Koko Taylor was 80. She was the Grammy-winning blues singer known as the "Queen of the Blues" who belted out her signature hit, "Wang Dang Doodle," at hundreds of concerts.

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Peter Zezel was 44. He was a key contributor to Toronto's dramatic playoff runs in 1993 and 1994, during which time he embraced the role of checking centre, relentless penalty killer and face off specialist alongside linemates Bill Berg and Mark Osborne.

For more of my thoughts on Peter Zezel, go here.

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Chuck Daly was 78. He coached the original Dream Team to the Olympic gold medal in 1992 after winning back-to-back NBA championships with the Detroit Pistons.

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Dom DiMaggio was 92. He was the bespectacled Boston Red Sox center fielder whose career was overshadowed by his older brother Joe's Hall of Fame career with the New York Yankees. He was a seven-time All Star who still holds the record for the longest consecutive game hitting streak in Boston Red Sox history.

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Dom DeLuise was 75. He starred in such comedies as "The Cannonball Run" and "Blazing Saddles" and was the voice of Pizza the Hutt in "Spaceballs".

Here's Dom DeLuise and Burt Reynolds as the voices of Itchy and Charlie in "All Dogs Go To Heaven", a movie that makes my kids cry.

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Jack Kemp was 73. He championed supply-side economics in nine terms as a congressman after a career as the quarterback of the Buffalo Bills.

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Bea Arthur was 86. She played Dorothy Zbornak on The Golden Girls, the title character in Maude and she ran the cantina on Tatooine in the Star Wars Holiday Special.

In grade 7 I attended a gifted program and my teacher there regarded Bea Arthur as her best friend. She was always bringing in photos of her and Bea and telling us Bea Arthur tales. I felt as if I knew her.

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Harry Kalas was 73. He was the longtime Philadelphia Phillies broadcaster famous for his patented "It's outta here" home run call.

Here he is calling the final out of last year's World Series.

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Marilyn Chambers was 56. She was the adult film star who starred in the 1972 film "Behind the Green Door."

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Dave Arneson was 61. He was one of the co-creators of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy game and a pioneer of role-playing entertainment.

I once wrote about Dungeons & Dragons, the game of choice for those in the primary school gifted program.

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