In Remembrance---2009

[Villano]

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Oscar G. Mayer, retired chairman of the Wisconsin-based meat processing company that bears his name, has died at the age of 95.

Mayer's wife, Geraldine, said he died of old age Monday age at Hospice Care in Fitchburg.

He was the third Oscar Mayer in the family that founded Oscar Mayer Foods, which was once the largest private employer in Madison. His grandfather, Oscar F. Mayer, died in 1955 and his father, Oscar G. Mayer Sr., died in 1965.

Mayer retired as chairman of the board in 1977 at age 62 soon after the company recorded its first $1 billion year. The company was later sold to General Foods and is now a business unit of Kraft.

Mayer's first wife, Rosalie, died in 1998. He married Geraldine Fitzpatrick in 1999.

 

[Truth Seeker]

In Remembrance...​

 

[GrayLinnorm]

Bob Mitchell, the first organist for Dodger Stadium and the last surviving organist of the silent film era, died July 4. He was 96.

Mitchell was also the founder and director of a group often called the Robert Mitchell Boys Choir, which performed in over 100 movies, including Going My Way and the original version of The Bishop's Wife.

 

[GrayLinnorm]

Legendary rock climber John Bachar died Sunday after a fall. He was 52.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Former junior welterweight champion, 37-year-old Canadian Arturo Gatti, whose epic trilogy with Micky Ward branded him one of the most exciting fighters of his generation, was found dead in a hotel room in the posh seaside resort of Porto de Galihnas early Saturday.

Police investigator Edilson Alves said police were investigating and it was unclear how he died.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

George Fullerton, long time business partner and creative collaborator of Leo Fender, passed away on Saturday morning of congestive heart failure. He was 86 years old.

Fullerton and Fender began their partnership in 1948, and worked together at the Fender factory in Orange County, CA until Fender sold the company to CBS in 1965. Fender was the innovator and inventor and Fullerton provided the technical know-how and problem-solving in the shop. He devised the unique tools that were used to create the revolutionary Broadcaster, Stratocaster and Telecaster guitars. Fullerton also sketched the designs of the guitars based on Fender’s ideas. Fender and Fullerton teamed up again at the Music Man amplifier factory, and then started G&L Guitars in 1980.

 

[Truth Seeker]

UPDATE:Police accuse wife in death of boxing champ Gatti

Former junior welterweight champion, 37-year-old Canadian Arturo Gatti, whose epic trilogy with Micky Ward branded him one of the most exciting fighters of his generation, was found dead in a hotel room in the posh seaside resort of Porto de Galihnas early Saturday.

Police investigator Edilson Alves said police were investigating and it was unclear how he died.

 

[GrayLinnorm]

Dash Snow, a New York-based collage artist, photographer, and grafitti writer, died Monday of a drug overdose. He was 27.

 

[GrayLinnorm]

Voice actor Dallas McKennon died yesterday. He was almost 90.

McKennon did the voices for Gumby, Archie Andrews, the fox in Mary Poppins, and the Audio-Animatronic Ben Franklin at Epcot Center, among others. He also appeared in several live action movies and played Cinninatus on the TV series Daniel Boone.

 

[GrayLinnorm]

British conductor Sir Edward Downes and his wife, Lady Joan Downes, a dancer, choreographer, and television producer, both committed suicide July 10. Both had been in declining health.