Notable deaths of 2008

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Notable deaths of 2008

A review notable deaths of 2008.

Bobby Fischer, America's only world chess champion, was a reclusive genius who became a Cold War hero by dethroning the Soviet world champion in 1972 in Reykjav k, Iceland. Later, he renounced his American citizenship. He died Jan. 17 at the age of 64. In 2005, Iceland awarded him citizenship in recognition of his 30-year-old match that put the country "on the map."

Actress Suzanne Pleshette, star of films and Broadway plays, found her greatest fame portraying Bob Newhart's sardonic wife Emily Hartley on television's long-running "The Bob Newhart Show." She died on Jan. 19. Pleshette was nominated twice for the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.

Australian actor Heath Ledger, the talented 28-year-old actor who gravitated toward dark, brooding roles that defied his leading-man looks, died on Jan. 22. A few months before his death, Ledger had finished filming his widely-praised penultimate performance as the Joker in "The Dark Knight." Ledger was also nominated for an Oscar for his performance of Ennis Del Mar in "Brokeback Mountain."

William Frank Buckley Jr., who died on Feb. 27, was "arguably the most important public intellectual in the United States in the past half century." His primary achievement fused traditional conservatism with laissez-faire and anti-communism, laying the groundwork for modern conservatism . However, many Americans will remember Buckley for his scholarly and humorous style on the weekly PBS show "Firing Line."

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi founded and developed the Transcendental Meditation technique and related programs and initiatives with schools all over the world. Yogi's first global tour began in 1958 and became known in the Western world in part due to interactions with The Beatles and other celebrities. He died on Feb. 5.

Actor Charlton Heston is best known for having played heroic roles in "The Ten Commandments," "Planet of the Apes" and "Ben-Hur," for which he won an Oscar for Best Actor. In the 1950s and 1960s, he spoke openly against racism and was an active supporter of the Civil Rights Movement. Initially a moderate Democrat, he later supported conservative politics and was president of the National Rifle Association from 1998 to 2003. He died on April 5.

Hamilton Jordan was a key advisor and strategist for Jimmy Carter during the 1976 presidential campaign and during Carter's administration. The media repeated rumors of his criminal behavior, but extensive legal investigations found nothing. He attended UGA and graduated with an bachelor's degree in political science in 1967. He and his wife founded Camp Sunshine in 1982 for children with cancer. He died on May 20 from a form of cancer.

Harvey Korman will probably be best remembered for his performances on the sketch comedy series "The Carol Burnett Show" and in the comedy films of Mel Brooks, most notably "Blazing Saddles." He was nominated for six Emmy Awards for his work on Burnett and won four times. He later toured the country with fellow Burnett alumnus Tim Conway (pictured), reprising skits from the show as well as new material. He died on May 29.

For Sydney Pollack, his career in Hollywood can be defined in numbers. He directed more than 21 films and 10 television shows, acted in over 30 films or shows, and produced over 44 films. Over time, Pollack's films received a total of 48 Academy Award nominations, winning 11 awards for "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?," "The Way We Were," "Tootsie" and "Out of Africa." He died on May 26.

Best known for his role as the co-host of the sketch comedy program "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In," Dick Martin also directed more than a dozen series, including "The Bob Newhart Show." However, it's the sketch show for which he will be remembered. It became the No. 1 program within two months of its debut. "Laugh-In" went on to become one of the iconic programs of the 70s and television history. He died on May 24.

A stand-up comedian. An actor. An author. George Carlin was noted for his black humor and insights into politics, religion and various taboo subjects. His "Seven Dirty Words" routine were key to a 1978 U.S. Supreme Court case, in which a narrow 5-4 decision affirmed the government's power to regulate indecent material on public airwaves. He placed second on Comedy Central's list of the 100 greatest stand-up comedians. He died on June 22.

UGA VI served nine seasons on the sidelines as the Georgia Bulldogs' winningest mascot, and he was the heaviest in the line of six solid-white English bulldogs who were a football game fixture since 1956. During his reign as mascot, the UGA football team compiled a record of 87 wins and 27 losses, captured the 2002 and 2005 SEC championships, and won seven of nine bowl games. UGA died June 28 in Savannah from congestive heart failure.

Known for his role in the transition from blues music to rock 'n' roll, Bo Diddley was also recognized for his trademark rectangular guitar. In the 1980s, he teamed with Bo Jackson in Nike's famous "Bo Knows" commercials, saying his one line: "Bo, you don't know Diddley!" Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and recipient of the R&B Foundation Pioneer Lifetime Achievement Award, Diddley died on June 11 of heart failure.

Tim Russert appeared for more than 16 years as the moderator of NBC's "Meet the Press." He was also a frequent correspondent for numerous news shows. According to The Washington Post, he coined the terms red states and blue states. On the evening of his death, the entire, nearly commercial-free half hour of "NBC Nightly News" was dedicated to him. Time Magazine also named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2008. He died on June 13.

Yves Saint Laurent was considered one of the greatest figures for French fashion in the 20th century. In 1950, he was hired by well-known designer Christian Dior and by age 21, Laurent was the head designer for the House of Dior. He is known for spurring fashion's rise in the 1960s and making "ready-to-wear" more reputable. He was also the first designer to use black models in his runway shows. He died on June 1 of brain cancer.

Republican Jesse Helms was a five-term North Carolina senator and the longest-serving one in the state's history. He was credited with shifting a state dominated by Democrats into a competitive two-party state. Helms opposed many progressive policies regarding race including school integration. Helms, who died on July 4, also tried to stop the Senate, with a 16-day filibuster, from approving the MLK holiday.

With 146 songs on the country charts, including 28 No. 1 hits, Eddy Arnold ranks among the most popular singers in U.S. history. He stood out from the beginning. He never wore gaudy, glittering outfits. He avoided the standard honky-tonk themes, preferring instead to sing songs about love. For more than 50 years, he transcended changing musical tastes and his later concerts attracted three generations of fans. He died on July 12.

Gene Upshaw was the executive director of the NFL Players' Association for 25 years and a former Oakland Raider before he died on Aug. 20 from pancreatic cancer. He led the NFLPA in its unsuccessful strike in 1987 and through years of anti-trust litigation against the league. In 1987, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame. He died at the age of 63. Coincidentally, the jersey he wore during his Hall of Fame career was 63.

"Yes! Yes! Yes! The Atlanta Braves have given you a championship! Listen to this crowd!" .... said Skip Caray, when the team won the 1995 World Series. With his nasally voice, wry and witty delivery, and tongue often in cheek, Caray became an enduring sound of summer in the South. He described more than 4,000 Braves games -- from the last-place finishes of the 1970s and '80s through the 14 consecutive division titles of the 1990s and beyond. He died on Aug. 3.

Isaac Hayes was an Academy Award-winning soul and funk singer-songwriter, producer and actor. His best known work, the 1971 film "Shaft," earned him an Academy Award for Best Original Song, the first award given to an African-American in a non-acting category. In 1992, to recognize his humanitarianism, he was crowned an honorary king of Ghana's Ada district. From 1997 to 2006, he also provided the voice for "Chef" for the animated series "South Park." He died on Aug. 18.

Born and raised on Chicago's southside, Bernie Mac gained popularity as a stand-up comedian, including a popular stint as one of "The Original Kings of Comedy." A performance on HBO's Def Comedy Jam thrust him into the national spotlight, and he began delving into acting, Mac starred in his own sitcom called "The Bernie Mac Show," somewhat based on his own life. He also starred in numerous films. He died on Aug. 9 from complications due to pneumonia.

Alexander Solzhenitsyn was a Russian novelist and historian. Through his writings, he made the world aware of the Gulag, the Soviet Union's forced labor camp system, and for these efforts Solzhenitsyn was exiled from the Soviet Union in 1974. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1970, and in 1994, he returned to Russia. He died on Aug. 3 from heart failure.

Paul Newman was an Academy Award -- winning and seven-time Academy Award -- nominated American actor, film director, entrepreneur, humanitarian and auto racing enthusiast. He was a co-founder of Newman's Own, a food company from which Newman donated to charity all post-tax profits and royalties, which have exceeded $250 million. His movies included "Slapshot," "The Color of Money," "The Sting," "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" and numerous others. He died on Sept. 26.

Levi Stubbs, seated, was a baritone singer and best known as the lead vocalist of the Motown R&B group The Four Tops. The Four Tops were elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, and have sold more than 50 million records worldwide. Stubbs died on Oct. 17 at his home in Detroit.

Edie Adams was an American singer, Broadway, television and film actress and comedienne. She won a Tony Award for her portrayal of Daisy Mae in "Li'l Abner" and played the bitter secretary in the Oscar-winning "The Apartment." Adams will be remembered as the "cigar girl" from Muriel commercials, where she suggestively said, "Why don't you pick me up and smoke me sometime?" Ironically, Adams was allergic to smoke. She died on Oct. 15.

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Bobby Fischer, America's only world chess champion, was a reclusive genius who became a Cold War hero by dethroning the Soviet world champion in 1972 in Reykjav k, Iceland. Later, he renounced his American citizenship. He died Jan. 17 at the age of 64. In 2005, Iceland awarded him citizenship in recognition of his 30-year-old match that put the country "on the map."

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