles during the summer of 1969. Nov. 19.
Mel Tillis, 85. The affable longtime country music star who wrote hits for Kenny Rogers, Ricky Skaggs and many others, and overcame a stutter to sing on dozens of his own singles. Nov. 19.
Della Reese, 86. The actress and gospel-influenced singer who in middle age found her greatest fame as Tess, the wise angel in the long-running television drama "Touched by an Angel." Nov. 19.
David Cassidy, 67. The teen and pre-teen idol who starred in the 1970s sitcom "The Partridge Family" and sold millions of records as the musical group's lead singer. Nov. 21.
Jim Nabors, 87. The Alabama-born comic actor who starred as TV's dim but good-hearted Southern rube Gomer Pyle and constantly surprised audiences with his twang-free operatic singing voice. Nov. 30.
DECEMBER:
Rabbi Aharon Leib Shteinman, 104. The spiritual leader of Israel's non-Hasidic ultra-Orthodox Jews of European descent and one of its most influential and powerful rabbis. Dec. 12
Bernard Cardinal Law 86, of cancer. December 20.
Some famous. Some infamous. Fellow travelers along the pathway of life to eternity.
May the Lord have mercy upon them all and grant them the blessings of eternal life. May they pray for us, that when we depart this life, we do so in the presence and love of Jesus, to be in His and their company forever.
2018 dawns upon us.... What it will bring is reserved to the knowledge of God Himself. May we walk the days of the New Year ever in His Peace and Blessings.
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