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Dave Nemetz

TV Stars We've Lost in 2015

December 15, 2015 at 11:34 AM

“American Horror Story: Freak Show” actress Rose Siggins died December 12; she was just 43 years old. Siggins was born with a rare genetic disorder called sacral agenesis, which gave her severely deformed legs; she had both legs amputated as a child, and went on to become an advocate for the disabled, as well as play sideshow performer Legless Suzi in the fourth season of FX’s horror anthology. Siggins is survived by her husband, Dave, and two children. (Credit: Getty Images)

Game show host Jim Perry passed away November 20 following a five-year battle with cancer at the age of 82. Perry hosted two daytime game show staples for NBC: “Card Sharks,” from 1978 to 1981, and “Sale of the Century,” from 1983 to 1989. He also worked as a radio DJ and hosted a number of Canadian game shows, as well as the Miss Canada beauty pageant for more than two decades. (Credit: Everett Collection)

“All My Children” star David Canary died November 16 of natural causes; he was 77 years old. Canary had memorable roles on “Peyton Place” and “Bonanza” before joining “All My Children” in 1983; he went on to win five Daytime Emmys for his portrayal of twins Adam and Stuart Chandler. Canary starred on the soap until his retirement from acting in 2010, but he returned the following year to appear in “AMC's” final episodes. (Credit: Everett Collection)

“One Life to Live” star Nathaniel Marston died November 12 from injuries stemming from an October car accident; he was just 40 years old. Marston is best remembered for playing Al Holden and Dr. Michael McBain on the ABC soap from 2001 to 2007; he also appeared on “As the World Turns,” and had guest roles on “Law & Order: SVU,” “White Collar,” “Castle,” and “Blue Bloods.” (Credit: Getty Images)

Fred Thompson, a former U.S. senator and “Law & Order” actor, died November 1 of lymphoma at the age of 73. An attorney who served as minority counsel to the Senate Watergate Committee, Thompson served in the U.S. Senate from 1994 to 2002 and ran for President in 2008. But he was also a familiar face to movie fans (“Die Hard 2,” “The Hunt for Red October”) and TV fans alike, especially for his work as Manhattan D.A. Alan Branch on “Law & Order.” Thompson also played Branch on “L&O” spinoffs “SVU,” “Criminal Intent,” and “Trial By Jury.” (Credit: Getty Images)

“Happy Days” star Al Molinaro passed away October 30 following complications from a gallbladder infection; he was 96 years old. Molinaro guest starred on “Bewitched” and “Get Smart” and played cop Murray Greshler on “The Odd Couple,” but he’s best remembered for playing jolly diner owner Al Delvecchio on “Happy Days” from 1976 to 1982. Molinaro later reprised the role in the 1994 music video for Weezer’s “Buddy Holly.” (Credit: Everett)

Ralph Richeson, who played “Deadwood’s” eccentric cook, died October 27 of heart failure at the age of 63. Richeson was just an extra on the HBO Western before producer David Milch gave him a speaking role; that evolved into Richardson, the antler-loving cook he played for three seasons. Richeson went on to appear in the 2008 Will Smith film “Hancock” and an episode of NBC’s “Parks and Recreation.” (Credit: Getty Images)

Catherine Coulson, who played the Log Lady on “Twin Peaks,” passed away September 28 after a battle with cancer; she was 71 years old. Coulson worked as an assistant camera operator on a number of films, including David Lynch’s debut film “Eraserhead,” before playing the clairvoyant who toted a hunk of wood with her everywhere on both seasons of Lynch’s surreal ABC murder-mystery. More recently, Coulson appeared in episodes of “Psych” and “Portlandia,” and had planned to reprise her Log Lady role in Showtime’s upcoming “Twin Peaks” revival before her death. (Credit: Getty Images)

Judy Carne, best known as the “Sock it to me!” girl from “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In,” passed away September 3 from pneumonia; she was 76 years old. An actress in her native England, Carne moved to the U.S. in the early 1960s and landed roles on “Gidget,” “I Dream of Jeannie,” and “Bonanza.” But she shot to fame in the late ‘60s as a cast member on NBC’s free-wheeling sketch comedy series, famously saying “Sock it to me!” Carne left “Laugh-In” in 1970 and later moved back to England, writing a 1985 autobiography about her showbiz career. (Credit: Everett)

“Adam-12” and “Route 66” star Martin Milner died September 6 of heart failure at his home in Carlsbad, California at the age of 83. Milner became a star thanks to a pair of memorable TV roles: first, as young traveler Tod Stiles on CBS’s “Route 66” (1960-64), then veteran LAPD officer Pete Malloy on NBC’s “Adam-12” (1968-1975). In a career spanning five decades, Milner also guest starred on everything from “The Lone Ranger” and “Dragnet” to “MacGyver” and “Life Goes On.” (Credit: Getty Images)

Yvonne Craig, who played Batgirl on TV’s “Batman,” died August 17 from metastatic breast cancer at the age of 78. Craig also appeared on “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.” and played the green-skinned Orion slave girl in a 1969 episode of “Star Trek,” but she’s best known as Barbara Gordon, who donned a purple and yellow costume and fought crime alongside Bruce Wayne as Batgirl on the third and final season of “Batman.” Craig later appeared in episodes of “Love, American Style,” “Kojak,” and “The Six Million Dollar Man.” (Credit: Getty Images)

“Deadliest Catch” captain Tony Lara died August 8 of a heart attack; he was 50 years old. A veteran of Alaska’s crab fishing scene, Lara took control of the Cornelia Marie during Season 7 of Discovery’s hit reality show; he was also a close friend of Captain Phil Harris, who helmed the Cornelia Marie before his own death in 2010. (Credit: Discovery)

NFL Hall of Famer and “Monday Night Football” announcer Frank Gifford passed away August 9 of natural causes at his Greenwich, Connecticut home; he was 84 years old. After a 12-year playing career in the NFL, Gifford joined Howard Cosell and Don Meredith in the “MNF” booth in 1971 and remained there as a commentator until 1998. Gifford also covered the Olympics for ABC and contributed to the network’s “Wild World of Sports”; he was married to daytime host Kathie Lee Gifford from 1986 until his death. (Credit: Getty Images)

Character actor George Coe died July 18 after a long illness at the age of 86. Coe was an established theater actor when he was added to the original cast of “Saturday Night Live” for its 1975 debut; he was quickly dropped from the cast, though, and only appeared in a handful of episodes. Coe went on to dozens of TV guest roles, from “Star Trek: The Next Generation” to playing a U.S. Senator in two episodes of “The West Wing.” More recently, Coe voiced Woodhouse the butler on FX’s animated spy comedy “Archer.” (Credit: Getty Images)

Emmy-winning actor Alex Rocco passed away July 18 after a battle with cancer at the age of 79. Although best known as mobster Moe Greene in “The Godfather,” Rocco had an notable TV career as well; he played Jo’s father Charlie on “The Facts of Life” and talent agent Al Floss on “The Famous Teddy Z,” a role that won him an Emmy in 1990. Rocco also voiced animation boss Roger Meyers, Jr. on “The Simpsons” and starred in the Starz period crime drama “Magic City.” (Credit: Everett)

“Cheers” actor Roger Rees died July 10 from brain cancer; he was 71 years old. The Wales native performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company and won a Tony award in 1980, but TV audiences know him best as ultra-rich tycoon Robin Colcord, who romanced Kirstie Alley on “Cheers” from 1989 to 1993. Rees also played substitute teacher Mr. Racine on “My So-Called Life” and British Ambassador Lord John Marbury on “The West Wing.” (Credit: Everett)

Patrick Macnee, star of TV’s “The Avengers,” passed away June 25 at his California home at the age of 93. Born in London, Macnee served in the Royal Navy before starting his acting career; in 1961, he landed his signature role as suave secret agent John Steed on “The Avengers.” The British series became a hit in the U.S. and ran until 1969. Macnee later guest starred on “Murder, She Wrote” and “The Love Boat,” and narrated the opening credits of ABC’s original “Battlestar Galactica.” (Credit: Everett)

“Eight Is Enough” star Dick Van Patten passed away June 23 from complications from diabetes; he was 86 years old. Van Patten started out as a child actor in the 1930s; he played brother Nels in the CBS period drama “Mama” from 1949 to 1957. But he’s best known as warm-hearted patriarch Tom Bradford on CBS’s family sitcom “Eight Is Enough,” which ran from 1977 to 1981. In later years, Van Patten made a number of appearances in film and TV, including “Happy Days,” “Sanford and Son,” and “Arrested Development.” (Credit: Everett)

Actress and comedian Anne Meara died May 23 at her Manhattan home at the age of 85. In the 1960s, Meara teamed with her husband Jerry Stiller to form the popular comedy duo Stiller and Meara, making dozens of appearances on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” She went on to appear in a number of TV comedies, playing Sally Gallagher on “Rhoda,” cook Veronica Rooney on “Archie Bunker’s Place,” and Steve’s mom Mary on “Sex and the City.” Nominated for four Emmy awards, Meara was also the mother of actor Ben Stiller.

“Star Trek” star Grace Lee Whitney passed away May 1 of natural causes; she was 85 years old. Whitney played Yeoman Janice Rand during “Trek’s” first season; she was cast as Captain Kirk’s love interest, but later dropped when producers wanted Kirk to have a different romance each week. But Rand later returned to the “Star Trek” family, reprising her role in four “Trek” movies and a 1996 episode of “Star Trek: Voyager”; she also appeared in episodes of “The Outer Limits,” “Bewitched,” and “Diagnosis: Murder.”

“The Partridge Family” child star Suzanne Crough passed away April 27 in her Nevada home; she was 52 years old. Crough played youngest daughter and tambourine player Tracy Partridge on the 1970-74 ABC hit, alongside Shirley Jones, David Cassidy, and Danny Bonaduce. She also starred in commercials as a kid, but mostly stayed out of the spotlight as an adult, occasionally making an appearance at “Partridge Family” reunions. (Source: Yahoo Magazines PYC)

Three-time Emmy nominee Jayne Meadows, whose prolific showbiz career spanned six decades, died April 26 of natural causes at the age of 95. Meadows made her TV debut in the 1950s alongside husband (and future “Tonight Show” host) Steve Allen, and went on to appear on shows from “Fantasy Island” to “The Love Boat” to “St. Elsewhere,” earning three Emmy nominations from 1978 to 1996. She was also the sister of “The Honeymooners” star Audrey Meadows, who played Ralph Kramden’s wife Alice. (Source: Yahoo Magazines PYC)

“Everybody Loves Raymond” child star Sawyer Sweeten died April 23 of a suspected suicide; he was just 19 years old. Sweeten played Ray and Debra’s son Geoffrey on the hit CBS sitcom, and it was a family affair; his twin brother Sullivan played son Michael, and his sister Madylin played eldest daughter Ally. Sawyer and Sullivan were just 16 months old when they debuted on the show in 1996; they remained with the show until it ended in 2005. (Source: Yahoo Magazines PYC)

“L.A. Law” star Richard Dysart passed away April 5 after a long illness at the age of 86. Dysart started out in theater and radio and appeared in films like “Pale Rider” and “Mask” before taking the role of senior partner Leland McKenzie on NBC’s 1986-94 legal drama, earning an Emmy for best supporting actor in a drama in 1992. (Source: Yahoo Magazines PYC)

James Best, who famously played Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane on “The Dukes of Hazzard,” died April 6 of complications from pneumonia; he was 88 years old. A Kentucky native who served in World War II, Best appeared in many movies (“The Caine Mutiny,” “Rolling Thunder”) and TV shows (“Gunsmoke,” “The Andy Griffith Show”) during his decades-long career. But he’s best remembered as the inept sheriff who could never quite catch Bo and Luke Duke on CBS’s 1979-85 hit series. (Source: Yahoo Magazines PYC)

Actress Alberta Watson, who had memorable roles on “24” and “Nikita,” passed away March 21 in her native Canada at the age of 60. After early roles on “Hill Street Blues” and “Law & Order,” she played CTU head Erin Driscoll in the fourth season of “24,” and reprised her “La Femme Nikita” role of Senator Madeline Pierce on The CW’s “Nikita.” (Source: Yahoo Magazines PYC)

Eugene Patton, aka Gene Gene The Dancing Machine on “The Gong Show,” died March 9 of complications from diabetes at the age of 82. Patton was a stagehand working on the NBC game show when host Chuck Barris called him on stage to dance to Count Basie’s jazz tune “Jumpin’ at the Woodside”; he was an instant sensation, and became a staple during the show’s late-1970s run. (Source: Yahoo Magazines PYC)

“Seinfeld” actor Daniel von Bargen died March 1 after a long struggle with diabetes; he was 64 years old. Von Bargen memorably played George’s boss Mr. Kruger during “Seinfeld’s” final season, and went on to play Commandant Edwin Spangler on 15 episodes of “Malcolm in the Middle.” He also guest starred on shows from “The X-Files” to “The West Wing,” and appeared in films like “Basic Instinct,” “Super Troopers,” and “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”

“Star Trek’s” Leonard Nimoy passed away February 27 from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; he was 83 years old. Nimoy had roles on Dragnet and Perry Mason before landing the iconic role of Spock, the half-Vulcan science officer of the U.S.S. Enterprise. Nimoy earned three Emmy nominations in three seasons of the original “Star Trek” series, then went on to star in six big-screen “Trek” movies. Nimoy stepped behind the camera to direct films like “Three Men and a Baby,” recorded several albums of music, and had a recurring role as Dr. William Bell on Fox’s sci-fi drama “Fringe.” (Source: Yahoo Magazines PYC)

Ben Woolf, who played circus freak Meep on “American Horror Story: Freak Show,” died February 23 from a stroke after being struck by a SUV in Hollywood. Prior to “Freak Show,” the 4-foot-4 Woolf played the demon baby Infantata in “American Horror Story’s” first season, “Murder House.” He was just 34 years old. (Source: Yahoo Magazines PYC)

“Parks and Recreation” writer/co-star Harris Wittels was found dead February 19 from a suspected drug overdose; he was just 30 years old. Wittels was a co-executive producer of the NBC comedy, and also appeared on the show as a lazy employee in the animal control department. Before Parks, Wittels did stand-up and wrote for “Eastbound & Down” and “The Sarah Silverman Program.” (Source: Yahoo Magazines PYC)

“Laugh-In” announcer Gary Owens passed away February 12 at the age of 80. In addition to being the voice of Rowan and Martin’s late-'60s cultural institution, Owens was the longtime announcer for “Sesame Street” and lent his voice to many animated series, from “Space Ghost” to “Ren and Stimpy”; he was also a popular radio personality for more than three decades. (Source: Yahoo Magazines PYC)

“60 Minutes” correspondent Bob Simon was killed in a car crash February 11 in New York City; he was 73 years old. In his 46 years at CBS News, Simon covered foreign affairs, from U.S. troops’ withdrawal from Vietnam to the protests in China’s Tiananmen Square. He served as the network’s chief Middle East correspondent during the first Gulf War and was captured while reporting in 1991, spending 40 days in an Iraqi prison. He joined “60 Minutes” in 1996, eventually becoming the show’s senior foreign correspondent; he received more than 40 awards for his work, including 27 Emmys. (Source: Yahoo Magazines PYC)

TV and radio host Joe Franklin died January 24 of prostate cancer at the age of 88. A New York media icon, Franklin pioneered the modern talk show format with “The Joe Franklin Show,” which debuted in 1950 and gave future stars from Woody Allen and Barbra Streisand to Robin Williams and Richard Pryor their first TV exposure. With 43 consecutive years on air, Franklin is recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running TV talk show host in history, outpacing even Johnny Carson. (Source: Yahoo Magazines PYC)

Taylor Negron, a familiar character actor from TV and films, passed away January 10 following a long battle with cancer; he was 57 years old. Negron may be most famous for playing the guy who delivered a pizza to Jeff Spicoli’s history class in 1982’s “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” but he also had an extensive TV résumé, with appearances on “Friends,” “Seinfeld,” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” (Source: Yahoo Magazines PYC)

ESPN anchor Stuart Scott died January 4 at the age of 49 after a seven-year battle with cancer. The North Carolina native joined ESPN in 1993 and brought a hip, urban edge to sports broadcasting, peppering highlights with catchphrases like “Boo-yah!” and “as cool as the other side of the pillow.” Scott went on to anchor ABC’s coverage of NBA basketball and ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” postgame show, even during his cancer treatment; he is survived by two teen daughters, Taelor and Sydni. (Source: Yahoo Magazines PYC)

“One Life To Live” star and Tony-winning Broadway actress Patricia Elliott died December 20 at the age of 77. Elliott was known to soap fans as Renee Divine, the feisty wife of patriarch Asa Buchanan, a role she played off and on between 1988 and 2011.

“American Horror Story: Freak Show” actress Rose Siggins died December 12; she was just 43 years old. Siggins was born with a rare genetic disorder called sacral agenesis, which gave her severely deformed legs; she had both legs amputated as a child, and went on to become an advocate for the disabled, as well as play sideshow performer Legless Suzi in the fourth season of FX’s horror anthology. Siggins is survived by her husband, Dave, and two children. (Credit: Getty Images)

“American Horror Story: Freak Show” actress Rose Siggins died December 12; she was just 43 years old. Siggins was born with a rare genetic disorder called sacral agenesis, which gave her severely deformed legs; she had both legs amputated as a child, and went on to become an advocate for the disabled, as well as play sideshow performer Legless Suzi in the fourth season of FX’s horror anthology. Siggins is survived by her husband, Dave, and two children. (Credit: Getty Images)

A look back at some of the television greats who have left us this year.

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