R.I.P. Celebrities(Non Wrestlers) 2022

[TTX]

Sports getting hit again. RIP to all.

[jimsteel]

Clarence "Pooh Bear" Williams, a former running back in the NFL, passed away at the age of 47 as a result of injuries from a traffic accident.

Williams was a fullback at Florida State, where he played in 1993 and 1995-1996. After college, Williams signed with the Buffalo Bills and played in 3 games during the 1998 season. He attended Crescent City High School in Crescent City, Florida, where he rushed for 5,090 yards, the seventh most in Florida high school history at the time. He was then the head coach at his alma mater from 2016-2019.

[on_the_edge]

Feb 18, 2022 11:12:24 GMT -5 TTX said:

Sports getting hit again. RIP to all.

Took the words out of my fingertips. Makes me wonder what God has cooking up in Heaven.

[jimsteel]

Donald Durr, a former ABA and NBA referee, passed away at the age of 80.

Durr was an ABA official; of high regard prior to his transition to the NBA, where he became a ref from 1975-1976 to 1976-1977. The following is text from his online obituary: "Don served in the U.S. Army for 33 years, achieving the rank of Colonel. While stationed at the U.S. Pentagon, he served on the staff of the Secretary of the Army and the Secretary of Defense. He also worked on President Ronald Reagan's Inauguration Committee. He earned the Legion of Merit for Distinguished Service for his dedication to the military during both wartime and peacetime activities. He also served as the Commandant of the Army Transportation School and enjoyed working on the board of directors for the Army Transportation Museum in Newport News, Va.
While the military was his career, sports were his passion. In high school, he played football, basketball and even hit a home run at Ebbets Field, which was the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Always a pioneer, Don led the nation as a professional referee with the American Basketball Association and was chosen as the first NBA referee from the South. He always believed in sharing and teaching the next generation of referees, so he created clinics for players and rising referees. He refereed and worked with the Louisiana High School Athletic Association, Gulf States Athletic Conference, Sunbelt Conference, and the Women's Pro Basketball Association.

[on_the_edge]

Well God now has an official for his basketball games.

[jimsteel]

Missing actress, Lindsey Pearlman from General Hospital, found dead in Hollywood at 43

[jimsteel]

John R. (Rod) Humenuik, a former player in the CFL and a former NFL assistant coach, passed away peacefully on Jan. 24, 2022, at the age of 83. Rod, also known as Coach, was a beloved and amazing man, husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. Rod was also a gifted professional football player, teacher, and an accomplished, inspiring, and award-winning football coach. Rod lived life out loud and to the max – always ready to share a smile, words of wisdom, or a joke to add laughter and light to the world around him. He was 83

Rod was born on June 17, 1938, in Detroit, Michigan. Until the age of 12, he and his mother lived in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. They moved to Detroit a year before a big move West. He was raised by a strong and independent mother, and he was an only child. Hoping for better weather, he and his mom moved to West Los Angeles in the spring of 1952. He attended Louis Pasteur Junior High. There, he met the love of his life, Susie McGlauflin, in home room.

Rod attended L.A. High School and was on the football team. He earned All-City honors and played in the All-City Championship Game vs. Manual Arts High School in 1955.

After a successful high school football career, he was granted a football scholarship to USC. Rod attended USC and earned B.S. and master's degrees in education. Rod and Susie had a good-natured, ongoing rivalry because Susie was a UCLA graduate!

Shortly after graduation, he was recruited to play professional football in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers coached by Bud Grant. Married by this time, Rod and Susie and 1-year-old daughter Kim flew to Canada. The beginning of many adventures. Rod played for the Bombers for three years, winning the Grey Cup in 1961 and 1962.

They returned to Southern California and bought a house in Whittier. He started his coaching career at the high school level. Two years later, he coached at Fullerton Junior College and after a successful season, the team played in the Junior Rose Bowl.

He got the opportunity to coach at USC, his alma mater. He coached there under Coach John McKay for five years, including four Rose Bowls and one National Championship. Our family now included four children – Kim, Kerry, Kelly and Mike.

After being head coach at Cal State Northridge for two years, another adventure opened up to return to Canada to coach the Toronto Argonauts. Rod coached there in 1973 and 1974. One thing about Rod's persona – everything was an adventure!

After traveling extensively for many years in Rod's career, Rod and Susie decided to settle in Scottsdale, Arizona, as the family's home base.

Rod joined the NFL as coach under Forrest Gregg at the Cleveland Browns. Many happy years there – eight football seasons. Next move was to Kansas City to coach the Chiefs. Great experience and city. After two seasons, Rod moved on to the New England Patriots. After an exciting season, the Patriots played in the 1986 Super Bowl 20 vs. the Chicago Bears. What an amazing experience! The years in the East covered eight years, including one year with the New York Jets. He coached a total of 18 years in the NFL.

NFL Europe came next – one year in Germany and one year in England. The next two years were in the Arena League in Detroit – 2001 and 2002. A different game for sure. At the end of the season, a decision was made to return to Scottsdale. Rod taught and coached in the Scottsdale Unified School District for eight years.

[jimsteel]

Charley Taylor, Hall of Fame receiver for Washington, dies at 80

Charley Taylor, a Hall of Fame receiver who finished his career in 1977 as the NFL’s all-time leading pass catcher and whose elegance and elusiveness made him one of Washington’s most acclaimed football stars,

[jimsteel]

Miranda Lambert Songwriter & Longtime Guitarist Scotty Wray Dies

From the very beginning of Miranda Lambert’s career when she was just 17-years-old, guitarist, songwriter, and solo performer Scotty Wray had been by her side on stage, and contributing songs in the studio. Scotty Wray also happens to be the brother of country performer Collin Raye. Now both musical families are mourning as it has been confirmed that Scotty Wray passed away.

Wray had been battling heart issues over the last few years, which had taken him off the road.

When Miranda Lambert first started, she didn’t have a full band. It was just her and Scotty Wray with acoustic guitars, hitting any spot that would have them in Texas, from Dallas, Houston, and Austin, with Miranda singing her songs, and Scotty accompanying her. As things began to blow up and band members were added, Scotty Wray remained as bandleader, still with his guitar, acting as the constant and the anchor in Miranda Lambert’s sometimes tumultuous universe.

Scotty Wray also co-wrote multiple songs with Miranda, including “I Wanna Die” off of her debut major label record Kerosene from 2005, “Easy Living” from her 2011 album Four The Record, and “Gravity Is a Bitch” off of Miranda’s 2014 album Platinum. Wray also wrote the song “Scars” that Miranda Lambert has played live over the years, and became the title track to Collin Raye’s 2020 album. Scotty Wray also contributed other songs to his brother’s albums over the years, including 1998’s The Walls Came Down, and 2000’s Love Songs.

As close as Scotty Wray and Collin Raye were as bothers, Miranda and Scotty were like brother and sister, getting matching arrow tattoos on the outside of their palms to codify their longtime musical collaboration and friendship. Miranda posted a picture of the two showing the tattoos off Saturday evening when remembering Wray.

“Last night I lost one of my most treasured friends, band mates and road family members,” Miranda Lambert said. “We met in 2001 in Greenville Texas. I was 17. That was the beginning of our journey together. We went through so much life together on and off the stage. We wrote songs, played gig after gig, fought, cried, laughed and even got matching arrow tattoos after we made it out of some rough patches together.”

Lambert continues, “He was one of the most talented guitar players I’ve ever known and I’m so thankful I got to witness his genius seasoned laid back blues man style on stages all over the world for over 20 years. He was the one I could count on. Always. No matter what. If he was there on my right side I felt like I could take on the world. Scotty Wray was family to me and I’ll never sing a note without him because I know he is there with me. He always has been. I love you my sweet Bud Wray. Heaven is lucky cause that honky tonk band up there just gained another guitar pickin angel. Rest easy my love.”

Scotty Wray believed in Miranda Lambert when others didn’t. So often when you trace the success of country artists, there’s always that someone by their side through thick and thin—their ultimate champion. For Willie Nelson, it was Paul English. For Waylon Jennings, it was Richie Albright. And for Miranda Lambert, it was Scotty Wray.

[jimsteel]

AND ANOTHER ATHLETE



Emile Francis, a former player, coach, and general manager in the National Hockey League, most notably with the New York Rangers, passed away AT 95. Francis was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1982 and received the Wayne Gretzky International Award in 2015.

Francis grew up playing a number of positions on the ice, but he converted to the goaltender slot after his uncle noticed the range that he had developed by also serving as a baseball shortstop. He became a star in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League and was pursued for a professional contract by the Chicago Black Hawks. In 1947, he was called up to a squad mired in last place and took over the starting role in the net. His unique use of a catching mitt based upon the design of a baseball first baseman's glove drew the attention of league officials; Francis argued that the popular gloves of the time put too much strain on the hands of goalkeepers, and, after gaining executive approval, equipment based on Francis's glove became commonplace.

After starting on a dismal Chicago team in 1948-49, Francis was traded to the New York Rangers as part of a major personnel shakeup. Over the next four years, he would play sparingly in a relief role for the Rangers while manning the spot between the pipes on New York's American Hockey League affiliate. He finished his career in the Western Hockey League, including stints with the Vancouver Canucks, Saskatoon Quakers and Seattle Americans.

Upon retirement in 1960, Francis was sought after for his leadership skills, and he joined the Rangers organization as coach of the OHA's Guelph Royals. Two years later, he was summoned to the Rangers and became assistant general manager, and in 1965, he took over as both general manager and head coach. Although he coached a struggling team during his first season, Francis would remain behind the bench for ten seasons (except for brief moves to a front office position in 1968 and 1973), making the playoffs each year and leading his team to a loss in the 1972 Stanley Cup Finals.

After being fired by the Rangers in January 1976, he joined the St. Louis Blues as general manager and executive vice president. He was instrumental in finding a local owner for the financially troubled franchise in the early 1980s, and he also returned to the bench for two separate head coaching stints. In 1983 Francis took a position with the Hartford Whalers, serving as general manager until 1988 and team president from 1988 to 1993.

In retirement, Francis supported junior hockey in the New York and St. Louis markets. He is the father of former Phoenix Coyotes head coach and 2002 Jack Adams Award winner Bobby Francis.