Curt Gowdy was 86.  He was the smooth voice of sports history, a welcome companion who brought listeners Ted Williams' last home run, the first Super Bowl and dozens of other dramatic moments.

Billy Cowsill was 58.  He was the lead singer of the 1960s family band The Cowsills.

Peter Benchley was 65.  His novel Jaws terrorized millions of swimmers even as the author himself became an advocate for the conservation of sharks.

Franklin Cover was 77.  He became a familiar face as George and Louise Jefferson's white neighbor in the long-running TV sitcom "The Jeffersons."

Betty Friedan was 85.  Her manifesto "The Feminine Mystique" became a best seller in the 1960s and laid the groundwork for the modern feminist movement.

Al Lewis was 82.  He was the cigar-chomping patriarch of "The Munsters" whose work as a basketball scout, restaurateur and political candidate never eclipsed his role as Grandpa from the television sitcom.

Coretta Scott King was 78.  She turned a life shattered by her husband's assassination into one devoted to enshrining his legacy of human rights and equality.

Len Carlson was 68.  He was the narrator in the popular Canadian cartoon Rocket Robin Hood, the voice of several Marvel cartoon characters including Captain America and Spider-Man's enemy The Green Goblin, and the voice of Bert Raccoon in CBC's The Raccoons.

Chris Penn was 43.  He was the brother of actor Sean Penn and starred in dozens of films. I'll always remember him as Nice Guy Eddie Cabot in "Reservoir Dogs".  "Larry, stop pointin' that fuckin' gun at my Dad!"

Anthony Franciosa was 77.  His strong portrayals of moody, troubled characters made him a Hollywood star in the 1950s and '60s.

Wilson Pickett was 64.  He was the soul pioneer best known for the fiery hits "Mustang Sally" and "In The Midnight Hour."

Shelley Winters was 85.  She was the forceful, outspoken star who graduated from blond bombshell parts to dramas, winning Academy Awards as supporting actress in "The Diary of Anne Frank" and "A Patch of Blue."

Barry Cowsill was 50.  He achieved teen idol status in the late 1960s as a member of the Partridge Family-inspiring pop act the Cowsills.

Lou Rawls was 72.  He was the velvet-voiced singer who started as a church choir boy and went on to record such classic tunes as "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine."

Irving Layton was 93.  His gritty, satiric and erotic poems left an indelible mark on Canada's literary landscape.

Pasquale Carpino was 69.  He was the Singing Chef in his double-breasted, bright blue smock who starred in Italian cooking shows. While working at the CNE and walking through the Food Building during a lunch break in 1990, I saw Pasquale signing autographs.  I had never heard of him before

Patrick Cranshaw was 86.  He was a veteran character actor who achieved cult-like status as fraternity brother "Blue" in "Old School". I'll always remember him as the hobo in "Pee-wee's Big Adventure".

Michael Vale was 83.  He was the actor best known for portraying sleepy-eyed Fred the Baker in Dunkin' Donuts commercials.

Vincent Schiavelli was 57.  He was the droopy-eyed character actor who appeared in scores of movies, including "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" and "Ghost." Farewell, Mr. Vargas.

Phyllis Gretzky was 64.  She was the mother of The Great One who Wayne described as the glue that held her family together.

John Spencer was 58.  He played Leo McGarry on "The West Wing" and Tommy Mullaney on "L.A. Law".

Stanley Tookie Williams was 51.  He was the Crips gang co-founder whose case stirred a national debate about capital punishment versus the possibility of redemption.  He became an anti-gang activist while on California's Death Row, renouncing his gang affiliation, apologizing for the Crips' founding, and co-authoring books and beginning programs

Richard Pryor was 65.  He was the caustic yet perceptive actor-comedian who lived dangerously close to the edge both on stage and off.

Wendie Jo Sperber was 47.  She appeared in dozens of television shows and movies, including all three "Back to the Future" films.

Stan Berenstain was 82.  He created the popular children's books about the Berenstain Bears. James and I share a love for these characters.  We've spent many a night reading books from the Berenstain Bears catalogue and the cartoon on Treehouse is a definite favourite.