Category: dies

Longtime Sports Broadcaster Fred Hickman Dies at 66

Tributes are pouring in for longtime sports broadcaster Fred Hickman, who died Wednesday at age 66. No cause of death was reported. Hickman co-anchored “Sports Tonight” with Nick Charles beginning in 1980, CNN’s alternative to ESPN’s “SportsCenter.” Hickman was also the first person to appear on air for the YES Network in March 2002. “Fred…


Oscar, Tony-Nominated Writer-Director Douglas McGrath Dies

NEW YORK—Stage, TV and film writer-director Douglas McGrath, who earned a Tony nomination for “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” and an Oscar nod for the “Bullets Over Broadway” screenplay he co-wrote with Woody Allen, died Thursday. He was 64. The death was announced by the producers of McGrath’s solo off-Broadway show, “Everything’s Fine,” which opened…


Joe Gibbs Racing Co-owner Coy Gibbs, 49, Dies Hours After Son Wins Title

AVONDALE, Ariz.—Coy Gibbs, the vice chairman of Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) for his NFL and NASCAR Hall of Fame father, died Sunday morning just hours after his son won the Xfinity Series championship. He was 49. “It is with great sorrow that Joe Gibbs Racing confirms that Coy Gibbs (co-owner) went to be with the…


Bill Sheffield, Former Alaska Governor, Dies at Age 94

JUNEAU, Alaska—Bill Sheffield, a former Alaska governor whose term in office was roiled by an impeachment proceeding, has died. He was 94. A statement provided by friends of Sheffield said he died Friday at his home in Anchorage. John Pugh, a friend who was the state health commissioner under Sheffield and among those who spent…


Former Washington Defensive Lineman Dave Butz Dies

Former Washington defensive lineman Dave Butz, a two-time Super Bowl winner who played 16 seasons in the NFL, has died. He was 72. The Commanders announced his passing Friday on their website. No cause of death was provided. Former Washington quarterback Joe Theismann took to Twitter to reflect on his former teammate. “Lost a dear…


Ray Guy, First Pro Football Hall of Fame Punter, Dies at 72

HATTIESBURG, Miss.—Ray Guy, the first punter to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame, died Thursday. He was 72. Southern Mississippi, where Guy starred before becoming the first punter ever taken in the first round of the NFL draft, said he died following a lengthy illness. He had been receiving care in a Hattiesburg-area hospice….


Gerald Stern, Prize-Winning and Lyrical Poet, Dies at 97

NEW YORK—Gerald Stern, one of the country’s most loved and respected poets who wrote with spirited melancholy and earthly humor about his childhood, Judaism, mortality and the wonders of the contemplative life, has died. He was 97. Stern, New Jersey’s first poet laureate, died Thursday at Calvary Hospice in New York City, according to his…


Singer Jerry Lee Lewis Dies at 87

Singer Jerry Lee Lewis died Friday morning at 87. Lewis died at his Mississippi home, south of Memphis, Tennessee, representative Zach Farnum said in a release. The news came two days after the publication of an erroneous TMZ report of his death, later retracted. For a brief time, in 1958, he was a contender to…


Leslie Jordan, Will & Grace Actor, Dies at 67

LOS ANGELES—Leslie Jordan, the Emmy-winning actor whose wry Southern drawl and versatility made him a comedy and drama standout on TV series including “Will & Grace” and “American Horror Story,” has died. He was 67. “The world is definitely a much darker place today without the love and light of Leslie Jordan. Not only was…


Skydiver Dies in Tennessee High School Football Pregame Jump

JONESBOROUGH, Tenn.—A skydiver has died after his hard landing from a pregame jump at a Tennessee high school football stadium on Friday, officials said. In a statement, Washington County Schools Superintendent Jerry Boyd said the diver jumped at the David Crockett High School football stadium in the northeastern Tennessee town of Jonesborough. David Crockett was…