Here is a list of people I know of...
January
Shirley Chisholm (politician) -- Dead. Died January 1, 2005. Born November 30, 1924. First black Congresswoman, she ran for president in 1972. Obituary
Cyril Fletcher (comic) -- Dead. Died January 1, 2005. Born June 25, 1913. Co-presenter of That's Life, radio star. IMDb Obituary
Frank Kelly Freas (artist) -- Dead. Died January 2, 2005. Born August 27, 1922. Award-winning science fiction artist who also did quite a lot of art for Mad. AwardWeb Obituary
Will Eisner (artist/author) -- Dead. Following heart surgery. Died January 3, 2005. Born March 6, 1917. Created The Spirit, wrote extensively about creating comics in Graphic Storytelling. IMDb Obituary
Humphrey Carpenter (writer) -- Dead. Heart failure. Died January 4, 2005. Born April 29, 1946. Wide-ranging biographer (J. R. R. Tolkien, Benjamin Britten), reviewer and children's writer. IMDb Obituary
Jimmy Griffin (singer/songwriter) -- Dead. Cancer. Died January 11, 2005. Born August 10, 1943. A founder of Bread, he wrote the Oscar award-winning "For All We Know". IMDb Obituary
Thelma White (actress) -- Dead. Pneumonia. Died January 11, 2005. Born April 12, 1910. One of the leads in the infamous Reefer Madness. IBDB IMDb Obituary
Amrish Puri (Bollywood star) -- Dead. Brain hemorrhage/myelodysplastic syndrome. Died January 12, 2005. Born June 22, 1932. Probably best-known worldwide as the human-sacrificing high priest in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. IMDb Obituary
Charlotte MacLeod (writer) -- Dead. Alzheimer's. Died January 14, 2005. Born November 12, 1922. Rest You Merry and many other mysteries. Obituary
Ruth Warrick (actress) -- Dead. Pneumonia. Died January 15, 2005. Born June 29, 1915. Starred on All My Children for over 30 years. Make memorial contributions to: Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. IBDB IMDb
H. Bentley Glass (geneticist) -- Dead. Pneumonia. Died January 16, 2005. Born January 17, 1906. Pioneering geneticist whose controversial theories spurred many debates on ethical issues; promoted the theory that only the cockroach would survive total nuclear war. Obituary
Virginia Mayo (actress) -- Dead. Pneumonia/heart failure. Died January 17, 2005. Born November 30, 1920. The Best Years of Our Lives, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. IMDb
Zhao Ziyang (Chinese leader) -- Dead. Died January 17, 2005. Born October 17, 1919. A Chinese leader who tried to bring democratic reforms, outsted from power during the Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989. Obituary
Lamont Bentley (actor) -- Dead. Car accident. Died January 18, 2005. Born October 25, 1973. Hakeem on Moesha, bit parts in a number of movies. IMDb Obituary
Johnny Carson (TV host) -- Dead. Emphysema. Died January 23, 2005. Born October 23, 1925. Longtime host of The Tonight Show (1962-1992), rumored to have done a little joke-writing for David Letterman before his death. IMDb Obituary
Phil Johnson (architect) -- Dead. Died January 25, 2005. Born July 8, 1906. The first winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, he designed Avery Fisher Hall and the AT&T building in New York City. Obituary
Raymond Peterson (singer/songwriter) -- Dead. Cancer. Died January 25, 2005. Born April 23, 1939. "Tell Laura I Love Her", Elvis recorded his "The Wonder of You". IMDb Obituary
February
John Vernon (actor) -- Dead. After heart surgery. Died February 1, 2005. Born February 24, 1932. Dean Wormer on Animal House, heard in many recent video games. IBDB IMDb Obituary
Max Schmeling (boxer) -- Dead. Died February 2, 2005. Born September 28, 1905. German world heavyweight champion during the Nazi regime who fought black American boxer Joe Louis, beat him once but Louis later knocked him out in the first round of the rematch. IMDb Obituary
Ernst Mayr (evolutionary biologist) -- Dead. Died February 3, 2005. Born July 5, 1904. Ornithology curator at the American Museum of Natural History for 20 years, he later went to teach at Harvard University, developed the field of modern evolutionary biology, and founded the journal Evolution. Obituary
Ossie Davis (actor/writer/activist) -- Dead. Died February 4, 2005. Born December 18, 1917. Kennedy in Bubba Ho-tep, the judge in The Stand, married to Ruby Dee for over 50 years, very active in the civil rights movement. IBDB IMDb Obituary
Karl Haas (radio show host) -- Dead. Died February 6, 2005. Born circa 1914. Opened the English version of his international classical music show Adventures in Good Music with his distinctive "Hello everyone...". Obituary
Keith Knudsen (drummer) -- Dead. Pneumonia. Died February 8, 2005. Born February 18, 1948. Longtime drummer for the Doobie Brothers. Make memorial contributions to: National Veterans Foundation.
Arthur Miller (playwright) -- Dead. Congestive heart failure. Died February 10, 2005. Born October 17, 1915. The Crucible, After the Fall, and Death of a Salesman, briefly married to Marilyn Monroe, father of Rebecca Miller, father-in-law of Daniel Day-Lewis. IBDB IMDb Obituary
Fritz Scholder (artist/teacher) -- Dead. Pneumonia/diabetes. Died February 10, 2005. Born October 6, 1937. Painted modern Indians and many colorful posters. Obituary
Samuel Alderson (engineer) -- Dead. Myelofibrosis, pneumonia. Died February 11, 2005. Born 1900. Inventor best-known for automotive crash test dummies. Obituary
Jack Chalker (writer) -- Dead. Heart failure/kidney failure. Died February 11, 2005. Born December 17, 1944. Started Mirage Press, wrote many books, including Midnight at the Well of Souls. Obituary
Brian Kelly (actor) -- Dead. Pneumonia. Died February 12, 2005. Born February 14, 1931. The father on Flipper, partially paralyzed in a motorcycle accident, an executive producer of Blade Runner. IMDb Obituary
Sammi Smith (singer) -- Dead. Died February 12, 2005. Born August 5, 1943. "Help Me Make It Through the Night". IMDb Obituary
Sister Lucia de Jesus dos Santos (nun/writer) -- Dead. Old age. Died February 13, 2005. Born March 22, 1907. Long-surviving member of the Portugese children who witnessed a vision at Fatima in 1917, later became a nun. Obituary
Nicole DeHuff (actress) -- Dead. Pneumonia. Died February 16, 2005. Born January 6, 1974. Meet the Parents actress who was spiked by Ben Stiller in a game of volleyball. IMDb Obituary FindAGrave
F. M. Busby (writer) -- Dead. Following abdominal surgery. Died February 17, 2005. Born March 11, 1921. Rissa Kerguelen.
Daniel O'Herlihy (actor) -- Dead. Died February 17, 2005. Born May 1, 1919. Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, Robocop. IBDB IMDb Obituary
Sandra Dee (actress) -- Dead. Kidney disease. Died February 20, 2005. Born April 23, 1942. A Summer Place, married to Bobby Darin. IMDb Obituary
John Raitt (actor/singer) -- Dead. Pneumonia. Died February 20, 2005. Born January 29, 1917. Great singer who originated the role of Billy Bigelow in Carosel on Broadway, played opposite Doris Day in Pajama Game, Bonnie Raitt's father. IBDB IMDb Obituary
Hunter S. Thompson (writer) -- Dead. Suicide. Died February 20, 2005. Born July 18, 1939. The phrase "gonzo journalism" was invented for him, wrote books like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, had his ashes sent up with fireworks over Colorado on 8/30/05. IMDb Obituary
Harry Simeone (music director/arranger) -- Dead. Died February 22, 2005. Born May 9, 1911. His children's chorale helped to popularize "The Little Drummer Boy" and "Do You Hear What I Hear?", arranger for Bing Crosby. IMDb Obituary
Simone Simon (actress) -- Dead. . Died February 22, 2005. Born April 23, 1910. Seventh Heaven, the original The Cat People. IMDb Obituary
Peter Benenson (activist/lawyer) -- Dead. Died February 25, 2005. Born July 31, 1921. Founded Amnesty International in 1961. Obituary
March
Martin Denny (Hawaiian musicmaker) -- Dead. Died March 2, 2005. Born April 5, 1911. Popularizer of Exotica music, earlier in his career, he led a band for Hildegarde. Make memorial contributions to: Live Music Awareness Martin Denny Fund for Aspiring Musicians, 949 Kapi'olani Blvd., Honolulu, HI 96814 IMDb Obituary
Hans Bethe (physicist) -- Dead. Died March 6, 2005. Born July 2, 1906. Another German escapee from the Nazis who went to work for the Manhattan Project and spent most of his career studying stars at Cornell. Obituary
Teresa Wright (actress) -- Dead. Heart attack. Died March 6, 2005. Born October 27, 1918. Long career, including The Rainmaker, won a supporting actress Oscar for Mrs. Miniver. IBDB IMDb Obituary
Debra Hill (producer/writer) -- Dead. Colon cancer. Died March 7, 2005. Born 1950. Produced and/or wrote many John Carpenter movies, including Halloween. IMDb Obituary
Chris LeDoux (singer/rodeo star) -- Dead. Liver cancer. Died March 9, 2005. Born October 2, 1948. Popular bareback rodeo rider who migrated to country music after his retirement. Obituary
Dave Allen (comic) -- Dead. . Died March 10, 2005. Born July 6, 1936. Irish comic who spent much of his life commenting on it from British television, briefly had a Broadway show in 1981. IBDB IMDb Obituary FindAGrave
Danny Joe Brown (rocker) -- Dead. Complications of diabetes/stroke. Died March 10, 2005. Born 1951. Singer and a founding member of Molly Hatchet. Obituary
Lyn Collins (singer) -- Dead. Cardiac arrhythmia. Died March 13, 2005. Born June 12, 1948. R+B backup singer for James Brown, released Think (About It) and Check Me Out If You Don't Know Me By Now. IBDB IMDb Obituary
Don Durant (actor) -- Dead. Lymphocytic leukemia and lymphoma. Died March 15, 2005. Born November 20, 1932. Johnny Ringo. IMDb Obituary FindAGrave
Andre Norton (writer) -- Dead. Pneumonia. Died March 17, 2005. Born February 17, 1912. Wrote many fantasy and young adult books (Witch World series), mentored hundreds of young writers. Make memorial contributions to: Saint Jude Children's Hospital or Veterinary Services, c/o The Noah Fund, PO Box 10128, Murfreesboro, TN 37129. IMDb Obituary
John DeLorean (entrepreneur) -- Dead. Stroke. Died March 19, 2005. Born January 6, 1925. Created the Pontiac GTO, then the futuristic DeLorean car (with the doors that raise rather than open outward. FindAGrave
Andrew Toti (inventor) -- Dead. Died March 20, 2005. Born July 24, 1915. Held 550 patents, helped to invent the "Mae West" life vest and breathing tubes. Make memorial contributions to: Community Hospice, Modesto or SPCA of Stanislaus Obituary
Bobby Short (classy pianist/singer) -- Dead. Leukemia. Died March 21, 2005. Born September 15, 1924. New York City institution, played at the Hotel Carlyle for 36 years, played himself in Hannah and Her Sisters. IMDb Obituary
Barney Martin (actor) -- Dead. Cancer. Died March 21, 2005. Born March 3, 1923. Jerry's dad on Seinfeld. IBDB IMDb
Greg Garrison (director) -- Dead. Pneumonia. Died March 25, 2005. Born circa 1923. Directed many old TV shows, particularly The Dean Martin Show. IMDb Obituary
Paul Henning (TV producer) -- Dead. Died March 25, 2005. Born September 16, 1911. Created The Beverly Hillbillies, co-wrote Bedtime Story that was later adapted as Dirty, Rotten Scoundrels. IBDB IMDb Obituary
Georgeanna Seegar Jones (obstetrician/fertility specialist) -- Dead. Heart failure/Alzheimer's. Died March 26, 2005. Born July 6, 1912. With her husband Howard, she helped develop in vitro fertilization and they oversaw the first in vitro babies in the US. Make memorial contributions to: Georgeanna Seegar Jones Research Fund Obituary
Johnnie Cochran (lawyer) -- Dead. Brain cancer. Died March 29, 2005. Born October 2, 1937. LA lawyer for OJ in the infamous Simpson/Goldman murder case. IMDb Obituary
Mitch Hedberg (comic) -- Dead. Heart failure/(drugs?). Died March 30, 2005. Born February 24, 1968. Frequent David Letterman guest. IMDb Obituary
Frank Perdue (businessman) -- Dead. Died March 31, 2005. Born May 9, 1920. Popularized his company with many years of TV commercials, he planned to live to 100 by eating chicken... Obituary
April
Pope John Paul II (Leader of the Roman Catholic Church) -- Dead. Parkinson's disease/heart failure/kidney failure. Died April 2, 2005. Born May 18, 1920. Born Karol Wojtyla, he was the first Polish pope, he served from 1978-2005, widely-traveled, multi-lingual. IMDb
Saul Bellow (writer) -- Dead. Died April 5, 2005. Born June 10, 1915. Many books and stories, including Humboldt's Gift, Mr. Sammler's Planet, fathered a child when he was 84. IMDb Obituary FindAGrave
Dale Messick (cartoonist) -- Dead. Strokes. Died April 5, 2005. Born April 11, 1906. One of the first female comic strip writers, she created Brenda Starr and wrote it for over 40 years. IMDb Obituary FindAGrave
Debralee Scott (redhead) -- Dead. Alcoholism. Died April 6, 2005. Born April 2, 1953. Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, Welcome Back Kotter and Match Game. IMDb Obituary FindAGrave
Prince Rainier Grimaldi (prince) -- Dead. Died April 6, 2005. Born May 31, 1923. Ruler of Monaco since 1949, his marriage to Grace Kelly made him a household name. IMDb Obituary
Andrea Dworkin (writer/activist) -- Dead. Died April 9, 2005. Born September 26, 1946. Anti-porn feminist activist, wrote anumber of books including Pornography - Men Possessing Women. IMDb Obituary
Maurice Hilleman (microbiologist) -- Dead. Cancer. Died April 11, 2005. Born August 30, 1919. Prolific vaccine developer responsible for vaccines that fought mumps, measles, chickenpox, pneumonia, meningitis, hepatitis and other communicable diseases. Obituary
Marla Ruzicka (humanitarian) -- Dead. Murdered by Iraqi terrorists. Died April 16, 2005. Born circa 1977. Founded CIVIC to raise money for civilians in war zones, killed by a car bomber. Make memorial contributions to: Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict. Obituary
Ruth Hussey (actress) -- Dead. Died April 19, 2005. Born October 30, 1911. Oscar-nominated for The Philadelphia Story. IBDB IMDb Obituary
Philip Morrison (physicist/educator) -- Dead. . Died April 22, 2005. Born November 7, 1915. One of the A-bomb developers, he went on to help develop SETI and narrated the famous short subject Powers of 10. IMDb Obituary
Sir John Mills (actor) -- Dead. Died April 23, 2005. Born February 22, 1908. Won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for the role of a mute in Ryan's Daughter, husband of Mary Hayley Bell, father of Juliet and Hayley. IBDB IMDb Obituary
Mason Adams (actor) -- Dead. Died April 26, 2005. Born February 26, 1919. Lou Grant and many commercial voiceovers, particularly for Smucker's. IBDB IMDb Obituary
Maria Schell (actress) -- Dead. Died April 26, 2005. Born January 15, 1926. Superman, The Brothers Karamozov and the sister of Maximilian Schell. IBDB IMDb Obituary
May
Elisabeth Fraser (actress) -- Dead. Congestive heart failure. Died May 5, 2005. Born April 30, 1920. Bilko's girlfriend on TV, Sadie in A Patch of Blue. IBDB IMDb Obituary FindAGrave
Frank Gorshin (mimic/actor) -- Dead. Pneumonia/lung cancer. Died May 17, 2005. Born April 5, 1934. Played the Riddler in the Batman TV series, toured as George Burns in the one-man show Say Goodnight Gracie. IBDB IMDb Obituary FindAGrave
Henry Corden (voice) -- Dead. Emphysema. Died May 19, 2005. Born January 6, 1920. Voiced Fred Flintstone after Alan Reed. IMDb Obituary
J. D. Cannon (actor) -- Dead. Died May 20, 2005. Born April 24, 1922. Clifford on McCloud. IBDB IMDb Obituary FindAGrave
Paul Ricoeur (philosopher/professor) -- Dead. Died May 20, 2005. Born February 27, 1913. Developed phenomenology, wrote many books including Freedom and Nature. Obituary
Stephen Elliott (actor) -- Dead. Congestive heart failure. Died May 21, 2005. Born November 27, 1918. Arthur's potential fiancee's father in Arthur movies, Tony-nominated actor. IBDB IMDb Obituary FindAGrave
Howie Morris (second banana/comic/TV director) -- Dead. Heart ailment. Died May 21, 2005. Born September 4, 1919. Your Show of Shows, Ernest T Bass on the Andy Griffith Show. IMDb Obituary
Pat York (writer/teacher) -- Dead. Car accident. Died May 21, 2005. Born circa 1947. "You Wandered Off Like A Foolish Child To Break Your Heart And Mine". Obituary
Thurl Ravenscroft (voice) -- Dead. Prostate cancer. Died May 22, 2005. Born February 16, 1914. Voice of Tony the Tiger, and memorably sang "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch". IMDb Obituary
Ismail Merchant (classy producer/occassional director) -- Dead. Ulcers. Died May 25, 2005. Born December 25, 1936. The Indian founder of Merchant Ivory Productions, produced Remains of the Day. IMDb Obituary
Eddie Albert (actor) -- Dead. Pneumonia. Died May 26, 2005. Born April 22, 1906. Green Acres. IBDB IMDb Obituary
June
Leon Askin (actor) -- Dead. Died June 1, 2005. Born September 18, 1907. One of several Jewish refugees from the Nazis who later appeared on Hogan's Heroes, he played Gen. Burkhalter. IBDB IMDb Obituary
Lucy Richardson (art director/Beatles inspiration) -- Dead. Breast cancer. Died June 1, 2005. Born circa 1957. Did the art direction for Chocolat and Elizabeth, but, as a childhood friend of Julian Lennon's, helped inspired John Lennon's most ellipital title "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds". IMDb Obituary
Michael Billington (actor) -- Dead. Cancer. Died June 3, 2005. Born December 24, 1941. Paul Foster in UFO (died five days before his UFO co-star Ed Bishop), Barsov in The Spy Who Loved Me. Make memorial contributions to: Marie Curie Cancer Center. IMDb Obituary
Anne Bancroft (actress) -- Dead. Uterine cancer. Died June 6, 2005. Born September 17, 1931. Married to Mel Brooks, played Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate, won an Oscar for playing Annie Sullivan in The Miracle Worker. IBDB IMDb FindAGrave
Dana Elcar (actor) -- Dead. Pneumonia. Died June 6, 2005. Born October 10, 1927. Pete Thornton on McGyver, Agent Polk in The Sting, a founder of the L.A. Actor's Theater. IBDB IMDb FindAGrave
Ed Bishop (actor) -- Dead. Hospital virus(?). Died June 8, 2005. Born June 11, 1932. Ed Straker in UFO (died five days after his UFO co-star Michael Billington), various voices on the animated version of Star Trek. IBDB IMDb Obituary
Lane Smith (actor) -- Dead. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Died June 13, 2005. Born April 29, 1936. Played Nixon in The Final Days, Perry White in Lois and Clark. IBDB IMDb Obituary FindAGrave
Jack Kilby (engineer) -- Dead. Cancer. Died June 20, 2005. Born November 8, 1923. Invented the microchip and pocket calculator for Texas Instruments, won a Nobel Prize. Make memorial contributions to: The Jack Kilby Fund in Electrical and Computer Engineering, the University of Illinois Foundation, Harker Hall, 1305 West Green, Urbana, Illinois 61801. Obituary
Shana Alexander (journalist) -- Dead. Cancer. Died June 23, 2005. Born October 6, 1925. Argued on "Point-CounterPoint" on 60 Minutes in the late '70s. IMDb Obituary
Paul Winchell (ventriloquist/inventor/acupuncture doctorate) -- Dead. Natural causes. Died June 24, 2005. Born December 21, 1922. Voice of Tigger in many Winnie the Pooh movies, including Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too (died the day before the voice of Piglet, John Fiedler), also the master behind Jerry Mahoney. IMDb
John Fiedler (actor) -- Dead. Died June 25, 2005. Born February 3, 1925. Voiced Piglet in the Winnie the Pooh movies (died the day after the voice of Tigger, Paul Winchell), Mr. Peterson on the Bob Newhart Show. IBDB IMDb Obituary
Richard Whiteley (journalist/game show host) -- Dead. Pneumonia. Died June 26, 2005. Born December 28, 1943. Countdown host for many years. IMDb Obituary
Shelby Foote (Civil War historian) -- Dead. Died June 27, 2005. Born November 17, 1916. Wrote a multi-volume history of the Civil War and worked on Ken Burns' seminal PBS documentary on the war. IMDb Obituary
July
Luther Vandross (smooth singer) -- Dead. [rumors] Died July 1, 2005. Born April 20, 1951. "Here and Now", lapsed into a coma following a stroke on April 16, 2003, recovered somewhat but died just over two years later. IMDb Obituary
June Haver (actress) -- Dead. Respiratory failure. Died July 4, 2005. Born June 10, 1926. Daughter of Rosie O'Grady, married to Fred MacMurray. IMDb
L. Patrick Gray (FBI director) -- Dead. Pancreatic cancer. Died July 5, 2005. Born July 18, 1916. Ran the FBI under Nixon. Obituary
James Stockdale (Naval officer/POW/candidate) -- Dead. Alzheimer's. Died July 5, 2005. Born December 23, 1923. Survived being a POW in Vietnam to being Perot's running mate in 1992. Obituary
Evan Hunter (wrter) -- Dead. Larynx cancer. Died July 6, 2005. Born October 15, 1926. Born Salvatore Lombino, he changed his name to Hunter (The Blackboard Jungle) and wrote under other pen names like Ed McBain. IBDB IMDb Obituary
Byron Preiss (publisher/writer) -- Dead. Car accident. Died July 9, 2005. Born circa 1953. Published an array of visually-interesting works; helped launch the graphic novel field. Obituary
Kevin Hagen (actor) -- Dead. Esophageal cancer. Died July 9, 2005. Born April 3, 1928. Many Western roles, probably best-known as Doc Baker in Little House on the Prairie. IMDb Obituary FindAGrave
Frances Langford (singer) -- Dead. Congestive heart failure. Died July 10, 2005. Born April 4, 1913. Sang "I'm in the Mood for Love", toured with Bob Hope to war zones, appeared in Yankee Doodle Dandy. IBDB IMDb Obituary FindAGrave
Geraldine Fitzgerald (actress) -- Dead. Alzheimer's. Died July 17, 2005. Born November 24, 1913. Isabella in Wuthering Heights. IBDB IMDb Obituary
Sir Edward Heath (prime minister, British politician) -- Dead. Died July 17, 2005. Born July 9, 1916. Prime Minister of England in the early '70s. Obituary
Gerry Thomas (inventor/salesman) -- Dead. Cancer. Died July 18, 2005. Born circa 1922. Invented the TV dinner for Swanson in 1954. Obituary
General William Westmoreland (Soldier) -- Dead. Died July 18, 2005. Born March 26, 1914. Controversial commander of US troops in South Vietnam during the Vietnamese War. IMDb Obituary
James Doohan (Scotty) -- Dead. Pneumonia/Alzheimer's. Died July 20, 2005. Born March 3, 1920. And was a father again at the age of 80! "Cap'n, I dunna know if we kin hold on much longa!" He attended one last Star Trek convention and received his Hollywood star in 2004. IMDb Obituary
Hildegarde (singer/labor organizer) -- Dead. Died July 29, 2005. Born February 1, 1906. Billed as "The Incomperable Hildegarde," she performed for audiences for well over 70 years, had a radio show and helped to form unions for performers. IMDb Obituary FindAGrave
Pat McCormick (writer/comic) -- Dead. Died July 29, 2005. Born June 30, 1927. Acted in Smokey and the Bandit , wrote for Jack Paar and Jonathan Winters, appeared on many Friars' Club Roasts. IMDb Obituary
August
Ileen Getz (actress) -- Dead. Cancer. Died August 4, 2005. Born August 7, 1961. Best-known playing Dr. Allbright's co-worker Judith on Third Rock from the Sun. IMDb Obituary
Robin Cook (British politician) -- Dead. Heart attack. Died August 6, 2005. Born February 28, 1946. Foreign Secretary under Tony Blair, he resigned from the government in March 2003 in protest over Britain's involvement in Iraq. Obituary
Peter Jennings (TV news anchor) -- Dead. Lung cancer. Died August 7, 2005. Born July 29, 1938. ABC World News Tonight anchor, narrated many documentaries. IMDb Obituary FindAGrave
Barbara Bel Geddes (actress) -- Dead. Lung cancer. Died August 8, 2005. Born October 31, 1922. The first Miss Ellie on Dallas. IBDB IMDb Obituary
John Johnson (publishing entrepreneur) -- Dead. Heart failure. Died August 8, 2005. Born January 19, 1918. Started Ebony and Jet. FindAGrave
Philip J. Klass (UFO debunker) -- Dead. Cancer. Died August 9, 2005. Born November 8, 1919. Writer for and editor of Aviation Week & Space Technology, he was also a leading UFO debunker. Obituary
Judith Rossner (writer) -- Dead. Died August 9, 2005. Born March 1, 1935. Wrote a number of novels, including Looking for Mr. Goodbar. IMDb Obituary
Joe Ranft (writer/cartoon voice) -- Dead. Car crash. Died August 16, 2005. Born March 13, 1960. Wrote Toy Story and Lion King, provided the voice of Wheezy the Penguin for Toy Story 2. IMDb Obituary
Mo Mowlam (politician) -- Dead. Brain cancer/effects of a fall. Died August 19, 2005. Born September 18, 1949. Northern Ireland Secretary under Blair. Obituary
Robert Moog (inventor/musician) -- Dead. Brain Tumor. Died August 21, 2005. Born May 23, 1934. Experimented with theremins, later developed synthesizers in the '60s, launching a wave of electronic music. Make memorial contributions to: Bob Moog Memorial Fund for the Advancement of Electronic Music. IMDb Obituary
Brock Peters (actor) -- Dead. Pancreatic cancer. Died August 23, 2005. Born July 2, 1927. Tom Robinson in To Kill a Mockingbird. IMDb Obituary
Hendrikje van Andel-Schipper (oldest person on Earth) -- Dead. Died August 30, 2005. Born June 29, 1890. Oldest, well-documented person in 2004-2005, Dutch soccer fan, ate herring.
Michael Sheard (actor) -- Dead. Cancer. Died August 31, 2005. Born June 18, 1940. Probably best-known for being the first person Darth Vader kills in The Empire Strikes Back ("You have failed me for the last time, Admiral"), for playing Hitler multiple times and for playing Grange Hill's Mr Bronson. IMDb Obituary
September
Barry Cowsill (singer/bass player) -- Dead. Katrina aftermath. Died circa September 2005. Born September 14, 1954. One of the Cowsills, a '60s family rock group that inspired The Partridge Family, he later played for Bridey Murphy.
Bob Denver (Little Buddy) -- Dead. Cancer. Died September 2, 2005. Born January 9, 1935. Gilligan on Gilligan's Island, Maynard on Dobie Gillis. Make memorial contributions to: The Denver Foundation (a charity for helping handicapped kids in West Virginia). IBDB IMDb
William H. Rehnquist (Supreme Court Chief Justice) -- Dead. Thyroid cancer. Died September 3, 2005. Born October 1, 1924. Wrote The Supreme Court. IMDb Obituary
Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown (guitarist/singer) -- Dead. Lung cancer/heart disease. Died September 10, 2005. Born April 18, 1924. Cajun muscian and New Orleans fixture who died a few days after evacuating from hurricane Katrina. IMDb Obituary
Robert Wise (director) -- Dead. Heart failure. Died September 14, 2005. Born September 10, 1914. Versatile director who won Oscars for West Side Story and The Sound of Music, also directed The Day the Earth Stood Still and edited Citizen Kane. IMDb Obituary FindAGrave
Sid Luft (producer/manager) -- Dead. Heart attack. Died September 15, 2005. Born November 2, 1915. Married to Judy Garland in the '50s, he produced A Star Is Born. IMDb Obituary FindAGrave
Gordon Gould (inventor) -- Dead. Died September 16, 2005. Born July 17, 1920. Another American who independently developed the laser (and invented its name) in 1957, sparking a long legal battle over patents. Obituary
Constance Moore (actress) -- Dead. Heart failure. Died September 16, 2005. Born January 18, 1920. Appeared as Wilma Deering in various versions of Buck Rogers and in the classic You Can't Cheat an Honest Man. IBDB IMDb Obituary
Simon Wiesenthal (Nazi hunter) -- Dead. Died September 20, 2005. Born December 31, 1908. Continued looking and finding Nazis years after WWII was over, recorded The Art of Remembrance. Make memorial contributions to: Simon Wiesenthal Center. IMDb Obituary
Molly Yard (activist) -- Dead. Died September 21, 2005. Born July 6, 1912. Civil rights activist and a president of NOW in the '80s. Obituary
Tommy Bond (actor) -- Dead. Heart disease. Died September 24, 2005. Born September 16, 1926. Butch in the Our Gang shorts, Jimmy Olson in the Superman serials in the '40s. IMDb Obituary
M. Scott Peck (writer/psychiatrist) -- Dead. Pancreatic cancer. Died September 25, 2005. Born May 22, 1936. Wrote The Road Less Traveled and a host of other self-help books. Obituary
Don Adams (actor) -- Dead. Lung infection/bone lymphoma. Died September 25, 2005. Born April 13, 1923. Get Smart, Inspector Gadget, childhood friend of Bill Dana, appeared on the NBC 75th Anniversary Show. Make memorial contributions to: Motion Picture and Television Fund. IBDB IMDb Obituary
Jerry Juhl (writer) -- Dead. Cancer. Died September 27, 2005. Born October 12, 1937. Performer with the Muppets who went on to write most of The Muppet Show and Fraggle Rock. Make memorial contributions to: Save the Redwoods League IMDb Obituary
Leo Sternbach (chemist) -- Dead. Died September 28, 2005. Born May 7, 1908. Another Nazi escapee, he led the development of Librium and Valium. Obituary
October
Hamilton Camp (comic actor/voice/singer) -- Dead. Accidental fall. Died October 2, 2005. Born October 30, 1934. Played Mary's short date on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Leck on several Deep Space Nine episodes, and dozens of cartoon voices. IBDB IMDb FindAGrave
August Wilson (playwright) -- Dead. Cancer. Died October 2, 2005. Born April 27, 1945. Wrote many plays including The Piano Lession, won the Pulitzer Prize for Fences, had a Broadway theater named in his honor just before his death. IBDB IMDb Obituary
Nipsey Russell (comedian) -- Dead. Cancer. Died October 3, 2005. Born October 13, 1923. A semi-regular on The Match Game, in the movie The Wiz - A comic, a poet, and he surely did know it! IMDb Obituary
Charles Rocket (actor) -- Dead. Suicide. Died October 7, 2005. Born August 24, 1949. Former SNL comic who may have been the first to say "f*ck" on network TV, co-starred as Geena Davis' fiance Ted in Earth Girls Are Easy. IMDb Obituary FindAGrave
Louis Nye (comic) -- Dead. Lung cancer. Died October 9, 2005. Born May 1, 1913. Played many con men in comedies, came up with the greeting "Hi, ho, Steverino!" for Steve Allen. IBDB IMDb Obituary
Shirley Horn (singer/pianist) -- Dead. Diabetes. Died October 20, 2005. Born May 1, 1934. Jazz legend who worked with Quincy Jones and Miles Davis. IMDb Obituary
Tara Correa-McMullen (actress) -- Dead. Shot. Died October 20, 2005. Born May 24, 1989. Had a reoccuring role in Judging Amy as a gang member. She then wound up being killed in a gang-related shooting. IMDb Obituary FindAGrave
Rosa Parks (long-time civil rights activist) -- Dead. Died October 24, 2005. Born February 4, 1913. Woman who defied the segregation laws in Montgomery Alabama by refusing to sit in the back of the bus, the first woman to lie in state in the Capitol rotunda.
Enid Haupt (philanthropist/publisher) -- Dead. Died October 25, 2005. Born May 13, 1906. Publisher of the Philadelphia Inquirer who donated huge sums of money to the New York Botanical Garden, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Obituary
Lloyd Bochner (actor) -- Dead. . Died October 29, 2005. Born July 29, 1924. Starred in the famous Twilight Zone episode "To Serve Man," extremely busy TV actor, Cecil Colby in Dynasty. IBDB IMDb Obituary
November
Skitch Henderson (musician) -- Dead. Died November 1, 2005. Born January 27, 1918. Early leader of the Tonight Show band, a founder of the New York Pops. IMDb Obituary
Michael Piller (writer) -- Dead. Cancer. Died November 1, 2005. Born May 30, 1948. Writer for the newer Star Trek series (particularly Deep Space Nine and Voyager), executive producer of The Dead Zone series. IMDb Obituary
Jean Carson (actress) -- Dead. Complications of a stroke. Died November 2, 2005. Born February 28, 1923. I Married a Monster from Outer Space, bit parts on TV shows, particularly The Andy Griffith Show. IBDB IMDb Obituary FindAGrave
Sheree North (actress) -- Dead. Surgical complications. Died November 4, 2005. Born January 17, 1933. A glamour girl and comic actress in the '50s and '60s, she went on to play Kramer's mother in Seinfeld. IBDB IMDb Obituary FindAGrave
John Fowles (author) -- Dead. Died November 5, 2005. Born March 31, 1926. The French Lieutenent's Woman. IMDb Obituary
Link Wray (guitarist/songwriter) -- Dead. Died November 5, 2005. Born May 2, 1929. Early guitarist who played with Tex Ritter and influenced everyone from Elvis to Bruce Springsteen. IMDb FindAGrave
Moustapha Akkad (producer) -- Dead. Murdered by terrorists (Jordan 2005). Died November 11, 2005. Born circa 1933. Produced all of the Halloween movies, his daughter also died in the terrorist blast. IMDb Obituary
Peter Drucker (writer/management theorist) -- Dead. Died November 11, 2005. Born November 19, 1909. Wrote Practice of Management, taught at Claremont College for over 30 years. Obituary
Ralph Edwards (TV host) -- Dead. Heart failure. Died November 16, 2005. Born June 13, 1913. This Is Your Life and the first show on commercial TV, Truth or Consequences. IMDb Obituary
Harold Stone (actor) -- Dead. Died November 18, 2005. Born March 13, 1913. Spartacus, bit parts in many movies and TV shows between the mid-50s and mid-80s. IBDB IMDb Obituary
Nora Denney (actress) -- Dead. Died November 20, 2005. Born May 5, 1928. Mrs. Teevee in Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. IMDb FindAGrave
Constance Cummings (actress) -- Dead. Died November 23, 2005. Born May 15, 1910. The ghost in Blithe Spirit, won a Tony for Wings. IBDB IMDb Obituary FindAGrave
Pat Morita (actor) -- Dead. Died November 24, 2005. Born August 28, 1932. Arnold on Happy Days, teacher in The Karate Kid movies. IMDb Obituary FindAGrave
Stan Berenstain (cartoonist) -- Dead. Died November 26, 2005. Born September 29, 1923. With his wife Jan, he wrote and illustrated over 200 Berenstain Bears books. IMDb Obituary
Wendie Jo Sperber (actress/philanthropist) -- Dead. Cancer. Died November 29, 2005. Born September 15, 1958. Amy in Bosom Buddies, Linda in the Back to the Future movies. Make memorial contributions to: weSpark Cancer Support Center, the foundation she started. IMDb Obituary
December
Mary Hayley Bell (writer/actress) -- Dead. Died December 1, 2005. Born January 22, 1911. Wrote Whistle Down the Wind (later adapted as a movie starring her daughter, Hayley), wife of Sir John Mills, mother of Juliet and Hayley. IMDb Obituary
Gregg Hoffman (producer) -- Dead. Unknown - suspected anuerysm. Died December 4, 2005. Born 1963. Produced the splatter flicks Saw, but, earlier in his career, worked on movies like George of the Jungle and Inspector Gadget. Make memorial contributions to: Habitat for Humanity, Greater LA IMDb Obituary
Ed Masry (lawyer) -- Dead. Complications of diabetes. Died December 5, 2005. Born July 29, 1932. Led the law firm that Erin Brockovich worked for, helped to win $300 million for people whose water was contaminated by Pacific Gas and Electric, played by Albert Finney in the Oscar-winning movie. Obituary
Robert Sheckley (writer) -- Dead. Brain aneurysm/heart disease. Died December 9, 2005. Born July 16, 1928. Mostly wrote humorous SF, probably best-known for Immortality, Inc., later made into the movie Freejack. IMDb Obituary
Mary Jackson (actress) -- Dead. Parkinsons. Died December 10, 2005. Born November 22, 1910. Miss Emily Baldwin on The Waltons. IMDb Obituary
Eugene McCarthy (senator) -- Dead. Died December 10, 2005. Born March 29, 1916. Minnesota senator and twice a presidential candidate. IMDb Obituary
Richard Pryor (comedian) -- Dead. Heart attack. Died December 10, 2005. Born December 1, 1940. Great stand-up comic and writer, starred in Uptown Saturday Night and many TV specials, struggled with addictions and multiple sclerosis. Make memorial contributions to: Pryor's Planet. IMDb Obituary FindAGrave
Robert Newmyer (producer) -- Dead. Heart attack. Died December 12, 2005. Born circa 1956. Produced award-winning movies like Sex, Lies and Videotape and Training Day and Lost Boys of the Sudan. Make memorial contributions to: the Bobby Newmyer Memorial Fund (used to further his work with Sudanese refugees), c/o Outlaw Productions, 3599 Beverly Glen Terr, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423. IMDb Obituary
William Proxmire (senator) -- Dead. Alzheimer's disease. Died December 15, 2005. Born November 15, 1911. Longtime senator famous for creating the Golden Fleece award. Obituary
Kenneth Bulmer (writer) -- Dead. Died December 16, 2005. Born January 14, 1921. A writer with many pseudonums (including Alan Burt Akers and Dray Prescot) who wrote books in many different genres.
John Spencer (actor) -- Dead. Heart attack. Died December 16, 2005. Born December 20, 1946. Leo McGarry on The West Wing, Tommy Mullaney on LA Law, gardening enthusiast, wonderful actor. IBDB IMDb Obituary
Jack Anderson (columnist) -- Dead. Parkinson's disease. Died December 17, 2005. Born October 19, 1922. Wrote the "Washington Merry-Go-Round" column for many years, helped expose scandals around Nixon and Reagan. IMDb Obituary
Marjorie Kellogg (writer/social worker) -- Dead. Alzheimer's. Died December 19, 2005. Born circa 1922. Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon. IMDb Obituary
Michael Vale (commercial baker) -- Dead. Diabetes. Died December 24, 2005. Born June 28, 1922. Stage actor best-known for the "Time to Make the Doughnuts" slogan in Dunkin Donuts ads. IBDB IMDb Obituary
Kerry Packer (media tycoon) -- Dead. Kidney failure. Died December 26, 2005. Born December 17, 1937. Owned a publishing empire in Australia and started a cricket league. Obituary
Vincent Schiavelli (actor/cookbook writer) -- Dead. Lung cancer. Died December 26, 2005. Born November 10, 1948. Long-faced character actor in famous movies like One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Amadeus and Ghost (where he played the ghost who haunted subway cars), he lived in Italy and wrote books on Italian cooking. IMDb Obituary
Patrick Cranshaw (actor) -- Dead. Died December 28, 2005. Born June 17, 1919. The oldest "brother" in Old School. IMDb Obituary FindAGrave
Rona Jaffe (writer) -- Dead. Cancer. Died December 30, 2005. Born June 12, 1932. The Best of Everything, Class Reunion. IMDb Obituary
Neil Strawser (journalist) -- Dead. Heart attack. Died December 31, 2005. Born circa 1927. Anchored CBS radio's coverage of John Kennedy's funeral, NASA missions and Watergate.