R.I.P. CELEBRITY DEATHS 2020(NON WRESTLERS)

[TTX]

KC Jones passes at 88

www.cbssports.com/nba/news/kc-jones-boston-celtics-legend-and-hall-of-famer-dies-at-88/

[jimsteel]

Lee Wallace, Gotham City Mayor In Tim Burton's Batman, Dies At 90

Character actor Lee Wallace, known for appearing as Mayors in a number of feature films including The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) and Tim Burton's Batman, has passed away. The Hollywood Reporter brings word of Wallace's passing which occurred on Sunday, December 20 in New York. Wallace's family announced that he passed after a "long illness." Born July 15, 1930, Wallace was 90 years old and he is survived by son Paul and his family in Northern California. Our deepest condolences to his family and friends during this tragic and difficult time, especially so close to the holidays.

Though only appearing in a few scenes' Wallace's Mayor character from Burton's 1989 feature film sees him share the screen with Pat Hingle's Commissioner Gordon, Billy Dee Williams' Harvey Dent, and yes, even Michael Keaton's Bruce Wayne for a brief scene at Wayne Manor (pictured below, seen on the left). Wallace's involvement as the mayor in Batman raised a few eyebrows at the time due to how similar he looked to former New York City mayor Ed Koch. His appearance as the mayor in "Pelham One Two Three" would arrive a few years before Koch's election to the position, but was an interesting coincidence since the film is a mainstay of New York set feature films.

Wallace would also play the Mayor in the 1983 drama Daniel from director Sidney Lumet which starred Timothy Hutton, Mandy Patinkin, Ed Asner, and Ellen Barkin. His other feature film credits include Used People, War and Love, Private Benjamin, The Hot Rock, Thieves, Diary of the Dead (1976), and The Happy Hooker.

He would also appear on television in his career as well including gust spots on Kojak, Lou Grant, Mrs. Columbo, Ryan's Hope, American Playhouse, The Equalizer, Kate & Allie, Law & Order and other shows.

[jimsteel]

Tuck Tucker, Animation Veteran on Hey Arnold! and SpongeBob SquarePants, Dies at 59

Tuck Tucker, an animation veteran behind animated Nickelodeon cartoons Hey Arnold! and SpongeBob SquarePants, died on December 22. He was 59. "We know he was loved by all of those whom he met," the Tucker family wrote when announcing Tucker's death on Facebook, where the Arnold and Fairly OddParents director is remembered as a "father, husband, son, brother, and uncle." Across a career spanning three decades, starting with Filmation's Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night in 1987, Tucker worked on such animated films as Disney's The Little Mermaid and Family Guy spin-off Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story.

As a character layout artist, Tucker's credits include numerous episodes of The Simpsons (1990-1993) and Rugrats (1991); Tucker served as a storyboard artist on the latter from 1994 to 1995. Tucker worked on multiple seminal Nicktoons, including The Ren and Stimpy Show (layout artist, 1992-1993), Aaahh!!! Real Monsters (storyboard artist, 1994-1995), and Hey Arnold! (1996-2004).

On Arnold!, about a football head-shaped fourth-grader, Tucker was storyboard and supervising director. He also directed the beloved animated show's first feature film, Hey Arnold!: The Movie, released in theaters in 2002.

Tucker was a writer, storyboard director, and supervising storyboard director on SpongeBob, penning such episodes as "Best Day Ever" and "Breath of Fresh Squidward." Tucker also served as the supervising storyboard director on "It's a SpongeBob Christmas!," a stop motion animation special that aired on CBS and Nickelodeon, and storyboard artist on the 2004 feature film The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.

[jimsteel]

Hall of Fame Braves knuckleballer Phil Niekro dies at 81

[jimsteel]

Roger Berlind, Tony-Winning Broadway Producer, Dies at 90

[TTX]

RIP Phil and your knuckleball too.

[jimsteel]

Salsa fans mourn loss of Puerto Rican singer Tito Rojas

Rojas died on Saturday morning of a suspected heart attack at the age of 65.

[jimsteel]

'Deadliest Catch' Nick McGlashan Dead At 33

ick McGlashan, a 7th generation fisherman who starred in "Deadliest Catch," has died ... TMZ has learned.

The Medical Examiner and family tell TMZ ... Nick passed away Sunday in Nashville. The cause of death has not been determined.

Nick appeared on the show for years ... from 2013 - 2020, in 78 episodes.

Nick's family has a storied tale of the sea. His great uncle worked on the first boat in the U.S. crab industry. Two of his aunts were crabbers ... one of who was lost at sea after the boat sank.

As for Nick ... he started crabbing at age 13. Nick quickly earned his stripes and up piloting the Cape Caution ... eventually upgrading to the Summer Bay.

[jimsteel]

Mexican ballad singer and composer Armando Manzanero dies at age 85

Mexican ballad singer and composer Armando Manzanero died at the age of 85, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said Monday.

Manzanero was hospitalized in recent weeks with COVID-19 and at one point was on a ventilator.

But his manager, Laura Blum, said he died at a Mexico City hospital of complications from a kidney problem.

Manzanero was a crooner best known for songs like "Somos Novios," which, with translated English lyrics, became the 1970s hit "It's Impossible" for Perry Como.

[jimsteel]

'Lean On Me' Principal Joe Clark Dead at 82

Principal Joe Louis Clark, whose tough-as-nails approach was the subject of the movie "Lean on Me," has died.

Joe's family says he passed away Tuesday at home in Gainesville, FL after a long battle with an undisclosed illness. He was surrounded by family members, but will also be mourned by hundreds, if not thousands, of graduates from his time as a legendary principal in Northern New Jersey.

Morgan Freeman played Joe in the 1989 film which chronicled his hard-nosed efforts to improve Eastside High School in Paterson, NJ. The school was described as crime and drug-ridden when Joe took over as principal there in 1983.

The former Army Reserve sergeant and drill instructor took no crap from the student body, and once expelled 300 kids in one day for fighting, vandalism, abusing teachers and drugs.

The image of Joe roaming school hallways with a bullhorn and baseball bat wasn't just something Hollywood cooked up for Freeman's role ... it's how Joe rolled in real life.

His style earned him national headlines and made him controversial ... critics felt he was way too aggressive, but his admirers pointed to positive results at the school.

Joe was 82.