Obituaries
Notable Chicagoans and people from around the world who have recently died.
Texan Sonny Curtis wrote “Love Is All Around,” “I Fought the Law,” “Walk Right Back” and “More Than I Can Say.” Curtis was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012 with the Crickets.
Mr. Gavin oversaw lifeguards at beaches in Rogers Park for decades.
Former clients say Mr. Morris had an uncanny knack for walking into a space and, within moments, envisioning its future layout.
Jim Edgar, a moderate Republican, served two terms as Illinois governor from 1991 to 1999. He announced this year that he was being treated for pancreatic cancer. Asked how he would be remembered, Mr. Edgar told City Hall reporter Fran Spielman: “He was a good, good public servant.”
He also helped start the Chinese American Museum of Chicago. He arrived in Chicago at 15 to join his father in their extended family’s food business in Chinatown, supplying restaurants and shoppers.
His storied career saw him behind a microphone at local outlets including CBS, WGN, WTTW and WBEZ, though his affinity for on-air production made him a national star.
Mr. Pasin took tremendous pride in the quality products his family’s company produced.
Mrs. Bartusiak placed poetic “in memoriam” newspaper ads, manicured grave sites and looked forward to seeing her departed loved ones once more.
His radio DJ woke Bill Murray’s character — again and again — in “Groundhog Day.” He started in improv comedy but also played serious roles in Chicago theater.
Terence Stamp is most known for his portrayal of the bearded General Zod in 1978’s “Superman” and its sequel “Superman II” two years later.
Mr. Lovell’s career included four space missions, culminating in heroically guiding the Apollo 13 back to Earth after an explosion crippled part of the spacecraft.
Howton scored the Packers’ first receiving touchdown at Lambeau Field in 1957, a 21-17 win over the Bears. He became the first NFL rookie with a 1,000-yard receiving season after recording 1,231 yards that year. He led the league in receiving yards twice, was named to four Pro Bowls and was a two-time All-Pro.
In the 1980s, when the government and much of society turned its back on Chicagoans dying of AIDS, Lori Cannon got busy helping and organizing, becoming a much-admired LGBTQ community fixture for the past 40 years.
Loni Anderson received two Emmy and three Golden Globe nominations for her portrayal of efficient, empowered receptionist Jennifer Marlowe on the CBS sitcom. She wrote about her turbulent marriage to actor Burt Reynolds in her memoir “My Life in High Heels.”
Mrs. Rizzato responded to her husband’s death by doubling down on strength, family and love, her children said.
The tagline for Celozzi-Ettleson Chevrolet — “Where you always save more money” — made him and his partner Nick Celozzi instantly recognizable and became a part of Chicago pop culture.
Sandberg still holds the modern-era franchise record for runs scored (1,316). Among right-handed hitters, he leads the pack in career singles (1,624) as a Cub and triples in a season (19 in 1984).
Starting in the early 1950s, satirist Tom Lehrer wrote and performed songs lampooning marriage, politics, racism and the Cold War. He later quit music and taught math at Harvard and other universities.
In 1997, Cleo Laine became the first British jazz artist to be made a dame, the female equivalent of a knight. The Grammy-winning singer with a wide vocal range also had a memorable Broadway role in ‘The Mystery of Edwin Drood’ for which she was nominated for a Tony.
Sister Pat and her longtime Sister of Mercy companion, Sister JoAnn Persch, were leaders of Chicago’s early sanctuary movement and founded multiple housing and community organizations for immigrants.