In Memoriam
Total 1305 Posts
Madeleine Albright was the first woman to serve as secretary of state for the United States, holding that position from from 1997 to 2001. Albright succeeded Warren Christopher as secretary of state, having previously served the Clinton administration as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
Scott Hall was one of the biggest wrestling stars of the 1990s, rising to prominence under the ring name “Razor Ramon” in the World Wrestling Federation before moving to World Championship Wrestling in 1996, where he was one of the founding members of wrestling’s most iconic faction, the New
William Hurt was the actor best known for his Oscar-winning performance in 1985’s "Kiss of the Spider Woman" and his work in "The Big Chill" and "Body Heat."
Emilio Delgado was the actor who played Luis on Sesame Street since 1971. This man helped raise me.
Sally Kellerman was the actress who played Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan in Robert Altman's film M*A*S*H, a role that earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
Mark Lanegan was the frontman for Screaming Trees, the band that scored Top 10 hits on Billboard’s Modern Rock chart with the singles “Nearly Lost You” and “All I Know.” He also played with Queens of the Stone Age and released a wealth of solo material.
Steve Fonyo was the cancer survivor who ran across Canada with a prosthetic leg as a teen, following in the footsteps of Terry Fox. The “Journey for Lives” initiative raised more than $13 million for cancer research.
Dallas Good was a singer songwriter with The Sadies. Dallas Good co-fronted the Sadies along with his brother Travis. I saw them open for The Tragically Hip at Fort York back in 2006.
Ivan Reitman was the producer and director behind some of Hollywood's biggest comedies, from National Lampoon's Animal House to Meatballs to Stripes and Ghostbusters. On a personal note, Ivan Reitman gave the keynote address at my convocation.
Mike Nykoluk was the NHL player who coached the Toronto Maple Leafs for four seasons, from 1981 to 1984.
Howard Hesseman is best known as the actor who played Dr. Johnny Fever on WKRP in Cincinnati, a show I absolutely loved. I also remember him well from Disney's Flight of the Navigator and his stint as Charlie Moore on Head of the Class.
Clark Gillies enjoyed a tremendously successful 14-year NHL career with the New York Islanders, winning four consecutive Stanley Cups from 1980 to 1983.
R. Dean Taylor was the Toronto-born Motown artist who had a hit in 1970 when his song “Indiana Wants Me” went to #5 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Louie Anderson was the comedian and actor who won an Emmy for his performance as mom to twin adult sons in the TV series "Baskets." I remember him from Hollywood Squares.
Meat Loafs was the larger-than-life singer whose bombastic rock opera "Bat Out of Hell" is one of the best-selling albums of all time. I literally shared Paradise by the Dashboard Light in my post about Ellen Foley earlier this week. We referenced I’d Do Anything for Love (But I
André Leon Talley first joined Vogue in 1983 as the magazine's fashion news director. He quickly rose to creative director and editor-in-chief Anna Wintour's right-hand — a position he held from 1987 to 1995. He left Vogue in 1995 and moved to Paris, where he returned to W Magazine after working
Alexa McDonough was the first woman to lead a major, recognized political party in Canada when she became leader of the Nova Scotia NDP in 1980. She became leader of the federal New Democratic Party in 1995.
Ronnie Spector sang lead on the Ronettes' string of hits in the early-to-mid–1960s, including "Be My Baby", "Baby, I Love You", "The Best Part of Breakin' Up" and "Walking in the Rain."
Bob Saget was the raunchy comedian who became an unlikely wholesome dad on "Full House". I'll remember him best for his cameo in Half Baked and in Rollin' With Saget, a great Stu Stone and Jamie Kennedy joint.
Michael Lang was the co-creator and organizer of 1969’s Woodstock Music and Art Fair, and its follow-ups Woodstock ’94 and the ill-fated Woodstock ’99.
Eberhard Zeidler was an architect who designed such landmarks as the Eaton Centre, Ontario Place, the Toronto Centre for the Arts, Queen's Quay Terminal, as well as numerous sites across Canada and internationally.
Sidney Poitier was the actor, film director, activist, and ambassador who won the Academy Award for Best Actor, becoming the first African American and Bahamian actor to win the award.
Peter Bogdanovich was the Oscar-nominated director of movies like "The Last Picture Show" and "Paper Moon," whose off-screen life was as colourful as his films.
Betty White was introduced to my world via Golden Girls, a sitcom I watched throughout the 1980s. Betty played Rose Nylund, although she was originally supposed to portray Blanche Devereaux, a character that ended up being played by Rue McClanahan. The fun fact of that iconic cast was that Estelle
John Madden was a football coach and sportscaster. He won Super Bowl XI as head coach of the Oakland Raiders over the Minnesota Vikings, and after retiring from coaching became a well-known color commentator for NFL telecasts. He's now best known for Madden NFL.