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Stan Freberg was funny in every medium he tried. In cartoons, where he was the voice of a gopher, two bears and an insurance agent, among others. On his radio show and comedy albums, on which he spoofed everyone from George Washington to Elvis Presley, from to Harry Belafonte to Lawrence Welk and the Founding Fathers. In his revolutionary ad campaigns, which injected humor into the staid, overly earnest advertisements of earlier decades, sometimes at the cost of the very product he was selling. (In a classic commercial for pit-less prunes, a skeptic of the fruit sniffs, “They’re still rather...

Richard Dysart, the Emmy-winning actor who portrayed the cranky senior partner Leland McKenzie in the slick, long-running NBC drama L.A. Law, has died. He was 86.Dysart, who also played Coach in the original 1972 Broadway production of Jason Miller’s Pulitzer Prize-winning That Championship Season, died Sunday at home in Santa Monica after a long illness, his wife, artist Kathryn Jacobi, told The Hollywood Reporter ...He ... was the bad guy who battled Clint Eastwood in Pale Rider ...

Geoffrey Lewis, the father of actress Juliette Lewis, has died. He was 79 ... Lewis was well known for his appearances in western films and his roles in multiple Clint Eastwood movies ... He also had various television credits on popular series ...

Jenny Wallenda, 87, the matriarch of the famous family of high-flying circus performers, died late Saturday at her home in Sarasota, Florida, according to family members. Wallenda's nephew, Rick Wallenda, said his aunt died following a lengthy illness. "She had a great life in entertainment, a very rewarding and rich life," he said. Wallenda was the oldest daughter of high wire walker Karl Wallenda and grandmother of daredevil performer Nik Wallenda.

James Best, whose prolific career included 83 movies and 600 TV shows but is best remembered for his role as Rosco P. Coltrane, the bumbling sheriff of Hazzard, died Monday night in Hickory. Best was 88. He died in hospice after a brief illness of complications from pneumonia, said Steve Latshaw, a longtime friend and Hollywood colleague. Best’s career included roles in such movies as “The Caine Mutiny” with Humphrey Bogart and “Shenandoah” with Jimmy Stewart. After television came to the fore in the 1950s, Best found roles on popular shows like “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” and “The Andy Griffith Show.”...

James Best, whose prolific career included 83 movies and 600 TV shows but is best remembered for his role as Rosco P. Coltrane, the bumbling sheriff of Hazzard, died Monday night in Hickory. Best was 88. He died in hospice after a brief illness of complications from pneumonia, said Steve Latshaw, a longtime friend and Hollywood colleague. Best’s career included roles in such movies as “The Caine Mutiny” with Humphrey Bogart and “Shenandoah” with Jimmy Stewart. After television came to the fore in the 1950s, Best found roles on popular shows like “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” and “The Andy Griffith Show.”...

It is difficult to list the various accomplishments of Stan Freberg. They included music, comedy, writing, advertising, even puppeteering. Mr. Freberg died on April 7, 2015 at the age of 88 according to his son Donavan’s Facebook page and his Twitter account. The news quickly spread on Twitter, with condolences from the many whom Freberg influenced, as well as scores of fans.

Lon Simmons, the Hall of Fame broadcaster whose baritone voice and dry wit captured some of the most thrilling moments Bay Area sports history, has died. He was 91. The Giants sent a press release Sunday afternoon that said, "The Giants family and Bay Area sports community lost a true gentleman (Sunday) morning when Hall of Fame broadcaster Lon Simmons peacefully passed away."

Sarah Brady, the wife of former White House Press Secretary James Brady and tireless advocate for gun control, has died at the age of 73, her family announced in a statement Friday. "We are deeply saddened that our beloved Sarah passed away today after battling pneumonia.  Her son, Scott, daughter-in-law Andree, stepdaughter, Missy, and brother, Bill, have been by her side in her final days,” the statement said. ADVERTISEMENT “We are enormously proud of Sarah’s remarkable accomplishments and the impact she had on so many people -- whether as an elementary school teacher, advocate for a safer America, devoted mother,...

Sarah Kemp Brady, the widow of former White House Press Secretary James Brady, died Friday after battling pneumonia, her family said in a statement. She was 73. Sarah Brady became a prominent gun control advocate after her husband was shot during the attempt on then-President Ronald Reagan's life in 1981. James Brady died in August at age 73.

John Paul Hammerschmidt, who defeated Bill Clinton in the future president’s first political campaign and was the first Republican congressman from Arkansas since Reconstruction, died on Wednesday in Springdale, Ark. He was 92. The cause was heart and respiratory failure, said his son and only survivor, John Arthur Hammerschmidt.

2 Peter 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. I am sad at the news of fellow Iowan Dr. Robert Schuller and pray for the comfort of the Lord on his family. However, I am very concerned for his soul. Dr. Robert Schuller was a prolific false teacher whose errant teachings destroyed thousands, if not millions (especially old ladies who could not drive to church who clung to...

Just hours after his former church congregation issued a call for prayer for his health, family members of the influential Rev. Robert H. Schuller has announced his death at the age of 88.The Associated Press reported via Twitter just at 10:23 a.m. ET that Carol Schuller Milner, Schuller's daughter, had reported his death.Schuller's grandson, who has been leading the church founded by former members of the Crystal Cathedral congregation since 2013, confirmed his passing via Twitter, writing: "My Grandfather Robert H. Schuller passed this morning into eternal life with Christ."Schuller, who lost his wife, Arvella Schuller, in Feb. 2014, passed away...

Eddie LeBaron, the College Football Hall of Fame quarterback at the University of the Pacific who went on to a lengthy pro career, died Wednesday in Stockton, the university announced. He was 85. University officials said Mr. LeBaron, who also worked as a lawyer in Sacramento for nine years before retiring in 1997, died of natural causes ... Drafted by the Washington Redskins, Mr. LeBaron played seven years in the nation’s capital and four with the Dallas Cowboys. He also played one season with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League ...

ARTESIA, Calif. (AP) — The Rev. Robert H. Schuller, the Southern California televangelist and author who beamed his upbeat messages on faith and redemption to millions from his landmark Crystal Cathedral only to see his empire crumble in his waning years, has died. He was 88. Schuller died early Thursday at a care facility in Artesia, daughter Carol Schuller Milner said. He was diagnosed with terminal esophageal cancer in 2013. Schuller, who preached in a flowing purple robe and outsized aviator glasses, led an evangelical Protestant ministry that was a product of modern technology. He and his late wife, Arvella,...

Czech cinematographer Miroslav Ondricek, who was nominated for Oscar twice and cooperated with Czech-born director Milos Forman, died on Saturday evening at the age of 80, Martha Issova, partner of his son David, told CTK today. Ondricek is famous in the Czech Republic and abroad primarily for his cooperation with Forman in Czechoslovakia and in the United States. Both film-makers are leading personalities of the Czech New Film Wave of the 1960s.

Robert L. Hite, blindfolded by his captors, 1942

Gene Saks, an actor who switched to stage and film directing in midcareer, winning three Tony Awards and becoming the leading interpreter of the plays of Neil Simon, died on Saturday at his home in East Hampton, N.Y. He was 93.

Rod Hundley, basketball’s irrepressible Hot Rod, who parlayed showmanship on the court with flair at the microphone to become a fan favorite for more than half a century, died on Friday at his home near Phoenix. He was 80. Hundley was an electrifying presence at West Virginia University, played for the Lakers and stamped his persona on broadcasting, mostly for the New Orleans Jazz. “Nobody did the things I did on the court and nobody has done them since,” Hundley said of his collegiate exploits in “Hot Rod Hundley: You Gotta Love It Baby!” (2012), written with Tom McEachin. “I’d...

A local radio legend has passed away. John Ed Willoughby died this morning after a long illness. Willoughby’s career spanned parts of five decades. He got started in radio as Tommy Charles' sidekick on Birmingham's WSGN-AM in 1975. He "retired" 30 years later but continued to host a Saturday morning sport talk show with Doug Layton until 2012. He retired then due to health issues. Willoughby was 80 years old. A funeral will take place 11 a.m. Saturday at Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church.