Obituaries 2013 - Remembering those no longer with us

By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88

Another year is drawing to a conclusion and for many people that I know and others I don’t, 2013 has been another dramatic and remarkable year.

Of course though, as with every year – famous faces from the world of music, film, television, politics, fashion and sport sadly pass away.

Here is my selection of obituaries for the year 2013 – as I pay my respects to those who are no longer with us.

Michael Winner (Director and Producer) – Died 21 January, aged 77

Michael Winner was a man of many talents. For people of my age, he might be more known for his appearances in commercials for eSure in the last decade and coming up with catchphrases such as ‘Calm down dear, it’s just a commercial.’

However he had a great career in a variety of fields. A regular food columnist for the Sunday Times, he also had an early career in directing and worked closely with Charles Bronson on some dramatic films. He also hosted the ITV programme Michael Winner’s Dining Stars three years ago, similar to the successful Come Dine with Me on Channel 4.

He passed away at the start of the year but packed a lot into his 77 years and is missed dearly in the food industry.

David Oates (Commentator) – Died 3 February, aged 51

Known affectionally in the industry as ‘Oatesy,’ the voice of David Oates has been sadly missed by regular listeners of BBC Radio 5 Live. He covered many big football games for the broadcaster alongside Alan Green and Mike Ingham, which included three FIFA World Cups and two Commonwealth Games.

An expert on rugby league and a passionate supporter of Blackpool Football Club, Oates was the main commentator in March 2012 when Fabrice Muamba suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed on the field at White Hart Lane during an FA Cup tie. He was widely praised for his professional approach to such a serious situation and he was also the voice behind Peter Wilson’s unexpected but memorable gold medal in the double trap shooting event at London 2012.

After a short illness, his death was quite sudden. Sadly no longer with us, ‘Oatesy’ was one of the best at his field. Radio commentating has missed something in his death.

Reeva Steenkamp (Model and TV Star) – Died 14 February, aged 29

There was a Valentine’s Day massacre in South Africa when young model Reeva Steenkamp was found dead at the home of her boyfriend, Oscar Pistorius. The 29-year-old had begun modelling when she was in her teens and appeared in many advertisements on national TV including for Toyota, Tiger Beer and Avon Cosmetics. Named twice in the 100 Sexiest Women in the World by FHM magazine, the sudden incident in Pretoria left a nation in shock. 

Paralympic athlete Pistorius has admitted to unintentionally shooting Steenkamp and faces trial for murder next year. Whatever happened in this bizarre and tragic incident will remain a mystery for now but what it did do was deprive the country of one of its most attractive personalities.

Tony Gubba (Commentator) – Died 11 March, aged 69

Tony Gubba had been a regular fixture at many of the major sporting events across the globe for 40 years. He joined the BBC as a sports correspondent and covered every football World Cup from 1974 to 2006 and the Olympics from 1972 to 2012. He also hosted Sportsnight, Grandstand and covered many key matches on Match of the Day. He also would commentate on a variety of other sports from rowing and judo to tennis and bobsleigh.

Fans of Dancing on Ice lost a great commentator in Tony Gubba in March

Tony (pictured) had recently been the voice of ITV’s skating series Dancing On Ice, commentating on all eight series and his last appearance behind the microphone came on 17 February 2013. He suffered a short illness and passed away just three weeks later. 

Tony came through the ranks of the BBC relatively quickly and at a time where they also boasted the exceptional Barry Davies and John Motson on their team too. He was a superb multi-skilled commentator with a wide knowledge and he came up with some cracking trivia too, especially when he did DOI. Sports’ broadcasting is a poorer place without Tony Gubba.

Margaret Thatcher (Former Prime Minister of the Conservative Party 1979-1990) – Died 8 April, aged 87

It is fair to say that Margaret Thatcher had her followers and also her staunch critics but her impact on British politics can’t be ignored. She served at No.10 Downing Street for 11 years, the longest of any PM in the 20^th century and she fought until the bitter end, even when her own party had lost confidence which led to a tearful resignation from office in November 1990.

Thatcher won three General Elections and took some huge risks. The Cold War came to an end in her time, she forged strong allies with America when Ronald Regan was president of the States, took Britain into the controversial Falklands War in 1982 with Argentina but won and reformed the education and welfare systems.

Others will point to her uncompromising attitude, particularly during the Miners’ Strike in the mid-1980s that brought that industry to its knees. The lack of safety coverage that led to a spate of shocking tragedies in her later tenure with the Kings Cross tube station fire in 1987 and the explosion at the Piper Alpha oil rig a year later being prime examples and the hugely unpopular Poll Tax policy which led to distasteful riots in the year where she was ultimately finished off by the Tories. Had she stayed, Labour would have won the General Election in 1992 without a doubt.

The Iron Lady was inducted into the House of Lords two years after leaving office as a Baroness but her health steadily declined in recent years. She passed away in April, leaving behind a huge hole in the history of the 20^th century. Thatcher was an influential figure and while I understand those who lost everything because of her tactics and didn’t really feel anything towards her passing, it was sickening to see images of people celebrating her death in the days afterwards.

Margaret Thatcher had her supporters and those who couldn't stand the woman and her policies. However no-one wins three General Elections by accident. In British politics, she has left a legacy which shouldn’t be tarnished.

Anne Williams (Justice Campaigner) – Died 18 April, aged 62

The city of Liverpool came together to remember the brave and courageous Anne Williams who lost her battle with cancer on 18 April. Only three days earlier, despite looking frail in movement, she was at Anfield to mark the 24^th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster at the annual memorial service.

A mother of three, Anne lost her son Kevin at Hillsborough, who was among 96 Liverpool supporters crushed to death on the terraces of Sheffield Wednesday’s ground during the early stages of an FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest. For years, Anne worked tirelessly to win justice for Kevin and refused to ever pick up her son’s death certificate when the first flawed inquests returned a verdict of accidental death in 1991.

Having always believed Kevin was still alive after the 3.15pm cutoff time of the first inquest, Anne kept fighting. Despite numerous setbacks in the courts both here and in Europe, she would not be silenced like the rest of the Hillsborough families who have campaigned for justice for 24 years. Last year, the findings of an Independent Panel finally cleared Liverpool supporters for causing the tragedy. Anne had truth but sadly, her illness meant she wouldn’t be around to see justice for Kevin. New inquests will begin next year and hopefully, the families will get the verdict they deserve.

Anne Williams was a fighter from start to finish and although she won’t be around anymore in person, her spirit and determination will remain until the right verdict comes back for the 96 fans that went to a football match in 1989 and never came home.

Richard Thorp (Actor) – Died 22 May, aged 81

Richard Thorp had a brilliant acting career that spanned over six decades. He appeared in Crossroads and Emergency – Ward 10 during the 1950s, 60s and 70s. It was though in a role playing Alan Turner in the ITV Yorkshire soap Emmerdale that he got best remembered for. He was the longest-serving member of the cast for the past five years and although his role had been reduced in recent times, he was a constant figure of solidarity in the village. He died in May and his character was given a fitting send-off in an episode screened in October. Richard Thorp was an experienced actor who always gave convincing performances, no matter what he did throughout his career.

Sir Henry Cecil (Flat horse trainer) – Died 11 June, aged 70

Widely regarded as one of the greatest trainers in the history of horse racing, Sir Henry Cecil did it all in his career. He won the Epsom Oaks eight times, the Epsom Derby four times and trained 75 winners at Royal Ascot. Cecil had his best time in recent years in a dynamic and unbeatable partnership with Frankel, who went through his flat racing career without losing. He would later say that Frankel was the best racehorse he ever trained. He passed away in June but the history books will always have Sir Henry Cecil among the best when you look back at horse racing’s mark in sport.

James Gandolfini (Actor) – Died 19 June, aged 51

Beginning his acting career in theatre in New York, James Gandolfini had instant success alongside Alec Baldwin and Jessica Lange in the 1992 Broadway hit A Streetcar Named Desire. He earned worldwide fame in True Romance a year later and was greatly recognised for his role in The Sopranos from 1999 onwards. Aged 51, he died suddenly in June whilst on holiday in Italy, suffering a heart attack.

Alison Ford (Editor of BBC Breakfast) – Died 2 July

Another victim to cancer this year was the editor of BBC Breakfast, Alison Ford. Joining the team in 2008, Alison had returned to the institution that had given her big break in broadcasting and media production 17 years earlier. After moving onto Carlton when ITV’s regions were franchised, she was producer of Central News throughout the late 1990s - often ITV’s most popular regional news output.

Ford had also led the migration of the BBC Breakfast team when they moved from London to Salford in Manchester last year. She has been sorely missed by her colleagues and friends at the Beeb.

Bernie Nolan (Singer) – Died 4 July, aged 53

Singer Bernie Nolan died this summer after a four-year battle with breast cancer. She shown tremendous spirit in fighting the terminal illness and was part of the popular group The Nolans.

They gained large followings from Britain to Japan and had a classic hit in 1979 with ‘I’m In the Mood for Dancing.’

Raised in Blackpool, Bernie moved into acting with a role on the Channel 4 soap opera Brookside as Diane Murray in 2000, staying on the Close for two years. There were later appearances on The Bill and Popstar to Operastar and also a career in top stage musicals including Chicago and Blood Brothers. She had a glittering career and was multi-talented at anything she tried throughout a distinguished time in the spotlight.

Cory Monteith (Actor) – Died 13 July, aged 31

At the age of just 31, Cory Monteith died in July after he was found dead in a hotel room in Vancouver. Fans of the TV show Glee were left numb when hearing the news. He played the character Jock Finn on the programme from 2009 onwards and also appeared in movies Monte Carlo in 2011 and five years earlier in Final Destination 3. Glee will carry on without him but a huge presence of the programme has been ripped apart with Monteith’s death.

Christian Benitez (Footballer) – Died 29 July, aged 27

Another death in July at such a young age was that of the Ecuadorian striker Christian Benitez. Known as ‘Chucho,’ Benitez complained of chest pains hours after making his club debut in the Qatar Stars League for El Jaish. He was taken into hospital on a precautionary measure but suffered a cardiac arrest and died. At just 27, Benitez still had a potentially decent football career infront of him.

Capped 58 times by Ecuador, Benitez scored 24 goals and played for his country at the 2006 World Cup finals and two Copa America tournaments. He was also set to figure prominently for the Ecuadorians at next summer’s World Cup where they secured qualification in October and immediately dedicated their successful campaign to ‘Chucho.’ He also has a loan spell with Birmingham City in 2009-10 in the Premier League and had stints playing for Santos Laguna and El Nacional. His death was so unexpected and hopefully Ecuador will do well in his legacy next summer in Brazil.

Mick Deane (TV Cameraman) – Died 14 August, aged 61

There were more protests that turned nasty in the Egyptian capital Cairo this year and the battles sadly claimed the lives in mid-August of Gulf News reporter Habiba Ahmed and Sky News cameraman Mick Deane.

Deane had been working with Sky’s Middle East team and he was an experienced broadcast journalist who had covered a lot of the movements in the Middle East over the past decade, including conflicts in Lebanon, Israel and the recent surge of Arab Uprisings. Born in Germany, Mick lived in Northamptonshire and had been with Sky News since 1998 after previously working with CNN and ITN. Providing pictures from these conflicts is part of the business and it is a tough job too with fighting and missiles flying in all directions. Mick did the job brilliantly for many years and the tributes that came in from colleagues showed how highly acclaimed they saw his work.

Sir David Frost (Broadcaster and Journalist) – Died 31 August, aged 74

Sir David Frost was a all-round, fantastic broadcaster

The broadcasting world lost a true great at the end of August when Sir David Frost (pictured) suffered a heart attack on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean and died aged 74. He was a feared interviewer, a brilliant presenter and strong journalist who could crack a joke with a guest but also press them on tough issues.

Frost was host of Through the Keyhole for two decades, fronted Sky News’ coverage of the 1992 General Election and also had regular shows with the BBC and ITV. He interviewed all the major politicians of our generation from Bill Clinton and Margaret Thatcher to Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. His most notable was with Richard Nixon that was turned into a movie called Frost/Nixon.

Since 2006, he had been with Al-Jazeera on their English channel hosting a weekly programme called Frost over the World. Broadcasting has lost a giant who was still at his absolute prime when he was taken from us.

Maria de Vilota (Racing Driver) – Died 11 October, aged 33

The world of Formula One was devastated to learn of the news of the tragic passing of Maria de Vilota on the Japanese Grand Prix weekend at the tender age of 33.

De Vilota was found dead in her hotel room in Seville where she was due to help promote her autobiography ‘Life is a Gift.’ Daughter of former Grand Prix racer Emilio de Villota, she had raced in touring cars and was the test driver for the Marussia team last season. Sadly she suffered severe facial and head injuries in a freak testing accident sustained while straight-line testing last July and it is believed the injuries sustained from an autopsy played a part in her tragic passing.

Sean Edwards (Racing Driver) – Died 15 October, aged 26

Almost two years on from the horrific crash that claimed the life of British racing driver Dan Wheldon in Las Vegas, another young Brit perished in Australia while acting as a driving instructor in a private test on the Queensland Raceway.

2013 was turning into a memorable season for Sean Edwards. He had won the prestigious Porsche Supercup race on the Monaco Grand Prix race weekend and also triumphed in this year’s Nurburgring 24 Hours, his first major victory in endurance racing.

Sean also had a cameo role in Ron Howard’s tremendous racing movie Rush this year and was leading the Porsche Supercup championship with one event remaining in Abu Dhabi before this untimely crash. While he was never likely to reach single seaters, he was on a crest of a wave and had the talent and skill to become the next highly successful Brit in endurance and sportscar competition. 

Marcia Wallace (Voice artist and actress) – Died 25 October, aged 70

Marcia Wallace provided the voice of Edna Krabappel on The Simpsons for 25 years.

Another great career came to an end in October as Marcia Wallace passed away from a long illness. She was 70 and had a fitting time in American showbiz over six decades. She is perhaps best known for a regular role as receptionist Carol Kester in the 1970s sitcom The Bob Newhart Show and also had cameo roles in several American TV comedies and movies.

Today’s generation will best know her for contributing the voiceover for Bart Simpson’s teacher in The Simpsons Edna Krabappel (pictured above). Her work won her an Emmy for a leading role in the episode Bart the Lover in 1992 and she was still active in the role on her passing.

Marcia fought breast cancer in 1985 and that successful battle meant she did a lot of charity work in her spare time. It has been confirmed that her character will be retired by producers of The Simpsons on her sad death.

Paul Walker (Actor) – Died 30 November, aged 40

Everyone was left stunned when news filtered through in late November of the horrible car crash in Los Angeles that claimed the life of actor Paul Walker.

Walker starred in films such as Into the Blue, Takers, and Varsity Blues but he is best known for his role in the famous Fast and the Furious movies. He had featured in six of the popular editions alongside Van Diesel and had gone through filming heavily on the seventh edition of the sequel. It has been a tough year for the Hollywood film industry. Walker’s death is both untimely and a real loss with many more years in film ahead of him.

Nelson Mandela (First Black President of South Africa 1994-1999) – Died 5 December, aged 95

When tributes flow through from almost all circles on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook, you know they left their mark on this planet and there is no doubt that Nelson Mandela fitted into that category. One of my inspirational heroes (as shown last week), his funeral on Sunday, 15 December was watched by millions as South Africa said its final goodbye to a historic man who gave so much to his country and to the world in general.

Mandela was inaugurated as South Africa’s first black president during the country’s first democratic elections in May 1994 as the apartheid regime that had threatened to wipe South Africa off the map was quashed. He had been in jail for 27 years for political offenses in the 1960s and spent much of that time in the harshest conditions known to man on Robben Island.

Yet he never looked for revenge and only seeked to make his land a better place to live when finally released in 1990. Although he only spent one term in office, he managed to promote reconciliation between the whites and blacks and made the country a united nation once again. His impact on South Africa hosting and winning the 1995 Rugby World Cup has become iconic in his legacy. After retirement from his role in 1999, Mandela continued to put others first with his charity work through his own foundation.

Mandela’s final public appearance was at the football World Cup final three years ago and he’d spent much of this year in and out of hospital battling a lung infection. Having been given the last rites quite early on in this calendar year, he showed his determination once again to survive past his 95^th birthday. One of the most powerful and iconic figures of worldwide history is no more but his legacy will never be tarnished. Nelson Mandela endeared himself to almost anyone on this planet.

There were other people we had to say goodbye too. Among them were Team GB Olympic sailor Andrew Simpson, actor Richard Briers, president of Venezuela Hugo Chavez, former drummer of Iron Maiden Clive Burr and BBC Radio 4 newsreader Rory Morrison. 2013 saw some historic figures pass away and it is time to remember those who are sadly no longer with us. 

Categories: Anne Williams, Emmerdale, Glee, Michael Winner, Nelson Mandela, Obituaries, Prime Minister, Sir Henry Cecil, Tony Gubba, Valentine's Day