Deaths in December - 2015

Pioneer in robotics Joseph F. Engelberger died December 1 at the age of 90. He wrote Robotics in Practice.

Former lead man for the Stone Temple Pilots, Scott Weiland died December 3 at the age of 48. He wrote Not Dead and Not for Sale: A Memoir.

Novelist William McIlvanney died December 5 at the age of 79. His books include Laidlaw, The Papers of Tony Veitch, Strange Loyalties and Docherty.

Underground actress Holly Woodlawn died December 6 at the age of 69. Her memoir was The Holly Woodlawn Story: A Low lIFE IN hIGH hEELS.

Founder of Williams-Sonoma, Chuck Williams died December 5 at the age of 100. A few of his many books include Williams-Sonoma Simple Classics Cookbook and The Williams-Sonoma Cookbook and Guide to Kitchenware.

Kenyan author Marjorie Oludhe Macgoye died December 1 at the age of 87. Her books include Coming to Birth, Present Moment (Women Writing Africa) and A Farm Called Kishinev.

American Indian poet and actor John Trudell died December 8 at the age of 69. He wrote Lines from a Mined Mind.

Former goalkeeper for Sheffield United and later a coach, Alan Hodgkinson died on December 8 at the age of 79. His autobiography was Between the Sticks.

Curator Charles S. Moffett died December 10 at the age of 70. His works include The New Painting: Impressionism 1874-1886, Impressionists in Winter and Manet, 1832-1883 : Galeries nationales du Grand Palais.

Journalist Ian Bell died December 10 at the age of 59. His books include Dreams of Exile: Robert Louis Stevenson: A Biography and Once Upon a Time: The Lives of Bob Dylan.

Catalog queen and entrepreneur Lillian Vernon died December 14 at the age of 88. She wrote An Eye For Winners: How I Built One of America's Greatest Direct-Mail Businesses.

Scholar and expert on southeast Asia, Benedict Anderson died December 13 at the age of 79. His many books include Imagined Communities and Under Three Flags.

Sportswriter Phil Pepe died December 13 at the age of 80. His books include Unhittable: Reliving the Magic and Drama of Baseball's best-pitched Games, The Wit and Wisdom of Yogi Berra and Talkin' Baseball.

Social campaigner in Hong Kong, Elsie Tu died on December 8 at the age of 102. She wrote Shouting at the Mountain.

Mystery and children's author Peter Dickinson died December 16 on his 88th birthday. His books include Water, The Ropemaker and Eva.

Debating teacher Alfred C. Snider died December 11 at the age of 65. He wrote Influencing Through Argument.

Oh no re Peter Dickinson, some of his books were pretty special to me - I loved the Changes trilogy and Emma Tupper's Diary. I gather he wrote for adults too.

Craftsman and teacher Alden Amos died December 14 at the age of 77. His books include The Alden Amos Big Book of Handspinning and the Spinning Wheel Primer.

Former football (soccer) player Jimmy Hill died December 19 at the age of 87. He wrote The Jimmy Hill Story and Striking for Soccer.

Former British politician Lord Greville Janner died December 19 at the age of 87. His books include Janner's Complete Speechmaker and Janner's Complete Letterwriter.

Brothel keeper Madame Claude died December 21 at the age of 92. She wrote Allo, oui ; ou, Les Memoires de Madame Claude.

Artist Robert Kobayashi died December 14 at the age of 90. He wrote Maria Mazaretti Loves Spaghetti.

Rev. Rick Curry died December 19 at the age of 72. He used theater to assist those with disabilities and wrote The Secrets of Jesuit Breadmaking.

Scientist Jean-Marie Pelt died December 23 at the age of 82. His many books include Les Langages Secrets de la Nature and Des legumes.

Scriptwriter and author, George Clayton Johnson, died December 25, at age 86. He wrote many things, including the script for the first episode of Star Trek, and one of my favorite Twilight Zone episodes, "Kick the Can" (later redone as part of the Twilight Zone movie, from 1983).

http://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/george-clayton-johnson-write...

Nice guy. I'm sorry he's gone.

Psychiatrist Dr. Robert L. Spitzer died December 25 at the age of 83. He wrote Guns across america.

Former soccer coach Don Howe died December 23 at the age of 80. He wrote The Handbook of Soccer.

The King of Torts, Texas lawyer Joe Jamail died December 23 at the age of 90. He wrote Lawyer: My Trials and Jubilations.

Peggy Say who fought a long campaign to obtain her captive brother's release died on December 23 at the age of 74. She wrote Forgotten: A sister's Struggle to Save Terry Anderson.

U.S. Federal Court Judge Arlin M. Adams died December 22 at the age of 94. He wrote A Nation Dedicated to Religious Liberty.

Co-founder of the Campus Crusade for Christ, Vonette Bright died December 23 at the age of 89. Her many books include The Sister Circle and 'Round the Corner.

Scholar Lewis M. Dabney died December 22 at the age of 83. His books include Edmund Wilson: A Life and The Edmund Wilson Reader.

Best known for Logan's Run, science fiction writer George Clayton Johnson died December 25 at the age of 86.

Former star pitcher for the Reds, Jim O'Toole died December 26 at the age of 78. He wrote Echoes of the Cincinnati Reds: The Greatest Stories Ever Told.

Former player for the Harlem Globetrotters, Meadowlark Lemon died December 27 at the age of 83. He wrote Meadowlark and Trust Your Next Shot: A guide to a Life of Joy. :'(

Front man for Motorhead, Lemmy Kilmister died December 28 at the age of 70. He wrote White Line Fever: The Autobiography.

Kilmister's band Motorhead was one of those bands that could cross tribal barriers and boundaries. They were much loved for instance by a lot of people who loved punk rock but didn't care all that much for metal--which was their main categorization. I've always loved bands that play loud and make lots of racket---though OTOH if something doesn't sound good played acoustically--it's shit and there's nothing you can do for it. Anyway RIP Lemmy.

Irish writer Aiden Higgins died December 27 at the age of 88. His many books include Langrishe, Go Down and Balcony of Europe.

Olympic champion skier Stein Eriksen died December 27 at the age of 88. He wrote Come Ski With Me.

Food anthropologist Sidney W. Mintz died December 26 at the age of 94. His many books include Sweetness and power and Tasting Food Tasting Freedom.

Renaissance historian Donald Weinstein died December 13 at the age of 89. His books include Saints and Society and Savonarola and Florence.

Singer Natalie Cole died December 31 at the age of 65. She wrote Angel on my Shoulder: an autobiography.

Philosophy professor and gardener Allen Lacy died December 27 at the age of 80. His many books include Home Ground: A Gardener's Miscellany and The Garden in Autumn.

Chef Gina DePalma died December 29 at the age of 49. She wrote Dolce Italiano: Desserts from the Babbo Kitchen.

Linguistics expert John Holm died December 28 at the age of 72. He wrote An Introduction to Pidgins and Creoles.

Newspaper historian Dennis Griffiths died December 24 at the age of 82. His books include The Encyclopedia of the British Press, 1422-1992.

Fashion reporter and author on Buddhism, Woody Hochswender died December 31 at the age of 64. His books include The Buddha in Your Mirror and Men in Style.

Rick Cluchey was 21 and confined to San Quentin prison in 1957 when he saw his first play. He went on to become an actor, playwright and protege of Samuel Beckett. He died December 28 at the age of 82. He wrote The Cage: A Play in One Act.

Art dealer Lady Jane Abdy died December 22 at the age of 81. She wrote The Souls and The French Poster: Cheret to Cappiello.

Psychiatrist Robert L. Spitzer died December 25 at the age of 83. In addition to being the editor of various versions of the DSM Casebooks he wrote a number of other books including Psychopathology: A Case Book and Critical Issues in Psychiatric Diagnosis.
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Schoolteacher and athletics coach Roger Wardale died on the 28th of December. He wrote several books relating to Arthur Ransome, including In search of Swallows & Amazons : Arthur Ransome's Lakeland.

Mathematical physicist and children's book author Felix Pirani died December 31 at the age of 87. He wrote Introducing the Universe, Abigail at the Beach and Abigail Goes Visiting.

Historian Christopher Brooke died December 27 at the age of 88. His books include The Saxon and Norman Kings and From Alfred to Henry III

Historian Jenny Wormald died December 9 at the age of 73. She wrote Mary, Queen of Scots: Pride, Passion and a Kingdom Lost.