Tag Archives: obituaries

Remembering Newsman Tony Valdez | 1945-2023

Posted on May 11, 2023 by lmharnisch

We’re remembering veteran Fox 11 newsman Tony Valdez, who died last week at 78. Tony loved Los Angeles and he loved Los Angeles history; for Tony, the city was a profession and an avocation. When he wasn’t reporting on Los … Continue reading →

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Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Betty White, America’s Sweetheart

Posted on January 3, 2022 by lmharnisch

On December 31, beloved television actress Betty White passed away at the age of 99. For more than 80 years, she charmed audiences with her quick wit, sly smile, genuine warmth, and wicked sense of humor. White’s expert comic timing … Continue reading →

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Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights — Constantin Bakaleinikoff

Posted on March 1, 2021 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2011. Most people today probably haven’t heard of motion picture musical conductor Constantin Bakaleinikoff, but he was instrumental in setting up theatre orchestras around Los Angeles in the 1920s, before he became music … Continue reading →

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Black Dahlia: Donald H. Wolfe; ‘Black Dahlia Files’ Fraudster | 1931 – 2015

Posted on March 6, 2020 by lmharnisch

I’m five years late on this item, but for the record: Donald H. Wolfe, the fraudster who wrote “The Black Dahlia Files,” died in February 2015.

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Ed Fuentes: We Lose a Member of the Brain Trust

Posted on February 8, 2019 by lmharnisch

Dear friends and members of the Brain Trust. We lost a charter member with the death of Ed Fuentes, who apparently suffered a fatal heart attack, according to Facebook. Ed was the subject of my first column at The Times … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012, 2019, Art & Artists, Brain Trust, Obituaries | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Jan. 22, 1959: ‘Our Gang’ Star Carl ‘Alfalfa’ Switzer Dies in Fight Over $50

Posted on January 22, 2019 by lmharnisch

Jan. 22, 1959: Carl ‘Alfalfa’ Switzer is shot to death in a fight with Moses Samuel Stiltz. According to police, Switzer borrowed a dog belonging to Stiltz, then lost the dog. Switzer paid $50 for the return of Stiltz’s dog. … Continue reading →

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Jan. 21, 1959: Cecil B. De Mille Dies at 77

Posted on January 21, 2019 by lmharnisch

  Jan. 21, 1959: The Mirror brings out an extra when Cecil B. De Mille died of a heart attack at the age of 77.. The post originally appeared on latimes.com in 2009 and is available via Archive.org.

Posted in 1959, Film, Hollywood, Obituaries | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Voices: Recalling Times Sports Columnist Ned Cronin

Posted on January 13, 2019 by lmharnisch

Keith Thursby writes: Ned Cronin was a columnist at The Times until his death in 1958 and his work has been featured often in the Daily Mirror. His son, Jerry, recently discovered the blog and we started an e-mail conversation. … Continue reading →

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Jan. 2, 1958: Photographer Edward Weston Dies

Posted on January 2, 2019 by lmharnisch

Here’s a blog post I wrote for the Daily Mirror blog in 2008, when it was hosted by the Los Angeles Times. Edward Weston, one of the great photographers of the 20th century, received a one-paragraph obituary in the Los … Continue reading →

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Dec. 20, 1947: Pulp Author Rob Eden Dies | Author of ‘Short Skirts: A Story of Modern Youth’

Posted on December 20, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2005 and originally appeared on the 1947project.. And at the age of 55, after dozens of novels and countless short stories, he died. Not that you’ve heard of him or any of his … Continue reading →

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Nov. 16, 1947: Alvira Earp, Widow of Frontier Lawman Virgil Earp

Posted on November 16, 2018 by lmharnisch
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Oct. 23, 1947: Hollywood Fashion Designer, Partner Die Within Hours; Family Sues Over Estate of Men With ‘Strange Attachment’

Posted on October 23, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2005 and originally appeared on the 1947project.. Robert and Joseph were close—even in death. They shared a home filled with antiques, bric-a-brac and paintings at 4329 Agnes Ave. in North Hollywood, as well … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Fashion, Film, Hollywood, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Obituaries | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Col. John Bryson, 1819 – 1907 | Ex-Mayor Was Millionaire L.A. Developer

Posted on October 11, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2006. Oct. 11,1907 Los Angeles Perhaps John Bryson’s early life was something out of Horatio Alger, but the death of the Los Angeles developer and self-made millionaire could have easily been taken from … Continue reading →

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Oct. 2, 1947: On Skid Row, Homeless Children Mourn Their Beloved Sister Ollie

Posted on October 2, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2005 and originally appeared on the 1947project. Sister Ollie died happy, according to her mother, Sister Sibbie, the superintendent at Sunshine Mission, 558 S. Wall St., a shelter for homeless women and children … Continue reading →

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Aug. 7, 1947: Marriage of Elizabeth Sheedy to Timothy Doheny a Highlight of Social Season

Posted on August 7, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2005 and originally appeared on the 1947project. BY CHRISTY FOX Outstanding on the summer bridal calendar was the wedding yesterday of Elizabeth Sheedy, daughter of Mrs. Martin Sheedy and Frank Ainsworth Sheedy, to … Continue reading →

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Aug. 2, 1907: Dr. Lucy Hall-Brown Dies

Posted on August 2, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2006 and reflects the minimal online resources that were available 12 years ago.  Aug. 2, 1907 Los Angeles The Times reports the death of Dr. Lucy Hall-Brown, a prominent woman physician who was … Continue reading →

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Black L.A. 1947: Bandleader Jimmie Lunceford Collapses in Record Store, Dies at 45

Posted on July 17, 2018 by lmharnisch

Suzette Johnson appears in “The Foxes of Harrow.” July 17, 1947: The Los Angeles Sentinel has a news story on the death of bandleader Jimmie Lunceford, who collapsed in a record store in Seaside, Ore., and a mention in Earl … Continue reading →

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June 15, 2005: Remembering UCLA Professor Eric Monkkonen

Posted on June 15, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2005 and originally appeared on the 1947project. The Times reports the death of UCLA professor Eric Monkkonen, who spent years studying murder in the U.S. and focused on Los Angeles. Among his many … Continue reading →

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Feb. 2, 1933: James M. Cain Writes Appreciation of Ice Cream Truck Driver Robert D. ‘Red’ Shay

Posted on June 9, 2018 by lmharnisch

  Note: This is an encore post from 2005 and originally appeared on the 1947project. “Red” Shay, 26, was riding with his girlfriend, Nancy Reed, in the rumble seat a car driven by his roommate, L.W. Sinclair, when it struck … Continue reading →

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May 23, 1947: Lloyd Osbourne Dies; Inspired Stepfather Robert Louis Stevenson to Write ‘Treasure Island’

Posted on May 23, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2005 that originally appeared on the 1947project. The May 23-24 papers are full of great, crazy stories. It’s hard to choose just one: Is it Britain about to partition India, which got buried … Continue reading →

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