Pope John Paul II was 84.  He headed the Roman Catholic Church for 26 years.

Mitch Hedberg was 37.  He was a very funny comedian and frequent guest on Howard Stern's morning radio show and "Late Show With David Letterman".

Terri Schiavo was 41.  She was the brain-damaged Florida woman at the heart of a wrenching dispute over her fate that drew in the Congress and President Bush and ignited a media frenzy.

Johnnie Cochran was 67.  He became a legal superstar after helping clear O.J. Simpson during a sensational murder trial in which he uttered the famous quote "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit".

Paul Hester was 46.  He was the drummer from popular 1980s Australian rock band Crowded House.

Paul Henning was 93.  He created the hit TV show "The Beverly Hillbillies" and wrote its theme song.

Barney Martin was 82.  He was a former New York City detective who went into show business and became best known for playing Jerry Seinfeld's father Morty on the comedian's hit television series. It's rough when a player on one of your favourite shows of all time passes away.  I've

Rod Price was 57.  He was a founding member of the blues boogie band Foghat.

David Little was 46.  He was a durable linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers who was voted to the Pro Bowl in 1990.

David Boone was 53.  He was an all-star defensive lineman who helped the Edmonton Eskimos win five consecutive Grey Cups.

Bobby Short was 80.  He was the tuxedoed embodiment of New York style and sophistication who was a fixture at his piano in the Carlyle Hotel for more than 35 years.

John Z. DeLorean was 80.  He was the innovative automaker who left a promising career in Detroit to develop the short-lived gull-winged sports cars featured as a souped-up time travel machine in the "Back to the Future" movies.

Andre Norton was 93.  She was the science fiction and fantasy author who wrote the popular Witch World series.

Danny Joe Brown was 53.  He was the original lead singer of Southern rock collective Molly Hatchet.

Bill Cameron was 62.  He was a veteran broadcaster and author who was host of Global TV's Newsweek from 1978 to '83, an anchor on Toronto's Citytv in the 1980s and a broadcaster at the CBC after that. When Bill Cameron was anchoring CBLT's Toronto News in the 90s, it

Nicole DeHuff was 30. She was an actress best known for playing Teri Polo's sister in "Meet the Parents".

Chris LeDoux was 56. He was a world champion bareback rider who parlayed songs about cowboys he knew on the rodeo circuit into a successful country music career.

Teresa Wright was 86. She was the willowy actress who starred opposite Gary Cooper and Marlon Brando and won a supporting Academy Award in 1942 for "Mrs. Miniver".

Debra Hill was 54. She co-wrote the horror classic "Halloween" and rose through Hollywood's ranks to become a pioneering woman producer.

Chuck Thompson was 83. He was the Hall of Fame broadcaster whose deep voice and enthusiasm for the job entertained Baltimore sports fans for more than 50 years.

Jef Raskin was 61.  He was the lead designer of the first Macintosh computer and a pioneer in the development of user interfaces.

Tom Patterson was 84.  He was a former magazine journalist and Second World War veteran who founded the internationally acclaimed Stratford Festival more than 50 years ago.

Hunter S. Thompson was 67.  He was the hard-living writer who inserted himself into his accounts of America's underbelly and popularized a first-person form of journalism in books such as "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas".

Sandra Dee was 63.  She was the blond beauty who attracted a large teen audience in the 1960s with films such as "Gidget" and "Tammy and the Doctor" and had a headlined marriage to pop singer Bobby Darin.

Dick Weber was 75.  He was one of bowling's first national stars and a three-time bowler of the year.