Matt Tauber: February 2014

Hello, and welcome to my annual list of our TV friends who passed away in the previous year. It's a big list, but it's not comprehensive, as it only includes folks from shows I remember watching. So, I'm sorry if I left out someone important to you. A lot of the big stars of the 70s/80s died last year. As Grandpa would say, "Time marcheth on."

1/2 - Jim Boyd, 79

Andy/J. Arthur Krank/Paul the Gorilla/Steve Awesome & others on "Electric Company" (1971-77)

1/2 - Ned Wertimer, 89

Ralph the Doorman on "The Jeffersons" (1975-84)

1/14 - Conrad Bain, 89

Dr. Arthur Harmon on "Maude" (1972-78)
Philip Drummond on "Diff'rent Strokes" (1978-86)
Charlie Ross on "Mr. President" (1987-88)

1/17 - Robert F. Chew, 52

Proposition Joe on "The Wire" (2002-08)

1/18 - Jeff Cahill, 44

Garrity Harman on "Dangerous Minds" (1996-97)
J.B. Murphy on "NYPD Blue" (1999-2000)

3/1 - Bonnie Franklin, 69

Ann Romano on "One Day at a Time" (1975-84)

3/16 - Frank Thornton, 92

Captain Peacock on "Are You Being Served?"

3/18 - Henry Bromell, 65

Writer/Producer on "Homicide: Life on the Street" (1994-96)

3/19 - Lester Lewis, 46

Consulting producer/writer on "The Office" (2005-09)

3/26 - Don Payne, 48

Producer/writer on "The Simpsons" (1999-2013)

4/4 - Roger Ebert, 70

"Sneak Previews" (1975-82)
"At The Movies" (1982-86)
"Siskel & Ebert" (1986-2000)
"Ebert & Roeper" (2000-08)
"Ebert Presents: At the Movies" (2010-11)

4/11 - Jonathan Winters, 87

Mearth on "Mork & Mindy" (1981-82)

4/13 - Frank Bank, 71

Clarence "Lumpy" Rutherford on "Leave it to Beaver" (1958-63)

4/14 - Mike Road, 95

Race Bannon on "Jonny Quest" (1964-65)
Ugh on "Space Ghost" (1966)
Zandor on "The Herculoids" (1967)
Mike Butler on "Valley of the Dinosaurs" (1974-76)
Reed Richards on "Fantastic Four" (1978)

4/19 - Allan Arbus, 95

Maj. Sidney Freedman on "M*A*S*H" (1973-83)

4/28 - Jack Shea, 84

Director - "The Jeffersons" (1975-79)[110 episodes]
"The Ropers" (1979-80)[all episodes]
"Silver Spoons" (1982-87)[90 episodes]
"The Charmings" (1987-88)[all episodes]

5/4 - Dean Jeffries, 80

Car customizer who made the Monkeemobile for "The Monkees" and Black Beauty for "The Green Hornet"

5/24 - Ed Shaughnessy, 84

Drummer for the "Tonight Show" band (1963-92)

5/31 - Jean Stapleton, 90

Edith Bunker on "All in the Family" (1971-79)
3-time Emmy winner for Best Actress

6/14 - Elroy Schwartz, 89

Writer, "Gilligan's Island" (13 episodes)
"The Brady Bunch" (9 episodes)
the 3 Gilligan reunion movies (1978-81)
brother of producer Sherwood Schwartz

6/22 - Gary David Goldberg, 69

Creator of "Family Ties", "The Bronx Zoo" and "Spin City"
Founder of Ubu Productions ("Sit, Ubu. Sit."

6/25 - George Burditt, 89

writer, The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour" (58 episodes)
"Three's Company" (36 episodes)(1977-84)
"The Ropers" (8 episodes)
Executive producer, "Three's Company" (1981-84)
"Three's a Crowd" (1984-85)

7/14 - Dennis Burkley, 67

Cal Pettie on "Sanford" (1980-81)
Principal Moss on "King of the Hill" (1997-2010)

7/22 - Dennis Farina, 69

Det. Joe Fontana on "Law & Order" (2004-06)
Gus Demitriou on "Luck" (2012)

7/28 - Eileen Brennan, 80

Capt. Doreen Lewis on "Private Benjamin" (1981-83)

8/11 - Henry Polic II, 68

Jerry Silver on "Webster" (1983-89)
Scarecrow on "Batman: The Animated Series" (1992-94)

8/14 - Lisa Robin Kelly, 43

Laurie Forman on "That '70s Show" (1998-2003)

8/19 - Lee Thompson Young, 29

Victor Stone on "Smallville" (3 episodes, 2006-10)
Det. Barry Frost on "Rizzoli & Isles" (2010-13)

9/16 - Patricia Blair, 80

Janice Taft on the "Operation Firebee" episode of "Steve Canyon" (1959)
Lou Mallory on "The Rifleman" (1962-63)

9/16 - Kim Hamilton

the original Helen Willis on "All in the Family" before "The Jeffersons" was spun off (1 episode, 1975)

9/18 - Richard Sarafian, 83

Director, "I Spy" (8 episodes)

10/19 - Jon Locke, 86

Sleestack Leader on "Land of the Lost" (1976)

10/25 - Marcia Wallace, 70

Carol Kester on "The Bob Newhart Show" (1972-78)
Edna Krabappel on "The Simpsons" (1990-2013)
Maggie Hawley on "That's My Bush" (2001)

10/31 - Toby Bluth, 64

Layout artist

"Scooby's Laff-a-Lympics" (1977)
"Challenge of the SuperFriends" (1978)
"Godzilla" (1978-79)

Background stylist

"Smurfs" (1981)

11/7 - Paul Mantee, 82

Sgt. Taliman on the "Operation Firebee" episode of "Steve Canyon" (1959)
Health Inspector on "The Pie" episode of "Seinfeld" (1994)

11/12 - Al Ruscio, 89

Five different episodes of "Barney Miller"
Coffee shop manager in "The Pilot" episode of "Seinfeld" (1993)

12/22 - Marco Zappia, 76

TV editor

"All in the Family" (95 episodes)
"Archie Bunker's Place" (97 episodes)
"Who's the Boss?" (187 episodes)

12/31 - James Avery, 68

Judge Conover on "L.A. Law" (9 episodes)(1988-92)
Philip Banks on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" (1990-96)

STAR TREK

3/13 - Malachi Throne, 84

False Face on "Batman" (1966)
Commodore Mendez on "The Menagerie" 2-part episode of "Star Trek" (1966)

3/24 - Peter Duryea, 73

Lt. Jose Tyler on "The Cage" pilot episode of "Star Trek" (1965)

3/29 - Jim Mees, 57

Emmy-award winning set designer for the "Star Trek" TV franchise (1988-2002)

7/31 - Michael Ansara, 85

Sam Buckhart in "Law of the Plainsman" (1959-60), a spinoff of "The Rifleman"
Kang in "Day of the Dove" episode of "Star Trek", reprising the role twice on later Trek shows