The Memorial Wall

Professionally known as Ian Holm, the versatile British character actor who earned an Oscar nomination for his turn as the athletics trainer in 'Chariots of Fire' and portrayed the hobbit Bilbo Baggins in four movies, has died. He was 88.

Holm died “peacefully in hospital” of an illness that was related to Parkinson’s disease, his agent said in a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter.

Holm gained many sci-fi admirers for his performances as Ash, the decapitated android who keeps on going, in Ridley’s Scott’s Alien (1979) and as the office manager Mr. Kurtzmann in another classic, Terry Gilliam’s fantastical Brazil (1985).

Holm was at his subtle best as Gena Rowlands’ emotionally unavailable husband in Woody Allen’s Another Woman (1988) and as an inscrutable big-city lawyer in the tragedy-laced The Sweet Hereafter (1997), written and directed by Atom Egoyan.

At 5-foot-6, Holm was always an excellent candidate to play a certain pint-sized French emperor, and he did so three times, in the 1974 nine-part miniseries Napoleon and Love, in Gilliam’s Time Bandits (1981) and in The Emperor’s New Clothes (2001).

And in one of his rare performances as a leading man, he was excellent as Peter Pan author J.M. Barrie in the 1978 BBC miniseries The Lost Boys.

A member of the Royal Shakespeare Company starting in the 1950s, Holm collected Tony and Olivier awards before a case of stage fright that blindsided him during previews for The Iceman Cometh left him queasy about working in front of a live audience for more than a decade.

Holm cemented his place in British cinema history when he played the eccentric track coach Sam Mussabini in the historical sporting drama Chariots of Fire (1981). The film, one of England’s most beloved, took the Oscar for best picture, and Holm was nominated for best supporting actor (he lost out to countryman John Gielgud of Arthur).

Holm later portrayed Bilbo, all for Peter Jackson, in The Lord of the Rings films The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) and The Return of the King (2003) and in The Hobbit installments An Unexpected Journey (2012) and The Battle of the Five Armies (2014).

The chameleon-like actor also played King John in Robin and Marian (1976), the father of the scientist in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1994), a nasty restaurateur in Big Night (1996), a New York City cop in Sidney Lumet’s Night Falls on Manhattan (1996), a holy man in The Fifth Element (1997) and Zach Braff’s psychiatrist father in Garden State (2004).

“I’m never the same twice,” he told the Los Angeles Times in 2000, “and I’m not a movie-star type, so people don’t demand that I’m always the same.”

“I had such a good time and a fruitful one with Ian, and my only regret was not to have worked with him once again,” Scott said in a statement. “Ian talked to me during production quite a lot, which I found to be very helpful. A great talent and a great man — we’ll miss him.”

Ian Holm Cuthbert was born on Sept. 12, 1931, in Goodmayes, England. His Scottish parents worked in a psychiatric hospital; his mother was a nurse and his father a psychiatrist and early innovator in the technique of electroshock therapy.

In a 2004 interview with The Independent, Holm said he spent a great deal of time around the asylum as a youngster.

“I wasn’t allowed near any of the dangerous patients,” he noted, “but I do remember one who was called Mr. Anderson. He was always immaculately dressed and, most days, he would fill a wheelbarrow with soil and then spend the rest of the day picking every grain of soil out of the wheelbarrow and putting it on the ground. I rather liked that.

“My childhood there was a pretty idyllic existence. I wouldn’t go so far as to say I was happy, but it passed without too much trauma.”

Holm studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, then spent more than a decade at the Royal Shakespeare Company starting in 1954. In a 1959 production of Coriolanus, Laurence Olivier cut Holm’s finger during a sword fight, and he wound up with a scar that he was quite proud of.

He made several appearances on British television in the early ’60s, including a stint as King Richard III in the BBC miniseries The Wars of the Roses.

In London in 1965, Holm starred as Lenny, one of the sons of a retired butcher, in the first staging of Harold Pinter’s eerie The Homecoming. He accompanied the play to Broadway two years later and won his Tony award, then reprised the role for the 1973 film adaptation. (All three versions were directed by Peter Hall.)

“He puts on my shoe and it fits!” Pinter once said of Holm. “It’s really gratifying.”

Things did not go as smoothly for Holm in 1976 when stage fright struck during work on Eugene O’Neill’s The Iceman Cometh.

“I got into my first preview, which I just managed to get through,” he recalled in 1998. “Then in the second preview, on the following night, I just walked off the stage and into the dressing room and said, ‘I’m not going back. I cannot go back.’ And they had to put the understudy on. My doctor said, ‘The Iceman goeth.’

“Something just snapped. Once the concentration goes, the brain literally closes down. It’s like a series of doors slamming shut in a jail. Actors dry up all the time. Well, I wasn’t just drying; I was stopping. My fellow actors were looking at me in amazement.”

Holm starred in Pinter’s Moonlight in 1993, then completed his stage comeback four years later when he disrobed completely in Richard Eyre’s acclaimed RSC production of King Lear and won an Olivier award.

Holm’s big-screen résumé also included The Fixer (1968), Oh! What a Lovely War (1969), Mary Queen of Scots (1971), Juggernaut (1974), Greystoke — The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984), Dreamchild (1985), Henry V (1989), Hamlet (1990), Naked Lunch (1991), The Madness of King George (1994), A Life Less Ordinary (1997), Joe Gould’s Secret (2000), The Aviator (2004) and Strangers With Candy (2005), and he voiced the grumpy chef Skinner in Ratatouille (2007).

For all this, Holm was named a Commander of the British Empire in 1989 and knighted nine years later. He published his memoir, Acting My Life, in 2004.

Survivors include his wife, Sophie. He was married four times (his third wife was Downton Abbey actress Penelope Wilton), was in another yearslong relationship with a photographer, and had five children.

On the day of June 16, 2020, Robert (Bob) Minnihan of Rancho Mirage, CA died at the age of 83. Bob was born to Louis and Katherine Minnihan on Dec. 10, 1936 in Jefferson, IA. He received his degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1958 from Iowa State University.

Bob enjoyed racquetball, skiing and sailing. He is known affectionately as "Captain Bob." He believed in being fair in all matters. Bob started Dynamic Systems Inc., a successful business in waste water treatment technology, where he served as CEO and President until his retirement in the year 2000. His blue eyes, silver hair and warm smile touched everyone he met.

Bob is preceded in death by his father, mother and son, Peter. He is survived by his wife, Cynthia, son, Paul and his mother Katharine, his stepdaughter, Erin Johnson and his grandson, Conor Crissy. He is also survived by his brother Richard (Linda) and sister Marcia.

Services are pending.

The family of Raymond R. Caffarelli announced his passing on June 4, 2020, at the age of 84. For 17 years, Ray bravely battled Parkinson’s disease, during which he demonstrated persistence, courage, compassion and faith even as the disease intensified. 

Ray is survived by his wife, Mary Linda (Huot) and his four children, Brian (Stacy Dalton), Kimberly (Dan Richmond), Melissa (Dan Muroff), and Craig (Caryn). Ray was preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Ann (Simone) Caffarelli and by his sisters, Jo Ann (Caffarelli) Prasack and Camille Caffarelli. He adored his grandchildren, Samantha (Richmond) Filip (Adam Filip), Michael Richmond (fiancee Brittany Shroba), Anna Caffarelli, and Gina Caffarelli, and his only great grandchild, 10-month old Adeline Filip, was his ray of sunshine. Ray was blessed with a large family and was a loving uncle of many nieces and nephews.

Ray and Mary Linda met at Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI and were inseparable from the start. While he and Mary Linda raised a family of four children, he built an impressive insurance career, garnering the respect and admiration of his colleagues. He was the family patriarch. After Ray’s father’s death, he and Mary Linda shared their home with his mother, to whom both were devoted. Ray was fiercely committed to preserving and cultivating the family ties of his and future generations. Notwithstanding the busy household schedule, he insisted on family dinners each night and traditional hours-long Italian lunches on Saturdays. His loyalty extended beyond family to country; Ray served honorably in the Air National Guard of Wisconsin for eight years during their early years of marriage.

Ray was larger than life, charismatic, magnetic, and unforgettable. He loved music, landscaping and carpentry. His willpower was nearly invincible; from his youth, he had a reputation for accomplishing the impossible. During his retirement, he focused on building the capacity and community of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Bolingbrook, IL, where he served on the Finance Committee and the Building Committee.

Jerry Sloan, the long-time head coach of the Utah Jazz and a former NBA player for the Chicago Bulls, has died. He was 78.

The Utah Jazz said in a statement that Sloan died Friday morning from complications from Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia.

“Jerry Sloan will always be synonymous with the Utah Jazz. He will forever be a part of the Utah Jazz organization and we join his family, friends and fans in mourning his loss. We are so thankful for what he accomplished here in Utah and the decades of dedication, loyalty and tenacity he brought to our franchise,” the team said in a statement.

“Our Hall of Fame coach for 23 years, Jerry had a tremendous impact on the Jazz franchise as expressed by his banner hanging in the arena rafters. His 1,223 Jazz coaching wins, 20 trips to the NBA Playoffs and two NBA Finals appearances are remarkable achievements. His hard-nosed approach only made him more beloved. Even after his retirement, his presence at Jazz games always brought a roaring response from the crowd. Like Stockton and Malone as players, Jerry Sloan epitomized the organization. He will be greatly missed. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his wife, Tammy, the entire Sloan family and all who knew and loved him.”

Sloan was recently seen in the ESPN documentary “The Last Dance” as part of the team’s championship run that was foiled by Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls.

Sloan spent 26 years as a coach and spent 23 of those years with the Jazz. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.

As a coach, Sloan finished his career with the third-most wins in NBA history, the sixth-best winning percentage all-time, two NBA Finals appearances and seven division titles. He ranks second in the NBA for the most consecutive games coached with a single franchise.

Sloan played for 11 seasons in the NBA, much of that time for the Chicago Bulls and was well known for his defensive intensity, being named an All-Star twice and four times to the NBA All-Defensive First Team. His career however was cut short by injuries. He was the first player to ever have his jersey number retired by the Chicago Bulls in 1978.

Larry was born in San Diego and attended Alexander Hamilton Elementary, Horace Mann Junior High and Crawford.  A lifelong runner, Larry was captain of the Crawford Cross Country team during his senior year.  Larry and Linda Francis '68 were married in 1970.  After graduating from San Diego State and San Francisco Theological Seminary, Larry served as a Presbyterian minister for twenty-five years.  He followed that by serving as a director of Hillcrest Retirement Community in La Verne, California.  In addition to Linda, his wife of 50 years, Larry is survived by their children Tammy and Paul, four grandchildren, and brother Bob Boles ’63 -- Rob Shepherd ’66

Rancho Mirage - Whitehouse, Harry Kenneth April 25, 1948 - May 10, 2020 Ken Whitehouse of Rancho Mirage, CA passed away after 72 years of love and laughter. Ken is lovingly remembered by Candy (Christina and Sunshine) and his brother Paul (johnny) of Vancouver BC. He is predeceased by his parents Stuart and Mary Whitehouse and will be interred at the family plot at Mountain View cemetery. Ken was born in Vancouver and moved to the Coachella Valley in 1979 to operate Canyon Furniture and later Custom Renovations. He was a hardworking and a funny guy. He chose to keep in touch with family and friends with his regular phone calls. Ken was also generous and kind. He kept moving, laughing and making us happy despite his failing health. Ken passed away at home peacefully after a stubborn fight with Parkinson's disease.

Our beautiful Stephanie "Stevi" Goetz passed away at home just the way she wanted – comfortably and with loved ones, she was 83 years old. Beloved Mother, Sister, Grandmother, Aunt, Glam-mama and Friend. Our Mighty Mouse, you were a brave soldier! We will miss your big heart, smile, laughter, gentle touch, grace, friendship and unconditional love! Mom you were a life force that filled the room with light and love! Like you always said; if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans! And, it's all about the dash'! You lived your life fully and touched so many lives! You're a class act kid! Make sure you've got your eye lashes and high heels on as you go party at the Studio '54 in the sky! 

Palm Springs - On Saturday, April 25, 2020, Martin Louis Kaucher, devoted loving husband and father, passed away at the age of 88 in Palm Springs, California after a valiant 12-year battle with Parkinson's disease. Martin, or "Marty" as he was most known, was born on December 26, 1931 in Rossmoyne, Ohio to Elmer and Dolores Kaucher. After graduating from Bell High School in California in 1951, he enlisted in the United States Navy. He served four years and was discharged as an Aviation Machinist Mate 2nd class. He was awarded the Good Conduct Medal as well as a service ribbon for National Defense for his service during the Korean War.

On December 19, 1959, he married Elizabeth "Liz" Hurtado in Kingsburg, California. They settled in Santa Monica, California and raised two sons, Keith and Mitchell. Marty attended Santa Monica College at night while working a full-time job and started a career as an aircraft engineer in 1962. He was hired by Northrop Corporation in 1966 where his talents set him on a path to work on such well-known aircraft as the Boeing 747, the Northrop Tiger Shark, F18 Hornet, B2 Bomber and the YF-23. He retired from Northrop after 27 years of service.

After 33 years in Santa Monica, he and Liz moved to a beautiful home in Palm Desert, California that he and Liz helped to design. After losing his beloved Liz to cancer in 1996, he married Marlene Miller in 1999. They were married for 16 years. Marty had a passion for airplanes that he shared with his older brother, Bill, since they were kids. Marty was also an accomplished athlete who played as a pitcher for Bell High School's baseball team. His love of baseball continued after high school, as he played in company softball leagues, and he was a true-blue Dodger fan to the end. He took up tennis in the sixties along with his wife Liz, which became a shared lifelong passion. He played tennis and golf into his seventies. He was also an avid water skier, something that his entire extended family on both sides enjoyed. Family houseboat trips were some of Marty's happiest times in life. He was known for his quick wit, his infectious smile, and his kind and compassionate spirit. If Marty was your friend, you had a brother.

Marty was preceded in death by his parents Elmer and Dolores, his two sisters, Nena and Susan, and his wife of 37 years, Liz. He is survived by his two children, Keith and Mitchell, his daughter-in-law Lisa, his siblings William, Jeanne, Alberta, Robert, and Thomas, his grandchildren Lauren, Miles and Kristen and many cousins, nieces, nephews and more friends than would be able to be listed.

Joel Havemann, who served more than 20 years in the Los Angeles Times’ Washington bureau as an economics reporter and a senior editor, has died after a 30-year battle with Parkinson’s disease.

Havemann, who died April 25, was 76.

In addition to his work in the Washington bureau, Havemann served a tour as Brussels bureau chief. His appointment came a year after his Parkinson’s diagnosis. Despite his advancing illness and the need for extensive travel in the overseas assignment, he provided comprehensive coverage of the economic collapse of the Soviet Union and the development of the Common Market.

Havemann was also the author of two books. The first, in 1978, provided a detailed analysis of the new federal budget process instituted as a reform after the Watergate scandal that ended Richard M. Nixon’s presidency.

The second, a more personal book, was published in 2002 after he returned to Washington from Europe. It was a candid account of his painful struggle against the ravages of Parkinson’s, as well as a detailed description of the disease and its causes.

At the time, many experts believed the disease, which today afflicts an estimated 1 million Americans, would be cured within five years, a goal that remains elusive.

As an editor, he was remembered by colleagues as having a rare ability to strengthen their stories while retaining their own voices and their confidence in their own abilities.

Doyle McManus, a former Times Washington bureau chief and now a columnist for the paper, said, “Joel was not only an accomplished reporter and editor; he was universally loved and admired by his colleagues — loved for his kindness and wry humor, and admired for his refusal to let Parkinson’s disease get in his way.”

It was that determination to live his life as fully as possible despite increasing physical impairment that struck many of his colleagues.

Janet Hook, who worked closely with Havemann as the bureau’s longtime chief congressional correspondent, said, “What a life well-lived. Joel was such an inspiration, as a thinker and journalist, as man with a big brain and even bigger heart.”

Click here to read the full post on the Los Angeles Times website

Tom Lester, best known for his role as the smart-aleck farmhand Eb Dawson on the ’60s sitcom “Green Acres,” died Monday in Nashville, Tenn. from complications related to Parkinson’s disease. Lester, who was 81, was the last surviving actor of the original “Green Acres” cast.

His death was confirmed by his brother Michael on Facebook and in local media reports.

Born Sep. 23, 1938 in Jackson, Miss., Lester grew up working on his grandfather’s farm. He earned a degree in chemistry at the University of Mississippi and taught in Oklahoma for a few years before making the move to Hollywood. Lester landed his role in “Green Acres” in 1965, beating out the competition because he was the only actor who could actually milk a cow.

He went on to star in “Green Acres” until the show’s end in 1971, also appearing in the two related series “Petticoat Junction” and “Beverly Hillbillies.” Lester and co-star Eddie Albert, who played lawyer Oliver Wendell Douglas on the show, formed a tight-knit friendship and he often referred to Albert as his “surrogate father.”

After “Green Acres,” Lester appeared in movies such as “Benji” in 1974 and “Gordy” in 1994, as well as popular TV series like “Little House on the Prairie” and “Knight Rider.” Lester traveled the country to speak to religious gatherings and youth groups about Christianity.

Lester split his time between Mississippi and Hollywood as he owned a 250-acre timber farm which won him a “Wildlife Farmer of the Year” award in 1997. He died in Nashville, Tenn. at the home of his fiancée and caregiver Jackie Peters.

He is survived by Peters and his brother.

He played the wide-eyed, friendly farmhand Eb Dawson on the sitcom, where he was known to say, “Golly, Mr. Douglas.” The Mississippi native began acting in plays after moving to Los Angeles and is said to have beat out 400 other actors for the part of Eb because he knew how to milk a cow.

Lester was also known to be a fan of the simple life. According to a 1969 newspaper article, he was living “in an apartment above a garage in the San Fernando Valley” even at the height of his “Green Acres” fame. He continued owned a large timber farm later in life and won the award for Mississippi’s “Wildlife Farmer of the Year.”

He became the last surviving “Green Acres” cast members after Mary Grace Canfield passed away in 2014.

The actor also appeared on its spinoff series “Petticoat Junction” and did a crossover episode as Eb on “The Beverly Hillbillies.”

His other credits included the film “Benji” (1974) and “Gordy” (1994), as well as TV appearances on “Little House on the Prairie” and “Knight Rider.”