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

[jimsteel]

Mike Schank, Unlikely Star of an ‘American Movie,’ Dead at 56

Film fans remember "the sweet funny soul at the heart" of the Sundance-winning documentary

[jimsteel]

Bill Whitaker, a former defensive back in the National Football League who played for the Green Bay Packers and the St. Louis Cardinals, passed away at the age of 62.

Whitaker played collegiate ball for the University of Missouri before being drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the 7th round of the 1981 NFL Draft. He played professionally in the NFL for 4 seasons and retired in 1984. The following is an excerpt from ?Whitaker's online obituary: "Billy attended Visitation Grade School and was proud to become an Eagle Scout. Football played an important role in Billy's life from a young age. He attended Rockhurst High School where he was an All-State football player and was later inducted into the Rockhurst Sports Hall of Fame. He attended the University of Missouri on an athletic scholarship and earned All-Conference and All-American honors as a defensive back.
After graduating with a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Missouri, Billy was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 1981 NFL draft. He spent two seasons with Green Bay and two seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals before retiring in 1984.

He returned to Kansas City and enjoyed a successful career in real estate and investment partnerships."

[jimsteel]

Hall of Fame reliever, Cy Young winner Bruce Sutter dies at 69


He was one of the sport's dominant relievers in the late 1970s and early 1980s, making effective use of a split-finger fastball. A six-time All-Star and 1982 World Series champion, Sutter recorded a 2.83 career earned-run average and 300 saves, the third-most in MLB history at the time of his retirement. Sutter won the National League's Cy Young Award in 1979 as its top pitcher, and won the NL Rolaids Relief Man Award four times. He became the only pitcher to lead the NL in saves five times (1979–1982, 1984).

Born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Sutter briefly attended Old Dominion University and was subsequently signed by the Chicago Cubs as an undrafted free agent in 1971. He played five years for the Cubs, four for the St. Louis Cardinals and three for the Atlanta Braves, serving as each team's closer during his tenure. His usage in the eighth and ninth innings of games was partly responsible for ushering in a more specialized era for the closer role. In the mid-1980s, Sutter began to experience shoulder problems, undergoing three surgeries before retiring in 1989.
Sutter was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006, his 13th year of eligibility. He was also honored by the Cardinals with the retirement of his uniform number 42 in 2006 and induction into the Cardinals Hall of Fame in 2014. Sutter has served as a minor league consultant for the Philadelphia Phillies.

[jimsteel]

Robbie Coltrane: Hagrid from Harry Potter dies aged 72

[TTX]

RIP Bruce and Robbie.

[Bazzy]

Punk Rock drummer Steve Roberts aged 56 has died famously with U.K Subs & later The Exploited

[jimsteel]

John Shinners, a former guard in the NFL passed away at the age of 75.

Shinners was selected in the first round (17th overall) of the 1969 AFL-NFL Common Draft by the New Orleans Saints, where he spent three seasons. He played only two games in his rookie year, then nine in 1970 (four of which he was a starter), and finally in 1971 he saw action in all 14 Saints games.

Shinners was the second Xavier product to play for the Saints alongside former Musketeers teammate Danny Abramowicz.

After the Saints drafted Georgia guard Royce Smith in the first round of the 1972 draft, Shinners was traded to the Baltimore Colts for defensive back Jim Duncan, a 1972 fifth-round selection (126th overall–South Carolina defensive back Bo Davies) and a 1973 sixth-round pick (139th overall–Doug Kingsriter). His time with the Colts lasted nine months when he was traded to the Bengals for a 1973 fourth-round draft pick on October 24.

It was for the Bengals that he came into his own. In 1973, he played in all 14 games, and by 1974 he was a starter, starting 10 of the 13 games he played.

In 1975, he again played in all 14 games, starting four.

Shinners was again a full-time starter in 1976, starting all 13 games he played. His final year was 1977, when he started five of his 12 games played.

Shinners was with the Bengals through his final season as a pro in 1977. He played 97 games during his nine-year NFL career. He was the last Xavier player active in the NFL; Abramowicz retired after playing for the San Francisco 49ers for most of 1973 and all of 1974. The following is an excerpt from his online obituary: "John spent his early years running around Hartford, spending time at Pike Lake, the Hartford Golf Club and any sports field available. He attended Campion High School in Prairie du Chien for four years before heading to Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio.

John was selected in the first round of the 1969 AFL-NFL draft by the New Orleans Saints, where he spent two seasons. He started off 1972 with the Baltimore Colts before being traded mid-season to the Cincinnati Bengals, and finished off his professional career with the Bengals in 1977. He played in nearly 100 games during his nine-year NFL career. During this time, John lived part of the year in Cincinnati and the other part in Hartford working with his father at the Hartford Times Press and then Shinners Publications.

John spent the majority of his career after the NFL running Shinners Publications. He was very involved with the NFL Alumni and his entrepreneurial spirit had him interested in many different aspects of business. There was never time for grass to grow under his feet."

[jimsteel]

Leon Burton, a former AFL running back, passed away at the age of 87.

The following text is an excerpt from Burton's online obituary: " He arrived during the height of the Great Depression, which innately gave him a determination, drive, and intense fighting spirit that would carry him throughout his life. Being one of the eldest children of twelve children in his family, he always loved to run and play outside. Undoubtedly, this is when he honed his skill for track and field, and later, professional football. During his high school years at Flint Northern High School he was an all-star athlete, taking his football and track teams to several state championships. He set city and state track meet records in low hurdles. He was fast-running and ran a 6.2 in the 60-yard dash when he was nicknamed "The Jet" by a local reporter, and the name stuck. He attended Arizona State, where he became the school's first black star athlete. In his first year, he was named Border Conference Freshman of the Year. He was later inducted into the ASU Sports Hall of Fame in 1979 and the ASU Ring of Honor in 2013. in 1990, Leon was inducted into the Greater Flint Area Hall of Fame. He went on to play professional football for the Toronto Argonauts and the New York Titans (a precursor to the Jets), and locally for the semi-pro team the Grand Rapids Blazers. One of the highlights of his professional career was running a stunning 101-yard kickoff return for the Jets in 1960, the second longest kick return in the AFL at the time. Leon eventually settled in Grand Rapids, MI where he established his roots. He married his high school sweetheart, Ellen Marie Burton (ne Collins), and together they raised four children: Gary, Piere Sr., Lynnae, and Nicole. Leon worked for many years for Meijer, Inc. before his retirement in 2000. Even then, he continued to give back to his community by volunteering at Sigsbee Elementary, a school his children attended.

[jimsteel]

ANOTHER ONE TODAY

Enough already for today


Art Laboe, Beloved DJ Who Coined 'Oldies but Goodies' Phrase, Dead at 97

[on_the_edge]

Robbie passing is extra sucky. He was so amazing as Hagrid. I had not heard yet of his passing till here. Blah.