"Dimebag" Darrell Abbott was 38. He was one of metal's top guitarists and an original member of Grammy-nominated thrash rock pioneers Pantera.

Pierre Berton was 84. He was a great Canadian broadcaster, writer and author of 50 books, including compelling histories like 1970's "The National Dream" and 1971's "The Last Spike".

John Drew Barrymore was 72. He was part of an acting clan that included his father, the famed stage and early film actor John Barrymore, his father's siblings, Lionel Barrymore and Ethel Barrymore and his daughter, Drew Barrymore.

Tom Rivers was 57. He was an immensely popular rock 'n' roll DJ in the 1970s and 1980s who worked at rock stations throughout Canada and the U.S. for 30 years. I remember Tom Rivers well from the early 80s when he hosted the 680 CFTR morning show.  My

John Morgan was 74. He played the dim-witted Mike from Canmore and other characters on CBC's The Royal Canadian Air Farce.

Old Dirty Bastard was 35. He was a founding member of the seminal rap group the Wu-Tang Clan in the early 1990s.  The Wu-Tang blueprint was for each member to pursue solo projects, and O.D.B.'s were among the best. He released hit singles such as "Shimmy Shimmy

Yasser Arafat was 75.  He was the President of the Palestinian Authority, leader of Fatah and Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization.

Howard Keel was 85.  He romanced his way through a series of glittery MGM musicals such as "Kiss Me Kate" and "Annie Get Your Gun" and later revived his career with television's "Dallas".

Sergei Zholtok was 31.  He played 588 NHL games with Boston, Ottawa, Montreal, Edmonton, Minnesota and Nashville scoring 111 goals and adding 147 assists.

Peggy Ryan was 80.  She teamed with dance partner Donald O'Connor in movie musicals such as "This Is the Life" and "When Johnny Comes Marching Home".

Princess Alice was 102.  She was the widow of Prince Henry, the third son of King George V and Queen Mary and the longest-lived member of the British royal family.

Doug Bennett was 53.  He was the lead singer for Doug & the Slugs, a Canadian band best known for its hits "Too Bad", "Day By Day" and "Making It Work". Doug & the Slugs were fixtures on the AM radio I listened to growing up.  In the early 80s

The Big Boss Man was 42.  He was a star in the WWF who had high profile feuds with Hulk Hogan, Ted Dibiase, Nailz, The Heenan Family, Vader, Al Snow, and many others.

Ken Caminiti was 41.  He was a three-time All-Star third baseman who won the 1996 National League MVP.

Christopher Reeve was 52.  He was an actor best known for playing the role of "Superman".  He recently turned personal tragedy into a public crusade, becoming the nation's most recognizable spokesman for spinal cord research. Superman was always a big deal when I was growing up.  Next to the Star

Jacques Derrida was 74.  He one of France's best-known philosophers and the founder of the deconstructionist school.

Rodney Dangerfield was 82.  He was the goggle-eyed comic famed for his self-deprecating one-liners and signature phrase "I can't get no respect". I always found Rodney funny.  "Back to School" still cracks me up.  In 1996 he guest starred on The Simpsons playing Mr. Burns' long lost son Larry Burns

Janet Leigh was 77.  She was an actress best known as the knife attack victim in Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho".

John Cerutti was 44.  He was a former pitcher for my Toronto Blue Jays and a current Blue Jays television announcer. A left-hander from Albany, Cerutti joined the Blue Jays in 1985 and spent six seasons with the club.  He was to work today's season finale against the Yankees but

Billy Reay was 86.  He was a legendary NHL head coach who is sixth all-time with 542 wins in 1,102 games behind the bench.  He also won two Stanley Cups as a player.

Russ Meyer was 82.  He produced, directed, wrote, edited and shot over 20 films, including the 1965 cult hit "Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!".

Johnny Ramone was 55.  He was the guitarist and co-founder of the seminal punk band "The Ramones" that influenced a generation of rockers.

Laura Branigan was 47.  She was a a Grammy-nominated pop singer best known for her 1982 platinum hit "Gloria".

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross was 78.  She was a psychiatrist who revolutionized the way the world looks at terminally ill patients with her book "On Death and Dying" and later as a pioneer for hospice care.

Ivan Hlinka was 54.  He was an exceptional hockey player who later coached the Czech Republic hockey team to a gold medal at the 1998 Olympics.  He played for the Vancouver Canucks and coached the Pittsburgh Penguins.