obituaries

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Veteran character actor Ed Lauter, whose long, angular face and stern bearing made him an instantly recognizable figure in scores of movies and TV shows during a career that stretched across five decades, has died at age 74.

Jean Stapleton, who was best known for her role as Edith -- the wife of Archie Bunker -- in "All in the Family" died on Friday at the age of 90, the LA Times reported.

Richard "Dick" Trickle died Thursday at the age of 71. His body was discovered next to his pickup truck at a cemetery in Lincoln County, North Carolina, after the longtime NASCAR and short-track driver shot himself, according to police.

Country hit-maker died this morning in Nashville.

The massive achievement that is HBO's 'The Wire' is such that even supporting players left a lasting impression on pop culture. Robert Chew, who played Prop Joe, had one of the juiciest roles (in a show chocked full of them) as a pragmatic drug lord known for his negotiating skills. Sadly, Chew passed away last night at the age of 52.

Pauline Phillips, better known to millions of people as the woman who created the 'Dear Abby' column, has died. She was 94.

Like his co-star Gary Coleman before him, Conrad Bain, one of TV's most beloved icons, has sadly passed on. The long-time star of legendary TV sitcom 'Diff'rent Strokes' is reported to have died this week of unknown causes at the age of 89. No details of Bain's death have been released to the public as of yet.

Alex Karras, former NFL player, star of the television series 'Webster' and Mongo in the Mel Brooks classic 'Blazing Saddles' has passed away at the age of 77.

Andy Williams, the man who famously lent his voice to the Oscar-winning song "Moon River" from 'Breakfast at Tiffany's,' passed away on Tuesday after a long battle with bladder cancer.

NEW YORK (AP) — Ashbel Green, an editor whose authors included Walter Cronkite, Vaclav Havel and President George H.W. Bush, has died. He was 84.