Meinhardt Raabe (actor) -- Dead. Died April 9, 2010. Born September 2, 1915. Played the Munchkin Coronor in The Wizard of Oz, injured in a car accident in 1997 that killed his wife, Marie. IMDb Obituary
Yitzhak Rabin
(politician) -- Dead. Assassination. Died November 4, 1995.
Born March 1, 1922.
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Eddie Rabbitt
(singer) -- Dead. Lung cancer. Died May 7, 1998.
Born November 27, 1941.
"I Love a Rainy Night"
and
"Just You and I"
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Gilda Radner
(comic) -- Dead. Ovarian cancer. Died May 20, 1989.
Born June 28, 1946.
"It's always something"
- SNL alum - married to Gene Wilder.
Make memorial contributions to: Gilda's Club.
IMDb
Gerry Rafferty
(singer/songwriter) -- Dead. Liver failure/alcoholism. Died January 4, 2011. Born April 16, 1947.
Played in a group with Billy Connolly before writing and performing '70s songs like "Stuck in the Middle with You" and the very evocative "Baker Street" ("He's gonna give up the booze and the one night stands, and then he'll settle down in some quiet little town and forget about everything."), died same day as Dick King-Smith.
IMDb
Obituary
FindAGrave
Deborah Raffin
(actress/entrepreneur) -- Dead. Leukemia.
Died November 21, 2012. Born March 13, 1953. Once Is Not
Enough, Noble House, a founder of Dove Books-on-Tape
which published many books including A Brief History of
Time in audio, died same day as Art Ginsburg.
Wikipedia
IMDb
Obituary
George Raft
(actor) -- Dead. Stroke. Died November 24, 1980.
Born September 27, 1895.
IMDb
Mary Raftery
(journalist) -- Dead. Died January 10, 2012. Born 1957. Irish journalist who produced documentaries on child sexual
abuse by the Catholic Church (States of Fear)
Wikipedia
IMDb
Obituary
Douglas Rain (actor) -- Alive. Born circa 1928. Shakespearean actor probably best-known as the voice of HAL in 2001 and 2010. IMDb
Luise Rainer (actress) -- Alive. Born January 12, 1910. Appeared in the Oscar reunion segment 1998, won Oscars for The Good Earth and The Great Ziegfeld in the late '30s. IMDb
Bonnie Raitt
(singer) -- Alive.
Born November 8, 1949. Blues singer,
"Let's Give 'Em Something to Talk About," married to Michael O'Keefe for over eight years, John Raitt's daughter.
IMDb
John Raitt
(actor/singer) -- Dead. Pneumonia. Died February 20, 2005.
Born January 29, 1917. Great singer who originated the role of Billy Bigelow in Carosel on Broadway, played opposite Doris Day in Pajama Game, Bonnie Raitt's father,
died on the same day as Sandra Dee
and Hunter S. Thompson.
IBDB
IMDb
Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh
(spiritual leader) -- Dead. Died January 19, 1990.
Born December 11, 1931. AKA Osho - his followers claim, "he left his body..."
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David Raksin (composer) -- Dead. Heart failure. Died August 9, 2004. Born August 4, 1912. Wrote the music for many movies, including Laura and Forever Amber. IMDb
Buck Ram
(songwriter/manager) -- Dead. Died January 1, 1991.
Born November 21, 1907. Wrote songs including
"I'll Be Home for Christmas"
and
"The Great Pretender," managed The Platters.
IMDb
Carlo Rambaldi
(Special effects engineer) -- Dead. Died August 10,
2012. Born September 15, 1925. Special effects designer for
Steven Spielberg (ET and
Close Encounters of the Third Kind) and for the '70s King Kong.
Wikipedia
IMDb
Obituary
Dack Rambo (actor) -- Dead. AIDS. Died March 21, 1994. Born November 13, 1941. Dallas. IMDb
Ilan Ramon
(Columbia (STS-107) astronaut) -- Dead. Shuttle break-up. Died February 1, 2003.
Born June 20, 1954. Pilot who participated in the bombing of an Iraqi nuclear plant in the '80s, was the first Israeli in space.
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Fidel V. Ramos (Phillipines president) -- Alive. Born March 18, 1928. Rumored to be ill.
Jean-Pierre Rampal
(flutist) -- Dead. Heart attack. Died May 20, 2000.
Born January 7, 1922.
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Anne Ramsey (actress) -- Dead. Throat cancer. Died August 11, 1988. Born September 1, 1929. Throw Momma from the Train, Goonies. IMDb
Norman Ramsey
(physicist) -- Dead. Died November 4, 2011.
Born August 27, 1915. A member of the Manhattan
project, he went on to develop the atomic clock and won a Nobel
prize for physics, died same day as
Obituary
FindAGrave
Ayn Rand
(author) -- Dead. Died March 6, 1982.
Born February 2, 1905. The Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged, famous for the quote
"Money is the root of all good."
IMDb
Paul Rand
(designer) -- Dead. Cancer. Died November 26, 1996.
Born August 15, 1914. Designer who crafted ubiquitous logos for UPS, ABC, IBM and NeXT.
Sally Rand (fan dancer, actress) -- Dead. Heart failure. Died August 31, 1979. Born April 3, 1903. Not really a stripper, but...from the same part of the world as Robert A. Heinlein. IMDb
Tony Randall
(actor) -- Dead. Died May 17, 2004.
Born February 26, 1920. Best-known for the television version of The Odd Couple's Felix, great as many characters in The Seven Faces of Dr. Lao, became a first-time father at 77(!), making him older than other famous first-time fathers like Cary Grant at age 62.
IBDB
IMDb
FindAGrave
Boots Randolph
(saxophonist) -- Dead. Cerebral hemorrhage. Died July 3, 2007.
Born July 3, 1927. Performed
"Yakety Sax,"
and accompanied Roy Orbison's
"Pretty Woman."
IMDb
Obituary
FindAGrave
John Randolph (actor) -- Dead. Died February 24, 2004. Born June 1, 1915. Many movies including Prizzi's Honor and the Vacation movies. IMDb
Joyce Randolph (actress) -- Alive. Born October 21, 1925. Trixie Norton on The Honeymooners. IMDb
Joe Ranft (writer/cartoon voice) -- Dead. Car crash. Died August 16, 2005. Born March 13, 1960. Wrote Toy Story and Lion King, provided the voice of Wheezy the Penguin for Toy Story 2. IMDb Obituary
Joe Raposo (composer) -- Dead. Died February 5, 1989. Born February 8, 1937. Composer for Sesame Street. IBDB IMDb
David Rappaport (actor) -- Dead. Suicide. Died May 2, 1990. Born November 23, 1951. IMDb
Dan Rather
(retiring TV anchorman) -- Alive.
Born October 31, 1931. CBS Evening News anchor, 60 Minutes reporter.
IMDb
John Ratzenberger (actor) -- Alive. Born April 6, 1947. Cliff on Cheers, lots of voice work for animation, 30 seconds in The Empire Strikes Back. IMDb
Thurl Ravenscroft
(voice) -- Dead. Prostate cancer. Died May 22, 2005.
Born February 16, 1914. Voice of Tony the Tiger, and memorably sang
"You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch."
IMDb
Lou Rawls
(singer, philanthropist) -- Dead. Lung/brain cancer. Died January 6, 2006.
Born December 1, 1933.
"You'll Never Find, Another Love Like Mine," performed music for the Garfield specials, led fundraising for the United Negro College Fund,
died on the same day as Hugh Thompson.
IBDB
IMDb
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Aldo Ray (actor) -- Dead. Died March 27, 1991. Born September 25, 1926. IMDb
Bingham Ray
(movie company manager) -- Dead. Stroke Died January 23, 2012. Born circa 1954.
Suffered a stroke while attending the Sundance Film Festival, co-founder of October Films, president of United Artists.
IMDb
Obituary
Gene Anthony Ray (dancer/actor) -- Dead. Stroke/AIDS. Died November 14, 2003. Born May 24, 1962. Fame. IMDb
Johnnie Ray (singer) -- Dead. Diabetes/liver failure. Died February 24, 1990. Born January 10, 1927. IMDb
Gene Rayburn
(game show host) -- Dead. Heart disease. Died November 29, 1999.
Born December 22, 1917. Many shows, especially Match Game.
IMDb
Martha Raye (actress) -- Dead. Died October 19, 1994. Born August 27, 1916. Comic relief, sold Polident on TV. IMDb
Gene Raymond (actor) -- Dead. Pneumonia. Died May 2, 1998. Born August 13, 1908. Bit player in the movies, probably best-known for marrying Jeanette MacDonald in real life (no, she wasn't ever married to Nelson Eddy!). IMDb
Peggy Rea (actress) -- Dead. Congestive heart failure. Died February 5, 2011. Born March 31, 1921. TV actress who appeared on hundreds of shows, probably best-known as Grace's mother-in-law in Grace Under Fire, died same day as Brian Jacques. IBDB IMDb
Maureen Reagan (speaker/activist) -- Dead. Melanoma. Died August 7, 2001. Born January 4, 1941. IMDb
Nancy Reagan
(former first lady/actress) -- Alive.
Born July 6, 1921.
IMDb
Ronald Reagan
(actor/president/governor (CA)) -- Dead. Pneumonia/Alzheimer's disease. Died June 5, 2004.
Born February 6, 1911. Helped America "to believe in itself again" while ignoring America's flouting of international law during the Iran Contra scandal, an ex-husband of Jane Wyman, helped to bring Alzheimer's out of the closet.
IMDb
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Harry Reasoner (journalist) -- Dead. Died August 6, 1991. Born April 17, 1923. 60 Minutes. IMDb
Chris Rebello
(high school football coach/child actor) -- Dead. Heart attack (while hunting). Died November 30, 2000.
Born August 8, 1963. Memorable as Michael, the elder Brody son in Jaws, his only movie.
Make memorial contributions to: Christopher R. Rebello Children's Education Fund, c/o Compass Bank, P.O. Box 3232, Oak Bluffs, MA 02557.
IMDb
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Helen Reddy (singer/actress) -- Alive. Born October 25, 1941. Heard her roar lately? Not often enough! IMDb
Orville Redenbacher (popcorn researcher) -- Dead. Drowned in bathtub after heart attack. Died September 19, 1995. Born July 16, 1907.
William Redfield (actor) -- Dead. Leukemia. Died August 17, 1976. Born January 26, 1927. Theater actor best-known for playing Harding in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. IBDB IMDb
Robert Redford (actor/director) -- Alive. Born August 18, 1937. Ordinary People, founded the Sundance Festival. IMDb
Corin Redgrave (actor) -- Dead. Died April 6, 2010. Born July 16, 1939. Probably best-known to Americans as Hamish, the Scottish husband in Four Weddings and a Funeral, a political activist like his sister Vanessa. IBDB IMDb Obituary
Lynn Redgrave
(actress) -- Dead. Breast cancer Died May 2, 2010. Born March 8, 1943. Georgy Girl and lots of other comedies, strong dramatic turn in Gods and Monsters and an excellent short part in Kinsey.
IBDB
IMDb
Obituary
Michael Redgrave (actor) -- Dead. Died March 21, 1985. Born March 20, 1908. Mostly a stage actor, married to Rachel Kempson for fifty years, father of Corin, Lynn and Vanessa Redgrave. IMDb
Vanessa Redgrave (actress/rabble rouser) -- Alive. Born January 30, 1937. Won Best Supporting Actress Oscar for Julia, extremely talented actress whose politics sometimes gets in the way. Ex-wife of Tony Richardson, mother of Joely and Natasha Richardson, which also makes her Liam Neeson's mother-in-law. IMDb
Marge Redmond (actress) -- Alive. Born December 14, 1930. Played nuns in various movies and on The Flying Nun, the Cool Whip lady in the '70s, married to the late Jack Weston. IMDb
Alan Reed (voice) -- Dead. Died June 14, 1977. Born August 20, 1907. Voice of the original Fred Flintstone. IMDb
Donna Reed
(actress) -- Dead. Cancer. Died January 14, 1986.
Born January 27, 1921. Starred in It's a Wonderful Life. The second Miss Ellie on Dallas, briefly married to William Tuttle.
IMDb
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Jerry Reed (singer/actor) -- Dead. Died September 1, 2008. Born March 20, 1937. "When You're Hot, You're Hot," acted in the Smokey and the Bandit flicks, died on the same day as Don LaFontaine and Michael Pate. Make memorial contributions to: AMVETS IMDb Obituary FindAGrave
Lou Reed (singer) -- Alive. Born March 2, 1942.
Oliver Reed (actor) -- Dead. Heart attack. Died May 2, 1999. Born February 13, 1938. Bill Sykes in Oliver!; died while filming Gladiator; (easy to confuse with his contemporary Alan Bates). IMDb
Pamela Reed (actress) -- Alive. Born April 2, 1949. The Right Stuff, Kindergarten Cop. IBDB IMDb
Robert Reed (actor) -- Dead. AIDS. Died May 12, 1992. Born October 19, 1932. IMDb
Roger Rees
(actor/director) -- Alive.
Born May 5, 1944. Robin in Cheers, Frida's father in Frida.
IBDB
IMDb
Della Reese (actress/singer) -- Alive. Born July 6, 1931. First black woman to host a national talk show, nearly died twice in the '70s. IMDb
Christopher Reeve
(director/actor/advocate) -- Dead. Systemic infection/heart failure. Died October 10, 2004.
Born September 25, 1952. Superman, Somewhere in Time, became an activist for paralysis research after his 1995 accident.
[[ I hated updating this record almost more than anyone else's - he was a man of great courage and was an example to the rest of us. ]]
Make memorial contributions to: Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation.
IMDb
FindAGrave
Dana Reeve
(singer/activist) -- Dead. Lung cancer. Died March 6, 2006. Born circa February 19, 1961. Activist who helped to raise millions of dollars after her husband became paralyzed in 1995.
Make memorial contributions to: Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation,
died on the same day as Kirby Puckett.
IBDB
IMDb
Shirley Alston Reeves
(singer) -- Alive. Born circa June 10, 1941. A Shirelle; one of their hits was
"Will You Love Me Tomorrow."
IMDb
Steve Reeves (actor) -- Dead. Lymphoma. Died May 1, 2000. Born January 21, 1926. Mostly made Italian toga epics. IMDb
William H. Rehnquist
(Supreme Court Chief Justice) -- Dead. Thyroid cancer. Died September 3, 2005.
Born October 1, 1924. Wrote The Supreme Court.
IMDb
Frances Reid
(actress) -- Dead. Died February 3, 2010. Born December 12, 1914.
Played
IBDB
IMDb
Kate Reid
(actress) -- Dead. Brain cancer. Died March 27, 1993.
Born November 4, 1930. Dr. Leavitt in The Andromeda Strain, was married to Austin Willis.
IBDB
IMDb
Charles Nelson Reilly
(director/comedian) -- Dead. Pneumonia. Died May 25, 2007.
Born January 13, 1931. Broadway actor, directed many Broadway shows including The Belle of Amherst, regular on The Ghost and Mrs. Muir and The Match Game, memorable as Jose Chung in an X-Files episode.
IBDB
IMDb
FindAGrave
Hugh Reilly (actor) -- Dead. Emphysema. Died July 17, 1998. Born October 30, 1915. Played Timmy's dad on Lassie in the early '60s. IMDb
Carl Reiner (director/actor/writer) -- Alive. Born March 20, 1922. Alan Brady on Dick Van Dyke Show. IMDb
Estelle Reiner
(singer/actress) -- Dead. Died October 25, 2008. Born circa 1914. Was performing and recording CDs well into her 80s, best-remembered for saying
"I'll have what she's having"
in When Harry Met Sally, married to Carl Reiner for 65 years.
IMDb
Obituary
Rob Reiner (director/actor) -- Alive. Born March 6, 1945. Wide-ranging, talented director - from one of the best fantasies ever (The Princess Bride) through psychological horror (Misery) to solid mainstrem flicks (A Few Good Men, An American President); acted as Meathead in All in the Family; son of Carl and Estelle. IMDb
Karel Reisz (director) -- Dead. Died November 25, 2002. Born July 21, 1926. Directed Isadora and The French Lieutenant's Woman, married for nearly 40 years to Betsy Blair. IMDb Obituary
Keith Relf (rocker) -- Dead. Electrocution while playing electric guitar. Died May 14, 1976. Born March 22, 1943. A founder of The Yardbirds
Lee Remick (actress) -- Dead. Cancer. Died July 2, 1991. Born December 14, 1935. IMDb
Bert Remsen (actor) -- Dead. Natural causes. Died April 26, 1999. Born February 25, 1925. In many movies, played himself in The Player. IMDb
Duncan Renaldo (actor) -- Dead. Died September 3, 1980. Born April 23, 1904. Cisco Kid. IMDb
Brad Renfro (actor) -- Dead. Heroin overdose. Died January 15, 2008. Born July 25, 1982. Talented child actor (The Client) who ruined a potentially brilliant career and died too young. IMDb Obituary FindAGrave
Michael Rennie (actor) -- Dead. Died June 10, 1971. Born August 25, 1909. The Day the Earth Stood Still and one of the few decent Lost in Space episodes. IMDb
Janet Reno
(attorney general) -- Alive.
Born July 21, 1938. First female attorney general, in office since early 1993, may have Parkinson's.
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Judith Resnik
(Challenger (STS-51L) astronaut) -- Dead. Shuttle explosion. Died January 28, 1986.
Born April 5, 1949. Mission specialist for the Challenger.
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Tommy Rettig
(businessman/kid actor) -- Dead. Heart attack. Died February 15, 1996.
Born December 10, 1941. First master of Lassie on TV.
IMDb
Alejandro Rey (actor) -- Dead. Cancer. Died May 21, 1987. Born February 8, 1930. Carlos on The Flying Nun. IMDb FindAGrave
Hans Augusto Rey
(illustrator of children's books) -- Dead. Died August 26, 1977.
Born September 16, 1898. Curious George books.
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Margaret E. Rey
(author of children's books) -- Dead. Died December 21, 1996.
Born May 16, 1906. Curious George books.
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Burt Reynolds (actor) -- Alive. Born February 11, 1936. irst male centerfold for Cosmopolitan, ex-husband of Judy Carne and Loni Anderson, former SO of Dinah Shore and Sally Field, made a comeback in Boogie Nights,. IMDb
Debbie Reynolds (singer/actress) -- Alive. Born April 1, 1932. Worked her way out of bankruptcy, Singing in the Rain, lots more, Carrie Fisher's mom, once married to Eddie Fisher. IMDb
Nick Reynolds
(singer) -- Dead. Died October 1, 2008.
Born July 27, 1933. Kingston Trio - "Tom Dooley"
IMDb
Obituary
Larry Rhine (writer) -- Dead. Died October 27, 2000. Born May 26, 1910. Won a Golden Globe for All in the Family. IMDb
Madlyn Rhue (actress) -- Dead. Pneumonia/multiple sclerosis. Died December 16, 2003. Born October 3, 1934. Many bit parts on TV, may be best-known as Lt. McGivers on the "Space Seed" episode of Star Trek. Make memorial contributions to: Motion Picture and Television Fund, died on the same day as Jenifer Estess. IMDb
John Rhys-Davies (actor) -- Alive. Born May 5, 1944. Sallah in the Indiana Jones movies, Gimli and Treebeard in The Lord of the Rings movies. IMDb
Adrienne Rich
(poet/essayist) -- Dead. Complications of
rheumatoid arthritis Died March 27, 2012. Born May 16, 1929.
Won the National Book Award for Diving into the Wreck,
died same day as Warren Stevens.
Wikipedia
IMDb
Obituary
Buddy Rich
(drummer) -- Dead. Surgical complications for a brain tumor. Died April 2, 1987.
Born September 30, 1917. Kid vaudeville performer who went on to be the greatest drummer of the 20th century.
IMDb
FindAGrave
John Rich (TV director) -- Dead. Died January 29, 2012. Born July 6, 1925. Directed many episodes of The Dick Van Dyke Show and All in the Family (including the famous Sammy Davis, Jr. episode), died same day as Damien Bona. Wikipedia IMDb Obituary
Cliff Richard (rock 'n' roller) -- Alive. Born October 14, 1940. IMDb
Wendy Richard (actress) -- Dead. Cancer. Died February 25, 2009. Born July 20, 1943. Miss Brahms in Are You Being Served?, Pauline in Eastenders, announced she had terminal bone cancer in October 2008. IMDb Obituary FindAGrave
Ann Richards
(commentator/politician) -- Dead. Cancer. Died September 13, 2006.
Born September 1, 1933. The only deliberately amusing Texas governor, she famously said of George H. W. Bush's gaffes,
"Poor George. He can't help it. He was born with a silver foot in his mouth."
IMDb
FindAGrave
Beah Richards (actress) -- Dead. Emphysema. Died September 14, 2000. Born July 12, 1926. Died days after winning an Emmy for The Practice, Baby Suggs in Beloved, Sidney Poitier's mother in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. IMDb
Billie Mae Richards (actress/cartoon voice) -- Dead.. Died September 10, 2010. Born circa November 1921. Rudolph in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (later a neighbor in Toronto of Paul Soles who voiced Hermey (the dental elf)), died same day as E. C. Tubb. IMDb Obituary FindAGrave
Keith Richards
(Rolling Stone) -- Alive.
Born December 18, 1943. Yes, he really is still alive. This seems to surprise him at times, too. Wrote a memoir, Life in 2010.
IMDb
Kim Richards (actress) -- Alive. Born September 19, 1964. Nanny and the Professor, lots of other TV, grew up to be Paris Hilton's aunt! IMDb
Elliot Richardson (honest US attorney general) -- Dead. Brain hemorrhage. Died December 31, 1999. Born July 20, 1920. Refused to fire Archibald Cox, so he was "massacred" by Nixon in October 1973; odd trivia - Roger Tory Peterson was his 7th grade art teacher.
Ian Richardson (actor) -- Dead. Died February 9, 2007. Born April 7, 1934. While a famous Shakespearean actor in England, he's probaby best-known in the States for as the rich man loopking for Grey Poupon mustard, House of Cards ("You might think that; I couldn't possibly comment"), played the voice of Death in Hogfather just before he died. IBDB IMDb Obituary FindAGrave
Natasha Richardson (actress) -- Dead. [rumors] Following a head injury suffered during a skiing accident. Died March 18, 2009. Born May 11, 1963. Tony-winning actress (for the 1998 revival of Caberet), starred in The Handmaid's Tale, appeared with her mother Vanessa Redgrave in Evening, was married to Liam Neeson for nearly 15 years. Make memorial contributions to: amfAR - The Foundation for AIDS Research. IBDB IMDb Obituary FindAGrave
Patricia Richardson
(actress) -- Alive.
Born February 23, 1951. Home Improvement, Strong Medicine.
IMDb
Tony Richardson (director) -- Dead. AIDS. Died November 14, 1991. Born June 5, 1928. Directed Tom Jones and many other movies, ex-husband of Vanessa Redgrave, father of Natasha and Joely Richardson. IMDb
Mordecai Richler
(writer) -- Dead. Kidney cancer. Died July 3, 2001.
Born January 27, 1931. The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz.
IMDb
Obituary
Svyatoslav Richter (pianist) -- Dead. Heart attack. Died August 1, 1997. Born March 20, 1915.
Don Rickles (comedian) -- Alive. Born May 8, 1926. Mr. Potato Head in Toy Story. IMDb
Paul Ricoeur
(philosopher/professor) -- Dead. Died May 20, 2005.
Born February 27, 1913. Developed phenomenology, wrote many books including Freedom and Nature,
died on the same day as J. D. Cannon.
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Sally Ride
(astronaut/physicist) -- Dead. Pancreatic cancer. Died July 23, 2012. Born May 26, 1951. In 1983, she was the first American woman in space.
Wikipedia
IMDb
Obituary
Leni Riefenstahl (director) -- Dead. Extreme old age. Died September 8, 2003. Born August 22, 1902. Hitler's documentary director, may be portrayed by Jodie Foster in an upcoming movie. IMDb
Dame Diana Rigg (actress) -- Alive. Born July 20, 1938. Memorable as Mrs. Peel on The Avengers; hosted BBC's Mystery!. IMDb
Bobby Riggs (athlete) -- Dead. Prostate cancer. Died October 25, 1995. Born February 25, 1918.
Marlon Riggs (filmmaker) -- Dead. AIDS complications. Died April 5, 1994. Born February 3, 1957. IMDb
Minnie Riperton
(singer) -- Dead. Breast cancer. Died July 12, 1979.
Born November 8, 1947. Singer with an amazing five-octave range;
"Lovin' You," mother of SNL's Maya Rudolph (childhood friend of Gwyneth Paltrow).
IMDb
Dennis Ritchie (uber-geek) -- Dead. Died October 8, 2011. Born September 8, 1941. The father of Unix (with Kenneth Thompson) and C, wrote the seminal The C Programming Manual (with Brian Kernighan) and won the Turing Prize. Obituary
John Ritter (actor/comic) -- Dead. Torn aorta (see Richard Biggs). Died September 11, 2003. Born September 17, 1948. Collapsed on the set of his last series 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter, mostly known for many TV movies and the '70s classic Three's Company, died on the same day as Anna Lindh. IMDb
Thelma Ritter
(actress) -- Dead. Heart attack. Died February 5, 1969.
Born February 14, 1905. Generally a comic supporting actress, she gave serious performances in Birdman of Alcatraz and Rear Window.
IBDB
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Herb Ritts
(photographer) -- Dead. Pneumonia/AIDS. Died December 26, 2002.
Born August 13, 1952. Popular photographer of the '80s and '90s, longtime friend of Richard Gere, Cindy Crawford and Madonna who were featured prominantly in his photos.
IMDb
Obituary
Joan Rivers ("comic" (who should be retired)) -- Alive. Born June 8, 1933. Was once a good comic, but berating people's clothing isn't funny. IMDb
Phil Rizzutto
(sportscaster/baseball player) -- Dead. Pneumonia. Died August 13, 2007.
Born September 25, 1917. Yankee shortstop and MVP,
died on the same day as Brooke Astor.
IMDb
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Hal Roach (writer/producer/director) -- Dead. Pneumonia. Died November 2, 1992. Born January 14, 1892. Short subject director, especially The Little Rascals. IMDb FindAGrave
Max Roach
(jazz drummer/composer) -- Dead. Died August 16, 2007.
Born January 10, 1924. Made the drums a more important part of jazz groups, played with Dizzie Gillespie, first jazz musician to win a MacArthur Fellowship, married to Abbey Lincoln in the '60s.
IMDb
Obituary
Jason Robards
(actor) -- Dead. Cancer. Died December 26, 2000.
Born July 26, 1922. Wonderful actor, particularly of Eugene O'Neill characters, married to Lauren Bacall in
the early '60s, won his first Oscar for All the President's Men.
IMDb
Harold Robbins (salacious novelist) -- Dead. Respiratory failure. Died October 14, 1997. Born May 21, 1916. IMDb
Jerome Robbins (choreographer) -- Dead. Stroke. Died July 29, 1998. Born October 11, 1918. Broadway choreographer, West Side Story. IBDB IMDb
Cokie Roberts (journalist) -- Alive. Born December 27, 1943. Longtime reporter for ABC, survived breast cancer. IMDb
Doris Roberts (actress) -- Alive. Born November 4, 1930. Played the mother in Everybody Loves Raymond. IMDb
Ed Roberts
(computer developer/doctor) -- Dead. Pneumonia. Died April 1, 2010. Born August 23, 1941. Founded MITS, an early developer of calculator and computer kits and employer of Paul Allen and Bill Gates in the mid-'70s. Roberts sold his company and later went to med school, died same day as John Forsythe.
Obituary
Keith Roberts (writer) -- Dead. Died September 27, 2000. Born circa 1935. Pavane
Pernell Roberts (actor) -- Dead. Died January 24, 2010. Born May 18, 1928. Bonanza, Trapper John, MD. IBDB IMDb Obituary
Cliff Robertson (actor) -- Dead. Died September 10, 2011. Born September 9, 1923. Won a Best Actor Oscar for Charly, Spider-man (the Maguire version), quasi-"blacklisted" after blowing the whistle on an unethical producer, pilot, married to Dina Merrill for twenty years. IBDB IMDb Obituary
Dale Robertson
(actor) -- Dead. Lung cancer, pneumonia. Died February 27, 2013.
Born July 14, 1925. Western actor who hosted Death Valley
Days in the late '60s and early '70s, died same day as Van Cliburn.
Wikipedia
IMDb
Obituary
Ann Robinson
(actress) -- Alive.
Born May 25, 1935. Appeared in all three versions of The War of the Worlds
IMDb
Anne Robinson (Stern "schoolmarm") -- Alive. Born September 26, 1944. One of the few people to host the same show (Weakest Link) in the US and the UK. IMDb
Charles Robinson (actor) -- Alive. Born November 9, 1945. Probably best-remembered as Mac in Night Court, he's done bit parts on over 60 different TV shows. IMDb
Edward G. Robinson (actor) -- Dead. Old age. Died January 26, 1973. Born December 12, 1893. IMDb
Max Robinson (news anchor) -- Dead. AIDS. Died December 20, 1988. Born May 1, 1939. First full-time black evening news anchor, ABC.
Mary Robinson
(human rights activist/Irish president) -- Alive. Born May 21, 1944. Lawyer, first female Irish president (1990-1997), United Nations High Comissioner for Human Rights, a member of "the Elders."
Wikipedia
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Patricia Hilliard Robertson
(astronaut) -- Dead. Experimental plane crash/severe burns. Died May 24, 2001.
Born March 12, 1963. Rennaisance woman (physician, pilot, astronaut) who died while testing an experimental aircraft.
Obituary
Vickie Sue Robinson (disco diva) -- Dead. Died April 27, 2000. Born May 31, 1954. "Turn the Beat Around," a Pokemon voice. IMDb FindAGrave
Eugene Roche (actor) -- Dead. Heart attack. Died July 28, 2004. Born September 22, 1928. Edgar Derby in Slaughterhouse Five, many TV parts, peddled Ajax on commercials, died on the same day as Jackson Beck and Francis Crick. IMDb
Blossom Rock (actress) -- Dead. Died January 14, 1978. Born August 21, 1896. Best-known as Grandmamma in The Addams Family, older sister of Jeanette MacDonald, also acted as Marie Blake. IMDb
Laurance Rockefeller (venture capitalist/philanthropist) -- Dead. Pulmonary fibrosis. Died July 11, 2004. Born May 26, 1910. Helped arrange financing for companies like American Airlines and Apple Computer, founded the American Conservation Association.
Nelson Rockefeller (politician) -- Dead. Heart attack ("allegedly" while visiting a much younger woman...). Died January 26, 1979. Born July 8, 1908. Vice President under Ford, a governor of New York.
Charles Rocket (actor) -- Dead. Suicide. Died October 7, 2005. Born August 24, 1949. Former SNL comic who may have been the first to say "f*ck" on network TV, co-starred as Geena Davis' fiance Ted in Earth Girls Are Easy. IMDb FindAGrave
Norman Rockwell
(artist) -- Dead. Died November 9, 1978.
Born February 3, 1894. Great American illustrator, many Saturday Evening Post covers.
FindAGrave
Gene Roddenberry (Star Trek creator) -- Spaced. Blood clot. Died October 24, 1991. Born August 19, 1921. Producer and writer best-known for "Wagon Train in Space." IMDb
Majel Barrett Roddenberry
(actress/voice) -- Spaced. Leukemia. Died December 18, 2008.
Born February 23, 1936. The only actor to be involved in every incarnation of Star Trek, from the original pilot in 1965 to the 2009 "early days" movie,
died on the same day as Mark Felt.
IMDb
Obituary
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Rod Roddy (announcer) -- Dead. Cancer. Died October 27, 2003. Born September 18, 1937. Called out "Come on Down!" for The Price Is Right and recapped the events of each episode for Soap. IMDb
Richard Rodgers
(composer) -- Dead. Died December 30, 1979.
Born June 28, 1902. Collaborated with Oscar Hammerstein on South Pacific, The Sound of Music and many others.
IMDb
Buddy Rogers (actor) -- Dead. Old age. Died April 21, 1999. Born August 13, 1904. Starred in the first movie to win a Best Picture Oscar (Wings in 1927); married to Mary Pickford. IMDb
Edward Samuel Rogers (businessman) -- Dead. Congestive heart failure. Died December 2, 2008. Born May 27, 1933. Radio and cable TV magnate (Rogers Communications), richest man in Canada, died on the same day as Odetta. Obituary
Fred Rogers
(writer/actor/minister/musician) -- Dead. Stomach cancer. Died February 27, 2003.
Born March 20, 1928. Mister Rogers has left the neighborhood...
IMDb
Garnet Rogers
(folk musician) -- Alive. Born circa 1955.
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Ginger Rogers (dancer) -- Dead. Natural causes. Died April 25, 1995. Born July 16, 1911. In several movies with Fred Astaire, including The Barkleys of Broadway. IBDB IMDb
Kasey Rogers
(actress/writer) -- Dead. Stroke/throat cancer. Died July 6, 2006.
Born December 15, 1925. The second Louise Tate in Bewitched, she also wrote books, promoted motocross, and acted in Hitchcock films as Laura Elliott.
IBDB
IMDb
Obituary
FindAGrave
Kenny Rogers
(singer/actor/businessman) -- Alive.
Born August 21, 1938.
"The Gambler."
IMDb
Roy Rogers
(cowboy actor) -- Dead. Congestive heart failure. Died July 6, 1998.
Born November 5, 1911. Frequently co-starred with his wife, Dale Evans.
IMDb
Stan Rogers
(musician) -- Dead. Aircraft fire. Died June 2, 1983. Born circa 1949.
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Wayne Rogers
(businessman/actor) -- Alive.
Born April 7, 1933. Trapper John on TV's M*A*S*H.
IMDb
Roxie Roker
(actress) -- Dead. Died December 3, 1995.
Born August 28, 1929. Helen in The Jeffersons, mother of Lenny Kravitz.
IMDb
Gilbert Roland
(actor) -- Dead. Cancer. Died May 15, 1994.
Born December 11, 1905. May be best-known as The Cisco Kid, but was memorable in The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima,
died on the same day as Royal Dano.
IMDb
John Roll
(federal judge) -- Dead. Murdered by terrorist. Died January 8, 2011. Born 1947.
Arizona federal judge who was "collateral damage" in the Representative Gabrielle Giffords assassination attempt (18 shot, 6 killed by a semi-automatic weapon); ironically ruled against background checks for gun buyers in 1994.
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Esther Rolle (actress) -- Dead. Complications of diabetes. Died November 17, 1998. Born November 8, 1920. Good Times, Driving Miss Daisy. IMDb
Howard Rollins (actor) -- Dead. Lymphoma. Died December 8, 1996. Born October 17, 1950. Coalhouse Walker in Ragtime; also starred in the TV version of In the Heat of the Night. IMDb
Ruth Roman (actress) -- Dead. Natural causes. Died September 9, 1999. Born December 23, 1923. IMDb
Cesar Romero (actor) -- Dead. Died January 1, 1994. Born February 15, 1907. IMDb
George Romero ("Dead" director) -- Alive. Born February 4, 1940. Night of the Living Dead and some of its sequels. IMDb
George Romney (politician) -- Dead. Heart attack. Died July 26, 1995. Born July 8, 1907. Former governor of Michigan.
Linda Ronstadt (singer) -- Alive. Born July 15, 1946. IMDb
Andy Rooney
(Commentator) -- Dead. Complications after
surgery. Died November 4, 2011.
Born January 14, 1919. Long-time CBS journalist who opined on
IMDb
Obituary
Mickey Rooney
(actor) -- Alive.
Born September 23, 1920. An ex-husband of Ava Gardner.
IBDB
IMDb
Eleanor Roosevelt
(First Lady/humanitarian) -- Dead. Died November 7, 1962.
Born October 11, 1884. Was famously "her husband's legs," traveling for FDR during his long presidency, helped to draft the constitution for the UN, helped arrange for Marian Anderson to sing at the Lincoln Memorial after the Daughters of the American Revolution barred her concert, said
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent"
.
IMDb
FindAGrave
Hayden Rorke (actor) -- Dead. Died August 19, 1987. Born October 23, 1910. Dr. Bellows on I Dream of Jeannie. IMDb
Charlie Rose
(interviewer) -- Alive. Born January 5, 1942. Understated interviewer for The Charlie Rose Show, producer for Bill Moyers in the '70s.
Wikipedia
IMDb
Judd Rose (journalist) -- Dead. Brain cancer. Died June 10, 2000. Born circa 1955. Worked for CNN and ABC.
Roseanne
(comic/actress) -- Alive.
Born November 3, 1952. Created/starred in the groundbreaking comedy Roseanne.
Wikipedia
IMDb
Joel Rosenberg (writer) -- Dead. Heart attack Died June 2, 2011. Born May 1, 1954. Writer who was also very active in the gun rights movement.
William Rosenberg
(Entreprenuer) -- Dead. Bladder cancer. Died September 19, 2002. Born circa 1916. Started Dunkin' Donuts, one of the first international franchises.
Obituary
Bob Ross
(PBS painter show guy) -- Dead. Cancer. Died July 4, 1995.
Born October 29, 1942. The Joy of Painting.
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Diana Ross (Diva) -- Alive. Born March 26, 1944. A Supreme, later became a major solo singer and interesting actress, yet another performer who battled substance abuse, has five children. IMDb
Herbert Ross (director) -- Dead. Heart failure Died October 9, 2001. Born May 13, 1927. The Turning Point, Steel Magnolias, died on the same day as Dagmar. IMDb
Joe E. Ross (actor) -- Dead. Died August 13, 1982. Born March 15, 1914. Toody on Car 54 Where Are You?. IMDb FindAGrave
Katharine Ross (actress) -- Alive. Born January 29, 1942. Married to Sam Elliott. IMDb
Marion Ross
(actress) -- Alive.
Born October 25, 1928. Marion on Happy Days, Drew's Mom on the Drew Carey Show.
IBDB
IMDb
Steve Rossi
(comic/singer) -- Alive.
Born May 25, 1928. Former stage partner of Marty Allen, hosting a Vegas-based radio show.
IMDb
Judith Rossner (writer) -- Dead. Died August 9, 2005. Born March 1, 1935. Wrote a number of novels, including Looking for Mr. Goodbar, died on the same day as Philip J. Klass. IMDb
Julee Rosso
(food writer/cooking teacher) -- Alive. Born circa 1942. Co-writer of the Silver Palate cookbooks (with Sheila Lukins) .
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Harry Rossoll (illustrator) -- Dead. Intestinal aneurysm. Died February 25, 1999. Born circa 1909. Created Smokey Bear.
Mstislav Rostropovich (cellist/conductor) -- Dead. Intestinal cancer. Died April 27, 2007. Born March 27, 1927. Particularly known for his interpretation of Bach, he was a professional cellist for over 60 years, gave famous concerts in Berlin after the wall came down, had his Russian citizenship stripped and later restored, and directed the National Symphony in Washington for 17 years, died on the same day as Al Hunter Ashton. IMDb Obituary FindAGrave
Bill Rotsler (cartoonist/writer) -- Dead. Cancer. Died October 18, 1997. Born circa 1935. AwardWeb
Richard Roundtree
(actor) -- Alive.
Born July 9, 1942. The original Shaft, later played Booker T. Washington in Having Our Say.
IMDb
Martha Rountree (journalist) -- Dead. Alzheimer's. Died August 23, 1999. Born October 23, 1911. Co-creator of the TV version of Meet the Press and its first host. IMDb
Mickey Rourke
(actor/wrestler) -- Alive.
Born September 16, 1956. Diner, 9 1/2 Weeks, almost completely disappeared into drugs and boxing, made a huge comeback in 2008 with The Wrestler.
IMDb
Lauren Rousseau
(Teacher/hero) -- Dead. Murdered by semiautomatic-carrying gunman. Died December 14, 2012. Born June 8, 1982. Murdered along with her students.
Obituary
Patricia Routledge
(actress) -- Alive.
Born February 17, 1929. Keeping up Appearences, Hetty Wainthropp Investigates, won a Tony in 1968.
IBDB
IMDb
Johnny Roventini
(diminutive pitchman) -- Dead. Facial infection. Died December 30, 1998. Born circa August 15, 1910. In many Phillip Morris radio and TV ads and dozens of '50s and '60s TV shows.
IMDb
Carl T. Rowan (syndicated journalist) -- Dead. Died September 23, 2000. Born August 11, 1925. Thirty-three years a provocative columnist, served in two administrations.
Gena Rowlands (actress) -- Alive. Born June 19, 1930. The original Gloria and Woman Under the Influence, married to John Cassavetes. IBDB IMDb
Dan Rowan (comedian) -- Dead. Died September 22, 1987. Born July 2, 1922. Long time professional partner of Dick Martin, co-host of Laugh-In. IMDb
Barbara Rowell
(photographer) -- Dead. Small plane crash. Died August 11, 2002.
Born January 29, 1948. Photographer and pilot.
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Galen Rowell
(photographer) -- Dead. Small plane crash. Died August 11, 2002.
Born August 23, 1940. Leading photographer for National Geographic.
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Mike Royko (columnist) -- Dead. Brain aneurysm and strokes. Died April 29, 1997. Born September 19, 1932.
Pete Rozelle (NFL commissioner) -- Dead. Brain cancer. Died December 6, 1996. Born March 1, 1926.
Miklos Rozsa (composer) -- Dead. Stroke. Died July 27, 1995. Born April 18, 1907. Ben-Hur score. IMDb
Aaron Ruben (producer) -- Dead. Pneumonia Died January 30, 2010. Born March 1, 1914. Producer of TV shows, including The Andy Griffith Show, Gomer Pyle and Sanford and Son.
IBDB
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Obituary
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Jan Rubes (actor) -- Dead. Died June 30, 2009. Born June 6, 1920. The grandfather in Witness, died on the same day as Harve Presnell. IMDb
Jerome Rubin
(futurist/lawyer) -- Dead. Stroke Died January 9, 2012. Born March 9, 1925. A lawyer who helped develop an early commercial database (Lexis/Nexis) and predicted eBooks.
Obituary
Jerry Rubin (activist/stockbroker) -- Dead. Traffic accident. Died November 28, 1994. Born July 14, 1938. One of the Chicago Seven.
Zelda Rubinstein (actress) -- Dead. Died January 27, 2010. Born May 28, 1933. The psychic in the Poltergeist movies, AIDS activist, died same day as J. D. Salinger and Howard Zinn. IMDb Obituary
Barbara Ruick
(singer/actress) -- Dead. Cerebral
hemorrhage. Died March 3, 1974. Born December 23, 1930. Carrie
in Carousel, Esmerelda in
Cinderella, daughter of Lurlene Tuttle, married to
John Williams until her
death.
Wikipedia
IMDb
FindAGrave
Louis Rukeyser
(journalist) -- Dead. Multiple myeloma. Died May 2, 2006.
Born January 30, 1933. Louis Rukeyser's Wall Street,
died on the same day as Lisa Barnett.
IMDb
Sir Steven Runciman (historian) -- Dead. Died November 1, 2000. Born July 7, 1903. Byzantium scholar, A History of the Crusuades Obituary
Barbara Rush (actress) -- Alive. Born January 4, 1927. IMDb
Geoffrey Rush (actor) -- Alive. Born July 6, 1951. Extremely versitile actor, striking in a range of roles from Shine to Pirates of the Caribbean, a roommate of Mel Gibson in college. IMDb
Salman Rushdie (author) -- Alive. Born June 19, 1947. He outlived at least one Ayatollah and his death sentence.
Joanna Russ (writer) -- Dead. Strokes. Died April 29, 2011. Born February 22, 1937. Writer and critic. "When It Changed"
Anna Russell
(musical comic) -- Dead. Died October 18, 2006.
Born December 27, 1911. Satirized Gilbert and Sullivan and Wagner.
IBDB
IMDb
Obituary
Harold Russell (Oscar winner) -- Dead. Heart attack. Died January 29, 2002. Born January 14, 1914. A double-amputee due to injures in WWII, he won an Oscar for The Best Years of Our Lives. IMDb Obituary
Jane Russell (actress, bra pitchwoman) -- Dead. Respiratory disease. Died February 28, 2011. Born June 21, 1921. The Outlaw, famous protege of Howard Hughes, later sold Playtex products on TV. IMDb Obituary
John Russell
(actor) -- Dead. Emphysema. Died January 19, 1991.
Born January 3, 1921. Starred in The Lawman in the '50s,
appeared in a number of Westerns, including Rio Bravo and Pale Rider.
IMDb
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Ken Russell
(director) -- Dead. Strokes. Died November
27, 2011. Born July 3, 1927. Directed
the controversial movies Women in Love, The
Devils and Tommy.
IMDb
Obituary
Nipsey Russell (comedian) -- Dead. Cancer. Died October 3, 2005. Born October 13, 1923. A semi-regular on The Match Game, in the movie The Wiz - A comic, a poet, and he surely did know it! IMDb Obituary
Rosalind Russell (actress) -- Dead. Cancer. Died November 28, 1976. Born June 4, 1907. "Life is a banquet - and most of those poor suckers are starving to death!." IBDB IMDb FindAGrave
Tim Russert (political analyst) -- Dead. Heart attack. Died June 13, 2008. Born May 7, 1950. Hosted Meet the Press for many years, memorable for writing "Florida, Florida, Florida" on a little whiteboard during election night, 2000 - "Can you believe that?." (David Gregory of NBC said, of his death while on the job, "We can't imagine Tim leaving work early") IMDb Obituary
Ann Rutherford
(actress) -- Dead. Heart disease. Died June 11, 2012. Born November 2, 1917. Carreen in Gone with the Wind, appeared in some Andy Hardy movies.
Wikipedia
IMDb
Obituary
Marla Ruzicka
(humanitarian) -- Dead. Murdered by Iraqi terrorists. Died April 16, 2005. Born circa 1977. Founded CIVIC to raise money for civilians in war zones, killed by a car bomber.
Make memorial contributions to: Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict.
Obituary
Eileen Ryan (actress) -- Alive. Born circa 1928. At Close Range (where she played her son Sean Penn's grandmother) and Parenthood (where she played Jason Robards' very tired wife), married to Leo Penn, mother of Micheal, Sean and Chris. IBDB IMDb
Fran Ryan (actress) -- Dead. Old age. Died January 15, 2000. Born November 26, 1916. Maybe best-known as Mrs. Ziffel in Green Acres but did lots of TV besides. IMDb
Irene Ryan (actress) -- Dead. Died April 26, 1973. Born October 17, 1902. Granny on The Beverly Hillbillies. IMDb
Robert Ryan (actor) -- Dead. Cancer. Died July 11, 1973. Born November 11, 1909. The Wild Bunch, The Dirty Dozen and other war flicks and Westerns. IBDB IMDb FindAGrave
Terry Ryan
(writer) -- Dead. Cancer. Died May 16, 2007.
Born July 14, 1946. Technical writer and best-selling author of a book about her mother, The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less.
IMDb
Obituary