2025-2026 Final Salutes, Part the Third

Oklahoma journalist George Tomek (January 1, 2026) served in Vietnam before landing in OKC, serving for years as anchor and news director at KFOR.

Actor Sidney Kibrick (January 2, 2026) was most famous for appearing as “Woim” in over two dozen Our Gang shorts, 1933-39.

Facing the end of government funding, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting was dissolved by its board of directors on January 5, 2026.

Actor TK Carter (January 9, 2026) was known for appearances in The Thing (1982), Space Jam, and TV’s Punky Brewster.  He also voiced a character on Jem.

Composer Ted Nichols (January 9, 2026) stirred the imaginations (and funny bones) of millions of TV viewers with his music for Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, Josie and the Pussycats, Shazzan, Space Ghost, Jonny Quest, and many others.

Humbug artist, plagiarist, and charlatan Erich von Däniken (January 10, 2026) treated facts like toilet paper, but his writings on the “possibilities” of ancient alien contact or technology stimulated the hopes and imaginations of millions to use real science to investigate mysteries of the past and present.

Musician Bob Weir (January 10, 2026) was a co-founder of the Grateful Dead, shaping pop (and acid) music history for generations of Deadheads and other fans.

Satirist Scott Adams (January 13, 2026) earned worldwide fame for his strip Dilbert.  He also wrote on other topics and won a lot of flack for his outspoken views on politics and current events.

Claudette Colvin (January 13, 2026) struck a blow for freedom when she was arrested, at age 15, for not yielding her bus seat to a white, in Montgomery, AL.

Playwright-animator Roger Allers (January 17, 2026) worked on such Disney successes as Beauty and the Beast and The Litle Mermaid, and was most known as co-director of The Lion King.

Mathematician Gladys West (January 17, 2026) began working for the Navy in the 1950s as a computer programmer and analyst of satellite data.  He research reached to Pluto’s orbit and was foundational to the development of GPS.

Country-music singer and platter spinner Billy Parker (January 19, 2026) charted 20 singles with Billboard and was named Disc Jockey of the Year several times in the late 1970s.  On Tulsa’s KVOO, his overnight show reached from Canada to Mexico.

American writer Jean Rabe (January 19, 2026) collaborated with Martin H Greenberg and Andre Norton and wrote a mystery series starring Piper Blackwell.  Her biggest genre splash, however, must be from her work creating accessories and novels in the worlds of Dungeons & Dragons.

Fashion designer Valentino (January 19, 2026) was a big influence beginning in the 1960s, known for pushing retro designs into haute couture.

Comics artist Sal Buscema (January 24, 2026) worked primarily for Marvel, including ten years on the Hulk and eight for Spider-Man.

Dr William Foege (January 24, 2026) was the tenth director of the CDC. As a result of his international research and advocation for vaccination, smallpox was declared officially eradicated from the Earth in 1979.

Lowell Fillmore “Sly” Dunbar (January 26, 2026) was a Jamaican drummer and two-time Grammy winner, best known as part of the duo Sly and Robbie.

Shirley Raines (January 27, 2026) helped change the lives of many by founding the non-profit Beauty 2 the Streetz, which provides hygiene, beauty products, and other items to folks living on LA streets.

Actress-comedienne Catherine O’Hara (January 30, 2026) stomped into our hearts beginning with Canada’s SCTV, and charmed and/or astounded us in films including Beetlejuice, Home Alone, Dick Tracy, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Frankenweenie, and a TV show called Schitt’s Creek.

Singer-songwriter Chuck Negron II (February 2, 2026) was lead vocalist and a founding member of Three Dog Night.  After overcoming a long heroin addiction, he launched a solo career with at least six albums and an autobiography, Three Dog Nightmare.

First a Navy aerial photographer and then a pitcher for the LA Dodgers, LaMonte McLemore (February 3, 2026) made his biggest pop-culture impact as a founding member of the Fifth Dimension singing group.

Tulsa-area guitarist Tommy Crook (February 4, 2026) played with folks like Merle Haggard and Leon Russell.  He was known for replacing his two lowest guitar strings with bass strings, to get a combo sound from one instrument.

The discontinuation of all Minute Maid frozen juices was announced February 5, 2026.

Longtime Soonercon friend THE James K Burk (February 7, 2026) was a programming participant in 11 Soonercons though 2018 and a writer of fantasy, as well as a gunslinger at Wichita’s Joyland Amusement Park.  We’ll always miss him and his fancy duds.

Nicknamed “Grandfather of the Internet,” Dave Farber (February 7, 2026) worked for Bell and several universities.  He helped develop the  ESS-1 switching system and SNOBOL programming languages.  His concept of DCS (distributed computer system) was the basis for networking, modularization, and multitasking across computers.  His students developed SMTP and IANA.

Meredith Kimani (February 8, 2026) was active in the Oklahoma film scene as a set medic and locations manager, as well as an advocate for those with disabilities and special needs.

Actor Bud Cort (February 11, 2026) was known for roles in Harold and Maude, Brewster McCloud, and M*A*S*H.  he also voiced Toyman across the DC Animated Universe.

Actor James Van Der Beek (February 11, 2026) was most famous for his role as Dawson Leery in TV’s Dawson’s Creek.

Paul Brainerd (February 15, 2026) was a businessman and programmer.  He co-founded Aldus in 1984 and helped bring the revolutionary PageMaker to market.  He invented the term “desktop publishing.”

Actor Robert Duvall (February 15, 2026) was known for roles in To Kill a Mockingbird, True Grit, THX-1138, Apocalypse Now, The Godfather, and scads more.

Animator Jane Baer (February 16, 2026) worked on several notable films including The Black Cauldron and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Jesse Jackson (February 17, 2026) was a fierce advocate for all rights for all people.  He ran for president a couple of times and founded the organizations which became the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition.

Actor Eric Dane (February 19, 2026) appeared in X-Men the Last Stand, Grey’s Anatomy, and Charmed, among others.

Willie Colón (February 21, 2026) was a trombonist, singer, and writer in the salsa scene.  He was also active in NYC and other political realms.

Horror/sf writer Dan Simmons (February 21, 2026) was responsible for several notable series and standalones, winning the World Fantasy Award in 1985.  Early work appeared in the 1970s Twilight Zone magazine; series include Hyperion Cantos; Ilium/Olympos; and Joe Kurtz.

Robert Carradine (February 23, 2026) appeared on TV in his brother Keith’s series Kung Fu and films like Coming Home and Wavelength, reaching a big audience in the Revenge of the Nerds series.

James “Bo” Gritz (February 27, 2026) was a US Army officer who got involved in politics in the ‘80s and ‘90s.  His exploits contributed to the fictional characters Rambo, Kurtz in Coppola’s Apocalypse Now, and Hannibal Smith of The A-Team.

Singer-songwriter Neil Sedaka (February 27, 2026) produced 500+ songs for himself and other artist, including “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do,” “Laughter in the Rain,” and “Love will Keep Us Together.”

            Actress Jennifer Runyon (March 6, 2026) was known for appearing on Charles in Charge and Ghostbusters.

“Country Joe” McDonald (March 7, 2026) co-founded the psych-folk-rock group which bore his name.

Psychiatrist Judith Rapoport (March 7, 2026) was a big advocate for those enduring childhood-related behavioral and mental disorders, including her 1989 book The Boy Who Couldn't Stop Washing.

            USAF officer and later aide to President Nixon Alexander Butterfield (March 9, 2026) oversaw the installation of tape-recording equipment in the White House.  He really affected history when, during the Watergate hearings, on July 13, 1973 he revealed the taping system’s existence to the public.

Tommy DeCarlo (March 9, 2026) was lead singer for Boston, 2007-2026.

            Writer-editor Lee Martindale (March 10, 2026) produced several anthologies for Yard Dog Press, received the Kevin O’Donnell Jr. Service to SFWA Award in 2019, and appeared at five Soonercons 1995-2007.

Welsh musician Phil Campbell (March 13, 2026) was most known as guitarist for Motörhead, 1984-2015.

American writer and biologist Paul Ehrlich (March 13, 2026) had a big bee under his saddle concerning population growth, leading to a sensationalist 1968 book, The Population Bomb, which promised that “the battle to feed all of humanity is over. In the 1970s hundreds of millions of people will starve to death in spite of any crash programs embarked upon now.”  Feel hungry?

Len Deighton (March 15, 2026) wrote cookbooks and history works, but is most famous for a few dozen spy novels which were also adapted for TV and film, including books featuring Bernard Sampson and Harry Palmer.

Comics writer-artist Sam Kieth (March 15, 2026) was co-creator of the Sandman and creator of Zero Girl and the Maxx.  He wrote several miniseries for DC featuring Lobo and Batman, and the graphic novel Arkham Asylum: Madness.

TV host and actress Kiki Shepard (March 16, 2026) was co-host of the syndicated Showtime at the Apollo from 1987 to 2002.

Chuck Norris (March 19, 2026) worked as a martial-arts instructor for Hollywood before launching his own action career, including films like Lone Wolf McQuade, Code of Silence, and Firewalker.  In 1993 he began nine seasons of Walker, Texas Ranger.  Rumor has it that Norris didn’t die ... he just roundhouse-kicked his way into another dimension.

Actor-artist Nicholas Brendon (March 20, 2026) is most known for roles as Xander Harris in Buffy, the Vampire Slayer and Kevin Lynch in Criminal Minds.

Actress Valerie Perrine (March 23, 2026) appeared in Lenny and Slaughterhouse-Five, but is most remembered as Luthor squeeze Miss Tessmacher in Superman: The Movie and Superman II.

Dash Crofts (March 25, 2026) achieved fame as half of the musical duo Seals & Crofts, with hits in the 1970s like “Summer Breeze” and “Diamond Girl.”

Actor James Tolkan (March 26, 2026) was a familiar face from appearances in several Back to the Future films, Dick Tracy, and Masters of the Universe.

Author Thomas Tessier (March 26, 2026) was known for poetry and novels of horror fiction like The Nightwalker and Finishing Touches.

Sugar the Surfing Dog (March 30, 2026) became the first canine inducted into the Surfer’s Hall of Fame.  Dying at age 16, she was a five-time surfing world champion.

These people and things impacted the pop-culture REALM, and thus the whole world.  Thanks for reflecting on some of those who went before.

2025-2026 Final Salutes, Part the Second

Actor Graham Greene (September 1, 2025) had a five-decade career in theatre, television, and film.  Movies include Die Hard with a Vengeance, The Green Mile, and Dances with Wolves.

Giorgio Armani (September 4, 2025) was a big name in fashion. He also worked in clothing design in film, including John Travolta in American Gigolo.

Musician Mark Volman (September 5, 2025) was a founding member of the Turtles and later joined the Mothers of Invention.

Keyboardist-songwriter Rick Davies (September 6, 2025) was a founder of Supertramp and responsible for such songs as “Bloody Well Right” and “Goodbye Stranger.”

Polly Holliday (September 9, 2025) began showbiz giving piano lessons and acting onstage.  She appeared in many films and TV, mast famously as Flo on TV’s Alice.  Kiss my grits!

Bobby Hart (September 10, 2025), with Sidney Boyce, wrote lots of songs for 1960s acts including Chubby Checker and Paul Revere and the Raiders.  Their biggest splash came from providing songs for the Monkees such as the Monkees theme and “Last Train to Clarksville.”

Actress Pat Crowley (September 14, 2025) sang and danced on variety shows in the Sixties and had roles on several soaps.  She was also the “innocent” recruited by Napoleon Solo for the 1964 pilot of The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

Oscar and Golden Globe winner (among others) Robert Redford (September 16, 2025) was a Hollywood golden boy who leveraged his stardom to get into directing.  He founded the Sundance Film Festival, several production companies, and supported independent film.

Astrophysicist and Nobel laureate George Smoot (September 18, 2025) was instrumental in developing the COBE (Cosmic Background Explorer), which detected signs of the birth of the universe.

Sultry Claudia Cardinale (September 23, 2025) appeared in 175 films, from Spaghetti Westerns and comedy (The Pink Panther) to art films for Fellini.

George Hardy (September 24, 2025) was the last surviving Tuskegee airman.  He grew up in Philly and served in the USAF 1943-71, piloting missions over Germany in WWII and later Korea.

AOL’s dial-up service was officially discontinued September 30, 2025.  Its sound of beeps, screeches, and echoing tones continue to generate horror and/or nostalgia for millions.

Dame Jane Goodall (October 1, 2025) studied primates, especially chimps, and inspired many youngsters to investigate science and sociology.  Established in 1977, her Institute supports research in Tanzania and elsewhere.

Sir John Gurdon (October 7, 2025) was at the bottom in biology class in school, but progressed to things like the first cloning of a frog (1958), early mRNA work, and a 2012 Nobel Prize regarding ways to regress adult cells to the nifty, pluripotent stem-cell state.

Guitarist-singer-songwriter John Lodge (October 10, 2025) joined the Moody Blues in 1966 and helped define their sound with songs like “I’m Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)” and “Isn’t Life Strange.”

Actress Diane Keaton (October 11, 2025) began her career on Broadway in the original production of Hair.  Overall she earned many awards including two Golden Globes and an Oscar.  Among her films are Looking for Mr Goodbar, Reds, the Godfather series, and The First Wives Club.

Writer-producer-singer D’Angelo (October 14, 2025) was considered one of the greatest R&B artists, and one of the founders of the neo-soul movement, winning four Grammys along the way.

“Space Ace” Paul Frehley (October 16, 2025) was original guitarist for KISS and was known for using guitars with built-in lights, smoke, or flame emitters.

Barbara Gips  (October 16, 2025) wrote effective marketing taglines for several successful films from the 1970s to the 1990s, including Kramer vs Kramer, Desperately Seeking Susan, and Fatal Attraction.  Her most notable (and chilling) poster line was for 1979’s Alien: “In space no one can hear you scream.”

Actress June Lockhart (October 23, 2025) appeared in great films like Meet Me in St Louis, Sergeant York, and starred in the low-rent She-Wolf of London.  However, she holds hearts forever for her TV work as Ruth Martin in 200 episodes of Lassie, and as Maureen Robinson, the matriarch of Lost in Space.

Andrew John Stofan (October 26, 2025) was an American aviation engineer.  He developed expertise in the field of sloshing.  He helped design the American space station Freedom, and the Voyager space-exploration craft.

Actress Prunella Scales (October 27, 2025) was best known as the energetic, longsuffering mistress of Fawlty Towers, Sybil Fawlty.

Burt Meyer (October 30, 2025) was an American inventor.  He created or participated in the design of such classic toys as Lite-Brite, Toss Across, Mouse Trap, and Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots.

Cinematographer Adam Greenberg (October 31, 2025) worked on the first two Terminator films, Three Men and a Baby, Alien Nation, Snakes on a Plane, and First Knight, among dozens of others.

American businessman Duane Roberts (November 1, 2025) ran a butcher business in the 1950s which provided hamburger patties to restaurants, including the first McDonald’s.  Around 1956, at the prompting of an employee, he invented the frozen burrito.

Screenwriter-director Ralph Senensky (November 1, 2025) worked on many classic series including Mission: Impossible, Ironside, The Wild Wild West, The Twilight Zone, and six-and-a-half episodes of Star Trek.

Actress Diane Ladd (November 3, 2025) appeared in many films, notably Chinatown, Primary Colors, and Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. 

The last US penny was minted on November 12, 2025.

Writer and advocate Alice Wong (November 14, 2025) authored a memoir and edited several works as an activist for access and awareness for the disabled.  In 2015 she was the first person to visit the White House via telepresence robot.

Producer-writer Stephen Downing (November 20, 2025) was involved in such series as Knight Rider, TJ Hooker, Robocop the Series, Kojak, and MacGyver.

Cherokee playwright Vicki Mooney (November 20, 2025) was known for such works as Armadillo Chili and the Broken Heart Land Trilogy.  Her monologue about the OKC bombing, “Sparrow,” provided a Native Oklahoman perspective.

Actor John Eimen (November 21, 2025) was most known for his childhood TV appearances in such shows as Leave It to Beaver and The Twilight Zone.

German actor Udo Kier (November 23, 2025) appeared in over 200 films on both sides of the Atlantic.  Two momentous roles were in Paul Morrissey films, Flesh for Frankenstein (1973) and Blood for Dracula (1974), titled Andy Warhol’s Frankenstein and Andy Warhol’s Dracula for American release.  Other appearances include Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Grindhouse, and 2000’s Shadow of the Vampire.

Jamaican singer Jimmy Cliff (November 24, 2025) won two Grammys and entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.  He had several local hits before moving to the UK where his career grew.  He helped popularize reggae and ska worldwide.

Singer-writer Leslie Fish (November 29, 2025) didn’t invent filk, but she popularized it across fandom.  She released the first commercial filk album in 1976; her song “Banned from Argo” appeared on her second release, achieving an unholy life of its own across the decades. Her fan fiction included some of the earliest Kirk/Spock slash tales.

Playwright-screenwriter Tom Stoppard (November 29, 2025) wrote the screenplays for films like Shakespeare in Love and Brazil; his most famous play is Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.

English author Madeleine Sophie Wickham (December 10, 2025) wrote dozens of books, and is best known for her Shopaholic series under the pen name Sophie Kinsella.

Bob Burns (December 12, 2025) fulfilled the dreams of monster kids by amassing a collections of thousands of movie props, including costumes from movie serials, a model from the original King Kong, and one of the largest collections of stuff from the Alien franchise.  He appeared in Invasion of the Saucer Men and 2005’s King Kong, and recorded ten or more audio commentaries for monster or sci-fi flicks.

Character actor Peter Greene (December 12, 2025) appeared in several films, but is most remembered for playing bad guys in The Mask and Pulp Fiction.

Actor Anthony Geary (December 14, 2025) had a role in Weird Al’s 1989 UHF, but his place in pop culture (along with eight Emmys) is anchored by his role as half of the Luke-and-Laura combo on General Hospital, 1979-2017.

Michele Singer Reiner (December 14, 2025) was a photographer for magazines like Fortune.  After meeting Rob Reiner, they became activists for many progressive causes including marriage rights and the wrongly imprisoned.

Actor and filmmaker Rob Reiner (December 14, 2025) entered US households as Mike Stivic on All in the Family in 1971.  He later directed such pop-culture basics as This Is Spinal Tap, Misery, When Harry Met Sally, The American President, Stand by Me, and The Princess Bride.

Actor Gil Gerard (December 16, 2025) appeared in hundreds of commercials and several TV guest stints in the 1970s before landing the sci-fi role of a lifetime as Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979-81).

Vince Zampella (December 21, 2025) was a video-game designer, working on such titles as Titanfall, Star Wars Jedi, and Call of Duty.

Brigette Bardot (December 29, 2025) used her forum as a model and actress to take a decades-long stand as an animal-rights activist, including turning vegetarian and posing with seal pups on an ice floe.

John Mulrooney (December 29, 2025) was a comedian, radio host, actor, and TV host. 

Most of MTV’s music-only channels worldwide went dark December 31, 2025.

Artist Harvey Pratt (December 31, 2025) worked for forty-some years in law enforcement, beginning in Midwest City.  His forensic art aided in hundreds of investigations.  His 12-foot sculpture Warriors’ Circle of Honor is the centerpiece of the National Native American Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC.  He included cryptozoology in his interests, creating Bigfoot sketches from witness descriptions and otherwise aiding researchers.

These people and things impacted the pop-culture REALM, and thus the whole world.  Thanks for reflecting on some of those who went before.