A new year warrants a new thread to track the deaths of notable people. Please be respectful; even if you disagree with someone's life choices/politics/favorite foods, they're still a human being and will likely have family who mourn their passing. I shouldn't even have to say this, but in years past certain individuals kind of got their graves tapdanced on and the mods just let it happen unfortunately. Let's do this right, Dakka.
Okay, technically this one happened in 2024 (Christmas Day, in fact) but it was just announced on certain news outlets that Britt Allcroft, the showrunner of the Thomas the Tank Engine series (the original one with the models), has passed away at age 81. As a lifelong fan of Thomas, this one saddens me. That show was my childhood; some of my earliest memories are of watching that show when I was like 3. Thanks for the memories, Ms. Allcroft, and my condolences to her family and friends.
Robert George Uecker was an American former professional baseball catcher who was the primary broadcaster for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball for over 50 years.
Also, had some of the most iconic lines in the "Major League" movies that are in my regular quotable rotations.
Lynch was always a bit of an odd one for me. I think he was a unique talent and appreciate his work but I never really liked most of it. I enjoy reading interviews with him and different articles and essays he wrote more than watching most of the films/series.
She was only a year and change older than me. Damn shame. Way too young to be dying, but then I had a buddy of mine pass away a couple of years ago from liver failure that resulted from alcoholism. He was only a couple of years older than me too. You're never too young to have something happen to you. No one is indestructible.
RIP Michelle Trachtenberg, and my condolences to her family and friends.
Lathe Biosas wrote: She had just had a liver transplant. They believe that might have had something to do with it.
There was an episode of 'House' where she portrayed this girl who had heart transplant. Doctors in the episode warned her about potentially low life-expectancy...
Recently had a young guy my wife goes to college with die of a brain aneurism while working out. Very shocking.
Also, this hunting season we had a pair of folks die from carbon monoxide poisoning in their camper van. Tragic local accident as they were both well-known about town.
Makes me very happy I am still upright as these folks were all younger than I am.
Wikipedia wrote:At a press conference in Santa Fe on March 7, the police and chief medical examiner stated that Hackman died on February 17 as a result of severe heart disease complicated by advanced Alzheimer's disease, with Arakawa likely having died a week earlier on February 11 from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. The scattered pills found near her body were prescribed thyroid medication.
One of the the UK's greatest heroes passed away ending an era:
Group Captain John Allman Hemingway, DFC, AE (17 July 1919 – 17 March 2025), known as Paddy Hemingway, was an Irish fighter pilot who served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War in the Battle of Dunkirk, the Battle of Britain, the Allied invasion of Italy and the Invasion of Normandy. He was shot down four times during the war. Hemingway was the last surviving airman of the Battle of Britain.
Wings Hauser, the father of Cole Hauser and an instantly-recognizable character actor who had roles on just about every action-based TV series in the past 50 years, died over the weekend at the studio he shared with wife Cali Lili Hauser. He was 77.
Hauser began his TV career in the ’70s on episodes of staples such as Canon, Baretta and Emergency!
He had bit roles in movies of the period such as the Nick Nolte starrer Who’ll Stop the Rain? and A Soldier’s Story with Denzel Washington.
His career took off in the ’80s and ’90s, with dozens and dozens of appearances on big-name action shows like The Fall Guy, Airwolf and Walker, Texas Ranger. He had longer arcs on China Beach, Lightning Force, Roseanne and Beverly Hills, 90210. He also played Greg Foster on more than a dozen episodes of The Young and the Restless.
BobtheInquisitor wrote: I never followed his boxing career, but we had a Foreman Grill we used for years and years and saw him in a lot of ads. He was a character.
He had 12 kids, and named 5 of his sons "George." When asked why, he said, "So we'd have something in common."
It is with great regret that we must announce that co-founder of Warlord Games Paul Sawyer passed away on the evening of 27th March 2025, following a long battle with brain cancer.
Paul was a man of enormous character, and he fought tooth and nail to the end, always in good spirits. He was a true friend to us all. That he passed surrounded by the love of his family is a blessing.
We offer our sincerest condolences to Paul's family - his wife Julie, his daughters Catherine & Holly, and his granddaughter Aurora-Rose, whom he was fortunate enough to be able to meet before his passing.
Paul was not a man to be made a fuss of, he'd perhaps not even thank us for writing this short dedication. We believe it would be his wish that we carry on unabated. We shall strive to continue to shape Warlord Games upon the immensely strong foundations he put in place.
We raise our collective glass to the late, great man. He will be sorely missed.
I think my favorite role of his was Mad Martigan in Willow, rather than Iceman from Top Gun. And I think it's cool that he married the beautiful redhead from that movie (Joanne Whalley) in real life, although they ended up divorced as so many Hollywood couples do. RIP Mr. Kilmer, and my condolences to his family and friends.
Following a review of laboratory test results, it was determined that Trachtenberg died naturally as a result of complications from diabetes mellitus, the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner told Deadline in a statement.
The coroner’s office initially said her cause of death would remain undetermined because the family had requested that no autopsy be conducted because of religious reasons. The medical examiner’s office would automatically do an autopsy if foul play or criminality was suspected, but there was none, so the office did not overrule the family’s decision. Following the lab test results, the medical examiner’s office amended the cause of death.
Having been raised on a steady diet of classic TV and movies, I'm somewhat familiar with Laugh-in despite the fact that it was on long before I was born. Ruth Buzzi's big thing on that show was hitting people with her purse. She also appeared on a lot of other shows from that era, including the Carol Burnett Show and many others (I think she even guest appeared on Sesame Street at some point). RIP to a comedy legend.
I think of him from multiple James Bond movies; first as a villain in The Living Daylights (can't remember the character's name for some reason), and then as Jack Wade in two of Pierce Brosnan's movies. RIP.
George Wendt, notable of Cheers fame passed at 76. He was one of 3 actors to appear in every episode of Cheers from 1982-1993. Always loved how the bar would erupt in "Norm!" every time he walked in. Also, he's the uncle of Ted Lasso actor Jason Sudeikis.
While I definitely wouldn't say she was my favorite character on the show, the whole cast was iconic and it's sad to see any of them go. May she RIP, and my condolences to her family and friends.
Actor Devin Harjes, best known for appearing in “Boardwalk Empire,” “Daredevil” (played Oscar, one of Kingpin's evil minions) and “Gotham,” has died. He was 41.
Harjes passed away last Tuesday (May 27) at Mount Sinai West hospital in New York City from an illness after he was diagnosed with cancer in February, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
He’s survived by his parents, Randy and Rosanne Harjes, his sister, Trish Harjes, his two nieces, his former wife, Shiva Shobitha, and more relatives, per his obituary
Automatically Appended Next Post: From May 25, 2025:
Legendary comic book writer Peter David dies after series of health issues at age 68.
He was one of my favorite Star Trek writers too. I loved the Excalibur series.
Johnathan Joss, known for being the VA for John Redcorn in King of the Hill, was murdered today at the age of 59. He had lot of VA in shows and video games as well as roles in different films and series. I will remember him as Ken Hotate in Parks and Rec.
Statement from his husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales:
Spoiler:
My husband Jonathan Joss and I were involved in a shooting while checking the mail at the site of our former home. That home was burned down after over two years of threats from people in the area who repeatedly told us they would set it on fire. We reported these threats to law enforcement multiple times and nothing was done,” de Gonzales wrote. “Throughout that time we were harassed regularly by individuals who made it clear they did not accept our relationship. Much of the harassment was openly homophobic. When we returned to the site to check our mail we discovered the skull of one of our dogs and its harness placed in clear view. This caused both of us severe emotional distress. We began yelling and crying in response to the pain of what we saw. While we were doing this a man approached us. He started yelling violent homophobic slurs at us. He then raised a gun from his lap and fired. Jonathan and I had no weapons. We were not threatening anyone. We were grieving. We were standing side by side. When the man fired Jonathan pushed me out of the way. He saved my life.”
Crispy78 wrote: I saw he'd been killed in a shooting after an argument, hadn't heard that it was a homophobic hate-crime. Jesus. Poor guys.
Seeing different reports. Police are saying there is no evidence of a hate crime(yet). While its sad that he was killed,more facts are coming to light:
On January 23, 2025, Joss lost his San Antonio home, as well as three dogs (with a fourth missing) when his house caught fire.[8][9] Joss says he was using a propane heater and had left the house. “Mistakes happen, man. And it’s my fault for, I guess, leaving something on,” Joss said. “Or if somebody came in and did something, who knows?”
Gonzales claimed the killing was just the culmination of a long saga of frightening homophobia the couple endured on their street, alleging neighbors had spent “years” threatening to burn their home down, but that cops never intervened.
Residents, however, painted a different picture, telling My San Antonio that Joss was an “erratic” neighbor, whose alarming antics caused them to regularly ignore him for their own safety.
“He would just walk up and down the street … he would just, like, scream,” said neighbor Isabel Caballero. “We knew how he was, so we wouldn’t disturb him. Even if he looked at us, talked mess to us, we just ignored him.”
Others said Joss “wasn’t a good neighbor” and would yell how “he was God” until neighbors called the police.
San Antonio cops were called to Joss’ home at least 40 times since January 2024, according to the outlet, with complaints ranging from mental health situations, neighbor disturbances and welfare checks.
Those calls culminated with the February fire, which neighbors told TMZ Joss set himself by trying to heat his home with a barbecue pit after its services were cut off because the house had been deemed uninhabitable.
“We all knew it was going to end up like this because of his antics,” a neighbor who asked to remain anonymous told My San Antonio.
“It’s sad cause this could have been prevented if he had gotten the help he needed.”
Man, feth online bullies. So sad to hear of someone being literally bullied into killing themselves, and at such a young age. I had never heard of this person before now, but it's still sad to hear.
May God give grace and comfort to her family and friends in this difficult time. RIP
Crazy that's basically a week after that concert but what a send off.
A lot of my formative years spent listening to Sabbath. I tend to thing of Black Sabbath was so closely linked to Warhammer. I wonder how many tiny little plastic lads have died in battle while on of their tracks was on in the background..
Olthannon wrote: Crazy that's basically a week after that concert but what a send off.
A lot of my formative years spent listening to Sabbath. I tend to thing of Black Sabbath was so closely linked to Warhammer. I wonder how many tiny little plastic lads have died in battle while on of their tracks was on in the background..
Good sweet Lord this has been an awful week for celebrities. Malcolm-Jamal Warner gone way too young, music legend Ozzy Osbourne gone, and now Hulkster? Of course they say these kind of deaths come in threes, so hopefully this is it for a while.
Saw announcements today for Chuck Mangione who was apparently a big deal in the jazz community (and in the King of the Hill fandom?? Apparently he played himself in that show)
Easy E wrote: He lived longer than most of his peers in the wrestling community. The industry was really hard on its "stars".
Huh. Did they have trouble getting healthcare for some reason?
Healthcare was one of the reasons why AEW was formed. I remember reading that the WWE has its stars as essentially independent contractors. And if you get hurt, there's no money/support coming in.
Huh. Did they have trouble getting healthcare for some reason?
IMHO, its a swirling mass of issues. . . Many are known steroid users. Combine that with other substance abuse, plus the physical nature of the work, and you get a terrible combination of factors. Post-mortem examinations found that Chris Benoit (who murdered his household, then himself) had massive amounts of CTE damage in his brain. There's been others who go by way of drug overdose. And that's all without addressing the "macho" personalities that the industry attracts, many seem to avoid medical treatment for even minor things.
Easy E wrote: He lived longer than most of his peers in the wrestling community. The industry was really hard on its "stars".
Huh. Did they have trouble getting healthcare for some reason?
Healthcare was one of the reasons why AEW was formed. I remember reading that the WWE has its stars as essentially independent contractors. And if you get hurt, there's no money/support coming in.
Maybe if the performers had some sort of collective bargaining they may have been able to get basic protections. I wonder why it never happened?
Hulk Hogan was openly and extremely vocally racist. I can't fathom thinking, let alone saying, some of the things he said.
He's on tape calling his daughter's boyfriend a N-word and lamenting that she wasn't dating an 8-foot-tall NBA `explicit` instead.
He was also involved in union busting, amongst other questionable activities.
Oh, and of course, he abused steroids and lied about it while telling kids to eat their vitamins. I don't believe in wishing ill on the dead, but this man should not be celebrated.
It’s fair to recognize the massive influence he had in turning professional wrestling into the pop-culture juggernaut it became. His larger-than-life persona helped define an era—and for a whole generation of fans, he was the heartbeat of WWE’s golden age. Tearing your shirt wasn’t just a gimmick—it was a ritual. A symbol. Growing up, that meant “wrestling.”
But it’s also important to consider what wrestling demands of its performers. The punishing schedules, constant travel, chronic injuries, and the long-term physical toll—all often endured without lasting support once the spotlight fades. The bumps aren’t fake. The surgeries aren’t staged. And the trauma isn’t temporary. CTE is real. It alters cognition, erodes emotional regulation, and can lead to violent outbursts, impulsivity, and deep instability.
You can acknowledge the legacy and still call out the flaws. I could tally up the faults of every individual mentioned in this thread. Not one of them is perfect. Every last one of them is human.
Jammer87 wrote: It’s fair to recognize the massive influence he had in turning professional wrestling into the pop-culture juggernaut it became. His larger-than-life persona helped define an era—and for a whole generation of fans, he was the heartbeat of WWE’s golden age. Tearing your shirt wasn’t just a gimmick—it was a ritual. A symbol. Growing up, that meant “wrestling.”
But it’s also important to consider what wrestling demands of its performers. The punishing schedules, constant travel, chronic injuries, and the long-term physical toll—all often endured without lasting support once the spotlight fades. The bumps aren’t fake. The surgeries aren’t staged. And the trauma isn’t temporary. CTE is real. It alters cognition, erodes emotional regulation, and can lead to violent outbursts, impulsivity, and deep instability.
You can acknowledge the legacy and still call out the flaws. I could tally up the faults of every individual mentioned in this thread. Not one of them is perfect. Every last one of them is human.
Pretty sure I never broke attempts to unionize or used racial epithets. Pretty sure I never took billionaire money to destroy a news org either.
I'd take the opposite approach - you can acknowledge how much impact someone had despite who they were, without equivocating or excuse making.
Jazz singer and stalwart of the British 'guest performer slot' in what used to be called Light Entertainment shows Cleo Laine has died. A much more worthy loss to culture.
Jammer87 wrote: It’s fair to recognize the massive influence he had in turning professional wrestling into the pop-culture juggernaut it became. His larger-than-life persona helped define an era—and for a whole generation of fans, he was the heartbeat of WWE’s golden age. Tearing your shirt wasn’t just a gimmick—it was a ritual. A symbol. Growing up, that meant “wrestling.”
But it’s also important to consider what wrestling demands of its performers. The punishing schedules, constant travel, chronic injuries, and the long-term physical toll—all often endured without lasting support once the spotlight fades. The bumps aren’t fake. The surgeries aren’t staged. And the trauma isn’t temporary. CTE is real. It alters cognition, erodes emotional regulation, and can lead to violent outbursts, impulsivity, and deep instability.
You can acknowledge the legacy and still call out the flaws. I could tally up the faults of every individual mentioned in this thread. Not one of them is perfect. Every last one of them is human.
Pretty sure I never broke attempts to unionize or used racial epithets. Pretty sure I never took billionaire money to destroy a news org either.
I'd take the opposite approach - you can acknowledge how much impact someone had despite who they were, without equivocating or excuse making.
Ah yes, the moral high ground—now with comment privileges.
Look, if the standard is absolute moral purity before acknowledging a contribution, we’re going to have a very short list of people allowed in the "Made a Difference but Wasn't Awful" club. Hogan’s legacy is messy, no question. But impact isn't erased by personal failure, and context isn’t the same as excuse-making. I'm going to continue to use "Hey Brother" whenever I !@#$ want.
People can chew gum and walk at the same time. I can say he helped shape an industry and call out his racism, union busting, and hypocritical grandstanding without spontaneously combusting from cognitive dissonance. That's nuance—not apologism.
But hey, if we’re only honoring saints, you better start revoking statues, street names, and half of recorded history. Want help writing the bylaws for that review board?
Defending an openly racist and hateful narcissist because he contributed to the absurd pageantry called wrestling on a forum founded to discuss plastic toy soldiers is really weird behavior.
As a Wrestler, he was a role model to at least a couple of generations. And none of that involved his deeply unpleasant side.
I’m pretty comfortably Left Wing. And I’ve no problem praising him as a Wrestler and positive role model for at least a couple of generations, and being critical of his shoddy stuff. At all.
None of us are saints. Not everyone can, will or wants to wield power responsibly their entire life.
trexmeyer wrote: Defending an openly racist and hateful narcissist because he contributed to the absurd pageantry called wrestling on a forum founded to discuss plastic toy soldiers is really weird behavior.
I think you might've misunderstood what I actually said. I never defended his behavior—racism, union busting, or anything else.
Also, “openly racist”? Bit of a stretch when the remarks came from a leaked private tape. Awful? Absolutely. But words matter—especially when we’re tossing labels like confetti. And let's not pretend this forum is somehow sacred ground for only one flavor of discussion. With over 2,000 posts and less than 100 about toy soldiers, you're in no position to gatekeep what’s “weird behavior” on a site that thrives on tangents, lore debates, and yes—even discussions about wrestling or famous people passing away.
If you'd like to talk about models and terrain, I'm game. But if you’re here just to misrepresent my argument and throw elbows, at least try to land one that hits the mark.
There's a difference between "wrestling icon who happened to be a terrible person" and "terrible person who happened to be a wrestling icon" - and like so many things in life, that difference is largely in the eye of the beholder.
Did his comments come from a private tape? Sure - which shows us that that's who he really was. On top of that, he would also publicly defend his former boss, who is quite well-known these days to be an even more terrible person.
Personally, I'm in the "he was a terrible person who happened to be a wrestling icon" camp.
BorderCountess wrote: There's a difference between "wrestling icon who happened to be a terrible person" and "terrible person who happened to be a wrestling icon" - and like so many things in life, that difference is largely in the eye of the beholder.
Did his comments come from a private tape? Sure - which shows us that that's who he really was. On top of that, he would also publicly defend his former boss, who is quite well-known these days to be an even more terrible person.
Personally, I'm in the "he was a terrible person who happened to be a wrestling icon" camp.
But while we're at it:
Jammer87 wrote:you better start revoking statues
We did! Traitors shouldn't get statues.
What Hogan did isn't exactly great, no doubt about that. We still honor people that did A LOT worse. I mean, MLK Jr did some god-aweful things to women.
As for traitors and Statues, technically (and by the very slimmest of threads here) the Confederacy wasn't traitorous. Unilateral exit from the Union was legal up until 1869, 4 years after the war ended.
Don't recall seeing it in this thread, but George Kooymans, of the practically one hit wonder (and what a hit it was) band, Golden Earring passed a couple days ago:
