Year: 2008

Georgia Frontiere (November 21, 1927 — January 18, 2008) was the co-owner and chairwoman of the St. Louis Rams. She grew up in a middle class home, the daughter of an insurance salesman and entertainer Lucia Pamela. When she was 15 years old, her parents divorced and a shaken Frontiere eloped with her boyfriend, a US Army soldier who died in World War II. After going to college at Pepperdine University for business and working for several years as a secretary, Frontiere decided that she wanted to enter show business. She moved to Los Angeles and later Miami, where she worked as a dancer, a singer, a weather forecaster, and in various other jobs.

Georgia Frontiere’s Death
In 2004 Frontiere was diagnosed with breast cancer. 4 years later on January 18, 2008, she died peacefully at UCLA Medical Center, in Los Angeles, California. Frontiere was 80 years old.

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Robert James "Bobby" Fischer (March 9, 1943 – January 17, 2008) was an American-born Icelandic chess Grandmaster who became famous as a teenager for his chess-playing ability, and in 1972 became the only American chessplayer to become the official World Chess Champion. In 1975 he refused to defend the title when FIDE, the international chess federation, did not accept all his conditions for a title defense. He was stripped of his title as a result. Fischer is often referred to as a candidate for the greatest chess player of all time.

Fischer never returned to the United States after his 1992 rematch with Spassky. He lived in Hungary and later Japan, where he was detained by Japanese authorities in 2004-2005 after his U.S. passport was revoked. He was granted Icelandic citizenship, and lived in Iceland from 2005 until his death. In the final decades of his life, he became well-known for his anti-American and anti-Semitic statements

Death of Bobby Fischer
Bobby Fischer died from kidney failure, in Reykjavik, Iceland.
Bobby Fischer was 64 years old at the timd of his death.

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Brad Barron Renfro (July 25, 1982 – January 15, 2008) was an American actor. He made his film debut in 1994 in the lead role of The Client. He acted in 21 films, several short films, and two television episodes ("Law & Order: Criminal Intent" and "Recess") during his career. Much of his later career was marred by a pattern of substance abuse. He died January 15, 2008 from a heroin overdose.

Latest: Brad Renfro had a secret Son, known as "Y".

Death of Brad Renfro

Brad Renfro was found dead, at the age of 25, on January 15, 2008 in his Los Angeles apartment. On February 8, 2008, the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office ruled that Renfro’s death was accidental, attributing it to acute heroin/morphine intoxication.  His body was returned to East Tennessee, where he was buried on January 22, 2008 north of Knoxville, at Red House Cemetery in the small community of Blaine.  He was not included in the annual Academy Awards tribute to Hollywood figures who died in the past year.

Less than three weeks after his death, his grandmother Joanne – who had raised him and accompanied him regularly during his early acting career – died at her home at the age of 76.  Local officials stated that she died of natural causes

Richard Knerr (1926 ? – January 14, 2008) co founded Wham-o toy company. Richard Knerr invented Hula Hoop, Frisbee, Silly String, Slip ‘N Slide, and many more.

Death of Richard Knerr
Richard Knerr died from stroke. Richard was 82 years old at the time of his death.

Richard Knerr and his partner Arthur Melin (Wham-o) sold 20 million hula hoops in first 6 month.

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Sir Edmund Percival Hillary (20 July 1919 – 11 January 2008) was a New Zealand mountaineer and explorer. On 29 May 1953, he and Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers known to have reached the summit of Mount Everest. They were part of the ninth British expedition to Everest, led by John Hunt.

Sir Edmund Hillary died at the Auckland City Hospital at around 9 am NZDT of a heart attack on 11 January 2008 at the age of 88.

Sir Hillary’s death was announced by New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark at around 11.20 am NZDT during which she stated that his passing was a "profound loss to New Zealand". His death was recognised by the lowering of flags to half-mast at the New Zealand Parliament, Auckland Harbour Bridge and at Scott Base in Antarctica. He was in hospital at the time of his death but was expected to come home that day according to his family

Carl Nicholas Karcher, (January 16, 1917 – January 11, 2008) was the American founder of the Carl’s Jr. hamburger chain, now owned by parent company CKE Restaurants, Inc.

Carl karcher’s Death:
Carl Karcher died on January 11, 2008 from complications of Parkinson’s Disease.
Carl Karcher 5 day from his 91st birthday at the time of his death.

Born on a farm near Upper Sandusky, Ohio, Karcher was the son of Ohio natives Leo and Anna Maria (Kuntz) Karcher. Leo Karcher’s grandparents had immigrated from Belgium; Anna Maria Kuntz was of German ancestry. Carl N. Karcher moved to Anaheim, California, where his uncle ran a small business. He was hired by his uncle and worked for him for three years, later he dropped that job to work at a bakery as a delivery boy which doubled his salary monthly. He married Margaret Magdalen Heinz Karcher in 1939.

Karcher and his wife started their first business, a hot dog stand, on July 17, 1941 in Los Angeles, California when they borrowed $311 against their Plymouth automobile and added $15 from Margaret’s purse. The stand initially sold hot dogs and Mexican tamales. On January 16, 1945, they opened their first restaurant, Carl’s Drive-In Barbecue in Anaheim.

Their restaurant quickly grew and they opened several more restaurants, numbering 100 by 1974 and more than 300 by 1981. He served for a time as Chairman and CEO of the company.

He has been awarded the Horatio Alger Award for outstanding individual initiative and commitment to excellence while assisting those less fortunate.

On January 16, 2007, which was his 90th birthday, Karcher and his deceased wife Margaret were recognized with the placement of a star on the Anaheim/Orange County Walk of Stars.

His son Jerome Karcher, who is a priest for the Orange County Diocese, has recently received the Man of Character Award from the Boy Scouts of America for creating mercy houses in Orange County for the homeless and those with AIDS.

 

Johnny Grant (May 9, 1923 – January 9, 2008) was an American radio personality, television producer, and the honorary mayor of Hollywood. The honorary mayor was present at Hollywood community functions, including the unveiling of new stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. An intersection just north of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue is designated "Johnny Grant Way."

Grant died in bed at his apartment in the Roosevelt Hotel, the night of January 9, 2008 at the age of 84

In 1954, Grant had a significant role in the Paramount film White Christmas, portraying "Ed Harrison," an Ed Sullivan-type TV show host.

He is a retired major general in the California State Military Reserve, a volunteer backup and support force of the California National Guard. He is the only person ever to twice receive an Order of California, the state’s highest honor. He was the first recipient of the highest honor awarded by the USO, the United Service Organizations. He has been chairman of the Los Angeles City Fire Commission, the Los Angeles County Social Service Commission and the Burbank, California, Police Commission. Most recently he has been a member of the Los Angeles City Cultural Heritage Commission.

Grant has won the Emmy Award twice. He was also chairman of the "Hollywood Christmas Parade" and head of the Hollywood Walk of Fame committee.

Related Blog – Angelyne to Succeed Johnny Grant?