Don Nelson - # 362

Celtics legend Don Nelson passes away at 86

Boston Celtics legend and iconic head coach Don Nelson has passed away at the age of 86, his family announced on Sunday. 

He was number 361 on the list.

On Sunday, it was announced that Boston Celtics icon Don Nelson had passed away. He was 86 years old.

Nelson's family has since released a statement, per NBA insider Marc Stein.

“On Sunday morning our beloved husband, dad, grandfather and great-grandfather Don Nelson peacefully went to be with the Lord, surrounded by his loving family. Throughout his last week, friends and family encircled him with love, sharing the blessing of his friendship and revisiting treasured memories,” said the family, per Stein's account on X, formerly Twitter.

Nelson played for the Celtics from 1965-1976, winning five NBA titles with the franchise and having his number 19 jersey retired by the team, now hanging in the TD Garden rafters.

Nelson went on to have an illustrious career as a head coach in the NBA after his retirement, coaching the Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks, and Golden State Warriors.

For 12 years, he held the NBA all-time record for most wins by a head coach with 1,333, passing Lenny Wilkens in 2010 before being surpassed by Gregg Popovich in 2022. He was then inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.

Nelson began his playing career as a standout at Iowa before being drafted in the third round of the 1962 NBA Draft by the Chicago Zyphers. A small forward, he made a huge impact on the Celtics' dynastic success during the 1960s and 70s and was the rare elite player to go on to have just as successful a coaching career.

It remains to be seen what tributes the Celtics will have in store for the legend.

After an All-American career at the University of Iowa, Nelson won five NBA championships playing with the Boston Celtics, with his number 19 retired by the franchise in 1978.

His unique brand of basketball is often referred to as "Nellie Ball". A coaching innovator, Nelson is credited with, among other things, pioneering the concept of the point forward, a tactic which is frequently employed by teams at every level today. He was named one of the Top 10 coaches in NBA history.

Donald Arvid Nelson was born on May 15, 1940, in Muskegon, Michigan, to Arvid and Agnes Nelson. Nelson grew up with his family and two sisters on his grandfather's rural Illinois farm near Sherrard, Illinois. He first learned basketball shooting in the chicken yard where a spokeless bicycle wheel was nailed to the shed to make a basket. Nelson attended a one-room, six-grade, seven-student school. When his family lost the farm, the Nelsons moved to nearby Rock Island, Illinois, while Don was in middle school. His father Arvid eventually worked at the Rock Island Arsenal.

Nelson attended Rock Island High School, in Rock Island, one of the Quad Cities. The Nelsons lived in downtown Rock Island on 19th street and Don would walk to school, stopping to shoot baskets at several different locations along the way. Nelson would go to the YMCA after practice and shoot more.

Graduating in 1958, Nelson led the Rocks to a 47–7 record in his last two years under coach Bob Riley. He had 39 points and 20 rebounds against Moline High School and 30 points and 29 rebounds against No. 1-ranked Ottawa High School. As a junior, Nelson averaged 12.6 points as Rock Island finished 25–3. As a senior, Nelson averaged 20.2 points, leading the Rocks to a 22–4 record in 1957–58.

After his senior year in high school, Nelson wasn't heavily recruited. His father did not see a future for Don in basketball and wanted him to become a watch repairman. University of Iowa Coach Sharm Scheuerman, who had graduated from Rock Island in 1952, recruited Nelson, who ultimately chose the Hawkeyes over Wheaton College and Nelson's hometown Augustana College.

In the era when NCAA freshman weren't allowed to play varsity, Nelson was joined on the Iowa campus by future Hall of Famer Connie Hawkins in 1960. However, after playing for the freshman Iowa team in 1960–1961, Hawkins was embroiled in the 1961 college basketball gambling scandal and left Iowa. Hawkins was never charged with a crime and was later reinstated by the NBA, who had banned him.

In Nelson's years at Iowa, the Big Ten conference was full of future NBA players. Among others, Ohio State had future Hall of Fame players in John Havlicek and Jerry Lucas, along with Larry Siegfried. Indiana had a future Hall of Fame inductee in Walt Bellamy, while Purdue had future NBA All-Star Terry Dischinger.

As a rookie, Nelson averaged 17 minutes, playing alongside Walt Bellamy (27.9 points), Terry Dischinger (25.5 points), Si Green and Charlie Hardnett. Zephyrs Coach Jack McMahon was replaced by player Slick Leonard halfway through the season as Chicago finished 25–55. The Chicago Zephyrs moved to become the Baltimore Bullets after the season. Nelson played for the Zephyrs for one season averaging 6.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 17 minutes. Nelson was then acquired by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1963.

On September 6, 1963, Nelson was claimed on waivers by the Los Angeles Lakers from the Chicago Zephyrs. He played in 80 games in the 1963–64 season, but just 39 in the following season under coach Fred Schaus.

After his career ended, Nelson's son Donnie remembers the family sitting in a Maid Rite restaurant in Moline, Illinois, and Don saying he had three choices: sell cars, become an NBA referee, or accept an assistant's job under Milwaukee coach Larry Costello. They voted 5–0 for the Milwaukee job, which paid $25,000.

Nelson began his coaching career as an assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1976. After a 3–15 start to the season, Larry Costello resigned and Nelson was named Head Coach. A year later he became General Manager of the Bucks and soon began to show what would later become his signature style of wheeling and dealing players. Nelson made his first trade in 1977 by sending Swen Nater to the Buffalo Braves and turned the draft pick he received into Marques Johnson, who had a solid career with the Bucks. On November 25, 1977, the day after Thanksgiving, Nelson managed the greatest fourth-quarter comeback in NBA history. With Milwaukee down twenty-nine points to Atlanta, on the road, and with only 8:43 remaining, the Bucks went on a 35–4 run to win 117–115 in regulation. At the time, there was no three-point field goal.

In 1980, he sent off an underachieving Kent Benson to the Detroit Pistons for Bob Lanier. Perhaps his most publicized deal came before the 1984–85 season when he dealt Johnson, Junior Bridgeman, Harvey Catchings, and cash to the San Diego Clippers for Terry Cummings, Craig Hodges, and Ricky Pierce. And, in 1986, he would deal Alton Lister to the Seattle SuperSonics for Jack Sikma.

Taking over a Bucks team in the aftermath of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's departure to Los Angeles, Nelson was able to improve their win total by 14 games in his first full season as head coach, and established the team as a legitimate championship contender by 1980. It was in Milwaukee where Nelson became known for his unorthodox, innovative basketball philosophy. He pioneered the concept of the point forward – a tactic wherein small forwards are used to direct the offense. In Nelson's tenure with the Bucks, he used 6–5 small forward Paul Pressey for the role. This enabled Nelson to field shooting guards Sidney Moncrief and Craig Hodges or Ricky Pierce at the same time without worrying about who would run the offense. In his offensive half-court sets, he would also put a center who wasn't a threat on offense, like Lister or Randy Breuer, at mid-court instead of near the basket to keep a shot-blocking center like the Utah Jazz's Mark Eaton away from the basket to make him less of a threat on defense.

This system, known as "Nellie Ball", created a lot of mismatches and enabled Nelson to lead the Bucks to seven straight Central Division championships with over 50 wins in each of those seasons. He earned NBA Coach of the Year honors in 1983 and 1985. For seven straight years, finishing no worse than second best in the Eastern Conference, the Bucks ended up being eliminated in the playoffs by either the Larry Bird-led Boston Celtics or the Julius Erving-led Philadelphia 76ers. After the 1986–87 season, which included some controversy and distraction before Game 4 of the 1987 Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Boston Celtics where Nelson told the local sports media that he didn't expect to be back once the season concluded due to a rift with Bucks owner Herb Kohl, Nelson resigned as head coach of the Bucks. In 11 seasons, Nelson had a 540–344 (.611) record with Milwaukee.

In 1986 former Bucks owner, Jim Fitzgerald, purchased the Golden State Warriors. Nelson did part-time work as a color analyst for NBA games on TBS during the 1987–88 season. During the season he was contacted by the Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, and New York Knicks with offers to coach their teams. Nelson decided to go with Golden State, in large part due to his relationship with Fitzgerald, at first buying a minority stake in the team before being named head coach and vice president after one season away from the NBA.

 

In Golden State, he instilled a "run-and-gun" style of offense. Again using an unconventional lineup which featured three guards (Mitch Richmond, Tim Hardaway and Sarunas Marciulionis) and two forwards (Chris Mullin and the 6'8" Rod Higgins at center), he coached the Warriors to a 23-game turnaround of their previous season and back into the playoffs with his lineup popularly known as Run TMC, for Tim, Mitch and Chris. All three were later elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame after their careers. Nelson was named NBA Coach of the Year a third time after the 1991–92 season.

Nelson continued to retool the team, drafting All-Star Latrell Sprewell in 1992. Nelson traded the Warriors' number 3 pick Penny Hardaway to the Orlando Magic for their number one overall pick Chris Webber during the 1993 NBA draft. Despite Webber averaging 17.5 points and 9.1 rebounds per game and winning the 1994 NBA Rookie of the Year Award, he found himself at odds with Nelson's preference to play him at center rather than power forward. Frequently clashing with one another, Webber threatened to use the out-clause in his contract if he wasn't traded. Nelson reportedly offered to resign rather than let the team trade away their young star, but nonetheless Webber was dealt to the Washington Bullets on November 7, 1994, for Tom Gugliotta and three future 1st round draft picks (1996, 1998 and 2000).

 

Nelson resigned as head coach of the Warriors on February 13, 1995. He made the playoffs with Golden State in four of his six seasons there. Subsequently, the Warriors did not qualify for the playoffs for the next 12 seasons, until he returned to the team in 2006.

In 1994, Nelson coached the Team USA national basketball team at the 1994 FIBA World Championship in Toronto, and led them to the gold medal. The team was marketed as "Dream Team II".

 

Coached by Nelson, along with assistants Don Chaney, Pete Gillen, and Rick Majerus, Team USA had a roster of Derrick Coleman, Joe Dumars, Tim Hardaway (injured), Kevin Johnson, Larry Johnson, Shawn Kemp, Dan Majerle, Reggie Miller, Alonzo Mourning, Shaquille O'Neal, Mark Price, Steve Smith, Isiah Thomas (injured), and Dominique Wilkins.

 

USA went 8–0, defeating Spain 115–100, China 132–77, and Brazil 105–82. In the final round, the U.S. team defeated Australia 130–74, Puerto Rico 134–83, Russia 111–94, and Greece 97–58. In the gold medal game, Team USA defeated Russia 137–91.

Nelson was named head coach and general manager of the Dallas Mavericks in 1997. He was coming to a team that had been dormant through the 1990s and a permanent fixture in the NBA lottery. In 1998, his first full off-season in charge, Nelson worked out draft day deals with the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns, essentially trading the draft rights of Robert Traylor and Pat Garrity for Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash, whom he wanted to pair with the Mavericks rising star Michael Finley.

 

The trio of Nash, Finley and Nowitzki became the foundation for the Mavericks dramatic turnaround, as Nelson coached the Mavericks to four consecutive 50-win seasons. The height of their success was a 60-win season in 2002–03, when they reached the Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs. An injury to Nowitzki in game 3 that kept him out for the rest of the series doomed the Mavericks as they lost in six games.

 

Lacking an interior presence to combat low-post players such as Shaquille O'Neal, Nelson introduced the "Hack-a-Shaq" defense to the NBA while in Dallas. In the 2004 off-season, Steve Nash was offered a max contract by the Phoenix Suns; despite Nelson's insistence on matching the offer, Mark Cuban declined and Nash accepted Phoenix's offer. Nash won consecutive MVPs with the Suns the following two seasons.

 

On March 19, 2005, Nelson stepped down as Dallas' head coach, naming Avery Johnson as his successor. Nelson retained his job as Dallas' GM until after the season, when he named his son, assistant GM Donnie Nelson, as his replacement as GM. The Mavericks reached the NBA Finals the following season, though they would lose to the Miami Heat in six games.

On August 29, 2006, Nelson returned to the Golden State Warriors for a second stint as head coach. Chris Mullin, a favorite of Nelson's from his first stint as Warriors head coach, was the team's general manager. Nelson's style of coaching favored the play of Baron Davis, Monta Ellis, Matt Barnes, Jason Richardson, and Andris Biedriņš. Midway through the season, Mullin (at behest of Nelson) orchestrated a trade with the Pacers to obtain Al Harrington and Stephen Jackson.

 

The new lineup thrived under Nelson; Davis, Biedriņš and Jackson saw an increase in scoring and efficiency, Barnes went from a virtual unknown to a solid rotation contributor and Ellis was named the NBA's Most Improved Player after averaging 16.5 points per game, a substantial increase from his average of 6.8 points per game the prior season. The Warriors closed out the season on a 16–5 run and just managed to qualify for the 2007 playoffs.

 

Nelson faced his former team, the Dallas Mavericks, in the first round of the playoffs. The Mavs had the NBA's best record, and were a pick to win the NBA championship that year. In one of the biggest upsets in NBA playoff history, Nelson coached the 8th-seeded Warriors to series victory over the top-seeded Mavericks in six games. It was numerically the largest upset in the history of the NBA playoffs, with the 67–15 Mavericks' regular-season win–loss record 25 games better than the 42–40 Warriors'. The Warriors went on to lose to the Utah Jazz in the second round. Nelson became the only coach in NBA history to steer three teams to a first round series victory while being seeded either 7th or 8th, having previously coached the Warriors to first-round upsets of the Jazz in 1989 and the Spurs in 1991 as the 7th seed.

Nelson married Joy Wolfgram at the Oakland Coliseum in June 1991.[62] Nelson and his wife have a total of six children from prior marriages.[62][63] He has a daughter born out of wedlock and put up for adoption, whom he did not know about for 29 years, who first reached out to him in 1997, not wanting anything in return. She now lives in Maui near Nelson and his wife.

 

He had fifteen grandchildren as of 2012.

 

Nelson's son Donnie Nelson was the general manager of the Dallas Mavericks. Donnie was Don's assistant coach with the Mavericks when Don won his 1,000th NBA game. Donnie moved from coaching to become the president of basketball operations for the Mavericks in 2002 while his father was still coaching Dallas. Donnie Nelson was an assistant coach for Lithuania in the 1992, 1996 and 2000 Olympics.

 

Nelson calls Dirk Nowitzki his "German son". Nelson coached Nowitzki for his first six NBA seasons in Dallas. "In my second game ever in the NBA -- obviously I wasn't a defensive presence -- he wanted me out there in the game but he didn't have anybody for me to guard," recalled the 7'0" Nowitzki. "So he let me guard [5-foot-3] Muggsy Bogues for a couple possessions. He said, 'Just stand there in the paint and wave at him. He doesn't want to shoot.'

 

Career history

Playing

1962–1963      Chicago Zephyrs

1963–1965      Los Angeles Lakers

1965–1976      Boston Celtics

Coaching

1976    Milwaukee Bucks (assistant)

1976–1988      Milwaukee Bucks

1988–1995      Golden State Warriors

1995–1996      New York Knicks

1997–2005      Dallas Mavericks

2006–2010      Golden State Warriors

Career highlights

As player:

5× NBA champion (1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976)

No. 19 retired by Boston Celtics

Third-team All-American – AP, NABC, UPI (1962)

As coach:

 

3× NBA Coach of the Year (1983, 1985, 1992)

2× NBA All-Star Game head coach (1992, 2002)

Top 10 Coaches in NBA History

Top 15 Coaches in NBA History

Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award (2025)

Career playing statistics

Points  10,898 (10.3 ppg)

Rebounds        5,192 (4.9 rpg)

Assists 1,526 (1.4 apg)

Violet Hensley obit

Violet Hensley, the ‘Whittlin’ Fiddler’ and Silver Dollar City legend, dies at 109

 

She was not on the list.

BRANSON, Mo. (KY3) -Violet Hensley, a Silver Dollar City legend known as the ‘Whittlin’ Fiddler,’ has died. She was 109.

Hensley was known for crafting fiddles at Silver Dollar City for more than 50 years.

KY3 sat down with Hensley in 2018, when she was 101, to reflect on her life, career, and the impact she left on the Ozarks for decades.

Born October 21, 1916, during World War I, Hensley grew up in the Ouachita National Forest in Arkansas.

Violet was young when her mom passed away, but her father taught her how to carve and play the fiddle. After getting married, though, she put down her fiddle for 27 years as she raised nine children.

It wasn’t until 1967, when she was in her 50s, that Violet’s fiddlin’ and whittlin’ skills turned her into a celebrity. She went to work for Silver Dollar City and toured all over the country.

She appeared on ‘The Beverly Hillbillies’ when they came to Silver Dollar City to film their TV show and became friends with the cast. Violet built a special friendship with Irene Ryan, who played Granny.

From there, the appearances grew. She was on Art Linkletter’s show, hung out with Mr. Green Jeans on ‘Captain Kangaroo,’ was on ‘To Tell the Truth’ when Alex Trebek was hosting, and tried to teach Regis Philbin how to play fiddle on Live with Regis and Kathy Lee when they came to Branson.

She’s been featured at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., and by Charles Kuralt on his ‘On the Road’ series. Hensley is also in the National Fiddlers’ Hall of Fame and appeared on the Grand Ole Opry.

Silver Dollar City released a statement remembering Hensley:

“Today, we celebrate the beautiful life of our dear friend, Violet Hensley, who passed away at the remarkable age of 109.

For decades, Violet touched hearts of Silver Dollar City guests and citizens through the sounds of her fiddle, the warmth of her smile and her stories.   She wasn’t simply one of America’s most respected fiddle makers and musicians, she was the heart of an Ozarks tradition that connected generations to this special place.   

To know Violet was to experience genuine kindness, quiet humility and an unwavering love for others and her deep, deep love for her family. Not only was she an Arkansas treasure, through her wit and talent, she won hearts on  her national television appearances like the Grand Ole Opry. Most importantly to Silver Dollar City citizens and guests, she will always be a part of our family."

Silver Dollar City

Violet Hensley was born in Mount Ida, Arkansas, to George Washington and Nora Brumley. George was also a musician. She had two sisters. In 1935, she married Adren Hensley and had nine or ten children with him in total, after which she ceased to make fiddles for several decades. The couple moved to Yellville, Arkansas, in 1968, where she lived ever afterwards. Adren died in 1997.

Hensley's expertise on fiddles gave her national attention in the form of being featured in the magazine National Geographic in 1970. She was also invited to television shows such as The Beverly Hillbillies, The Art Linkletter Show, Captain Kangaroo, The Bob Braun Show, Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, and CBS Evening News.

In 1974, Hensley (along with her family) released the first of three albums called Old Time Fiddle Tunes. Nine and forty years later, respectively, she released two more albums.

In 2014, Hensley published her autobiography Whittlin' and Fiddlin' My Own Way: The Violet Hensley Story. It was co-authored by the American actor and musician Randall Franks.

Flo Anthony obit

Florence “Flo” Anthony, longtime AmNews columnist, trailblazing celebrity journalist dies at 74

She was not on the list.

Florence “Flo” Anthony, the pioneering celebrity journalist who broke barriers at the New York Post’s Page Six and became a defining voice in African American entertainment journalism, has died. She was 74.

Jack Hirsch, biographer for her husband, boxing legend Michael Spinks, confirmed that she died early Thursday, Aug. 6. The two had worked together on Michael “Jinx” Spinks: An Authorized Biography, which was released in March. He said that she recently disclosed to him that she was battling cancer.

Her weekly “Go With The Flo” column became a fixture in The New York Amsterdam News dating back to 2001, as well as in publications including the Philadelphia Sunday Sun and the Columbus Times. She also contributed entertainment news to the New York Daily News, served as publisher and editor-in-chief of Black Noir magazine, and acted as editor-in-chief of Black Elegance magazine.

CNN entertainment journalist Lisa Respers France posted her reaction on social media upon learning of Anthony’s passing, saying in part: “As a Black woman who covers pop culture, I am deeply indebted to Florence ‘Flo’ Anthony, a syndicated columnist and author who did more than just cover gossip. She was so important to the culture.”

A woman of firsts

Anthony was known to walk into newsrooms and departments whose doors had once been barricaded against people of color—and particularly against African American women. She entered spaces where few people looked like her, where her presence alone challenged entrenched ideas about who could report the news, break a story, command a television screen, or become a trusted voice on celebrity culture.

She became the first woman to work in the sports department of the New York Post and the first African American to work in the newspaper’s entertainment and world‑renowned Page Six departments, according to her own account of her career. She also made history as the first African American woman to write a column for a supermarket tabloid, penning “Eye on the Stars” for the National Examiner.

For an African American woman rising through the overwhelmingly white, male, and notoriously insular world of tabloid journalism, these achievements were not merely promotions, but breaches in a wall.

Before becoming one of America’s most recognizable celebrity journalists and media personalities, Flo worked in public relations as a publicist for some of boxing’s most formidable figures, including Spinks, whom she began dating in 1987 and married in January 2026; Muhammad Ali; Larry Holmes; Butch Lewis; Mike McCallum; Matthew Saad Muhammad; Saoul Mamby; and Eddie Mustafa Muhammad. Her publicity work gave her a deep understanding of the relationship between journalists, publicists, and public figures, allowing her to fight for a client’s visibility long before she sat on the other side of the desk.

Many publicists owe some portion of their careers to Anthony, with a number of young representatives securing an early placement because she answered their call, opened their email, or recognized the potential in a story.

A graduate of Howard University, Anthony  initially came to New York with dreams of becoming an actress and also worked as a teacher. Her work with talent manager Tobe Gibson eventually expanded into publicity, sportswriting, and a position as an agate clerk in the New York Post’s sports department. From there, she began a historic ascent through sports, entertainment, and celebrity journalism.

Legendary journalist

Over the course of her career, she reported hundreds of exclusives, including the marriages of Mike Tyson and Robin Givens, Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger, and John McEnroe and Tatum O’Neal, as well as the news that Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman were adopting. Flo did not regard gossip journalism as the careless recycling of rumors. To her, a gossip columnist was a reporter who broke stories—and she took the responsibility of getting those stories right seriously.

Her influence expanded far beyond print. During the 1990s, she became a familiar and authoritative presence on daytime television, appearing on shows hosted by Joan Rivers, Ricki Lake, Rolonda Watts, Geraldo Rivera, Sally Jessy Raphael, Maury Povich, Leeza Gibbons, Tempestt Bledsoe, Bertice Berry, Vicki Lawrence, and others. She appeared on Court TV, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News Channel, and HLN, and contributed to entertainment‑news programs including “Inside Edition,” “The Insider,” and “Entertainment Tonight.”

For six seasons, she appeared as a contributor and later a co‑host on E! Entertainment Television’s “The Gossip Show,” and was featured in numerous installments of “E! True Hollywood Story.” She became a regular contributor to TV One’s “Unsung,” “Unsung Hollywood,” and “Life After.” Her television work placed an authoritative African American woman at the center of national conversations about celebrity, scandal, and popular culture at a time when such visibility remained far too rare.

Through her company, Dottie Media Group LLC, Flo extended her voice into syndicated radio with “Gossip on the Go With Flo” and “Flo Anthony’s Big Apple Buzz,” which aired in approximately 20 markets and introduced millions of listeners to her combination of insider knowledge, brisk reporting, and unmistakable personality.

At the Amsterdam News, she was more than a byline. She was family.

Flo was also the author of four novels: “Keeping Secrets, Telling Lies,” “Deadly Stuff Players,” “One Last Deadly Play,” and “Last Call for a Deadly Diva.” The books transformed decades of observing fame, ambition, deception, and power into fiction, bringing the practiced instincts of a journalist to the suspense and intrigue of a novelist.

“I’ve broken in roads that will never be broken in again,” Anthony said in a 2013 interview with Urbanbridgez.com. “So if I never wrote another sentence or got on radio again in life or got on TV, I would miss it yes but I feel I’ve done a lot of what God put me on this earth to do.”

Peter Faber obit

 

Peter Faber dead: Beloved movie icon dies as children open up on emotional final hours

He was not on the list.

Beloved actor Peter Faber died on Thursday, August 6, at the age of 82. The star had been admitted to the hospital in early July with breathing difficulties related to an untreatable heart problems. His five children, Jasper, Jesse, Daan, Danja and Sam, didn't confirm a cause of death but opened up on his final hours in an emotional Facebook post.

"Yesterday, we said goodbye to our father. The past weeks have been intense and sad, but also special: we were able to spend so much time with him. Until the very last moment, he remained himself. Peter said 'yes' to life wholeheartedly. He was undeniably optimistic, curious, wanted to understand, and kept marvelling at everything. Even as his body failed him, he kept paying attention to the people around him. For the nurses, the doctors, his companions, and for us. The OLVG felt like a warm place for him, and he was genuinely grateful for the loving care he received.

"Even in his final days, he remained the actor he always was: he carried poems, sang songs for his companions, and knew how to put a smile on faces. Humour, he never lost.

They concluded: "We are deeply moved by the thousands of cards, messages, flowers, and reactions we have received over the past weeks. We have shared them with him as much as possible. He was visibly moved and felt greatly supported. We are incredibly grateful for that.

"We are losing a father, grandfather, friend, and the most colourful artist we could have wished for. Rest in peace, dear dad."

Peter enjoyed a long career after breaking through in the 1970s in the movie Max Havelaar, based on the book of the same name. A few years later, he laned a role in the 1977 epic war drama A Bridge Too Far, which saw him co-star opposite James Bond legend Sean Connery.

Other notable films included Ciske de Rat and Schatjes! He also starred in Paul Verhoeven's wartime classic Soldaat van Oranje, which later spawned a long-running musical which closed last month after 16 years. On the small screen, he appeared in television series, including Baantjer.

He was also the co-founder of the theatre collective Het Werkteater and won the prestigious Dutch theatre award, the Louis d'Or, twice for his roles in Het Koekoeksnest and Avondrood.

He continued acting until recent years, with his final film role coming in 2023, when he appeared alongside his son Jesse in Sweet Dreams, which was the Dutch Oscar entry a year later. He also appeared in an episode of the TV show Medisch Centrum West in 2025.

Alongside acting, he dabbled in reality TV and in 2018, appeared in the RTL 4 alternative comedy series Beter Laat Dan Nooit, which saw him travel around the world with other Dutch celebrities, including Gerard Cox, Willibrord Frequin, and Barrie Stevens.

Peter Katsis obit

Peter Katsis, Manager For Jane’s Addiction, Smashing Pumpkins and Morrissey, Dies at 69

Katsis died of complications from congestive heart failure, a representative said. 

He was not on the list.

Peter Katsis, the veteran music manager who helped guide the careers of Jane’s Addiction, Smashing Pumpkins, Morrissey, Backstreet Boys and Audioslave, among others, has died, his family confirmed. He was 69.

Katsis died Thursday morning at a hospital in Los Angeles due to complications from congestive heart failure, a representative for Katsis said.

Katsis spent over 35 years in management, getting his start in Chicago at age 23 managing the industrial rock group Ministry. He also worked as an A&R at Trax Precision Records, as well as a booking agent organizing shows for Marshal Jefferson and Adonis.

He moved from Chicago to Los Angeles in the early ’90s, where he took on the Cramps, General Public and Material Issue. By the late ’90s, he became a partner at management group The Firm, working alongside CEO Jeff Kwatinetz in representing a wide-ranging roster that included Korn, 30 Seconds to Mars, Snoop Dogg, One Republic, Limp Bizkit, Enrique Iglesias and Backstreet Boys.

Katsis founded the management firm Prospect Park with Kwatinetz and Rich Frank in 2008, taking on many of their earlier clients along with the likes of Smashing Pumpkins, Jane’s Addiction, Morrissey and 5 Seconds of Summer.

Other acts Katsis represented included Liz Phair, Bush, 311, Pentatonix and Fever 333. Katsis was adept at managing major live acts, overseeing rollouts like Backstreet Boys’ Into the Millennium Tour and helping morph Korn and Limp Bizkit into perennial arena acts.

Katsis is survived by his sister, Anastasia Katsis, and by his son, Ian Katsis.

Björn Stigsson obit

Björn Stigsson of Leviticus Has Died. Christian Metal Mourns One of Its Pioneers

 

He was not on the list.

Remembering Björn Stigsson 🎸

(April 27, 1951 – August 6, 2026) 🕊️

Björn Stigsson was a key figure in the Swedish Christian hard rock and metal scene, best known for his work with the iconic band Leviticus. 🤘🔥

Throughout his career, Björn contributed to classic Leviticus albums including Jag skall segra! (1983), I Shall Conquer (1984), The Strongest Power (1985), Setting Fire to the Earth (1987), and Knights of Heaven (1989), leaving a lasting legacy with his blend of melodic hard rock, heavy metal and progressive influences...🎶

He was also a founding force behind XT, showcasing his versatility as a guitarist, keyboard player, producer and composer across multiple releases, including XT (1992), Tax Free (1993), Extended Empire (1995), Saved by the Blood (2017), and Revived - Standing for Jesus Christ (2019)...🎸🎹

Beyond performing, Björn Stigsson was deeply involved in production, recording, mixing and mastering, helping preserve and expand the music he created throughout decades of dedication.

Rest in peace, Björn Stigsson. 🕯️🖤

Thank you for your music, your vision and your unforgettable contribution to the history of Swedish metal. 🤘

Gone, but not forgotten!!

FAMILY STATEMENT

Björn Stigsson’s family confirms his passing

The news was shared by Björn’s closest family. Ann-Louise, together with the children and grandchildren, said that he had left this world after a long illness and would no longer have to suffer.

“With deep sadness in my heart I have to write that my beloved Björn left this world today after a long illness. Now he will not have to suffer.”

The family also stressed that his music will remain, along with his memory in the hearts of those who loved him.

Ann-Louise, the children and grandchildren

Christian Heavy Metal 2026 – The Legacy of Faith and Steel

A wider map of the tradition, continuity and living legacy behind classic Christian heavy metal.

There are musicians who become part of a scene.

And there are musicians who help create one.

Björn Stigsson belonged to the second group.

The guitarist, songwriter and one of the main creative forces behind Swedish Christian metal pioneers Leviticus has died. For generations of listeners who discovered that heavy guitars and an uncompromising Christian message did not have to exist in separate worlds, his name carries a significance that reaches far beyond one band’s discography.

He was part of the foundation of the scene.

The continuing relationship between pioneers, living legacy and new Christian metal can also be seen in our coverage of Stryper and the new “Throne of Thorns” chapter.

Tommy Detamore obit

Steel Guitar Hall of Famer Who Toured With Moe Bandy for 7 Years Has Died

 He was not on the list.

Tommy Detamore, the pedal steel guitarist, engineer and producer behind decades of country records, has died. His wife, Sandra, confirmed his passing on Wednesday, August 5.

Word spread quickly through the country music community, with musicians and fans sharing memories of a player and producer known as much for his generosity as his talent.

From Session Stages to His Own Studio

Detamore's musical path started in Charlottesville, Virginia, where he took up guitar in high school before discovering pedal steel in college under the mentorship of steel guitar legend Buddy Charleton. He moved to Texas in 1981 to back Darrell McCall, then spent seven years as Moe Bandy's steel guitar player, performing on Hee-Haw, Nashville Now and the Grand Ole Opry stage.

In 1991, Detamore opened Cherry Ridge Studio in Floresville, Texas, and shifted his focus toward engineering and producing. The studio became a destination for Texas country artists, and his production credits eventually stretched from genre veterans like Ray Price and Johnny Bush to newer names such as Sunny Sweeney and 2025 breakout artist Ty Myers.

Fellow Musicians and Fans React

Sandra described her husband of 41 years as far more than a musician, calling him "the love of my life" and crediting his God-given gift for helping shape the country sound heard today.

Sweeney, who credits Detamore with producing her debut album, called his death an "immeasurable loss" in a tribute posted online. Fellow artist Tracy Pitcox, who worked alongside Detamore on multiple projects, remembered that he "always knew what to play," recalling road trips and cruises the two shared over the years.

Fans and fellow musicians echoed that sentiment across social media. One commenter wrote that Detamore was simply the best steel guitar player to ever play the instrument, while another called him a walking history book whose loss would be felt across the genre for years to come. Detamore was a member of the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame.

Tedde Moore obit

Tedde Moore, Dead at 79

 She was not on the list.

Tedde Moore was the actress best known for playing Miss Shields in A Christmas Story.

Tedde Moore Shebib (April 11, 1947-August 5, 2026) was a retired Canadian actress, script editor, creative consultant and acting instructor.

Moore was the daughter of Darwina (née Faessler) and actor and cultural icon Mavor Moore, the granddaughter of Canadian theatre legend Dora Mavor Moore, and the great-granddaughter of Scottish-born economist James Mavor.

She attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England and graduated in 1967 with the Principal's Medal of Honor.

Upon leaving RADA, she returned to Canada to star opposite Christopher Walken in the Stratford Festival's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Moore was best known for playing Miss Shields in the 1983 film A Christmas Story. She reprised her role in the 1994 film My Summer Story and is the only actor to have appeared in both films.

Her film credits include Second Wind (1976), Murder by Decree (1979), Overnight (1985), and Down the Road Again (2011).

In 2011, Moore starred as Mrs. Claus in the TV movie Mistletoe over Manhattan and as Nanny Shaw in the mini-series The Kennedys.

Moore and her life partner, filmmaker Donald Shebib, have two children — Noah and Suzanna — along with Moore's daughter, Zoë, from an earlier relationship with actor Patrick Christopher Carter. Moore also raised a foster daughter, Chaunce Drury.

Zoë is a writer/producer and Suzanna is a teacher. Noah, better known as 40, is the music engineer, producer, for the recording artist Drake.

Moore has five grandchildren.

 

Film

Year     Title     Role     Notes

1971    Rip-Off            Nancy 

1976    Second Wind   Paula  

1979    Murder by Decree       Mrs. Lees       

1981    The Amateur   Newscaster     

1983    A Christmas Story       Miss Shields   

1985    Overnight        Leslie  

1987    Rolling Vengeance      Misty's Mother           

Taking Care of Terrific            Mrs. Cameron TV movie

Mr. Nobody    Narrator           Short film

1992    Terror on Track 9        Bank Manager TV movie

1994    My Summer Story       Miss Shields   

1995    The Man in the Attic   Another wife   TV movie

1996    The Deliverance of Elaine      Mary Ann        TV movie

Gotti    Judge   TV movie

Undue Influence          Corrections Officer     TV movie

1999    God's New Plan          Kate Young     TV movie

2001    Focus   Woman #1 in Theater 

2002    Torso: The Evelyn Dick Story            Nurse Gowtand           TV movie

The Scream Team       Friendly Woman         TV movie

2003    Rolie Polie Olie: The Baby Bot Chase           Polie-Anna      TV movie

2008    A Christmas Story Documentary: Road Trip for Ralphie       Herself

The Untold Christmas Story   Herself

2009    Clarkworld      Herself

2011    Down the Road Again Annie Burns   

2012    The Cast of a Christmas Story: Where Are They Now?        Herself TV movie

2014    The Anniversary          Evelyn

2017    High-Rise Rescue       Maxine Smith 

Television

Year     Title     Role     Notes

1961    Encounter                    Episode: "Breaking Point"

1972-1975       Police Surgeon            Ruth/Mary/Wilma/Marta Morgan/Amy          5 episodes

1977    Sidestreet         Eleanor Slater  Episode: "Stakeout"

1980    The Littlest Hobo        Mrs. Baxter     Episode: "Snapshot"

For the Record                        Episode: "Lyon's Den"

1988    T. and T.          Mrs. Lewelyn  Episode: "And Baby Makes Nine"

1989-1990       Friday the 13th: The Series     Nurse Dana/Dr. Meade           2 episodes

1992    E.N.G. Dr. Holtfield    Episode: "Harvest"

1995    Avonlea           Guest #2          Episode: "What a Tangled Web We Weave"

1996    PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal      Sarah Kilmartin           Episode: "The Transient/Two Lost Old Men"

2001    RoboCop: Prime Directives    The Old Woman (CEO)          2 episodes

2002    Odyssey 5       Video Shrink   Episode: "L.D.U. 7"

2003-2004       Rolie Polie Olie          Polie-Anna      6 episodes

2005    This Is Wonderland                 1 episode

Little Einsteins                        Episode: "The Christmas Wish"

2011    The Kennedys Mrs. Shaw       3 episodes

Bruno Battisti D’Amario obit

RIP Bruno Battisti D’Amario

 He was not on the list.

The Grand Orient of Italy abhors for the passage to the Eternal East of his brother master Bruno Battisti d'Amario

The Grand Orient of Italy embraces the passage to the Eternal East of the dear brother master Bruno Battisti d'Amario who passed away on Wednesday 5 August in Rome at the age of 88. Grand Master Antonio Seminario and the members of the Council join the Leti brothers in chains and express their deepest condolences to the family.

Founder of the Roman lodge named after Giuseppe Leti and composer of the official anthem of the Grand Orient of Italy, Bruno Battisti d'Amario has held top positions in the Order. He was twice President of the Circumscriptive College of the Venerable Masters of Lazio and Councilor of the Order. The funeral will be celebrated at the Basilica of Santa Maria in Montesanto (Church of the Artists, in Piazza del Popolo 18, Rome) on Friday 7 August 2026 at 3.30 pm.

Bruno Battisti D'Amario (Rome, 5 October 1937) was one of the most famous Italian guitarists, composers and teachers of the twentieth century, inextricably linked to the history of the soundtracks of Italian and international cinema. He studied at the Conservatory of Santa Cecilia in Rome under the informal guidance and help of Mario Gangi. He later studied composition with Domenico Guaccero and Ennio Morricone.

He has long held the Chair of Classical Guitar at the San Pietro a Majella Conservatory in Naples and has taught in prestigious specialization courses (Ravello, Pescara, Città di Castello). In 2001 he was awarded the "Golden Guitar" for teaching in Alessandria.

His guitar can be heard in some of the most iconic soundtracks in the history of cinema: A Fistful of Dollars (1964); For a Few Dollars More (1965); The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966); Once Upon a Time in the West (1968).

D’AMARIO, Bruno Battisti

Born: 10/5/1937, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Died: 8/5/2026, Rome, Lazio, Italy

 

Music Department

My Name Is Nobody (1973)

My Name Is Nobody

7.3

musician: guitar (uncredited)

1973

 

Escalation (1968)

Escalation

5.7

musician: sitar soloist

1968

 

The Harem (1967)

The Harem

6.5

musician: guitar

1967

 

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

8.8

musician: guitar (uncredited)

1966

 

Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef in For a Few Dollars More (1965)

For a Few Dollars More

8.2

musician: guitar (uncredited)

1965

 

Composer

E se per caso una mattina... (1972)

E se per caso una mattina...

6.5

Composer (as Bruno D'Amario)

1972

 

Soundtrack

Sydney Sweeney in Immaculate (2024)

Immaculate

5.8

performer: "Ricercare"writer: "Ricercare"

2024

 

Self

Ennio Morricone in Ennio (2021)

Ennio

8.2

Self

2021

 

Morricone Segreto: Celebrating Ennio Morricone- the Secrets Behind His Genius (2020)

Morricone Segreto: Celebrating Ennio Morricone- the Secrets Behind His Genius

9.0

Short

Self

2020

 

Ennio Morricone (1995)

Ennio Morricone

7.4

TV Movie

Self

1995

Terry "Buffalo" Ware obit

Longtime Oklahoma guitarist Terry "Buffalo" Ware dies at 76

 He was not on the list.

Terry “Buffalo” Ware, a longtime Oklahoma guitarist known for his work with Ray Wylie Hubbard, Jimmy LaFave and John Fullbright, died Wednesday after a battle with lung cancer, according to several friends. He was 76.

Born in Shattuck in 1950, Ware was raised in the Northwest Oklahoma towns of Gage and Woodward. His “lightning bolt moment” that led to him learning how to play the guitar came from watching The Beatles on “The Ed Sullivan Show” in February 1964, a performance he called “earthshaking.”

In high school, his rock and roll band The Debtors (later called The Debtor Group) played teen sock hops, school dances and VFW halls across Western Oklahoma and parts of Texas and Kansas. Ware later played bars and clubs around Norman and Oklahoma City with the band Sailor, while attending the University of Oklahoma in the early 1970s.

After graduation in 1972, he moved to Red River, New Mexico, where he met Soper, Oklahoma native Ray Wylie Hubbard. Along with fellow Okies Dennis Meehan (aka Clovis Roblaine) and Jim Herbst, they formed Ray Wylie Hubbard & The Cowboy Twinkies. That band released a self-titled record on Reprise Records in 1975 and toured throughout the 1970s, including an opening stint for Willie Nelson at The Troubadour in Los Angeles.

“The very first time I heard Terry ‘Buffalo’ Ware play, it occurred to me that Prometheus had actually swiped tone from the gods and given Terry the lowdown, greasy, sacred secret of getting a tone that would make demons drool and shiver and cause teenage angels to wanna smoke cigarettes and do the hully-gully,” Hubbard told Vintage Guitar magazine in 2023. “He’s also got taste, groove and grit.”

Ware returned home to Oklahoma after The Cowboy Twinkies disbanded. In the early 1980s, he formed Norman rock band The Sensational Shoes, which would play Oklahoma City venues like VZDs, Panama Reds and Cafe Paseo.

He went back on the road with Hubbard in 1986, touring the U.S. and Europe for the next decade or so. Ware played on several of Hubbard’s albums throughout the 1990s, and later toured with Jimmy LaFave and Kevin Welch.

Ware released roughly a dozen solo recordings throughout the 2000s. Despite often recording and performing with Americana and folk artists, his solo work leaned more toward surf rock, owing to an early love of Duane Eddy and The Ventures.

He spent the last quarter century of his life as a skilled and versatile freelance guitarist for the likes of the Red Dirt Rangers, Joel Rafael and Susan Herndon, among others. For nearly two decades, Ware was the house bandleader for the annual Woody Guthrie Folk Festival in Okemah.

Ware played electric guitar on John Fullbright’s debut studio album, From the Ground Up, which was nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Americana Album in 2013. That led to Ware joining Fullbright onstage at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards as well as a performance on “The Late Show with David Letterman” in 2014. The latter was a full-circle moment for Ware, as the show was staged at the same Ed Sullivan Theater where The Beatles inspired him 50 years earlier.

Ware’s musical legacy is captured in the 2024 short documentary Ware the Buffalo Roams and in his autobiography, Man with Guitar and Amp: A Sideman's Memoir, which was released earlier this summer.

Jean Lodge obit

Jean Lodge, British Actress and Mother of ‘Nanny’ Actor Charles Shaughnessy, Dies at 99

She worked opposite Alan Ladd in ‘The Black Knight’ and alongside Kenneth More in ‘Brandy for the Parson.’ 

She was not on the list.

Jean Lodge, a British actress who appeared with Alan Ladd in the 1954 medieval adventure film The Black Knight, has died. She was 99.

Lodge died Wednesday, one day after her birthday, her granddaughter Amy Shaughnessy announced.

Survivors include her sons, Charles Shaughnessy, known for his turns as Maxwell Sheffield on The Nanny and Shane Donovan on Days of Our Lives, and David Shaughnessy, a producer on The Young and the Restless and a director on The Bold and The Beautiful.

Her husband was two-time Emmy-nominated screenwriter Alfred Shaughnessy, who developed and served as head writer and producer on the acclaimed 1971-75 ITV series Upstairs, Downstairs. They were married from 1948 until his death in 2005.

Jean Margaret Lodge was born on Aug. 4, 1927, in Hull, Yorkshire, England. She started out on the stage at the Windsor Repertory Company and in 1949 appeared in her first two films, Dick Barton Strikes Back and Dr. Morelle: The Case of the Missing Heiress.

She played Queen Guinevere, wife of King Arthur, in The Black Knight, also featuring Peter Cushing. Earlier, she co-starred with Kenneth More in the comedy Brandy for the Parson (1952).

Her credits included the films White Corridors (1951), Final Appointment (1954), Accidental Death (1963), The Eyes of Annie Jones (1963) and Invasion (1966).

“My grandmother was a beautiful, talented, complicated, passionate, emotional, energetic woman who was always on the move and full of life,” Amy Shaughnessy wrote.

“The perfect hostess, Jean enjoyed parties, friends, socializing, the theatre, feeding the ducks, museums, gardening, music, culture, long walks in nature, animals, painting (she was amazing!), cooking, art, traveling … the list goes on.”

She also is survived by granddaughters Jenny, Katie, Maddy and Josie and great-grandsons Julian and Noa.

Actress

Invasion (1966)

Invasion

5.6

Barbara Gough

1966

 

Curse of the Voodoo (1965)

Curse of the Voodoo

3.7

Mrs. Lomas

1965

 

Vincent Price in The Masque of the Red Death (1964)

The Masque of the Red Death

6.9

Scarlatti's Wife (uncredited)

1964

 

ITV Play of the Week (1955)

ITV Play of the Week

6.6

TV Series

Brenda

1964

1 episode

 

Accidental Death (1963)

Accidental Death

6.0

Brenda

1963

 

The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre (1959)

The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre

7.7

TV Series

Brenda

1963

1 episode

 

Francesca Annis and Richard Conte in The Eyes of Annie Jones (1963)

The Eyes of Annie Jones

5.9

Geraldine Wheeler

1963

 

The Scales of Justice (1962)

The Scales of Justice

7.8

TV Series

Madge Petworth

1962

1 episode

 

The Hellfire Club (1961)

The Hellfire Club

5.3

Lady Netherden

1961

 

Theatre Night (1957)

Theatre Night

8.1

TV Series

Dorothy (Lady Plynne)

1959

1 episode

 

The Blazing Caravan (1954)

Crime of Honour

6.5

Short

Julia Branston

1958

 

ITV Television Playhouse (1955)

ITV Television Playhouse

8.3

TV Series

Alaine Thomas

1958

1 episode

 

Our Lady's Tumbler

TV Movie

Fleshly Lusts

1956

 

The Last Appointment (1954)

The Last Appointment

6.1

Laura Robens

1954

 

Naomi Chance and William Lundigan in Terror Ship (1954)

Terror Ship

5.7

Vivian Bolton

1954

 

The Black Knight (1954)

The Black Knight

5.2

Queen Guenevere

1954

 

The Blazing Caravan (1954)

The Silent Witness

6.7

Short

Miss Price

1954

 

The Manor of Northstead

TV Movie

Lady June Pym

1954

 

Johnny on the Spot (1954)

Johnny on the Spot

4.6

Sally Erskine

1954

 

Glad Tidings! (1953)

Glad Tidings!

4.9

Celia Forester

1953

 

The Foolish Gentlewoman

TV Movie

Jacqueline Brown

1953

 

Douglas Fairbanks Jr. in Rheingold Theatre (1953)

Rheingold Theatre

8.0

TV Series

Sheila

1953

1 episode

 

The Accused

Sheila

1953

 

Portrait of Peter Perowne

TV Movie

Madeleine

1952

 

Renée Asherson in Happy and Glorious (1952)

Happy and Glorious

TV Series

Lady Jane

1952

1 episode

 

Brandy for the Parson (1952)

Brandy for the Parson

5.7

Petronilla Brand

1952

 

Death of an Angel (1952)

Death of an Angel

5.6

Ann Marlow

1952

 

Petula Clark, James Donald, and Googie Withers in White Corridors (1951)

White Corridors

6.9

Night Nurse

1951

 

Blackout (1950)

Blackout

5.6

Nurse

1950

 

No Trace (1950)

No Trace

6.2

Party Guest (uncredited)

1950

 

The Dancing Years (1950)

The Dancing Years

6.0

Ladies of the Theatre

1950

 

High Jinks in Society (1949)

High Jinks in Society

Sheila (uncredited)

1949

 

Dr. Morelle: The Case of the Missing Heiress (1949)

Dr. Morelle: The Case of the Missing Heiress

5.6

Cynthia Mason

1949

 

Sebastian Cabot, Don Stannard, and Bruce Walker in Dick Barton Strikes Back (1949)

Dick Barton Strikes Back

5.3

Tina

1949

 

The Good Companions

TV Movie

Elsie Longstaff

1949

 

Self

Call My Bluff (1965)

Call My Bluff

7.1

TV Series

Self

1967

2 episodes

 

John Damore obit

John Damore, oldest living former Chicago Bears player, has died at 92

In an interview last year with the Chicago Sun-Times, he spoke of spending every game day on his bedroom recliner, with an unlit cigar in hand and his eyes glued to the Bears on TV. “I don’t miss a minute. And, if it plays twice, I watch it twice.”

 

He was not on the list.

At the peak of a 2025-26 Chicago Bears season that had fans thinking of a championship, John Damore dreamed of his “greatest goodbye” — that he might die soon after the Bears won the Super Bowl.

Mr. Damore — believed to be the oldest former Bears player since January 2025 — died Tuesday at home in Westmont. He was 92.

His dream didn’t come true for the Bears, eliminated by the Los Angeles Rams.

“There weren’t many people out there who didn’t just think he was the super-nicest guy,” Larry Damore said of his father. “He always had a crowd around him.”

Mr. Damore grew up in Riverside and remembered wearing a Bears jersey as a 9-year-old, long before he’d wear the team’s colors as an offensive lineman in 1957 and 1959.

An ankle injury prompted him to retire in 1959. But Mr. Damore’s love for the Bears only deepened. In an interview last year with the Chicago Sun-Times, he spoke of spending every game day on his bedroom recliner, with an unlit cigar in hand and his eyes glued to the Bears on TV.

“I don’t miss a minute,” he said. “And, if it plays twice, I watch it twice.”

Larry Damore said, as a kid, he wrestled and played football and baseball, with his father often coaching him but always there.

“He never missed a game,” he said. “He was always leading the cheers.”

John Bihun, a grandson, said he remembers a T-ball game at which Mr. Damore said he could “die a happy man” if he got to see him hit a home run.

Bihun said that, as he rounded third base after hitting the ball, his grandfather shouted, “I didn’t mean today, Lord!”

Mr. Damore, a Marine Corps veteran, formerly owned Damore Construction and Damore Builders in Riverside.

He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Joyce Damore, children Alison Bihun and Lawrence “Larry” Damore and grandchildren John Bihun and Ashley Bihun.

Visitation will be from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Aug. 19 at Conboy-Westchester Funeral Home in Westchester, with a service there at 10 a.m. Aug. 20.

He was an offensive lineman with the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) for two seasons in 1957 and 1959. He missed the entire 1958 campaign due to sustaining a dislocated right ankle in a 24–17 preseason win over the Detroit Lions at the Cotton Bowl on 5 September. He ended his career as an active player after the 1959 season to manage a Riverside, Illinois-based cement construction firm owned by his father who had retired from its daily operations. His yearly salary as an NFL player was $9,000.

Damore played college football with the Bob Voigts-coached Northwestern Wildcats, serving as a senior co-captain in 1954. He was selected in Round 13 (152nd overall) by the New York Giants in the 1955 NFL draft.

Personal information

Born    October 20, 1933

Riverside, Illinois, U.S.

Died    August 4, 2026 (aged 92)

Westmont, Illinois, U.S.

Listed height   6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)

Listed weight  228 lb (103 kg)

Career information

High school     Riverside Brookfield

College            Northwestern

NFL draft        1955 (13th round, 152nd overall pick)

Career history

Chicago Bears (1957–1959)

Mohawk Valley Falcons (1965)

Awards and highlights

Second-team All-Big Ten (1954)