Obituaries
Memorializing notable Chicagoans and people from around the world who have recently died.
He rose from barking at passers-by on Michigan Avenue to take a boat ride, first to deckhand and ultimately a long career piloting sightseeing and architecture cruises.
He helped develop the first robotic prosthetic arm that gave realistic touch feedback, enabling a man, paralyzed from the chest down, to distinguish between touches on individual fingers and the palm of a robotic hand.
In a statement posted to his social media accounts, it was revealed the actor died after a long battle with cancer.
Bassist, who left the blockbuster band in 1977, died of complications from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ vocalist was known as much for her private struggles and provocative actions as for her fierce and expressive music.
As Blackhawks owner, Rocky Wirtz mingled with fans grateful for the three Stanley Cups the team brought home. He also built and ran a real estate and beverage empire.
Lujack is considered one of the greatest Notre Dame players of all time, having won the Heisman in 1947 and leading the Irish to national titles in 1943, 1946 and 1947. He was a first-round draft pick of the Bears, where he played four seasons.
Wirtz, who died Tuesday in Evanston after a brief illness, made a dynasty out of the Hawks. His investment on and off the ice after taking over in 2007 led to three Stanley Cups and a tremendous surge in popularity. But the Hawks’ sexual assault scandal complicated his legacy.
“It’s a bittersweet moment that we knew was going to come,” said Robert M. Edsel, an author whose book on the group was the basis for a film starring George Clooney.
Chicago gang boss Jeff Fort. Chicago Outfit hitman Harry Aleman. Daley nephew Richard J. “R.J.” Vanecko. Actor Jussie Smollett. These were among Toomin’s big cases.
Mention Chicago during the course of a conversation (or two or three) with Bennett, and his seemingly omnipresent smile would grow even larger. His love for the Windy City ran deep.
A veteran reporter for The Bond Buyer, Ms. Shields called herself a “municipal finance nerd.” She died suddenly this week, her family said.
Whether he performed in a grand concert hall or an intimate piano lounge, he offered surpassing musicality, showmanship and a deeply personal approach to standards.
His publicist confirmed his passing, saying he died in his hometown of New York. There was no specific cause, but Bennett had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2016.
Mr. Carlson, who acted at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater as well as the Goodman, died July 6 at 48.
The federal judge, a Chicago native, also was a prosecutor in the Richard Speck case. Zagel died Saturday after a long illness.
Renault Robinson spent his life advocating for civil rights and sought to improve relations between the police and Black communities throughout Chicago.
The shooting in Rogers Park left him unable to walk, but he never let his paralysis hold him back. “There was nothing he wouldn’t try,” a childhood friend says.
Roberts, a fullback, set a single-game rushing record with 251 yards on 12 carries in the Trojans’ 44-20 victory in Austin, a mark that stood for 20 years. Fearing rioting by the segregated crowd, USC’s coaching staff pulled Roberts early.
The actress, who starred on “One Life to Live” and “Young and the Restless” died Sunday after battling breast cancer, her representative confirmed.
Jones, known for shooting awe-inspiring photos and videos from the inside of barreling waves, died after a surfing accident in Indonesia.
In the summer of 1987, as Chicago was coming up on the fifth anniversary of the Tylenol murders, I interviewed Lewis at the federal penitentiary in Danbury, Connecticut.
Steele, who grew up and remained in the neighborhood, fought to keep its row houses and residents in place amid the redevelopment of the area.
Musician played behind Ronnie Hawkins and Bob Dylan before launch of the group behind “The Weight,” “Up on Cripple Creek” and “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down”
Mark Krueger, a fixture on the local high school and college broadcasting scene for several decades, has died unexpectedly.
A larger, public goodbye is planned for Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz on Wednesday at the United Center. But on Tuesday, it was a love fest of the city’s movers and shakers, remembering their friend with laughter and a few tears.
Casper was known to music and dance fans around the globe for the hugely popular line dance/song.
Mr. Bragan helped foster the city’s off-Loop theater scene as the owner of Ivanhoe for nearly two decades.
Friedkin was born and raised in Chicago, and graduated from Senn High School.
Mr. Parra, who had more than 8,000 vinyl albums in his collection that he would draw from for his show, was on air for more than 30 years, first on WBEZ (91.5) and then later on WDCB-FM (90.9).
Charles Ogletree taught Barack and Michelle Obama and represented Tupac Shakur, Anita Hill and survivors of the 1921 massacre of Tulsa’s Black community.
He was nominated for an Emmy for his portrayal of Hector Salamanca, the elderly don of his drug clan who was unable to speak or walk due to a stroke and communicated by ringing a bell attached to his wheelchair.
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