June's 2009 notable deaths

Obituaries

June's 2009 notable deaths

Here are a selection of notable deaths from Georgia, the nation and the world for June 2009.

Michael Jackson: Aug. 29, 1958 - June 25 --- Known as the 'King of Pop', Jackson was one of the most influential entertainers of all time. His music, his dancing, and of course, his personal life were in the news for five decades. With his brothers, he was the lead singer for the Jackson 5 in the 1960s, and his 1982 solo-album 'Thriller' remains the best-selling of all time. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame -- twice. Jackson died from cardiac arrest.

Farrah Fawcett: Feb. 2, 1947 - June 25 --- Fawcett was a pop culture icon who became famous when her red-bathing suit poster made her an international sex symbol and her feathered hairstyle was emulated by millions of young women. She also starred (for one year) in the cult-hit TV show 'Charlie's Angels'. She married Lee Majors, the 'Six Million Dollar Man' for a brief time and was later in a relationship with actor Ryan O'Neal. Fawcett died of anal cancer.

Jerri Nielsen: March 1, 1952 - June 23 --- Nielsen diagnosed and treated her own breast cancer when she was spending the polar winter with 40 scientists on Antarctica. Using only ice and local anesthetic, she performed her own biopsy. Doctors monitored her condition via satellite email and decided she needed chemotherapy drugs. The only way to deliver them was through a dangerous midwinter airdrop -- successfully done in total darkness with a field lit only by fire. She died of breast cancer.

Ed McMahon: March 6, 1923 - June 23 --- 'Heeeeeerrrrrre's Johnny!' For nearly 30 years, McMahon's said his trademark line for Johnny Carson on the 'The Tonight Show'. For decades, he was television's multi-purpose pitchman, promoting everything from American Family Publishers sweepstakes to Budweiser beer. He was host of the talent show 'Star Search' and recently, he even paired with MC Hammer to promote Cash4Gold. McMahon died from several health problems.

Koko Taylor: Sept. 28, 1928 - June 3 --- Taylor was widely considered (and billed) as the Queen of the Blues. She won a Grammy Award in 1985 and was nominated for eight others. She also won the Blues Music Award 29 times -- more than any other performer. Best known for her 1965 single -Wang Dang Doodle-, she maintained a schedule of close to 50 concerts a year and continued performing until just days before being hospitalized in May. Taylor died from complications following surgery.

Billy Mays: July 20, 1958 - June 28 --- Mays was a pop-culture icon through his infomercials for cleaning products like Orange Glo, OxiClean and Kaboom. With his distinctive bushy beard and booming voice, Mays became a instant, recognizable figure with North America television. Mays learned his craft on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, where he drew crowds as he hawked his mops and other wares and was eventually hired by the Home Shopping Network. May died of heart disease.

Roger 'Bill' Terry: August 13, 1921 - June 11 --- Terry was the only Tuskegee Airmen member convicted the 'Freeman Field Mutiny.' In 1945, Terry helped Coleman A. Young, who became Detroit's mayor, send black airmen over to the non-integrated white officers' club. In all, 162 black officers were arrested, and he received general courts-martial. Terry had attended UCLA on an athletic scholarship, where he played basketball and roomed with Jackie Robinson. He died of heart failure.

Jeff Swanagan: c. 1958 - June 28 --- Swanagan was the first executive director and president of the Georgia Aquarium. He also worked 11 years at Zoo Atlanta.. An Ohio native, he left Atlanta in 2008 to be the executive director for the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. Swanagan died from a heart attack.

David Carradine: Dec. 8, 1936 - June 3 --- With four decades of television, Carradine is best known the 1970s TV series, 'Kung Fu', the sequel of the 1990s television show, 'Kung Fu: The Legend Continues', and more recently the 'Kill Bill' films. He appeared in more than 100 films and was nominated for four Golden Globe Awards. He was also the spokeman for Lipton tea: 'This ain't no sippin' tea!', a homage to his Kung Fu days. Carradine's death was treated as a suicide.

Mokolo Temo: July 4, 1874? - June 3 --- Temo was a South African woman who claimed to be the oldest living person in the world at 134. Her claim has never been verified by the Guinness World Records. Blind since the 1950s, she was survived by two daughters, 29 grandchildren, 59 great-grandchildren and at least 5 great-great grandchildren. Her favorite foods? She loved spinach, meat, sweets and Coca-Cola. She died of natural causes.

Kenneth Reusser: Jan. 27, 1920 - June 20 --- Considered the most decorated Marine Aviator ever, Reusser flew 253 combat missions, earning 59 medals while flying in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. He is the only aviator to survive being shot down in all three wars. After retiring from the military as a Colonel, Reusser lived in Oregon and worked for Lockheed Aircraft, where he helped develop the U-2 spy plane.

John Houghtaling: Nov. 14, 1916 - June 17 --- Houghtaling will forever be known as the inventor of the Magic Fingers Vibrating Bed, a common feature in mid-priced hotels and motels in the 1960s. It was a simple operation: Go into your hotel room, drop a quarter in the bed's meter and the mattress began vibrating. By the end of the 70s, more than 1 million units had been installed in hotels and homes across the U.S. and Europe. Houghtaling died from complications from a fall.

Edith Ronne: October 14, 1919 - June 14 --- Ronne became the first American woman to stay on the Antarctic from 1947-1948. She was the recorder and historian for the 15-month expedition that included her husband and other scientists. She chronicled the difficulties of living in a 12-foot-square hut and the dangers that beset them. In 1995, in her late 70s, she revisited the base after it was designated a historic monument. Ronne died of cancer and Alzheimer's disease.

Fred Travalena: Oct. 6, 1942 - June 28 --- Travalena was a master impressionist whose repertoire of voices ranged from Bugs Bunny to Dr. Ruth to Bruce Springsteen. Dubbed 'The Man of a Thousand Faces', he was said to have had more than 360 voices to choose from. Travelena's talent led to a side career dubbing in clean dialogue to replace offensive language in films. In 2005, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Travelena died from non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

D. Mark Hegsted (at right): March 25, 1914 - June 16 --- A Harvard nutritionist, Hegsted's studies showed that consumption of saturated fats led to increases in harmful cholesterol. This finding will forever be known as the 'Hegsted Equation'. Along with colleagues, it also showed polyunsaturated fats found in foods like seeds and nuts actually lowered the total cholesterol level. This led federal officials to help Americans achieve better health through improved food choices.

Bernard Barker: March 17, 1917 - June 5 --- Barker was one of the burglars whose 1972 break-in at the Watergate building in Washington D.C. led to President Richard Nixon s resignation. Barker, a Cuban-born American, was recruited for undercover operations during the Nixon administration. Barker died of lung disease.

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Michael Jackson: Aug. 29, 1958 - June 25 --- Known as the 'King of Pop', Jackson was one of the most influential entertainers of all time. His music, his dancing, and of course, his personal life were in the news for five decades. With his brothers, he was the lead singer for the Jackson 5 in the 1960s, and his 1982 solo-album 'Thriller' remains the best-selling of all time. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame -- twice. Jackson died from cardiac arrest.

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