THE OBIT PATROL

Alan O'Day

2013-05-21T09:21:00.002-06:00

Songwriter, singer, musician, and producer -- via the Hollywood Reporter. Though best remembered as the writer and performer on the 1977 pop hit "Undercover Angel," he also crafted many other hits, such as "Rock 'n' Roll Heaven" for the Righteous Brothers, "Angie Baby" for Helen Reddy, "The Drum" for Bobby Sherman, and "Train of Thought" for Cher.

He had a catchy way with a tune, and crafted bright, sunny ballads and strange, dark narratives as well. "Undercover Angel" remains a guilty pleasure for me -- bouncy, yearning, and absolutely absurd at the same time. (This is a prominent member of the vaguely masturbatory "dream" love songs of the period, which include "I Like Dreaming," "Dream Weaver," and "Imaginary Lover.")

Thanks, Alan! The world needs people who help us have fun! Thanks to you, I can still work on my White Man's Overbite funk dancing. Where are my acrylic shirts?

Nasser Al Din Al Nashashibi

2013-05-21T09:06:00.001-06:00

Journalist and writer -- via alowaisnet.org.

Ernst Klee

2013-05-21T09:04:00.000-06:00

Journalist and historian -- via the Guardian.

Richard Beeston

2013-05-21T09:02:00.000-06:00

Journalist and editor -- via the Guardian.

Susan L. Mogull

2013-05-21T09:00:00.001-06:00

Activist -- via the Sacramento Bee.

Ray Manzarek aka Raymond Daniel Manczarek, Jr.

2013-05-20T16:19:00.000-06:00

Keyboardist, musician, singer, producer, director, and writer; co-founder of The Doors -- via TMZ.

Cynthia Brown

2013-05-20T11:50:00.001-06:00

Human rights advocate -- via Human Rights Watch.

Bella Flores aka Remedios Papa Dancel

2013-05-20T11:48:00.001-06:00

Actress -- via the Philippine Star.

Alexi Balabanov

2013-05-20T11:45:00.000-06:00

Film director -- via the BBC.

Paul Shane

2013-05-20T11:37:00.000-06:00

Comedian and actor -- via the Guardian.

E. Robert Kinney

2013-05-20T11:35:00.000-06:00

The man who invented the "fish stick" -- via MSN.

Helen Lu

2013-05-19T19:47:00.001-06:00

Customs officer, and mighty charity worker -- via the Toronto Star.

Penry Williams

2013-05-19T19:43:00.001-06:00

Historian, and activist on behalf of asylum seekers -- via the Guardian.

Anne Valery

2013-05-19T19:40:00.001-06:00

Writer, best remembered for her World War II TV drama "Tenko." According to her Guardian obit she did the following: "training for war combat, working in army intelligence, being a doyenne of the Fitzrovia literary set in postwar London, modelling on Paris catwalks, working as an actor, television presenter and cabaret performer, and running a junk shop on the Portobello Road, she finally found her vocation as a scriptwriter."

Valtr Komarek

2013-05-19T19:36:00.001-06:00

Politician and economist who joined the Velvet Revolution -- via the Independent.

Hedda Bolgar

2013-05-19T19:28:00.001-06:00

Psychoanalyst -- via the L.A. Times. She attended Freud's lectures; she escaped the Nazis; she was working until last week. Amazing!

Asghar Ali Engineer

2013-05-19T15:08:00.001-06:00

Writer, reformer, scholar, and activist -- via the Times of India.

Ray Guy

2013-05-19T15:05:00.001-06:00

Journalist and playwright -- via the Global News.

Enio Ioimmi

2013-05-19T15:02:00.001-06:00

Sculptor -- via the Buenos Aires Herald.

John R. McKee

2013-05-19T15:00:00.000-06:00

Actor -- via westernboothill.blogspot.com.

Paula Lynn Kaatz

2013-05-19T14:57:00.003-06:00

Costumer and costume designer -- via the Hollywood Reporter.

Christine L. White

2013-05-17T13:56:00.000-06:00

Actress -- via legacy.com. She was James Dean's girlfriend while they lived in New York; her best-remembered role is probably that of William Shatner's character's wife in the "Twilight Zone" episode "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet."

"The Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" - 1963 Version from Dylan JamesT on Vimeo.

Ron Weaver

2013-05-17T13:48:00.001-06:00

TV producer -- via the Hollywood Reporter.

Arnold Peters

2013-05-17T13:46:00.001-06:00

Actor -- via the Guardian.

Joe Farman

2013-05-17T13:44:00.001-06:00

Geophysicist who discovered the diminishing ozone layer, possibly saving all humanity in the process. Nice! -- via the Guardian.