January 5, 2015
GOV. MARIO CUOMO
Former 3 term governor of New York and liberal Democratic Party stalwart Mario Cuomo has died. Gov. Cuomo passed away at his Manhattan home on New Year’s Day, only hours after his son, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, was inaugurated for his 2nd term as current New York governor.
The Italian-American Cuomo led New York through the turbulent period of 1983 to 1994, speaking as a voice for liberal America and making a name for himself on the national platform. Cuomo was urged to run for President of the United States multiple times, but continuously opted against the idea for unknown reasons. He was, however, a frequent prime time speaker at various Democratic National conventions, where his eloquence placed him in a league all to himself.
Mario Cuomo died of heart failure after battling illness. He was 82.
STUART SCOTT
Iconic ESPN sportscaster Stuart Scott, who battled cancer 3 times, passed away Sunday at the age of 49.
Scott brought a contemporary and urban flair to sports broadcasting and was best known for his war chest of catchphrases, including “As cool as the other side of the pillow,” “He must be the bus driver cuz he was takin’ him to school,” and his signature “Boo-Yah!” Those phrases now live on the wall of the new ESPN studios in Bristol, CT in honor of the African-American sports broadcasting legend.
EDWARD BROOKE
Former Sen. Edward Brooke has died. In 1966, the liberal Republican Brooke made history by becoming the first black man to be elected to the United States Senate, representing the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for 2 terms from 1967 to 1979.
When President Obama was elected in 2008, Brooke told The Associated Press he was “thankful to God” that he lived to see the day. In October of 2009, President Obama was on hand to honor Brooke with the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest award Congress has to honor civilians.
“Senator Brooke led an extraordinary life of public service,” Mr. Obama said in a statement Saturday. “As the first African-American elected as a state’s Attorney General and first African-American U.S. Senator elected after reconstruction, Ed Brooke stood at the forefront of the battle for civil rights and economic fairness.”
Edward Brooke died last Saturday of natural causes at his Coral Gables, Florida. He was 95.
DONNA DOUGLAS
Actress Donna Douglas has died.
Best known as the rambunctious “Ellie Mae Clampett” on TV’s THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES, Douglas passed away over the weekend due to complications from pancreatic cancer. She was 81.
of former NY Governor Mario Cuomo, ESPN’s Stuart Scott,
former Sen. Edward Brooke and actress Donna Douglas.
I have to say, Stuart Scott's death really took me by suprise when I turned on ESPN yesterday morning and heard the sad news.
I didn't know him personally, but I knew him through his ground-breaking work at ESPN. An original and a Class Act.
And "Ellie Mae Clampett" …..smh. Wow.
May they all RIP.