In Memoriam: 2016

Editor’s Note: In Memoriam: 2016, Compiled by Steven H Silver, is a feature that has appeared annually on the SF Site and is based on news reports throughout the preceding year. It provides a valuable service to Fandom and, in addition to appearing on the SF Site, is also being reproduced here and on the Black Gate magazine website in an effort to make it more widely available..

In Memoriam: 2016

Cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond (b.1930) died on January 1. Zsigmond won an Academy Award in 1978 for his work on Close Encounters of the Third Kind and was nominated for an Emmy for his work on a television adaptation of The Mists of Avalon. Other projects of genre interest include Real Genius, Timeline, and The Witches of Eastwick.

Animator Frank Armitage (b.1925) died on January 4. Armitage created murals for Disney parks around the world and worked on backgrounds and layouts for Peter Pan, Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book, and Sleeping Beauty. After leaving Disney, he worked on Fantastic Voyage, returning to Disney later in his career.

Author A. R. Morlan (b.1958) committed suicide on January 4 or 5. Morlan began publishing horror in 1985 with the short story “Four Days Before the Snow” in Night Cry and published several collections of her own work over the years. She co-edited the anthology Zodiac Fantastic with Martin H. Greenberg in 1997. In 1994, her story “The Best Years of Our Lives” was nominated for the Tiptree Award.

Actor Pat Harrington, Jr. (b.1929) died on January 6. Harrington is best known for his role as Schneider on One Day at a Time, but had many genre roles, including the film The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, the voices of Speedy and the Atom on Aquaman, appearances on The Munsters, The Ray Bradbury Theatre, and Kolchak: The Night Stalker.

Actor Richard Libertini (b.1933) died on January 7 following a two year battle with cancer. Libertini portrayed Akorem Laan in an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He also made appearances on Mork and Mindy, The Adventures of Lois and Clark, and an episode of The Twilight Zone based on Theodore Sturgeon’s “A Saucer of Loneliness.” Libertini also provided voice work for several animated television shows.

Actor Angus Scrimm (b.Lawrence Guy, 1926) died on January 9. Scrimm appeared in an episode of Project U.F.O. in 1978 and in Salvage 1 the following year. In 1979, he also appeared in the first Phantasm film, and went on to appear in each film in the series as well as other horror and fantasy films. Scrimm was occasionally credited as Lawrence Guy.

Singer and actor David Bowie (b.David Jones, 1947) died on January 10 after an eighteen-month battle with cancer and 3 days after his birthday and the release of his last album. Many of Bowie’s albums and songs had some tie-in to space, including his hit song “Space Oddity,” which was released a week before the Apollo 11 launch but not played by the BBC until after the Apollo 11 crew returned safely to Earth, and the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Bowie also appeared in several films, including The Man Who Fell to Earth, Labyrinth, and The Prestige.

Chicago fan kT FitzSimmons (b.1956) died on January 10 after a lengthy battle with cancer. In addition to working on Windycon and Capricon in Chicago, FitzSimmons ran programming for Chicon V in 1991. She also served on the board of Phandemonium.

Screenwriter Stanley Mann (b.1928) died on January 11. Mann wrote the films Conan the Destroyer, Firestarter, and Meteor. He received an Academy Award nomination for the script for the Collector.

Actor David Margulies (b.1937) died on January 11. Margulies appeared in episodes of Tales from the Darkside, Northern Exposure, and Touched by an Angel, but his best known role was as the Mayor of New York in Ghostbusters and its sequel.

Actress Meg Mundy (b.1915) died on January 12. Mundy appeared in episodes of Tales of Tomorrow and Lights Out, as well as the film The Eyes of Laura Mars.

Actor Brian Bedford (b.1935) died on January 13. Most of Bedford’s career was on the stage, but he did provide the voice for Robin Hood in the 1973 Disney animated feature. He also appeared in the television films Mr. St. Nick and a version of A Christmas Carol.

Boston fan Ray Bowie (b.1949) died on January 13. Bowie was active in NESFA and was a frequent contributor the club’s annual recommended reading list.

Actor Conrad Phillips (b.1925) died on January 13. Phillips appeared episodes of several British TV series including Into the Labyrinth, The Avengers, H.G. Well’s Invisible Man, The Prisoner, and UFO, although ironically fans might know him best for a non-genre appears on Fawlty Towers.

Fan Dave Marquart (b.1956) died on January 14. Marquart was active in fandom during and immediately after his college years, helping to establish ChUSFA while a student at University of Illinois. He continued to attend conventions for some time, although his participation in fandom decreased as life issues took center stage.

Actor Alan Rickman (b.1946) died on January 14 from cancer. Rickman has numerous appearances in genre films, including playing the role of Severus Snape in the Harry Potter series, Sir Alexander Dane in Galaxy Quest, the voice of Marvin in the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy film, Richis in Perfume, and more. He received Saturn nominations for Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Galaxy Quest, Sweeney Todd, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II.

Screenwriter Robert Banks Stewart (b.1931) died on January 14. Stewart created the Doctor Who villains the Zygons for Terror of the Zygons. The creatures did not reappear until the 50th anniversary episode. Stewart also wrote for The Avengers and Arthur of the Britons. When working on The Darling Buds of May, he discovered Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Actor and stunt man Dan Haggerty (b.1941) died on January 15. Haggerty appeared in Nightbumpers, Axe Giant: The Wrath of Paul Bunyon, Elves, and Night Wars. He is best known for playing the title role on The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams.

Ukrainian translator Oleksiy Logvynenko (b.1946) died on January 18. Logvynenko translated works by H.G. Wells, Cornelia Funke, and Walter Scott and many others into Ukrainian. He translated works from English and German.

French screenwriter and author Michel Tournier (b.1924) died on January 18. Tournier’s books include Les Météores and Le Médianoche amoureux. His films include Der Unhold, based on his own novel Le Roi des aulnes.

Scottish comic artist Mike Docherty (b.1955) died on January 19. He drew for Marvel’s Conan the Barbarian as well as Roy Thomas’s graphic novel Conan: The Horn of Azoth. He also worked on the graphic novels for Mars Attacks and Jungle Reign.

Actress Micole Mercurio (b.1938) died on January 19. Mercurio appeared in episodes of Flashforward and The X-Files, as well as the films What Lies Beneath, Warlock: The Armageddon, and Alligator.

Actress Bairbre Dowling (b.1953) died on January 20. Dowling debuted in Zardoz and later appeared in an episode of Star Trek: Voyager

Editor David G. Hartwell (b.1941) died on January 20 following a brain hemorrhage the day before. Hartwell served as an editor at Tor Books and at various times edited for several other publishers, including the creation of the Timescape line for Simon and Schuster. He was the publisher of The New York Review of Science Fiction and edited numerous anthologies, including Northern Stars, Northern Suns, Visions of Wonder, The Science Fiction Century, Ascent of Wonder, Space Opera Renaissance, and Ages of Wonder. His anthologies and the NYRSF often started industry-wide conversations. Hartwell was awarded three editing Hugos, two World Fantasy Awards, and was the Guest of Honor at the 2009 Worldcon, Anticipation. He was the founder and, for many years, the driving force behind the World Fantasy Con.

Marvin Minsky (b.1927) died on January 24. Minsky was integral to the field of artificial intelligence. He served as an advisor on the film 2001: a space odyssey and later collaborated with Harry Harrison on the novel The Turing Option.

Fan Robin Schindler died on January 24. Schindler led two of the earliest anime tours to Japan. She was an active costumer, presenting her work at many Worldcon masquerades and worked on the early Costume Cons. Schindler was an active fan-fic writer and headed the fan club devoted to actor Bruce Abbott.

Actor Abe Vigoda (b.1921) died on January 26. Vigoda was ancient looking when he made his film debut in The Godfather, which led to numerous claims that he had died, even working into an episode of Barney Miller, in which Vigoda played the character “Fish.” Best known for his roles in The Godfather, Barney Miller, and the spin-off Fish, Vigoda appeared in episodes of Dark Shadows, Superboy, The Bionic Woman, and Tales from the Darkside.

Fan Jon P. Ogden (b.1944) died on January 27. Ogden was an active Heinlein fan and a member of the Heinlein Society. In 1981, his poem “I Ain’t Too Dumb to Care” was published in Asimov’s.

Actor Irwin Charone (b.1922) died on January 28. Charone appeared in episodes of Bewitched, The Munsters, My Favorite Martian, and the film The Strongest Man in the World.

Musician Paul Kantner (b.1941) died on January 28. Kantner is best known as one of the founding members of the band Jefferson Airplane, as well as its short-lived spin-off Jefferson Starship. In 1971, Kantner was nominated for the Hugo Award for the Jefferson Starship album Blows Against the Empire, the first time a rock album had been nominated.

British filker Joe Raftery died on January 29. Raftery debuted his first filk song at the 1979 Worldcon in Brighton before gafiating until 2000, when he attended FilkContinental. Following his reintroduction to fandom, Raftery became a regular at filk meet ups and was nominated for the Pegasus Award in 2007 for his role in the n’Early Music Consort. He served on the committee for HarmUni2. Raftery was married to Gwen Knighton, Sister Emeritus of Three Weird Sisters.

Artist Murray Tinkelman (b.1933) died on January 30. Tinkelman provided the covers for books by H.P. Lovecraft, E.R. Eddison, and John Brunner.

Author Henry S. F. Cooper, Jr. (b.1933) died on January 31. Cooper was a journalist who covered the Apollo program, writing Thirteen: The Apollo Flight That Failed and Apollo on the Moon. Cooper was the great-nth grandson of James Fennimore Cooper.

Actor Frank Finlay (b.1926) died on January 31. Finlay appeared as Porthos in Richard Lester’s The Three Musketeers, The Four Musketeers, and The Return of the Musketeers. More genre-specific work included Lifeforce, Count Dracula, Merlin, and the television adaptation of Terry Pratchett’s Johnny and the Bomb.

Author David Lake (b.1929) died on January 31. Lake began publishing in 1976 with the novel Walkers on the Sky and went on to publish several novels, including two sequels to H. G. Well’s The Time Machine, as well as a non-fiction book about Wells and short stories. Lake won three Ditmars for Walker on the Sky, The Man Who Loved Morlocks, and “The Truth About Weena.” “The Truth About Weena” also won the Aurealis Award.

Voice actor Joe Alaskey (b.1952) died on February 3. Alaskey is best known for voicing many of the Warner Brothers cartoon characters following Mel Blanc’s death. He also did voice work for the animated Back to the Future, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, Men in Black: The Series, and Extreme Ghostbusters, among others.

Astronaut Edgar Mitchell (b.1930) died on February 4. Mitchell was the last surviving member of the Apollo 14 lunar mission and died the day before the 45th anniversary of his lunar landing. Mitchell was also involved with paranormal research and conducted some ESP experiments while on his flight back to Earth. He also believed that UFOs had visited Earth.

Author Paul Pinn (b.1955) died on February 4. Pinn focused on horror, dark fantasy, and crime fiction. He published the novels The Pariah, The Horizontal Split, and Operation Miasma, as well as several short stories, collected in three collections.

Screenwriter Daniel Gerson (b.1966) died on February 6. Gerson wrote the screenplays for Disney and Pixar films Monsters, Inc., Monsters University, and Big Hero 6. He also worked on Chicken Little and the television show The New Addams Family.

Irish author Nigel McDowell (b.1982) died on February 7. McDowell began publishing in 2013 with Tall Tales from Pitch End and followed it with The Black North. His final novel, The House of Mountfathom is scheduled to appear in 2017.

Actor John B. Duncan (b.1923) died on February 8. Duncan appeared in numerous westerns, but is most notable for portraying Robin/Dick Grayson when he appeared in Batman and Robin in 1949. He also appeared in uncredited roles in Plan 9 From Outer Space and Spartacus.

Screenwriter Norman Hudis (b.1922) died on February 8. Hudis wrote “The Night of the Tottering Tontine” for The Wild Wild West and “Time of the Hawk” for Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.

Artist Wayne England died on February 9. Much of England’s work was created for the gaming industry and his art adorned works for Warhammer, Dungeons & Dragons, and Magic: The Gathering.

Journalist Michael Hanlon (b.1964) died on February 9. Hanlon wrote the book The Science of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

Actress Alethea McGrath (b.1920) died on February 9. She played Jocasta Nu in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones and appeared in Nightmares & Dreamscapes, The Lost World, Inspector gadget 2, and Knowing.

Screenwriter Bayard Johnson died on February 10. He wrote the screenplays for Tarzan and the Lost City, Man in a Cage, and The Second Jungle Book

Author Mark Justice died on February 10. Justice began publishing in 2004 with the story “The Day After the End of the World.” He has written the novel The Dead Sheriff: Zombie Damnation and, in collaboration with David T. Wilbanks, the Dead Earth series. He co-edited the anthology Appalachian Winter Hauntings with Michael Knost.

Greek editor Angelos Mastorakis (b.1949) died on February 10. Mastorakis founded the magazine Nova and served as the chief editor of Ennea for ten years, where he published comics of both Greek and international origin. Mastourakis was a co-founder and president of the Greek SF Society.

Author Jake Page (b.1936) died on February 10. Page wrote the alternate history novels Operation: Shatterhand and Apacheria. In addition to his fiction, he served as an editor of Smithsonian Magazine.

Artist Christopher Rush (b.1965) died on February 10. Much of Rush’s work was created for the gaming industry and his art adorned many early Magic: The Gathering card. Rush also helped market early versions of the game. Rush was one of the few non-Japanese artist to work on Pokémon cards.

Actor Robert Beecher (b.1924) died on February 12. Beecher starred in Space Patrol in the 1950s and also appeared on Quantum Leap and in the films Phantasm III and Thirst.

Author Bud Webster (b.1952) died on February 13. Webster wrote the Bubba Pritchert series, but may be better known as an sf historian, having written numerous columns about science fiction authors and book collecting. His non-fiction has been collected in PastMasters and Anthopology 101. Webster managed SFWA’s Estate Project since 2007, trying to build a comprehensive database of the estates and rights holders for authors. In 2012, he received the Kevin O’Donnell, Jr. Service to SFWA Award.

Graphic artist Anthony Frederickson (b.1953) died on February 15. Frederickson created props for Star Trek beginning with The Next Generation and worked on subsequent productions. In 1977, he had illustrated the Star Fleet Medical Reference Manual.

Actor George Gaynes (b.George Jongejans, 1917) died on February 15. Best known for his role in Punky Brewster, his genre credits include an episode of Sliders in which he played an older Quinn Mallory, and the 1994 version of The Fantastic Four. He also provided voice work on an episode of Dinosaurs.

Ukrainian-born director Andrej Zulawski (b.1940) died on February 17. Zulawski directed On the Silver Globe, We Are the Flesh, and Possession. Zulawski worked in Poland and France as authorities in Poland had a tendency to ban his work.

British animator Tony Luke (b.1970) died on February 18. Luke producers Archangel Thunderbird and directed Dominator, which was based on his own comic.

Italian author Umberto Eco (b.1932) died on February 19. Although Eco’s only real science fiction is his children’s story The Three Astronauts, his best-seller The Name of the Rose and Foucault’s Pendulum both have elements which tend to appeal to genre fans.

Australian artist Kim Gamble (b.1953) died on February 19. Gamble drew the character Tashi, and the world of magic, dragons, and witches he inhabited, created by children’s authors Barbara and Anna Fienberg.

Anime screenwriter Chiaki Morosawa (b.1959) died on February 19. Morosawa wrote and supervised Mobile Suit Gundam Seed and its sequels.

Actor Jon Rollason (b.1931) died on February 20. Rollason appeared in the Doctor Who serial “The Web of Fear.” He also appeared in episodes of Z Cars and The Avengers.

Louisville fan Cliff Amos (b.1948) died on February 22. Amos was a founding father of Louisville fandom, founding the Falls of the Ohio Science Fiction Association (FoSFA) as well as Rivercon. In 1979, Amos was the recipient of the Southern Fandom Confederation Rebel Award and also chaired NorthAmeriCon, the second NASFIC.

Cinematographer Douglas Slocombe (1913) died on February 22. Slocombe began working on documentaries in 1940 and went on to work on The Lion in Winter, Kind Hearts and Coronets, and The Man in the White Suit. Slocombe was the cinematographer on Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Rollerball, the first three Indiana Jones films, retiring after making Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Comic artist P.D. Angel Gabriele (b.1956) died on February 23. Gabriele worked on an adaptation of the manga The Space Giants and on DC’s Kobra.

Actor Tony Burton (b.1937) died on February 25. Burton appeared in The Shining, Exorcism, and Poltergeist; Legacy. Prior to becoming an actor, Burton was a heavyweight boxer.

Actress Patty Duke (b.1946) died on March 2. Best known for The Patty Duke Show, she appeared in The Sixth Sense (1972), Curse of the Black Widow, Look What’s Happened to Rosemary’s Baby, and The Swarm.

Roboticist and special effects supervisor Tony Dyson (b.c.1948) was found dead at his home in Malta in early March. Dyson is best known for creating the original R2D2. He also worked on Superman 2, Dragonslayer, and Moonraker. In addition to his film work, Dyson built robots for Toshiba, Philips, and Sony.

Special effects artist Gary Hutzel (b.1955) died on March 3. Hutzel worked on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Battlestar Galactica, and Caprica.

Canadian fan Alison Wall (b.1967) died on March 5. Wall was a costumer and also served the science fiction community by translating French, English, and Norwegian. She was Anticipation’s Head of Translation.

Actress and First Lady Nancy Reagan (b.Nancy Davis, 1921) died on March 6. Prior to moving into the political arena with her husband, Reagan was an actress and appeared in the film Donovan’s Brain.

Illustrator Paul Ryan (b.1949) died on March 6. Ryan began working in comics in 1984 and got a job working for Marvel, working on The Thing, Squadron Supreme, and The Amazing Spider-Man Annual. He also created D.P. 7. In 1996, he moved to DC and worked on several of their titles. In 1999, he also took on the daily comic “The Phantom,” which he inked until his death. Ryan has the distinction of working on the comics in which Spider-Man married Mary Jane and in which Superman married Lois Lane.

Producer Michael White (b.1936) died on March 7. In 1975, White produced the films Monty Python and the Holy Grail and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. He had previously produced the original stage production of The Rocky Horror Show. He also produced the film Jabberwocky and more than 100 stage productions, including the original West End version of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Ken Adam (b. Klaus Hugo Adam, 1921) died on March 10. Adam served as a production designer on several James Bond films as well as working on the car for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Other film work of interest includes Dr. Strangelove, Around the World in Eighty Days, and Curse of the Demon. He was awarded a Knight Bachelor of the Order of the British Empire in 2003.

Director James Sheldon (b.1920) died on March 12. Sheldon directed episodes of The Twilight Zone and Batman as well as the film Monster Squad.

Actress Adrienne Corri (b.1930) died on March 13. Corri appeared in the Doctor Who serial “The Leisure Hive” and played Mrs. Alexander in A Clockwork Orange. She also appeared in Moon Zero Two.

Artist Eric Medalle (b.1973) died on March 13 when a tree fell on his car. Medalle served as an artist and designer of Pokémon. His one year old daughter, who was in the back seat, was uninjured.

Actress Sylvia Anderson (b.1927) died on March 15. Anderson worked with her husband, Garry Anderson on several supermarionation projects, providing the voice of Lady Penelope on Thunderbirds and appearing on Captain Scarlet vs. the Mysterons and Fireball XL5. She also wrote episodes of UFO, Space: 1999, and Thunderbirds, as well as others.

Comic artist August “Augie” Scotto (b.1927) died on March 15. Scotto was once partnered with Wally Wood and worked for both DC and Marvel comics as well as PS Magazine.

Actor Larry Drake (b.1950) died on March 17. Drake became known for his portrayal of Benny Stulwicz on L.A. Law. He went on to play the role of Sir Warwick Harrow on Firefly, as well as roles in the Darkman, Tales of the Crypt, Star Trek: Voyager, The Outer Limits, and voice work for Green Lantern, Superman, and Batman Beyond.

Actor Richard Davalos (b.1930) died on March 18. Davalos appeared in Something Wicked This Way Comes, Will to Die, Battle Beyond the Stars and an episode of One Step Beyond.

Screenwriter Barry Hines (b.1939) died on March 18. Hines wrote the TV movie Threads, which looked at a nuclear attack on Sheffield, England.

New Orleans fan Peggy Ranson (b.1948) died on March 19 after fighting cancer. Ranson was a 9 time Hugo nominee for Best Fan Artist, winning in 1993. She was the guest of honor at numerous conventions including DeepSouthCon 34. Ranson began her fannish career in 1988 working on the NolaCon II Program book.

Chicago area fan Sherry Waitsman (b.Sherry Katz, 1953) died on March 19. Waitsman, previously Sherry Karp, was a frequent attendee at Chicago conventions. She was married to Chicago fan Lanny Waitsman.

Professor Justin Leiber (b.1938) died on March 22. Leiber taught philosophy at Florida State University and was the son of science fiction/fantasy author Fritz Leiber, Jr. Leiber wrote science fiction of his own, having two novels in the “Saga of the House of Eigin” and three novels in the “Beyond” series published in the 1980s, as well as the short story “Tit for Tat.”

Actor Ken Howard (b.1944) died on March 23. Howard was best known for his role as a basketball coach on The White Shadow. He also provided voice work for Batman: The Animated Series and Captain Planet and the Planeteers and appeared in Deadly Nightmares and episodes of Ghost Whisperer.

Screenwriter Earl Hamner, Jr. (b.1923) died on March 24. Hamner wrote episodes of The Twilight Zone and The Invaders. He also was an executive producer on various Waltons projects and served as the narrator on The Waltons.

Actor and comedian Garry Shandling (b.1949) died on March 24. Best known for The Garry Shandling Show and The Larry Sanders Show, he also acted in several films and television shows, including The X-Files, What Planet Are You From?, Iron Man 2, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, portraying Senator Stern in the last two.

Artist Ken Barr (b.1933) died on March 25. Barr’s work appeared on the covers of hundreds of books, such as John Ford’s The Dragon Waiting, as well as in Nebula SF and for DC and Marvel comics.

Animator Terry Brain (b.1956) died on March 25. Brain worked for Aardman on Chicken Run and The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

Illustrator Peggy Fortnum (b.1919) died on March 28. Fortnum is best known for her work on the Paddington stories by Michael Bond, creating the iconic look for Paddington Bear.

Fan Morris Keesan (b.1954) died on March 30. Keesan was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a brain tumor, in February. Keesan was active in Boston fandom and NESFA and was a musician.

Italian artist Gallieno Ferri (b1929.) died on April 2. Ferri was the illustrator for the comic Zagor, which depicted a superhero living in the frontier of Pennsylvania in the early 19th century.

Illustrator Jill Calvert (b.Jill Riches, 1953) died on April 3. Calvert illustrated several of Michael Moorcock’s works and was married to Moorcock. After divorcing Moorcock, she married Robert Calvert and collaborated with him on stage productions.

Actor Erik Bauersfeld (b.1922) died on April 3. Bauersfeld provided the voices for Bib Fortuna and Admiral Ackbar in Return of the Jedi, and reprised Ackbar’s voice in Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens. Bauersfeld also did voice work for A.I.: Artificial Intelligence.

Swedish author Lars Gustafsson (b.1936) died on April 3. Many of Gustafsson’s stories were collected in the Strange Beast from the North and Other Science Fiction Tales. As an academic, he also published several essays on science fiction and the fantastic.

Actor Arthur Anderson (b.1922) died on April 9. Anderson appeared in an episode of Dark Shadows and provided a voice for the film Gnomes.

Actor Gareth Thomas (b.1945) died on April 13. Blake played Roj Blake in Blake’s 7. He also appeared in the mini-series Children of the Stones and Merlin, an episode of Torchwood, and the film Five Million Years to Earth.

Literary agent Peter Janson-Smith (b.1922) died on April 15. Janson-Smith represented Ian Fleming and sold A Clockwork Orange for Anthony Burgess.

Director and Producer Rod Daniel (b.1942) died on April 16. Best known for directing sit-coms, Daniel also directed the movies Teen Wolf, Genius, and Like Father Like Son.

Special effects artist Kit West (b.1936) died on April 16. West got his start in special effects on the film These Are the Damned and worked on First Men in the Moon. He worked on Return of the Jedi, Dragonheart, and Kull the Conqueror. West received an Oscar for his work on Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Producer Scott Nimerfro (b.1961) died on April 17. Nimerfro served as a co-executive producer on the television shows Tales from the Crypt, Pushing Daisies, Once Upon a Time, and Hannibal. His film work included X-Men and Trekkies

Journalist and author Adrian Berry (b.1937) died on April 18. Berry was an advocate of spaceflight, writing several popular books on the subject. In addition, he wrote the science fiction novel Koyama’s Diamond.

Director Guy Hamilton (b.1922) died on April 20. Hamilton directed several of the James Bond films from Goldfinger to The Man with the Golden Gun, overseeing the transition from Sean Connery to Roger Moore.

Author Philip Kaldon died on April 20. Kaldon taught physics at Western Michigan University and was a frequent attendee at Michigan conventions. Kaldon began publishing in CrossTIME Anthology in 2004, and published several more short stories over his career.

Texas fan Ed Dravecky (b.1968) died on April 23 while working at Whofest in Irvine, TX. Dravecky was also instrumental in Fencon and was part of the committee that ran SMOFCon in Fort Worth in 2015. He ran social media for LoneStarCon 3 and served as president of ORAC. He worked publications for several Worldcons and ReConStruction. He began publishing the fanzine, Eligible! in 2103.

Artist Kim Kincaid died on April 27. Kincaid began showing her art as a student at Cerritos College in California and continued to exhibit and take classes throughout her life. She did work for Sony DVD, Rezolution Productions, the Echoes of Heaven RPG, and other fantasy works.

Announcer Peter Thomas (b.1924) died on April 30. Thomas’s voice was recognizable for his voiceover work on NOVA and Nature. Thomas’s voice can be heard on several other science documentaries as well.

Author Tomohiro Matsu (b.1972) died on May 2. Matsu wrote the script for the anime Queen’s Blade: The Exiled Virgin . His novels Mayoi Neko Overrun! and Papa no Iukoto wo Kikinasai! were both adapted into anime series.

Producer Ian Sander (b.1947) died on May 3. Sander worked on Ghost Whisperer and the television film Astronauts. He also produced a version of Frankenstein.

Musician Isao Tomita (b.1932) died on May 5. Tomita composed electronic music and often used science fiction themes. In 1979, he produced the album Bermuda Triangle.

Author Roberta Gellis (b.1927) died on May 6. Gellis began publishing in the romance field in 1964 with the novel Knight’s Honor and also wrote mysteries and historical novels. She expanded into the SFF genre in 1978 with The Space Guardian, using the pseudonym Max Daniels. She began using her own name for fantasy works with her first short story, “Tom,” publishing the Spring 1994 issue of Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Fantasy, and continued to use her own name for all her work after that. In addition to eight solo novels, Gellis co-wrote four novels in the SERRAted Edge series with Mercedes Lackey.

Author H.B. Hickey (b.Herbert B. Livingston, 1916) died on May 8. Hickey published several short stories between 1946 and 1954 with his story “Gone Are the Lupo” appearing in 1970. More recently, he began to reissue some of his stories from the late 1940s as chapbooks.

Actor William Schallert (b.1922) died on May 8. Although best known as the father on The Patty Duke Show, Schallert appeared in numerous genre films and television shows, including Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Quantum Leap, Innerspace, Legends of the Superheroes, and in “The Trouble with Tribbles.”

Author Nicholas Fisk (b.David Higginbottom, 1923) died on May 10. Fisk’s novels include Space Hostages, Trillions, and Time Trap. His novels were written for children. And his Monster Maker was adapted into a television special.

Polish producer Gene Gutowski (b.1925) died on May 10. Best known for the film The Pianist, Gutowski also produced the horror films Repulsion and The Fearless Vampire Killers.

Actor Bill Herz (b.1916) died on May 10. Herz was a member of Orson Welles’ Mercury Theatre and was the last surviving cast member of the “War of the Worlds” broadcast, in which he portrayed a couple of ham radio operators.

Author Katherine Dunn (b.1945) died on May 11. Dunn’s debut novel was Geek Love and she wrote a handful of genre short stories, including “The Nuclear Family: His Talk, Her Teeth,” “Near-Flesh,” and “The Allies.”

Animator Makiki Futaki (b.1958) died on May 13.Futaki worked for Studio Ghibli and his work appeared in Howl’s Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, and My Neighbor Totoro, among others.

Comic book writer and artist Darwyn Cooke (b.1962) died on May 14. Cooke was best known for his work on Catwoman, DC: The New Frontier, The Spirit, and Richard Stark’s Parker: The Hunter. Following the publication of his first comic in 1985, he didn’t work in comics again until 2000, although he was involved as an story boarder on Batman: The Animated Series and Superman: The Animated Series. In 2006, he won an Eisner Award.

Astrophysicist André Fernand Brahic (b.1942) died on May 15. Brahic is credited with discovering the rings around Neptune. Brahic noted that science “could make the eyes of small children light up.”

Actor Michael Roberds (b.1964) died on May 15. Roberds’s first genre role was in the Paul McGann Doctor Who movie. He went on to appear as Uncle Fester in The New Addams Family, and in an episode of Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. He appeared in Elf and Hot Tub Time Machine.

Chicago fan Mike Jencevice (b.1955) died on May 16. Jencevice entered fandom in 1978, publishing the fanzine Trilevel and serving as the long-time president of Queen to Queen’s Three, a media fan club. He ran the dealers room at Windycon for more than 30 years and served on the ISFiC Board for much of that time. He was one of two associate chairs for Chicon 2000.

Actor Alan Young (b.1919) died on May 19. Young is best known for his role as Wilbur Post on Mr. Ed. His other genre roles include playing Filby in The Time Machine, The Cat from Outer Space¸ and Battle of the Planets. He provided voice work for The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show, Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo, and Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends.

Editor Robyn Sisman (b.1955) died on May 20. Sisman worked for Simon & Schuster, for whom she bought Robert Harris’s novel Fatherland, which she published as an editor at Hutchinson. Her other purchases as an editor included Kim Newman’s The Night Mayor and Brian Stableford’s The Empire of Fear. Beginning in 1995, Sisman became a successful author in her own right.

Fan Stewart Perkins (b.1967) died on May 21. Perkins, who also used the name W.R. Logan was active in Judge Dredd fandom, publishing the fanzine Class of ’79.

Czech cartoonist Adolf Born (b.1930) died on May 22. Born collaborated on the first screen adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit in 1966. He won the Palma d’Oror at the International Festival of the Humor of Bordigherain 1974.

Cartoonist George Wildman (b.1927) died on May 22. Wildman spent much of his career at Charlton comics and was their top editor from 1971-1985. From 1969-1977, Wildman worked on Popeye, which Charlton acquired from King. Wildman also contributed numerous “Hidden Picture” illustrations to Highlights for Children.

Actor Joe Fleishaker (b.1954) died on May 23. Fleishaker appeared in several Troma films, including The Toxic Avenger parts 2-4, Zombiegeddon, and Tromeo and Juliet.

Northwest fan Debra Miller died on May 23. Miller was a members of the Palouse Empire SF Association (PESFA). She has been suffering from cancer for quite some time.

Actor Buck Katalian (b.1922) died on May 24. Katalian appeared in episodes of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Munsters, Get Smart, Batman, Monster Squad, and the film Conquest of the Planet of the Apes.

Actor Burt Kwouk (b.1930) died on May 24. Kwouk appeared in Stratosphere Girl, Space Precinct, I Bought a Vampire Motorcycle, and Goldfinger.

Actress Angela Paton (b.1930) died on May 26. Paton has appeared on The X Files, Star Trek Voyager, Quantum Leap, and Sliders, but may be best known as the B&B owner in Groundhog Day.

Fan Lincoln Kliman (b.c.1960) died on May 28. Kliman served on the committees for Philcon and I-Con (Long Island) and was a frequent attendee at Worldcons and regional conventions in the Northeastern US. Kliman was active in fandom since the 1970s and a fan of anime and a furry, going by the name JBadger. Outside of fandom he served as a volunteer firefighter and EMT and used his furry fandom on visits to children’s wards in hospitals.

Publisher Michael McCurdy (b.1942) died on May 28. McCurdy founded Penmaen Press in 1968 and continued until 1985. Throughout that time, he illustrated many books, including works by Isaac Asimov. More recently, he illustrated a centennial edition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Artist and publisher Stephen Prestwood died in late May. Prestwood was active in the British small press comic scene in the 1990s and he created Evolutionary Comics with Jason Falkiner. In addition to drawing for his own books, he would also create artwork for other publishers’ titles.

Fan James H. Burns (b.c.1962) died on June 2. Burns wrote for Starlog and was a contributing editor to Fantastic Films. More recently, he wrote several reminiscences which appeared on File 770.

Animator Willis Pyle (b.1914) died on June 2. Pyle got his start as an office boy at Disney before working on Pinocchio, Fantasia, and Bambi. After Bambi, he left Disney he worked for Walter Lantz, where he animated Gerald McBoing-Boing. He also helped develop Mr. Magoo. Pyle’s brother was actor Denver Pyle, who portrayed Uncle Jesse on The Dukes of Hazzard.

Illinois fan Patrick “PJ” Ralph died on June 2 following a battle with cancer. Ralph was an active and was currently developing a game for market with some friends. He was part of the “Bermuda Triangle” hoax Worldcon bid for the 1988 Worldcon, which took second in a field of four.

Wisconsin fan Elle Plato (b.c.1967) died on June 3. She worked in the technology fields and was active in General Technics (GT). Plato was an attendee at many conventions in the upper Midwest.

Swedish fan Daniel Atterbom (b.1959) died on June 4. Atterbom edited the comics zine Bild & Bubbla. From 1990-95, he organized a series of comic conventions and organized the 2011 Square to Square Comic and Animation Festival in Norrköping, Sweden.

British author Norman Longmate (b.1925) died on June 4. Longmate was a military history who delved into counterfactuals with his study If Britain Had Fallen, about a German victory in World War II.

Author Richard Selzer (b.1928) died on June 5. Selzer was primarily a surgeon who published some short horror fiction including “Crimean Vespers.” Selzer also mentored many authors, including John Irving and Erich Segal.

Actress Theresa Saldana (b.1954) died on June 6. Saldana is best known for her roles in The Commish and Raging Bull, but also did voice work for Batman Beyond, The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest, and Captain Planet and the Planeteers. She appeared in episodes of Werewolf, Tales from the Darkside, and The Twilight Zone. In 1982, she was attacked by a knife-wielding admirer.

Children’s author Rhoda Blumberg (b.1917) died on June 6. Blumberg mostly wrote historical novels, but also published The First Travel Guide to the Moon which was written with the assumption that space tourism would be normal in the twenty-first century.

Italian actress Marina Malfatti (b.1933) died on June 8. Malfatti appeared in the horror films The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave, The Red Queen Kills Seven Times, and All the Colors of the Dark.

Actress Janet Waldo (b.1920) died on June 12. Waldo was a voice actress who provided voices for the television shows Battle of the Planets, The Flintstones, and Adam Ant. Some of her most famous roles included Penelope Pitstop, Josie McCoy (on Josie and the Pussycats), and Judy Jetson.

Actor Michu Meszaros (b.1939) died on June 13. Only 2″9′, Meszaros toured with Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus. In 1986, he began portraying ALF on the sitcom of the same name, also appearing in Big Top Peewee and Warlock: The Armageddon.

Translator Gregory Rabassa (b.1922) who translated Latin American authors into English, died on June 14. Rabassa translated Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude into English.

Actress Yumi Shirakawa (b.1936) died on June 14. Shirakawa appeared in the films Rodan, The Mysterians, The H-Man, The Last War, and others. In addition to appearing in genre films, Shirakawa had a long and successful career in other Japanese movies and television.

Chicago fan Tina Cawi (b.1962) died on June 15. Cawi often volunteered to gopher at Windycon, Capricon, and other Chicago conventions and would set up a spinning wheel in the gopher lounge to work between assignments. She attended MediaWest and Anime Central and was part of Chicago Megazone. Cawi also participated in APAs.

Actor Anton Yelchin (b.1989) died on June 16 when his car accidentally rolled backwards, crushing him against a brick pillar. Yelchin is best known for portraying Chekov in the recent Star Trek movies. He also appeared in the movie Terminator Salvation and the miniseries Taken. He provided the voice of Clumsy Smurf in The Smurfs movies.

British literary agent Carolyn Whitaker (b.1936) died on June 17. Whitaker ran London Independent Books beginning in 1971, where she represented Chris Wooding, Joe Delaney, Alex Bell, and Richard Morgan, as well as several YA authors and travel writers.

Stuntman Trevor Steedman (b.1954) died on June 25. Steedman performed stunts in Aliens, Superman IV, Children of Men, and Johnny and the Bomb. Steedman also played Murdo on The Tomorrow People and appeared in the Doctor Who serial “Warriors of the Deep.”

French author Maurice G. Dantec (b.1959) died on June 26. Dantec’s first novel, La Sirène rouge, was published in 1993 and won the 813 Award for best crime novel. Two years later, Les Racines du mal won the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire and Prix Rosny-aîné. In the late 90s, Dantec moved to Canada. His story “Babylon Babies” was filmed as Babylon A.D..

Actor Aharon Ipalé (b.1941) died on June 27. Ipalé appeared in the films The Mummy and The Mummy Returns as Pharaoh Seti I. Earlier in career, Ipalé made guest appearances on Wonder Woman, Knight Rider, and the film Xanadu.

Author Alvin Toffler (b.1928) died on June 27. Toffler was the author of the influential non-fiction book Future Shock, which explored the way technology would impact our culture, including the concept of information overload.

Fan Elizabeth Mabel Binker Glock Hughes (b.1946) died on June 28 of cancer. Binker joined the Southern Fandom Press Alliance (SFPA) in 1971 and chaired DeepSouthCon in 1972 and co-chaired it in 1976 with Ned Brooks.

Fan Fred Prophet (b.1929) died on June 29. Fred served as the co-chair, with Roger Sims, of the Detention, the 1959 Worldcon in Detroit. He and Roger were appointed Conchairs Emeritus at Detcon1, the 2014 NASFiC, which both men were able to attend. Prior to the Detention, Prophet was active in the Detroit Science Fiction League and Michigan Science Fantasy Society (MISFITS) after attending his first convention, The Eleventh World Science Fiction Convention, in 1953.

Puppeteer Gordon Murray (b.1921) died on June 30. Murray created several children’s shows for the BBC, including his fantasy show A Rubovian Legend, which ran from 1955-1961.

Actor Ron Cummins died on July 1. Cummins has appeared in Capricorn One, Ghostbusters II, The Relic, and End of Days.

Director Robin Hardy (b.1929) died on July 1. Hardy directed the original 1973 film The Wicker Man, as well as its thematic sequel, The Wicker Tree, which he also wrote. Hardy wrote the horror thriller The Fantasist.

Producer Michael Cimino (b.1939) died on July 2. Cimino co-wrote and directed the film Silent Running. His non-genre work included Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, Magnum Force, and The Deer Hunter, for which he won an Oscar.

Poet and author Robert Nye (b.1939) died on July 2. Nye’s works often touched on fantastic themes, including his Merlin and his Faust.

Actress Noel Neill (b.1920) died on July 3. Neill’s most famous role was as reporter Lois Lane in The Adventures of Superman. She retired from acting when the show went off the air, but appeared as Lois Lane’s mother in the film Superman, as well as bit roles in the television series Superboy and the film Superman Returns. She also played Aunt Lois in Surge of Power.

Actor John McMartin (b.1929) died on July 6. McMartin appeared in episodes of Touched by an Angel and the 1987 series Beauty and the Beast.

Actor William Lucas (b.1925) died on July 8. Lucas appeared in the film Vampire Cop and in the Doctor Who serial “Frontios.” He also appeared in an episode of Out of the Unknown and Doomwatch.

Italian director Corrado Farina (b.1939) died on July 11. In addition to making a couple of fantasy and science fiction short films, Farina also directed the horror films The Devil Witch and They Have Changed Their Face.

Author Carolyn See (b.1934) died on July 13. See published ten books, including the science fictional novels Golden Days and There Will Never Be Another You. See also published works using the collaborative pseudonym Monica Highland, which she shared with her companion, John Espey, and her daughter, Lisa See¸

Academic April Rose Selley (b.1955) died on July 13. Selley published several scholarly articles on popular culture, with many focusing on Star Trek. In addition, she published the story “Mrs. Santa Decides to Move to Florida,” which was reprinted in Datlow and Windling’s Year’s Best Fantasy & Horror.

Fan Robert Ellis (b.1946) died on July 15. Ellis began attending conventions in Virginia in 1980 and joined Starfleet Atlantic. He worked on various conventions, including Ravencon, Marscon, and Mysticon. In January 2016, he was the Fan Guest of Honor at Illogicon.

Fan Robert E. Yeo (b.1935) died on July 16. Yeo attended numerous conventions in the Upper Midwest, particularly Minicon. An early member of Michigan Tech’s PFRC, he began attending the PFRC (and GT) annual picnics nearly from their beginning.

Fan Stephanie Clarkson (b.1970) died on July 19. Clarkson began attending science fiction conventions in 1992 and almost immediately began helping to run them. In 2003, she was in charge of Torcon 3’s handicap access. Clarkson also used the fan name thespian.

Director Garry Marshall (b.1934) died on July 19. Marshall is best known as the creator of Happy Days and its various spin-offs as well as the producer and director of the Princess Diaries films. His genre work includes creating the television show Mork and Mindy and doing voice work for Pinky and the Brain and Chicken Little.

Director Joe Napolitano (b.1948) died on July 23. Napolitano worked as an Assistant Director on the film The Fisher King. He was the director of the film The Big Blue Marble and episodes of Quantum Leap, Covington Cross, SeaQuest 2032, The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr., and The X-Files.

Singer Marni Nixon (b.1930) died on July 24. Nixon is best known as the ghost-singer for Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady and Deborah Kerr in The King and I. She also provided voices for animated versions of Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, and the singing voice of Grandma Fa in Mulan.

Author Tim LaHaye (b.1926) died on July 25. LaHaye co-authored the Left Behind series of Christian apocalyptic science fiction with Jerry B. Jenkins.

Filker Michael Liebmann died on July 26. Liebmann founded GAFilk in 1999. In addition, he has sold filk music. Liebmann provided voice work for several audio Star Trek projects, including Star Trek: Outpost, Star Trek: Valkyrie, and Star Trek: Grissom, in the last of which he portrayed a character named Dr. Michael Liebmann.

Manager Sandy Pearlman (b.1943) died on July 26. Pearlman created and was a lyricist and manager for Blue Öyster Cult, producing several of their LPs. His love of fantasy influenced much of their music.

Artist Jack Davis (b.1924) died on July 27. Davis is best known for his work at MAD Magazine and for EC Comics, but also had a successful career creating movie posters, including the poster for the film It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. His comic work including Tales from the Crypt, Incredible Science Fiction, and Vault of Horror.

Actor Jerry Doyle (b.1956) died on July 27. Doyle is best known for his portrayal of Michael Garibaldi on Babylon 5 and in the various spin-offs from that show. He broke into acting when cast in an episode of Moonlighting based on his similarity in appearance to Bruce Willis. Doyle also appeared in an episode of the time-travel show Sliders.

Cartoonist Richard Thompson (b.1957) died on July 27. Thompsons, who won the Reuben Award in 2010, was best known for his comic strip “Cul-de-Sac.” He also created a weekly comic for the Washington Post entitled “Richard’s Poor Almanac.” Thompson succumbed to Parkinson’s Disease, which he had been diagnosed with in 2009.

Toronto fan Ian Wilson died on July 28, a day after suffering cardiac arrest. Wilson chaired Ad Astra 9 and 10 and co-chaired Ad Astra 2000 with Morgan Birch.

Belgian colorist Guy Dessicy (b.1924) died on July 29 Dessicy worked as a colorist for Hergé on Tintin before stepping aside to run the Publiart agency which specialized in advertising comics for 35 years. Dessicy also founded the Belgian Comic Strip Center.

Fan Joyce Katz (b.Joyce Worley, 1939) died on July 30 after a long illness. Joyce was married to Las Vegas fan Arnie Katz and the two of them were active in fanzine fandom as well as the planning and attending of various Corflus and Silvercons over the years. In 1969, as Joyce Fisher, with her then-husband Ray, Joyce co-chaired St. Louiscon, the 1969 Worldcon.

Actor Terence Bayler (b.1930) died on August 2. Bayler portrayed the Bloody Baron’s Ghost in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. He also has roles in the Terry Gilliam films Time Bandits and Brazil. In Life of Brian, he declared that unlike everyone else, he was not an individual and during the crucifixion scene declared that he was Brian, as was his wife. Bayler also appeared on Doctor Who in the first Doctor serial “The Return” and the second Doctor serial “The War Games”

Actor David Huddleston (b.1930) died on August 2. Perhaps most recognizable as Olson Johnson from Blazing Saddles, he also appeared as the Conductor in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “Emergence,” the film Capricorn One, and multiple episodes of Bewitched.

Letterer Gaspar Saladino (b.c.1926) died on August 3. Saladino tried to get a job with DC as an illustrator, but was hired by Julius Schwartz as a letterer instead. Beginning in 1966, Saladino did most of the cover lettering, logo design, and house advertising. he created the iconic title font for Swamp Thing.

Artist John G. Fantucchio (b.1938) died on August 4. Fantucchio served as an artist in residence at the CIA and in 1973 established the Fantucchio School of Art. In the 60s and 70s, his work was featured on the covers of several comics fanzines.

Sarah Powers (b.1955) died on August 4 after a seven year struggle with breast cancer. Powers was a special education teacher who helped promote the artwork of her father Richard Powers at conventions and exhibits.

Actor Barry Jenner (b.1941) died on August 9. Jenner portrayed Admiral Ross on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He also appeared in episodes of the television series Starman and V and the film Looker.

Iowa fan Scott Alter (b.1953) died on August 10. Alter was active in Des Moines fandom, attending conventions in Iowa and other parts of the Midwest. Alter was scheduled to be part of the Hugo Ceremony staff at MidAmeriCon II.

Fan Ruth Stuart (b.1964) died on August 12. Stuart published several short stories and was a frequent attendee of conventions in the Toronto area.

Actor Kenny Baker (b.1934) died on August 13. Baker is best known for his role as the man inside R2-D2 in the first six Star Wars films. He also appeared in Willow, Labyrinth, and Time Bandits.

Fan Warren Johnson (b.1970) died on August 13. Also known as “Whisky,” Johnson served as the head librarian for LASFS. Johnson once explained to a reporter that he accepted the post of librarian to avoid being eligible for the Presidency of LASFS. Johnson was also an historical re-enactor who worked at the Southern Renaissance Pleasure Faire.

Actor Fyvush Finkel (b.1922) died on August 14. Finkel is best known for his role on the television show Picket Fences, but also provided voice work for the film The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars, appeared in an episode of Early Edition, and was in the cast of the 1999 remake of the television show Fantasy Island.

Fan Robert C. Peterson (b.1921) died on August 15. Peterson was an early fan of science fiction. He edited 1960’s Science Fictional Sherlock Holmes. In 1994, he was elected to the First Fandom Hall of Fame, and in 2008 he received the Sam Moskowitz Archive Award in recognition of his SF collection.

Spanish comics author Victor Mora (b.1931) died on August 17. Mora got his start with Dr. Niebla in 1948 and went on to create the series Capitán Treuno using the pen name Vicor Alcazar. He also created the strip El Jabito under the name R. Martin, and went on to create other historical comics and space operas as well.

Swedish fan Sören Cardfeldt died on August 19. Cardfeldt was active in Club Cosmos for many years and helped found Sweden’s Tolkien Society.

Actor Jack Riley (b.1935) died on August 19. Riley may be best known as the acerbic Mr. Carlin on The Bob Newhart Show, but he also had several roles in genre works, including Spaceballs, ALF, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!, and C.H.U.D. II.

Author M.K. Wren (b.Martha Kay Renfroe, 1938) died on August 20. Wren wrote the Phoenix Legacy trilogy and the post-Holocaust A Gift Upon the Shore.

Actor Michael Leader (b.1937) died on August 22. Leader is best known for his role on The Eastenders, but he has also appeared in several episodes of Doctor Who, Blake’s 7, and Red Dwarf. Leader also had an uncredited role in Star Wars, playing a stormtrooper who accidentally bumped his head on a doorway.

French critic Michel Butor (b.1926) died on August 24. Butor was one of the first critics to take science fiction seriously and published “La crise de croissance de la SF” in 1953. Even before that he critically explored the work of Jules Verne. Butor was a juror for the Prix Apollo.

Actor Marvin Kaplan (b.1927) died on August 25. Perhaps best known for his role on Alice and in the film It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, he also appeared in The Lost Saucer, I Dream of Jeannie, The Came from Outer Space, and the original versions of Freaky Friday and Angels in the Outfield.

Actor Gene Wilder (b.Jerome Silberman, 1933) died on August 29. Wilder portrayed Dr. Frankenstein in Mel Brooks’s comedy Young Frankenstein as well as the fox in The Little Prince and the title role in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Non-genre roles included the Mel Brooks comedies The Producers and Blazing Saddles as well as the title role in The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes’ Smarter Brother. He was nominated for the Academy Award for his role in The Producers and his screenplay for Young Frankenstein. Wilder shared a Hugo and Nebula Award with Mel Brooks for Young Frankenstein as well.

Author Robert C. Lee (b.1931) died on August 31. Lee wrote children’s and YA SF, including The Iron Arm of Michael Glenn, The Day It Rained Forever, and Once Upon Another Time.

Actor Jon Polito (b.1950) died on September 1. Polito starred in the series The Chronicle, based on Mark Sumner’s News from the Edge series and appeared in films including The Rocketeer, C.H.U.D., and Highlander. Polito also had a busy career providing voice work for a range of animated television series.

Gamer Peter Bromley (b.1956) died on September 2. Bromley helped found Mayfair Games in 1981, working as a game designer and product developer. He also assisted in art direction, marketing, sales, and shipping. Bromley remained active in Mayfair Games until his death. His extensive collection of early adventure games, including early war games, role playing games, and collectible card games is now in the collection of the National Museum of Play.

Director Leslie Martinson (b.1915) died on September 3. Martinson directed episodes of numerous sf/f television series in the 1960s and 70s, including Fantasy Island, Wonder Woman, Manimal, Small Wonder, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, The Six Million Dollar Man, and The Bionic Woman. Martinson also directed several episodes of Batman and was the director on the film Batman: The Movie.

Australian fan Bill Woodrow (b.1970) died on September 4. Woodrow was active in Australian Doctor Who fandom and served as the Canberra Representative for the Doctor Who Fan Club. His ashes were placed in a Tardis shaped coffin made by his cousin.

Author Duane E. Graveline (b.1931) died on September 5. Graveline self-published the novels The Ark and Brothers of Perseids in the 1990s. In 1965, he was selected for NASA’s fourth group of astronauts, but resigned after two months due to his pending divorce.

Actor Hugh O’Brian (b.1925) died on September 5. Best known for appearing in Westerns, O’Brian appeared in the genre films Rocketship X-M, Son of Ali Baba, and Doin’ Time on Planet Earth

Washington area fan Brian Lewis died on September 7. Lewis was active in WSFA (Washington Science Fiction Association), serving as a Trustee, and attended conventions in the Virginia/Washington/Maryland area.

Comic artist Richard T. “Sparky” Moore (b.1925) died on September 7. Moore’s work was often either uncredited or attributed to other artists, whose styles he worked in as a ghost. He worked for Disney and on Winnie the Pooh. He also worked on the animated series Spider-man, Space Ghost, and Jonny Quest. Moore was also a court artist on the Manson family trials.

Director Giuliano Carnimeo (b.1932) died on September 10. Carnimeo directed several spaghetti westerns, but also worked on some low-budget genre films, including Exterminators of the Year 3000, Computron 22, and Ursus.

Actress Alexis Arquette (b.Robert Arquette, 1969) died on September 11. She is the sister of Rosanna, David, and Patricia Arquette. She appeared in an episodes of the television series Alien Nation and Xena: Warrior Princess, as well as in the films Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror, and Bride of Chucky.

Bookseller Barry R. Levin (b.1946) committed suicide on September 14. Levin operated Barry R. Levin Books in Santa Monica. During his years of bookselling, Levin also presented the Collectors Awards for authors, books, and publishers who were deemed to be the most collectible. Levin was suffering from depression. His wife, Sally Ann Fudge Levin, died in 2006.

Author David Keith Mano (b.1942) died on September 14. Mano included several religious themes in his works, although they were occasionally used subversively. His novels included Horn, War is Heaven!, The Bridge, and Take Five.

Canadian author W.P. Kinsella (b.1935) died on September 16. While Kinsella’s name is synonymous with baseball fiction, many of his stories and novels, including The Iowa Baseball Confederacy, “The Last Pennant Before Armageddon,” “Fred Noonan Flying Services,” and Shoeless Joe, which formed the basis for Field of Dreams, contained fantastic elements.

Artist C. Martin Croker (b.1962) died on September 17. Croker was an animator on Space Ghost Coast to Coast and Aqua Teen Hunger Force. He also provided several of the voices on Space Ghost.

Fan Dave Kyle (b.1919) died on September 18 following complications from an endoscopy. Kyle was one of the original Furturians and wrote and disseminated the famed yellow pamphlet that led to the first Exclusion Act. He chaired Nycon II, the 1956 Worldcon and the following year chartered a plane to the London Worldcon for his honeymoon. He founded the Knight of The Order of Saint Fantony in 1961, was awarded the Big Heart Award in 1973, and was fan guest of honor at Constellation, the 1983 Worldcon. With Martin Greenberg, he founded early science fiction hardcover publishing company Gnome Press in 1948.

Artist David Delamare (b.1951) died on September 19. Delamare illustrated numerous children’s books and also created his own picture books and art books, including Cinderella and Mermaids & Magic Shows. His Animerotics: A Forbidden Cabaret in 26 Acts was more adult in nature.

British author Bernard Bergonzi (b.1929) died on September 20. Bergonzi was an academic who published on many topics including multiple monographs on H.G. Wells and The Fantasy Poets.

Author Robert Weinberg (b.1946) died on September 25. Weinberg began publishing fiction in 1967 and from 1970 to 1981 edited the fanzine Pulp about pulp magazines. He wrote for Marvel Comics and was known for his art collection. Weinberg also ran a mail order book business until 1997. In 2012, Weinberg received a special committee award at Chicon 7, that year’s Worldcon.

Director Herschell Gordon Lewis (b.1926) died on September 26. Lewis was known as the “Godfather of Gore” and directed several splatterpunk films. He got his start directing erotica before turning his attention to gore with Blood Feast.

Fan D. Douglas Fratz (b.1952) died on September 27. Fratz was the editor of Thrust Science Fiction & Fantasy Review, which later became Quantum Science Fiction & Fantasy Review. he began reading and reviewing science fiction in the 1960s and wrote essays in his various columns, including “The Alienated Critic.” His work as a fanzine editor garnered him five Hugo nominations between 1980 and 1991.

Venezuelan author Jorge de Abreu (b.1963) died on September 28. De Abreu served as the president of the Venezuelan Association of Fantasy and SF. He began publishing in 1986 and was the editor of Necronomicón and Ubikverso.

Los Angeles fan Lucy Stern died on September 28. Stern is a longtime member of LASFS and has also be an attendee and staffer at Loscons, Baycons, Gallifrey, Westercons, and various Worldcons.

Filker Kira Heston (b.Kimberly Heston, 1969) died on September 30. Heston performed with Randy Hoffman as “Partners in K’Rhyme.” She was a member of PARSEC, Pittsburgh’s Science Fiction Society, and served as the group’s president.

Cincinnati filker JoEllyn Davidoff (b.1963) died on October 1. Davidoff’s songs include “I Don’t Want to be in Love with You,” “Sensual Overload,” and “Orion.” She performed at numerous science fiction and filk cons.

Fan Kate Yule (b.1961) died on October 4 after a battle with brain cancer. Yule was married to author David D. Levine, with whom she edited the fanzine Bento. Yule served as President and treasurer of PorSFiS, the Portland OR SF Society.

Midwest filker Howard Harrison (b.1961) died on October 5. Harrison recorded the album Songs From Lacy’s Kitchen as by Howie and the Heathens and was active in Chicago and other Midwestern conventions and filks.

Producer Austin “Rocky” Kalish (b.1921) died on October 5. Kalish wrote episodes of I Dream of Jeannie and My Favorite Martian, and produced America 2100.

Fan and author Arthur Jean Cox (b.1929) has died. Cox was active in LASFS and began publishing in 1951. He served seven terms and LASFS Secretary and one as a Director. His first novel, Nude in Orbit was published using the pseudonym Gene Cross.

Film critic Bill Warren (b.1943) died on October 7. Warren was one of the leading authorities on science fiction, fantasy, and horror films and was active in LASFS. In the late 60s, he worked as an assistant to Forrest J Ackerman. For L.A.Con II, Warren wrote a mystery with Allan Rothstein set at the convention with characters who were all actual attendees of the convention. The story sold as a convention publication. Later, Warren would published the seminal Keep Watching the Skies! American Science Fiction Movies of the Fifties.

British fan Paul Brazier (b.1950) died on October 10. Brazier edited the semi-prozine Nexus and served as the typesetter and graphic designer for Interzone for ten years. His reviews appeared in both Vector and Interzone and he designed covers for Spectrum SF.

Actor Kazunari Tanaka (b.1967) died on October 11. Tanaka was a voice actor on several anime, including Dragon Ball Z, Rocket Girls, InuYasha, and Haikyuu!!.

Norwegian fan Per G. Hvidsten (b.1944) died on October 11. Hvidsten, who also worked under the name Per G. Olsen, won the Fantomen writing competition in 1988 and 1989. In the 1980s, he worked for the Fantomet comic and also wrote scripts for Pink Panther comics in Norway.

Makeup artist John Vulich (b.1961) died on October 12. Vulich worked on several science fiction shows and films, including Angel, Being John Malkovich, and The Lost Boys. He won an Emmy for his work on Babylon 5, The X Files and Buffy, the Vampire Slayer.

Author Ed Gorman (b.1941) died on October 14. Gorman, who also wrote as E.J. Gorman, Robert David Chase, and Daniel Ransom, was best known for writing in the mystery and horror fields, but he also wrote mysteries. In 1985, he co-founded Mystery Scene magazine and served as editor until 2002. He has received Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Private Eye Writers of America and the International Horror Writers.

Producer Ted V. Mikels (b.Theodore Mikacevich, 1929) died on October 16. Mikels got his start with the 1963 film Strike Me Deadly. He went on to make The Astro-Zombies and its sequels, as well as Planetfall, The Aftermath, and Nosferatu vs. Father Pipecock & Sister Funk.

Horror author Dennis Cummins (b.1951) died on October 18 from lung cancer. Cummins has published horror short stories and was a member of the Horror Writers of America. In addition Cummins played in the Beatles cover band Beatles for Sale.

Actor Michael Massee (b.1955) died on October 20. Massie has appeared in several genre television series, including Flashforward, The X-Files, and Fringe. He had a bit role in the Amazing Spider-Man films portraying Gustav Fiers. While filming his second movie, The Crow, he accidentally shot and killed Brandon Lee when the gun he was using discharged after being improperly prepared.

Author Richard Cavendish (b.1930) died on October 21. Cavendish wrote on folk magic and the occult, including The Tarot, A History of Magic, and The Black Arts. He edited the twenty-four volume Man, Myth & Magic series.

Screenwriter Michael Gleason (b.1938) died on October 21. Gleason wrote episodes of Lois & Clark, My Favorite Martian, Nightman, and The Burning Zone.

Actor Kevin Meaney (b.1957) died on October 21. Best known as a comedian, Meaney appeared in Blood Ransom, The Brave Little Toaster to the Rescue, and Space Ghost Coast to Coast.

Artist Martin Aitchison (b.1919) died on October 22. Aitchison drew for Eagle comics from 1952 through 1963 and also drew adaptations of Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World.

Artist Steve Dillon (b1962) died on October 22. Dillon produced a comic in high school entitled Ultimate Sci Fi Adventures and went on to work professionally by the age of 16, working on Hulk Weekly, Nick Fury, and Doctor Who. Later work included Hellblazer and Preacher.

Fan Norman F. Stanley (b.1916) died on October 22. Stanley was a fan from Maine who was a member of the Stranger Club and attended Noreascon 3 as a Fan GoH as part of the club. He was active in fandom throughout the 1940s, attending Philcons, Boskones, and other Eastern conventions. From 1942-1952, he published 19 issues of Fan-Tod. In 2013, he was elected to the First Fandom Hall of Fame.

Author Sheri S. Tepper (b.Sheri Stewart Douglas, 1929) died on October 22. Tepper began publishing fiction in 1980 with King’s Blood Four, the first in her “Books of the True Game” series. Over the years, Tepper acquired a reputation as a feminist author with publication of “The Awakeners” duology, The Gate to Women’s Country, and The Companions, among others. In 2015, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the World Fantasy Con.

Cartoonist Jack Chick (b.1924) died on October 23. Chick was known for publishing evangelical tracts in the form of cartoons, known as Chick tracts. In the 1980s, he targeted Dungeons and Dragons as an instrument of Satan and his work led to the film Dark Dungeons.

Montreal fan Leslie Lupien (b.1921) died on October 25. Lupien was active in MONSFFA, the Montreal Science Fiction and Fantasy Association, and at the time of his death was the organization’s oldest member. Lupien also published several short stories, beginning in 1996 with “Sanitary Zone” and continuing through 2009 with “Wotan.”

Romanian critic Cornel Robu (b.1938) died on October 27. Robu edited the first reprint and critical edition of Victor Anestin’s În anul 4000 sau O cǎlǎtorie la Venus. Robu also edited multiple critical anthologies of Romanian science fiction. Robu was also a university lecturer and wrote the entry on Romanian science fiction for the Science Fiction Encyclopedia.

Actor Hazel Shermet (b.1920) died on October 27. Shermet appeared on Mr Ed and in episodes of My Favorite Martian and I Dream of Jeannie. Her films include Love at First Bite and The Addams Family.

Actor John Zacherle (b.1918) died on October 27. Zacherle hosted several television horror shows, beginning with Shock Theatre on WCAU in Philadelphia in 1958. His most notable show was Chiller Theatre, in the 1960s. He also had bit roles in camp horror films, such as Frankenhooker and Niagaravation.

Agent Gillon Aitken (b.1938) died on October 28. Aitkon representated mainstream authors, some of whom, such as Salman Rushdie and the George Orwell estate, were of genre interest.

Editor Ellen Key Harris-Braun (b.1960) died on October 28. Harris-Braun wrote her honors thesis on anthropological concepts in science fiction and used it to get a job at Del Rey Books. At Del Rey, she ran their early e-mail newsletter and started up a writing advice column that became the Online Writing Workshop.

Actor Tammy Grimes (b.1934) died on October 30. Grimes created the role of the Unsinkable Molly Brown and also provided the voice for Molly Grue in the animated version of The Last Unicorn. She also appeared in The Borrowers

Actor Don Marshall (b.1934) died on October 30. Marshall starred as Dan Erickson on the television show The Land of the Giants and also made appears on Star Trek, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, and The Bionic Woman. He appeared in the science fiction comedy The Thing with Two Heads.

Author Natalie Babbitt (b.1932) died on October 31. Babbitt is best known for her novel Tuck Everlasting. She published more than two dozen books and received the Newbery Honor in 1971 for Knee-Knock Rise.

Italian author Massimo Mongai (b.1950) died on November 1. Mongai received a Urania Award for his debut novel, Memorie di un cuoco d’astronave,in 1997. He also wrote Alienati and Cronache non ufficiali di due spi italiane.

Author Alex Hamilton (b.1930) died on November 2. Hamilton began publishing with “The Attic Express” in 1963 and was mostly known in the field for his short fiction, which he collected in three collections. He also edited horror anthologies, occasionally under the name Donald Speed.

Actor John Carson (b.1927) died on November 5. Carson began his career in Hammer films. He appeared in the Doctor Who serial “Snakedance” as well as episodes of The Adventures of Sinbad, The Champions and The Avengers. Other genre roles include Thunderbird 6 and Adam Adamant Lives!, The Plague of Zombies, and Taste the Blood of Dracula.

Academic John Calvin Rezmerski (b.1942) died on November 5. Rezmerski, who published one short story using the name J.C. Rez, taught at Gustavus Adolphus College and wrote numerous poems with a science fictional or horror flavor. When not writing poetry, Rezmerski taught journalism.

Fan Wil Baden (b.1928) died on November 9. Baden was the father of Los Angeles fan Chaz Boston Baden. In addition to raising a fan, Baden was a fan himself and in 1939 was taken by his father to the first World Science Fiction Convention in New York, one of the last two surviving attendees of that event.

Fan Amy Sefton died on November 9 from cancer. Sefton, who also used the name Madame Ovary as a costumer, served as a designer in Tor Books’ ad/promotions department. She was married to author James Kilius until his death in 2008.

British musician Martin Stone (b.1946) died on November 9. Stone played with a variety of blues groups in London and was also an ardent rare book collector.

French author André Reullen (b.1922) died on November 10. Most of the 22 novels Reullen published in the 1950s were under the pseudonym Kurt Steiner and fell under the horror genre, although the Dal Ortog Dal of Galankar novels were high fantasy. Reullen’s science fiction included Le 32 Juillet and Le Disque Rayé.

Actor Robert Vaughn (b.1932) died on November 11. Vaughn portrayed Napoleon Solo on The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and also appeared in The Magnificent Seven. His genre roles included Superman III, Battle Beyond the Stars, Ray Bradbury Theatre, and Men Into Space.

Mexican actress Lupita Tovar (b.1910) died on November 12. Tovar appeared in the films La voluntad del muerto and the 1931 Dracula, the latter of which was filmed by Universal at the same time as their English language version.

Actor Tom Neyman (b.1935) died on November 13. Neyman played the Master in the cult classic Manos: The Hands of Fate and its sequel, Manos Returns. Manos: The Hands of Fate is considered by many to be one of the worst films made, and was deemed such by Mystery Science Theatre 3000.

Manga author Kenichiro Takai (b.1937) died on November 14. Takai began publishing in 1956 with Riko-chan and drew the art for Sōmubi Sōmuka Yamaguchi Roppeita.

Bulgarian author Sabina Theo (b.1977) died on November 16. In addition to being a fan, Theo wrote and sold stories, including “The Hotel of the Suicides” in collaboration with Mike Resnick. Other stories include “Love in Bloom” and “Kill Me.”

Italian cartoonist Gino Gavioli (b.1923) died on November 19. Gavioli was inspired by fairy tales and fantasy and adapted works including Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, and The Jungle Book

Special effects artist Ron Thornton (b.1957) died on November 21. Thornton’s work could be seen on Babylon 5, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise, and in the film Spaceballs.

Actor Andrew Sachs (b.1930) died on November 28. Sachs is best known for his role as “Manuel” on Fawlty Towers. His genre roles included roles in Alice Through the Looking Glass, Going Postal, and voicework for Asterix and the Doctor Who serial Shada.

Actor Ron Glass (b.1945) died on November 26. Best known for his role as Detective Harris on Barney Miller, Glass entered the consciousness of science fiction fans and a younger generation for his portrayal of Shephard Derrial Book on Firefly and in the film Serenity. He also portrayed Loken in an episode of Star Trek: Voyager and Dr. Streiten in episodes of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Actor Fritz Weaver (b.1926) died on November 26. Weaver appeared in episodes of The Twilight Zone, Mission: Impossible, and The Martian Chronicles as well as the films The Day of the Dolphin and Demon Seed.

Fan Lon Atkins died on November 28. Atkins chaired DeepSouthCon in 1966 and received the Rebel Award in 1982. In addition to his con-running activities, Atkins was involved in several APAs over the years and was one of the founding editors of Rally!. Atkins was the Guest of Honor at Westercon 20.

Author Paul A. Carter (b.1926) died on November 28. Carter wrote eleven short stories, including two with Gregory Benford, as well as a monograph on the first fifty years of science fiction magazines

Actor Van Williams (b.1934) died on November 28. Williams portrayed the Green Hornet on the 1966 television series, as well as in three cross-over appearances on Batman. He also starred in Surfside 6.

Author Joe Dever (b.1952) died on November 30. Dever wrote the Lone Wolf interactive fantasy series. Prior to becoming an author and game designer, he was a musician and in 1982 was the first British winner of the AD&D Championship of America. He was also active in the publication of the Lone Wolf RPG based on his novels.

Actress Alice Drummond (b.1928) died on November 30. Her best known genre role as the librarian in the opening sequence of Ghostbusters, but she also appeared in multiple episodes of the original Dark Shadows and in Tales from the Darkside: The Movie.

Actor Don Calfa (b.1939) died on December 1. Best known for his role in The Return of the Living Dead, Calfa also appeared in Necronomicon: Book of Dead, Alien Private Eye, and episodes of Amazing Stories.

Actor Billy Chapin (b.1943) died on November 2. As a child, Chapin appeared in Tobor the Great and an episode of Topper.

French comic writer Marcel Gottlieb (b.1934) died on December 4. Gottlieb, who published as Gotlib, co-created the superhero Superdupont. Gotlib wrote, drew, and published comics and was instrumental in changing the perception of comics as only-for-children to an adult form of literature in France.

Author Patricia Robins (b .1921) died on December 4. Best known as a Romance author, she also wrote children’s novels, which occasionally had fantastic elements to them, such as Tree Fairies or Sea Magic.

Chicago area fan Bill Dunbar died on December 4. Dunbar was an active cosplayer and Batman fan. He attended many Chicago area conventions and also performed on audiobooks.

Actor Peter Vaughan (b.1926) died on December 6. Vaughan may be best known to genre audiences for his role as Maester Aemon on Game of Thrones, but he also appeared in Brazil, Time Bandits, Village of the Damned, and Fatherland.

Astronaut John Glenn (b.1921) died on December 8. Glenn was the last surviving member of the Mercury 7 astronauts and the first American to orbit the Earth, flying on the third Mercury mission on February 20, 1962 aboard Friendship 7. Following his flight and status as a national hero, Glenn was grounded by President Kennedy and eventually became a Senator from Ohio and ran unsuccessfully for President. The oldest of the Mercury astronauts, he flew a second time in 1998 about the space shuttle Discovery, becoming the oldest man to fly in space.

Academic Robert Scholes (b.1929) died on December 9. Scholes explored literary theory and structuralism and wrote TheFabulators, Science Fiction: History – Science – Vision, and co-edited Co-Ordinates: Placing Science Fiction and Fantasy with George Edgar Slussar and Eric S. Rabkin.

Comic fan Richard Kyle died on December 10. Kyle was involved in comic fandom from the early days and is credited with the terms “graphic story” and “graphic novel” He published Graphic Story World and ran a comic store called The Graphic Story Bookstore.

Fan Nila Thompson (b.1954) died on December 10. Thompson was active in APA:NESFA and was married to David K. M. Klaus.

Polish translator Robert Stiller (b.1928) died on December 10. Stiller, who was good friends with Polish SF author Stanisław Lem, translated works by Lewis Carroll, Anthony Burgess, and Ian Fleming into Polish. Shortly after Lem’s death, he published the memoir Lem, What Did You Die For? A Story in Reminiscences.

Chicago area fan Kathleen Meyer (b.1948) died on December 13. Meyer was a long-time member of the ISFiC Board of Directors, serving as the organization’s Treasurer. She chaired Windycon XI and XII in 1984-5 and Windycon XV in 1988. In 1991, Meyer chaired Chicon V, that year’s Worldcon. She also worked on Capricon programming operations for several years.

Actor Alan Thicke (b.1947) died on December 13. Thicke is best known for his role on Growing Pains and had recently made a career playing himself on various sitcoms. His Genre work includes The Outer Limits, And You Thought Your Parents Were Weird¸voiceovers in various cartoons, Robodoc, and more.

Actor Bernard Fox (b.1927) died on December 14. Fox is best known for his role as Dr. Bombay on Bewitched and also appeared as Captain Winston Havlock on the 1999 version of The Mummy. He made appearances on Knight Rider, The Wild Wild West, and Munster, Go Home! and did voice work for both The Rescuers movies.

Director Jeremy Summers (b.1931) died on December 14. Summer’s directed several episodes of My Partner the Ghost as well as UFO. He also directed the film The Vengeance of Fu Manchu.

Actress Zsa Zsa Gabor (b.Sári Gabor, 1917) died on December 18. Gabor appeared in a couple episodes of Batman as the villain Minerva as well as the films Frankenstein’s Great Aunt Tillie, Queen of Outer Space, and A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors. She provided the voice for Bianca in the two Rescuers films.

Director Gordon Hunt (b.1929) died on December 19. Hunt worked for Hanna-Barbera and was in charge of voice direction on numerous cartoon. He also directed several sitcoms, including Mad About You, which co-starred his daughter, Helen Hunt. Hunt’s genre work included Super Friends, The Smurfs, The Jetsons, Captain Planet and the Planeteers, animated versions of The Addams Family and Bill & Ted’s Excellent adventures, and other shows.

Cartoonist Paul Peter Porges (b.1927) died on December 20. As a 13 year old, he wandered alone in France trying to avoid the Nazis in World War II. After being captured, he escaped from a deportation camp when he was 15. After the war he emigrated to the US and after serving in Korea, he established himself as a cartoonist, appearing in Mad, appearing in 52 consecutive issues beginning in 1986.

Author Rochelle Uhlenkott (b.1960) died in mid-December. Uhlenkott wrote “The Gift,” which appeared under the name “Rochelle Marie” in Swords and Sorceress XI. She was also developing a shared-world anthology series, “Clothesline World” with Vera Nazarian. Outside science fiction, Uhlenkott worked in the aerospace industry and taught Optics at the University of California, Irvine Extension.

Director Philip Saville (b.1930) died on December 22. Saville directed episodes of First Born, Out of the Unknown, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Astronaut Piers Sellers (b.1955) died on December 23. Sellers flew on three missions between 2002 and 2010, his final mission being an Atlantis launch watched by numerous SFF authors during the 2010 Nebula Weekend in Cocoa Beach. On that flight, Sellers brought a piece of wood from the apple tree that inspired Isaac Newton’s Theory of gravity.

Writer Richard Adams (b.1956) died on December 24. Adams is perhaps best known for his novel Watership Down, but also wrote Shardik and The Plague Dogs. He was active in animal protection, traveling to the Antarctic to view animals there in the natural habitat and serving a year as President of the RSPCA.

Art Director Gil Parrondo (b.1921) died on December 24. Parrando worked on The Valley of Gwangi, The Brother from Space, The 7th Voyage of Sinband, The 3 Worlds of Gulliver, and Dr. Coppelius. He won Oscars for his work on Patton and Nicholas and Alexandra.

Agent Linn Prentis (b.Eliza Linn Prentis, 1944) died on December 24. Prentis began working as an agent for Virginia Kidd before opening up her own agency with offices in Washington state and New York. Her clients included Kage Baker, Patricia Briggs, Rick Bowes, A.M. Dellamonica, and James Morrow.

Actress Liz Smith (b.1921) died on December 24. Smith appeared in the films City of Ember, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and and episode of Young Indiana Jones. She provided the voice of Mrs. Mulch in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.

Actress Tricia McCauley (b.1970) was murdered on December 25. McCauley appeared on stage in Washington, D.C. and also appeared in the film Never Dream: The Beginning.

Physicist Vera Rubin (b.1928) died on December 25. Rubin studied the rotation rate of the galaxy and discovered a discrepancy between angular motion of galaxies and observed motion which led to the confirmation of the existence of dark matter.

Cartoonist Don Edwing (b.1934) died on December 26. Nicknamed Duck, Edwing worked for Mad from 1962 until 2012, including a stint working closely with Don Martin. He also drew Spy vs. Spy for twelve years.

Actor George S. Irving (b.1922) died on December 26. Harris provided voice work for several animated shows, including the narrator and other voices on Underdog and the Heat Miser in The Year Without a Santa Claus. Irving also had a lengthy Broadway career, debuting in the original production of Oklahoma!

Actress and writer Carrie Fisher (b.1956) died on December 27. Fisher came to prominence in 1977 portraying Princess Leia in Star Wars, continuing to play the role through the original trilogy, The Force Awakens, and other projects, as well as the forthcoming Episode 8. She appeared in other films, including some of genre interest, wrote multiple books, both fiction and non-fiction, and was considered one of Hollywood’s best script doctors. Her parents were actors Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds.

Actress Debbie Reynolds (b.1932) died on December 28, the day after her daughter, Carrie Fisher died. Best known for her role in the musical Singin’ in the Rain, Reynolds also portrayed Nana Possible in several episodes of Kim Possible and also did voice work for Kiki’s Delivery Service and The 7D. She appeared in several Halloweentown movies. This year, she was the recipient of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy.

Luxembourg cartoonist Roger Leiner (b.1955) died on December 29. Leiner co-created Superjhemp, a satirical type of Superman who got his strength by eating kachkéis, with Lucien Czuga.

Actor George Kosana (b.1935) died on December 30. Kosana appared sa Sheriff McClelland in Night of the Living Dead and reprised the role in Living Dead and My Uncle John is a Zombie!. He also appeared in the horror film Incest Death Squad.

Animator Tyrus Wong (b.1910) died on December 30. Wong immigrated to the US when he was 9 and eventually got a job with Disney, where his artwork inspired the film Bambi and he served as Bambi’s principal animator. He was fired from Disney after the Animator’s Strike and worked on backgrounds for Warner Brothers and eventually served as Assistant Art Director for the 1956 film Around the World in Eighty Days. In 2001, he was named a Disney Legend.

Actor William Christopher (b.1932) died on December 31. Best known for his role as Father Mulcahy on the television shows M*A*S*H and AfterM*A*S*H, Christopher guest starred on episodes of Lois and Clark and Team Knight Rider. He also provided voice work for The Smurfs and The Little Troll Prince.

Please take a moment to support Amazing Stories with a one-time or recurring donation via Patreon. We rely on donations to keep the site going, and we need your financial support to continue quality coverage of the science fiction, fantasy, and horror genres as well as supply free stories weekly for your reading pleasure. https://www.patreon.com/amazingstoriesmag

Previous Article

Distopía edulcorada: “Metrópolis”

Next Article

Anthology Review: Galactic Empires edited by Neil Clarke

You might be interested in …

1 Comment

  1. Thanks for the mention of Debbie Miller. She was a sweet person and a key member of PESFA, helping to put on several MosCons.
    For next year, maybe you can just publish the names of the few people who DIDN’T die in SF/F. That might make the list shorter. 🙁

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.