Syvlia Kauders obit

Legendary Actress, PR Consultant Sylvia Kauders Dies at 94

 

 She was not on the list.

Philadelphia actor and public relations consultant Sylvia Kauders died May 4 at Hahnemann University Hospital at the age of 94.

Philadelphia actor and public relations consultant Sylvia Kauders died May 4 at Hahnemann University Hospital. She was 94.

The dynamic Center City and Manhattan resident was born and raised in South Philadelphia, and went to Upper Darby High School and the University of Pennsylvania.

After attending secretarial school, she began work in the field of public relations, where she distinguished herself with numerous award-winning municipal campaigns that heightened the profile of the City of Philadelphia.

 

“I worked with five mayors,” Kauders said in a recent interview with the Exponent — some of whom she liked more than others, she added with a laugh. “But they were all interesting to work for.”

She served as the special events director for the City of Philadelphia, creating and marketing high-profile events like Freedom Week, Miss Liberty Belle and the Yankee Doodle Dandy program.

The pinnacle of her PR career came when she won the Silver Anvil — the Oscar of the public relations field — for her Wednesday Is for Women campaign, which brought visitors to City Hall. She was the first woman to be inducted into the Philadelphia Public Relations Association Hall of Fame.

Even as she was successful in one career, she simultaneously pursued her great other love: acting. She appeared on Broadway, off-Broadway, in major motion pictures, TV series and commercials.

Her favorite stage role was Bubbie in the off-Broadway production of Crossing Delancey. On TV, she mined her South Philadelphia upbringing for a recurring role of Mrs. Conte on The Sopranos. (“I made sure to say ‘Ant-ny’ rather than ‘Anthony,’” she recently explained.) Other TV appearances included Spin City with Michael J. Fox, Orange Is the New Black, Law & Order, Louie, 30 Rock (with fellow Upper Darby alum Tina Fey), Sex and the City and Rescue Me.

Her first Hollywood film role was with Harrison Ford in Witness, in which she played a tourist trying to take his photo. She also appeared in several Woody Allen films; City Hall with Al Pacino and Danny Aiello; My Life with Michael Keaton and Nicole Kidman; Analyze That with Billy Crystal and Robert De Niro; Predator 2; Adam Sandler’s Mr. Deeds; The Wrestler with Mickey Rourke; and American Splendor with Paul Giamatti. She was especially proud of the work she did in the recent Coen brothers film Inside Llewyn Davis.

In addition to films, TV and local stage work, she was known for her work in commercials, from playing “Meemaw” for Visa in a 2012 Super Bowl ad to a Toyota spot with New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning.

Longtime friend Gloria Hochman met Kauders when Hochman was starting out in public relations.

“I was always impressed by how creative she was, and how much she didn’t mind going out on a limb, saying things other people wouldn’t,” Hochman said. “She often expressed views that were sometimes unpopular, but then people began to think about it and say, ‘She’s probably right.’”

 

Hochman also marveled at her ability to multitask.

She was amazing,” said Hochman, “to be able to have two careers and to excel in both of them.”

Hochman described Kauders as a fiercely independent woman who pounded the pavements in New York for auditions like someone half her age.

“She lived to perform.”

Kauders served as past president of the Philadelphia chapter of American Women in Radio and Television, Women in Communications, which honored her with the coveted Sarah award for Lifetime Achievement. She also was a member of the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2012.

She was a member of Actors Equity Association and was active with SAG-AFTRA, which recently named a studio at its headquarters in her honor.

An avid reader, Kauders was an active supporter of the Free Library of Philadelphia and the Curtis Institute of Music. She also supported the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Barnes Foundation, the American Jewish History Museum, the Kimmel Center, the Philadelphia Theater Company, the World Affairs Council and a host of other civic and cultural entities. She was a charter member of Women for Greater Philadelphia and served on its board for many years.

er Broadway debut took place in 1982 in Harvey Fierstein's Torch Song Trilogy as Mrs. Beckoff, the role originated by Estelle Getty. With her role in Jewish Repertory Theater's production of Crossing Delancey, she became known as an "entirely lovable Bubbie, (Yiddish For grandmother), a peppery lady whose charm is a mask for a determination to carry out her schemes, " according to New York Times theater critic, Richard F Shepard,

As an appreciative alumnus of her beloved University of Pennsylvania, she remained active in university events and endowed a luncheon series at Penn’s Kelly Writers House, as well as a fund for the Penn Libraries for the acquisition of presidential materials.

In honor of her late husband, Randle, an engineer, she established a scholarship in electrical engineering at Technion University.

Upon her death, she directed the establishment of the Kauders Foundation to give financial support to projects promoting historical and cultural organizations, education, the performing arts, government, health and human services and recreational activities.

The PPRA released a statement today regarding Kauders’ passing: “She undoubtedly has dedicated more time to our association than any other volunteer and has served as an advisor, mentor, friend and favorite actress to many of our members. In December, we honored her as one of the first three recipients of our 50-Year Club, which we branded in her name. Sylvia’s legacy will continue through PPRA.”

Funeral services are set for 11 a.m. on May 13, at Goldsteins’ Rosenberg’s Raphael-Sacks, 6410 N. Broad St. Burial will follow at Har Jehuda Cemetery in Upper Darby.

Partial filmography

 

    Witness (1985) - Tourist Lady

    Armed and Dangerous (1986) - Older Woman at Party

    Sticky Fingers (1988) - Francis

    Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989) - Seder Guest

    Predator 2 (1990) - Ruth

    Age Isn't Everything (1991)

    This Is My Life (1992) - Evelyn

    Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993) - Neighbor

    My Life (1993) - Aunt Tekla

    City Hall (1996) - Gussie

    XXL (1997) - Secrétaire

    Meschugge (1998) - Sarah Singer

    Judy Berlin (1999) - Woman on Bench

    Love the Hard Way (2001) - Mrs. Rosenberg

    Mr. Deeds (2002) - Sue, the Bench Woman

    Analyze That (2002) - Aunt Esther

    American Splendor (2003) - Old Jewish Lady

    Imaginary Heroes (2004) - Hattie

    Building Girl (2005) - Mrs. Rochen

    The Last New Yorker (2007) - Miriam Weiss

    The Wrestler (2008) - Hudson Acres Lady at Deli Counter

    The Answer Man (2009) - Old Woman

    Today's Special (2009) - Restaurant Patron

    According to Greta (2009) - Mrs. Wocheski

    Man on a Ledge (2012) - Angry Traffic Woman

    The Big Wedding (2013) - Elderly Wife

    Peeples (2013) - Mrs. Davis

    Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) - Ginny

    Love the Coopers (2015) - Sara (final film role)

 

Bob Bennett obit

Robert Bennett, Utah senator, dies at 82

He was not on the list.

Former U.S. Sen. Bob Bennett, of Utah, who shied away from the spotlight but earned a reputation as someone who knew how to get things done in Washington, has died. He was 82.

Bennett assistant Tara Tanner said he died Wednesday from complications of pancreatic cancer and a recent stroke.

The Republican was first elected in 1992 and was widely seen at home as politically moderate, which at times put him at odds with Utah's highly conservative Republican base. His middle-of-the-road reputation led to his ouster in 2010 at the state convention by delegates fueled by tea party anger.

Bennett had a stroke on April 11 that paralyzed the left side of his body and left him unable to stand or swallow. He told the Deseret News a week later the cancer had been diagnosed within a year earlier. It started in his pancreas but had spread to his stomach and near his liver. Bennett said he was receiving hospice care at his home in Arlington, Virginia.

Bennett was criticized by opponents within his own party for being in office too long after promising to only serve two terms, for supporting a bailout for distressed banks, and for working with Democrats on his own health care bill to require Americans to buy health insurance.

In the run-up to the 2010 election, Bennett took on a decidedly more conservative tone. But he failed to sway the 3,500 Republican state delegates, a generally more conservative group that selected the party's candidate in a caucus system.

Following his loss, Bennett ran a consulting firm and worked as a lobbyist in Washington.

He also became a resident scholar with the University of Utah's Hinckley Institute of Politics and penned regular opinion columns for Salt Lake City newspapers.

The former senator also became a vocal critic of the conservative wing of the party. He repeatedly said it was pushing the party away from mainstream Americans in favor of ultra-conservatives in the model of Barry Goldwater, the Republican nominee in 1964 who was soundly defeated in the presidential election.

Tributes from public figures came in Wednesday night.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney said in a statement that Bennett was a friend and counselor. When Romney moved to Utah to run the 2002 Winter Olympics, he said, Bennett helped him navigate government agencies and committees.

"His keen mind made him a leading figure in the Senate on issues as disparate and far-reaching as emerging technologies and federal budgets. He was respected by men and women on both sides of the aisle, not only for his expertise but also for his common touch, his common sense, and his commitment to uncommon virtues," Romney's statement said.

Bennett stayed on top of emerging technologies and in 2001 became one of the first members of Congress to purchase a hybrid vehicle. In 2006, he advocated for tax breaks for fuel-efficient vehicles.

Bennett's interest in technology began in the late 1970s. He served as chairman of American Computers Corp. from 1979 to 1981 and president of Microsonics Corp. from 1981 to 1984.

During his 18 years in the Senate, Bennett served on the Senate Appropriation Committee and leveraged that position to direct as much money as possible to Utah. Bennett frequently dismissed critics of congressional earmarks, saying the money was going to be spent anyway and Utah deserved its fair share.

He would ask those who questioned him, "Would you rather have that money go to Los Angeles?"

While Bennett proudly touted every earmark he secured for the state, he said he was most proud of a bill he sponsored in 2008 that helped designate how public lands in southern Utah would be managed. It was a thorny issue that environmentalists, developers and federal agencies fought over for years, although it received little public attention.

Bennett came from a line of prominent Utahans. His grandfather, Heber J. Grant, was the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and his father, Wallace Bennett, served four terms in the Senate.

The political bug caught Bob Bennett early on. His first elected office was that of student body president at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.

Bennett is survived by his wife, Joyce, six children and 20 grandchildren.

Ret Turner obit

Ret Turner, Award-Winning Costume Designer, Dies at 87

 The five-time Emmy Award winner worked with Bob Mackie and such glamorous stars as Cher, Dinah Shore, Dolly Parton, Diana Ross and Mitzi Gaynor.

He was not on the list.

He was an American costume designer, best known for his dressing of entertainment icons such as Cher, Lucille Ball, Barry Manilow, Neil Diamond, Shirley Booth, Lily Tomlin, Marie Osmond, Dolly Parton, Diana Ross, Billy Crystal, and Jean Stapleton. He had 23 Emmy nominations and five wins.

Ret Turner, the legendary wardrobe and costume designer who won five Emmy Awards and dressed such glamorous stars as Cher, Dinah Shore, Dolly Parton and Diana Ross, has died. He was 87.

Turner, who worked often with Bob Mackie and headed NBC Studios’ wardrobe department for 20 years, died Tuesday night at his home in West Hollywood, his close friend Dan Wolf told The Hollywood Reporter.

Turner collected 23 Emmy nominations in all, winning for his work on musical specials starring Ross and Mitzi Gaynor, for series (Mama’s Family and Carol Burnett’s Carol & Company) and for a star-studded event show that celebrated Las Vegas’ 75th anniversary.

Turner also did wardrobe for several Emmy and Academy Awards telecasts (he dressed host Billy Crystal) as well as for the Kennedy Center’s 25th anniversary show in 1996. He most recently worked on the SAG Awards show in January.

Turner, whose own signature look was wearing all-black with a red tassel at the neck, partnered with Mackie and another costume design legend, the late Ray Aghayan, for Elizabeth Courtney Costumes, a design and costume rental company in Studio City.

“Going to Elizabeth Courtney is like going to Disneyland,” Lily Tomlin once said. “Anything you want, anything you want to be, you can be. It’s all there for you.”

The business was known as Ret Turner Costume Rentals until its closure a few months ago.

Born Walter Raymond Turner in Marianna, Fla., he made his mark collaborating with Mackie in the 1970s on CBS’ The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour and the couple’s follow-up, The Sonny and Cher Show.

He also dressed Donny & Marie Osmond, Andy Williams, Parton, Edie Adams, Bing Crosby, Bea Arthur and Ann Jillian for television shows or specials and worked on the pilot for Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In.

“It was all so spectacular,” Turner, talking about working on variety shows back in the day, said in a 2003 interview with the Archive of American Television. “We were given a format, and we did a lot of clothes, and those dancers changed outfits sometimes eight times during a four-minute musical number, and they were all incredible looking. The costumes added an interesting element to the show. People now feel they get in the way of the show, and I can understand that. That’s why they don’t do them anymore.” 

Turner, who was the oldest active member of the Costume Designers Guild, came to Hollywood in 1950 looking to become an actor. When he realized that wasn’t going to happen, he got a job in the wardrobe department at NBC and assisted on shows hosted by Spike Jones and Dinah Shore. He later appeared as one of The Flying Silverman Brothers in a recurring comic sketch on The Andy Williams Show.

He also worked on the opening of Disneyland in 1955, Disney World in 1971 and EPCOT in 1982.

Turner went to Cher’s home and dressed her in her famous (infamous?) black feather gown and headdress that she wore when she presented Don Ameche of Cocoon with his best supporting actor Oscar in 1985. (Mackie designed the outfit.)

“She used to have trick phrases that she would give to Bob, like [let’s do] Road Warrior meets Tammy, she would throw things like that out there,” Turner said in the TV Archive interview. “Whatever it was, she certainly created quite a stir, right, wrong or indifferent.”

Survivors include a niece, Jean, and a cousin, Randy.

A funeral service will take place at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Mount Sinai Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills.

Marianne Gaba obit

Marianne Gaba, Actress and Model, has died

 

 She was not on the list.

Cute and sexy blonde Marianne Gaba was born Mary Ann Gaba on November 13, 1939 in Chicago, Illinois. Her father Frank Gaba was a mailman while her mother Marie was a factory worker. Gaba was crowned Miss Illinois in a local beauty pageant in 1957 and was one of fifteen finalists in the Miss Universe contest held in Long Beach, California in July of that same year. Marianne attended USC for two years and wrote a gossip column for "TV and Movie Screen" magazine. She was the Playmate of the Month in the September, 1959 issue of "Playboy." Gaba went on to act in a handful of films and television shows in the wake of her Playmate stint.

She was Miss Illinois USA 1957 and Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month for its September 1959 issue.

Gaba was born in Chicago, Illinois. She was fluent in three languages—Bohemian (Czech), Polish, and Spanish—in addition to English.

On June 11, 1960, she married Michael Eugene Starkman in Las Vegas, Nevada. Her son, Gregory C., was born in 1962 and her daughter, Wendy M. was born in 1966.

Gaba died on May 3, 2016, from brain cancer in Los Angeles, California, aged 76.

Filmography

 

    Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine (1965) .... Robot

    How to Stuff a Wild Bikini (1965) .... Animal

    The Beverly Hillbillies

        "Cool School Is Out" (1965) .... Squirrel

        "Big Daddy, Jed" (1965) .... Squirrel

    Burke's Law - "Who Killed the Fat Cat?" (1965) .... Beautiful Blonde

    The Patsy (1964) (uncredited) .... Waitress

    Island of Love (1963) (uncredited)

    The Choppers (1961) .... Liz

    Checkmate - "The Button-Down Break" (1961) .... Girl Friend

    77 Sunset Strip

        "The Affairs of Adam Gallante" (1960) .... Peaches Schultz

        "Sing Something Simple" (1959) .... Lita Ladoux

    G.I. Blues (1960) (uncredited) .... Bargirl

    Raymie (1960) .... Second Girl

    Please Don't Eat the Daisies (1960) (uncredited) .... Young Girl

    Mike Hammer (1959) .... Doris' daughter

    Johnny Staccato - "A Piece of Paradise" (1959) .... Gaba Gaba Hey

    Missile to the Moon (1958) .... Moon Girl

    George Burns & Gracie Allen Show - “Too Much Pot Roast” (1957) ….. Miss Illinois

Kristian Ealey obit

Brookside and Hollyoaks actor Kristian Ealey dies aged just 38

The actor and musician was best known as playing happy-go-lucky scouser Matt Musgrove on Brookside - and then played the same character in Hollyoaks

 not on the list.

He played happy-go-lucky scouser Matt Musgrove on Brookside from 1998 until 2000 - before his character transferred to Hollyoaks for another four years.

Kristian was also cast as Ringo Starr in the film In His Life: The John Lennon Story.

Only 11 days ago the actor was enjoying a holiday in Lake Garda, Italy.

And he had told of his sadness at the death of singer Prince with a post on his Twitter account.

There has not been any confirmation of the cause of death at this stage.

After news broke of the actor's tragic death this afternoon, Brookie and Hollyoaks colleagues paid their respects.

Former Hollyoaks star Ben Hull, who played Lewis Richardson from 1996-1998, said: "Shocked and saddened to hear of the sudden passing of Kristian Ealey.He was such a talented actor & musician,and a really lovely guy. RIP."

Suzanne Collins, who played Nikki Shadwick, said: “He was brilliant to work with, he was loads of fun.

"He was a fantastic actor, but you should have heard him sing. Musically he was so good, he loved to sing and play the guitar.

“It’s terrible terrible news. He lived for his young son Jakey. I’m so shocked and gutted.”

She tweeted: "Devastated to hear that @Smithdownslim has died.Love to his son Jakey and family #TooYoung #CherishEveryDay #BrookieBratPack.”

Co-star Leon Lopez, who played Jerome Johnson, told his followers: “Am absolutely heart broken by the news about @Smithdownslim ! Such a lovely soul! RIP X”

Russ Pritchard tweeted: “Tell everyone you love that you love them as often as possible, because we really don’t know how long any of us have here #KrisEaley”

Before finding fame in the world of soap, he was cast as an extra in one episode of hit Scouse comedy Bread in 1987.

In Brookside, he and the rest of the Musgrove clan were shamed into leaving after his on-screen brother Luke confessed to raping neighbour Nikki Shadwick - played by Suzanne Collins.

Fortunately, the family didn't abandon fans as they only moved a few miles away to Chester - the home of Hollyoaks.

Upon his arrival, Matt fell almost instantly for radio show host Chloe Bruce. At first, the feeling wasn't mutual but eventually, the pair ended up together.

Sadly, the relationship wasn't meant to last after he attempted to pay for their wedding with counterfeit money.

Poor Matt was left so heartbroken after being dumped that he decided to leave Hollyoaks for good - marking the end of Kristian's last major role on the small screen.

The actor was also well-known on Liverpool's music scene as a member of Tramp Attack alongside soon-to-be Zuton Dave McCabe.

He also played with local musicians Edgar Jones and Candie Payne in Edgar Jones and the Jones’.

Paying tribute to his pal after hearing today's tragic news, musician Pete Wylie tweeted: “So very sad to hear the shocking news about Kris Ealey.

"Always a power for good,whether music or mood. Gonna be missed big time. Love to all those left behind xxx”

As news of his sudden passing began to spread, tweets began to pour in from the star's friends and fans alike.

Karen Cleary wrote: “So sad to hear @Smithdownslim’s suddenly gone. Can’t quite grasp it. So unexpected. Such a nice fella. Much too young. Rest in peace Kris xx”

Jamie Bird added: “Mad that @Smithdownslim from tramp attack also played matt musgrove in brookside has passed away #rip”

 

Actor

Hollyoaks (1995)

Hollyoaks

4.6

TV Series

Matt Musgrove

2000–2004

11 episodes

 

Hollyoaks: After Hours

4.4

TV Series

Matt Musgrove

2004

1 episode

 

Hollyoaks: Indecent Behaviour (2001)

Hollyoaks: Indecent Behaviour

4.9

Video

Matt Musgrove (as Christian Ealey)

2001

 

Philip McQuillan in In His Life: The John Lennon Story (2000)

In His Life: The John Lennon Story

5.9

TV Movie

Ringo

2000

 

Brookside (1982)

Brookside

6.6

TV Series

Matt Musgrove (as Christian Ealey)

1998–2000

60 episodes

 

Jean Boht, Nick Conway, Ronald Forfar, Peter Howitt, Victor McGuire, and Jonathon Morris in Bread (1986)

Bread

6.3

TV Series

Kid (as Christian Ealey)

1987

1 episode