Beatrice Arthur died she was 86

Beatrice "Bea" Arthur died she was 86. Arthur was an American comedian, actress, and singer. In a career spanning seven decades, Arthur achieved success as the title character, Maude Findlay, on the 1970s sitcom Maude, and as Dorothy Zbornak on the 1980s sitcom The Golden Girls; she won Emmys for both roles.

(May 13, 1922 – April 25, 2009)

Arthur was born Bernice Frankel to Philip and Rebecca Frankel in New York City on May 13, 1922.[2] Her family soon moved to Maryland where her parents operated a women's clothing shop. She attended the now-defunct Blackstone College in Blackstone, Virginia where she was active in drama productions.

Arthur began her acting career as a member of an off Broadway theater group at the Cherry Lane Theatre in New York City in the late 1940s. On stage, her roles included "Lucy Brown" in the 1954 Off-Broadway premiere of Marc Blitzstein's English-language adaptation of Kurt Weill's Threepenny Opera, "Yente the Matchmaker" in the 1964 premiere of Fiddler on the Roof on Broadway, and a 1966 Tony Award-winning portrayal of "Vera Charles" to Angela Lansbury's Mame. She reprised the role in the 1974 film version opposite Lucille Ball. In 1981, she appeared in Woody Allen's The Floating Lightbulb.[3]



In 1972, Arthur was cast as the title character in the television series Maude. She played Maude Findlay, an outspoken liberal living in the affluent community of Tuckahoe, Westchester County, New York, with her husband, Walter (Bill Macy) and divorced daughter Carol (Adrienne Barbeau). The show was a spin-off from All in the Family, on which Arthur had appeared a couple of times in the same role, playing Edith Bunker's cousin, a feminist, and antithesis to the bigoted, conservative Archie Bunker, who described Maude as a "New Deal fanatic". Her role garnered several Emmy and Golden Globe nominations, including her Emmy win in 1977 for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.

In 1978, she costarred in the poorly-received The Star Wars Holiday Special, in which she had a song and dance routine in the Mos Eisley Cantina.

After appearing in the short-lived 1983 sitcom Amanda's (an unsuccessful U.S. version of the British hit series Fawlty Towers), Arthur was cast in the hit sitcom The Golden Girls in 1985, in which she played Dorothy Zbornak, a divorced substitute teacher living in a Miami house owned by Blanche Devereaux (Rue McClanahan). Her other roommates included widow Rose Nylund (Betty White) and Dorothy's Sicilian mother, Sophia Petrillo (Estelle Getty). Getty was actually a year younger than Arthur in real life, and was heavily made up to look significantly older. Arthur's character, Dorothy, had a caustic sense of humor and was prone to making witty and sarcastic wisecracks. The series was a huge hit, remaining a top ten ratings fixture for six seasons. Her performance led to several Emmy nominations over the course of the series and an Emmy win in 1988. Arthur decided to leave the show after seven years and in 1992, the show was moved from NBC to CBS and retooled as The Golden Palace in which the other three actresses reprised their roles. Arthur made a guest appearance in a two-part episode, but the show only lasted for one season before it was cancelled.


After Arthur left The Golden Girls, she made several guest appearances on television shows and even organized and toured with her one-woman show. She made a guest appearance on the American cartoon Futurama, in the Emmy-nominated episode, "Amazon Women in the Mood", as the voice of the Femputer who ruled the giant Amazonian women. She also appeared in an episode of Malcolm in the Middle as Dewey's babysitter. She was nominated for a guest-star Emmy for her performance. She also showed up as Larry David's mother on Curb Your Enthusiasm.

In 2002, she returned to Broadway starring in Bea Arthur on Broadway: Just Between Friends, a collection of stories and songs (with musician Billy Goldenberg) based on her life and career. The show was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Special Theatrical Event, but lost to Elaine Stritch: At Liberty.

In 2005, she participated in the Comedy Central roast of Pamela Anderson, delivering a deadpan reading of excerpts from Pamela's book Star: The Novel, most notably the part that describes receiving sodomy-related advice.


Arthur was inducted into Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame in 2008.[4] On June 8, 2008, The Golden Girls was awarded the Pop Culture award at the Sixth Annual TV Land Awards. Arthur accepted the award with co-stars Rue McClanahan and Betty White.[5]


Influences
In 1999, Arthur told an interviewer of the three influences in her career: "Sid Caesar taught me the outrageous; [method acting guru] Lee Strasberg taught me what I call reality; and [the original Threepenny Opera star], Lotte Lenya, whom I adored, taught me economy."[6]


Arthur was married twice, first to Robert Alan Aurthur, a screenwriter, television, and film producer and director, whose surname she took and kept though with a modified spelling, and second to director Gene Saks from 1950 to 1978 with whom she adopted two sons, Matthew (born July 14, 1961), an actor, and Daniel (born May 8, 1964), a set designer.

She primarily lived in the Greater Los Angeles Area and had sublet her apartment on Central Park West in New York City and her country home in Bedford, New York.


According to her spokesman, Dan Watt, Beatrice Arthur died peacefully at her home in the Greater Los Angeles Area in the early morning hours of April 25, 2009, aged 86. She had been suffering from cancer, but Watt declined to go into specific details.[7][6][8]

In addition to her sons, she is survived by a sister who lives in Montreal, Quebec, and two granddaughters.

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Nick Adenhart Angels pitcher died in crash he was 22

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Los Angeles Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart and two other people were killed early Thursday by a suspected drunk driver just hours after the rookie made his first start of the season.
The Angels postponed Thursday night's game with Oakland, and players planned to gather to remember their teammate, manager Mike Scioscia said.
About Adenhart
Nick Adenhart was selected by the Angels in the 14th round of the 2004 draft. At the time of his death, he was the youngest pitcher on a big league roster.• Age: 22 (born Aug. 24, 1986)• MLB debut: May 1, 2008• Career MLB record: 1-0 (4 starts)• Career minor league record: 37-28
"It is a tragedy that will never be forgotten," he said at an Angel Stadium news conference.
Adenhart, 22, from Silver Spring, Md., was a passenger in a silver Mitsubishi Eclipse that was broadsided in an intersection in neighboring Fullerton at about 12:30 a.m. local time by a minivan that apparently ran a red light, police said.
The impact spun around both vehicles, and one then struck a third car, but that driver was not hurt, police said.
The minivan driver fled the crash scene on foot and was captured a half-hour later. Police identified him as Andrew Thomas Gallo, 22, of Riverside, and said he had a suspended license because of a previous drunken driving conviction.
Preliminary results indicated Gallo's blood-alcohol level was above the legal limit, police Lt. Kevin Hamilton said, adding that Gallo could face charges including vehicular manslaughter or possibly murder.
Adenhart died in surgery at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center. A 27-year-old man in the car and the driver, 20-year-old Courtney Frances Stewart of Diamond Bar, were pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
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Steve Phillips says the death of a player during the season can derail a locker room and explains how the Angles will try to pull things together.
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The Angels said no other members of their organization were involved in the accident. A 24-year-old man who was in the same car as the three killed remained hospitalized in critical condition, police said.
Stewart's mother said her daughter and Adenhart had known each other since last season but were not dating as far as she knew, Hamilton said.
The mother said Adenhart and the others had gone dancing at a club about a block away from the crash site, although the crash scene appeared to indicate the car was heading in the direction of the club, Hamilton said.
Stewart died in the crash, along with another occupant of Adenhart's car, Henry Pearson. According to friends of Adenhart at Cal State Fullerton, Pearson was a law student who wanted to be a sports agent. The fourth occupant, Jon Wilhite, survived the wreck. Wilhite is a former catcher for the Cal State Fullerton Titans.
The Los Angeles Times identified the third person killed as Henry Pearson, and the car's lone survivor as Jon Wilhite, a former catcher for the Cal State Fullerton Titans.
A 21-year-old passenger in the van driven by Gallo was treated for minor injuries, police said.
Fans, some wearing Angels shirts or carrying flowers, gathered at the intersection Thursday, and a shrine of flowers and stuffed animals had started growing outside the entrance to Angel Stadium.
Adenhart's death came just hours after he made his fourth major league start, throwing six scoreless innings in Wednesday night's loss to Oakland.
[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Nick UtNick Adenhart was a passenger in the Mitsubishi that was broadsided; two others were killed, and a fourth is in critical condition.
Adenhart's father, Jim, had flown out from Baltimore to watch the game.
"He summoned his father the day before and he said, 'You better come here because something special's gonna happen,' " said Adenhart's agent, Scott Boras.
After the game, "he was so elated ... he felt like a major leaguer," Boras said, weeping.
Adenhart also is survived by his mother, Janet.
"He lived his dream and was blessed to be part of an organization comprised of such warm, caring, and compassionate people," the family said in a statement issued through the team.
"The Angels were his extended family. Thanks to all of Nick's loyal supporters and fans throughout his career. He will always be in everyone's hearts forever."
The Major League Baseball Players Association said its members were shaken and saddened about the accident.
"Just hours before the accident, Nick demonstrated his passion for baseball and his prospects for a very bright future when he pitched six scoreless innings for the Angels," the association said in a statement.
“
He had his whole life ahead of him. He's only 22, he's still a kid. He was a great kid, he was funny, he was very popular in the clubhouse and off the field. People loved him. ” -- Angels outfielder Torii Hunter
Adenhart was the Angels' No. 3 starter. Adenhart struggled with a 9.00 ERA in three starts with the Angels last season, but Scioscia said last month the pitcher had worked hard during the winter and arrived at spring training with a purpose.
Angels outfielder Torii Hunter was sleeping when his wife called him, asking whether the news was true. Hunter immediately called the Angels' team trainer, who confirmed that Adenhart had been killed.
"I'm in shock right now," Hunter said. "He just pitched last night. It doesn't seem like this is happening.
"This is real life. This isn't about baseball. This is his whole life, he had his whole life ahead of him. He's only 22, he's still a kid. He was a great kid, he was funny, he was very popular in the clubhouse and off the field. People loved him."
Adenhart, a 6-foot-3, 185-pounder from Silver Springs, Md., was a 14th-round pick in the 2004 draft, and made his major league debut on May 1, 2008, also against the Athletics.
He made two other major league starts, getting his only decision in a victory over the Chicago White Sox on May 12. He was 37-28 in the minor leagues from 2005 to 2008, including 9-13 last year at Triple-A Salt Lake.
The Salt Lake Bees game Thursday night also was postponed.
[+] Enlarge
Courtesy Fullerton Police DepartmentPolice apprehended Andrew Gallo half an hour after he fled the scene of the crash.
He got his break this year with a good spring training and the fact the team needed help in the starting rotation, with John Lackey, Ervin Santana and Kelvim Escobar all starting on the disabled list.
Adenhart also was a member of the 2006 national team that qualified the United States for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He started one game for Team USA during qualifiers, held in Cuba, earning a no-decision and striking out six batters in an 8-7 win over Brazil.
"One of the highlights of managing for USA Baseball is the opportunity to work with bright, young players who are eager to learn the game. Nick embodied all of those attributes," Davey Johnson, manager of the 2006 team, said. "He was a joy to manage in Cuba and was a key contributor to our success there. This is such a tragedy -- his career was just getting started."
Information from ESPN.com's

Steven Bach died he was 70

Steven Bach [1][2] was senior vice-president and head of worldwide productions for United Artists studios. In Final Cut (1985), Bach chronicles his involvement in the troubled production of Heaven's Gate (1980), a film widely considered to have been the decisive reason for the financial bankruptcy of United Artists.
Bach is the author of The Life and Legend of Marlene Dietrich and Dazzler: The Life and Times of Moss Hart. He taught film studies at Columbia University and Bennington College.

(April 29, 1938 – March 25, 2009)
His biography of the Nazi-associated filmmaker Leni: The Life and Work of Leni Riefenstahl (2007) overturns many of the claims Riefenstahl put forward in her self-defence regarding her contact with Hitler's regime, and was named by the New York Times as one of the most notable books of 2007.
Bach died after a brief illness in March of 2009. He was survived by his companion, Werner Röhr.[1]

Hal Durham died he was77

Longtime Grand Ole Opry announcer Hal Durham has died at age 77. The McMinnville, Tenn. native was with the legendary country music program for 32 years, beginning his stint as the voice of the Opry in 1964. He also served as general manager from 1978 - 1993 and as program director of the Opry's radio home, WSM.

Hal Durham, who helped assure the Grand Ole Opry's transition into the modern era, died over the weekend at his home in Cape Coral, Fla. Mr. Durham, a McMinnville, Tenn., native who also served as a WSM announcer and executive, was 77.

Mr. Durham's contributions to the Opry were substantial and necessary. He served four years as manager and began his 15-year run as general manager when he succeeded E.W. "Bud" Wendell in 1978.

By that point, country had evolved well beyond its roots as an acoustic music format, and top country artists were drawing arena-level audiences that necessitated playing lucrative tour dates away from Nashville.

The general manager reacted to these factors by altering both the Opry's stage setup and its membership rules.

Under Mr. Durham's leadership, full drum sets were allowed on the Opry stage.

Before, drummers had to appear with only a snare and a cymbal, and when percussion was first allowed on the Opry in the 1950s, drummers such as Buddy Harman had to actually strike a brush against a drum head that was affixed to a standup bass.

Mr. Durham also significantly relaxed membership requirements with regard to required personal appearances, clearing the way for artists with heavy touring schedules to become Opry members without having to commit to multiple Opry appearances each month.

Natasha Richardson died she was 45

Natasha Jane Richardson died she was 45. Richardson was a British actress known for her performances on stage and screen. She was a member of the Redgrave family and the daughter of the actress Vanessa Redgrave and the director/producer Tony Richardson. Richardson rose to international stardom with her Tony award-winning performance as Sally Bowles in the musical play Cabaret in New York City on Broadway in 1998.
Richardson was brought up in London; she attended St. Paul's Girls' School before training at London's Central School of Speech and Drama. Richardson was married twice. Her first marriage was to filmmaker Robert Fox, whom she divorced in 1992. She married Irish actor Liam Neeson in late 1994. Richardson and Neeson have two sons: Micheál and Daniel. Her father died of AIDS-related causes in 1991. Richardson helped raise millions of dollars in the fight against AIDS through the charity amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research. Richardson died on 18 March 2009 from injuries sustained in a skiing accident.[1]
(11 May 1963 – 18 March 2009)
Richardson was born in London, England, as a member of the Redgrave family, known as a dynasty in theatre and acting. She was daughter of the late director and producer Tony Richardson and actress Vanessa Redgrave,[2] and granddaughter of the late actors Sir Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson.[2][3] Her sister is Joely Richardson.[2] She is also the niece of actress Lynn Redgrave and actor Corin Redgrave,[2] and cousin of Jemma Redgrave. Richardson made her film debut at the age of four in a film directed by her father, The Charge of the Light Brigade (1968).[2] She attended St. Paul's Girls' School for several years, and then trained at London's Central School of Speech and Drama.


Richardson began her career in regional theatre, at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds, England. Her screen debut in Every Picture Tells a Story in 1984, was followed by a CBS miniseries, Ellis Island. A year later, Richardson appeared in a revival of Anton Chekhov's The Seagull; her first professional work in London's West End. That same year she made her UK television debut alongside Jeremy Brett and David Burke in The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes appearing as Violet Hunter in the episode "The Copper Beeches". Soon after, she starred in a London stage production of High Society, adapted from the acclaimed Cole Porter film, and successively portrayed Mary Shelley in the 1987 Ken Russell film, Gothic. In 1998 she won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance as Sally Bowles in the Roundabout Theatre Company's production of the Sam Mendes–Rob Marshall helmed revival of Kander & Ebb's Cabaret.[2] In 2005, she appeared again with the Roundabout, this time as Blanche DuBois in their revival of Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire,[2] opposite John C. Reilly's Stanley Kowalski.


The same year she starred opposite Kenneth Branagh and Colin Firth in A Month in the Country, directed by Pat O'Connor. A major moment in advancement was her starring role in The Handmaid's Tale (1990), playing opposite Robert Duvall and Faye Dunaway. She starred in Nell (1994) alongside her future husband, Liam Neeson, and Jodie Foster.

Her first marriage was to filmmaker Robert Fox, from 1990 to 1992.[4] She married Irish actor Liam Neeson in late 1994 at the home they shared near Millbrook, New York.[5] Richardson and Neeson had two sons: Micheál and Daniel. Richardson helped raise millions of dollars in the fight against AIDS since her father, director Tony Richardson, died of AIDS-related causes in 1991.[6] Richardson was actively involved in amfAR, becoming a board of trustees member in 2006, and participated in many other AIDS charities including Bailey House, God's Love We Deliver, Mothers' Voices, AIDS Crisis Trust and National AIDS Trust, for which she was an ambassador. Richardson received amfAR's Award of Courage in November 2000.[7]
A long-time smoker,[8][9][10] Richardson was also an outspoken opponent of the ban on smoking in New York City restaurants.[11]


Wikinews has related news: British actress Natasha Richardson dies at age 45
On 16 March 2009, Richardson was injured in a skiing accident at the Mont Tremblant Resort.[12] She was taken to Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal after suffering a traumatic brain injury.[13] She was listed as being in critical condition,[14] and her husband, Liam Neeson, was reported to have joined her after flying from Toronto, where he was filming a movie.[13] Richardson was flown on March 17 by private jet to Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan and visited by her sons, mother Vanessa Redgrave, and sister Joely Richardson.[15] She died on 18 March 2009 at age 45.[1]
At approximately 7:00 p.m. EDT, Liam Neeson's publicist issued this statement to the press:
Liam Neeson, his sons, and the entire family are shocked and devastated by the tragic death of their beloved Natasha. They are profoundly grateful for the support, love and prayers of everyone, and ask for privacy during this very difficult time.[1]

William Morse Davidson died he was 87

William Morse Davidson, J. D. died he was 87. J.D was an American entrepreneur and professional sports owner and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
He was the chairman of Guardian Industries Corp., one of the world's largest manufacturers of architectural and automotive glass. He was also the chairman of Palace Sports and Entertainment, principal owner of the Detroit Pistons of the NBA, the Detroit Shock of the WNBA, and the former owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the NHL and Detroit Vipers of the IHL. His Pistons won the 1989, 1990, and 2004 NBA Finals; his Shock won the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA Finals; his Vipers won the 1997 Turner Cup; his Lightning won the 2004 Stanley Cup, making him the only owner in professional sports history whose teams have won an NBA Championship and a Stanley Cup in the same year. His combined business ventures led him to an estimated net worth of $3.5 billion, which led to Forbes ranking him as the 68th richest man in the United States.[1]

(December 5, 1922 – March 13, 2009)

Davidson was born on December 5, 1922 in Detroit to a Jewish family.[2] Davidson also played football in the Navy during World War II. He entered the University of Michigan in 1940, where he was a member of the track-and-field team and where he majored in business at what is now the Ross School of Business.
Later, Davidson garnered his law degree from Wayne State University Law School in 1949. After three years of law practice, he rescued a wholesale drug company and a surgical supply company from bankruptcy.
Davidson would also take over his family's Guardian Glass Co. in 1957, the same year the company declared bankruptcy. Guardian Glass would be the precursor to his company Guardian Industries, one of the largest glass suppliers in the world. Davidson encouraged risk-taking, discouraged second-guessing and was seen as aggressive. Not without controversy, Guardian was sued at least six times between 1965 and 1988. In 1989, Guardian was ordered to pay its competitor Johns Manville $38 million for stealing fiberglass-making technology[3]. Guardian now stands as one of the world’s giants of glass manufacturing with facilities in Asia, Europe, Africa and South America in addition to its sprawling North American interests[4].


Being acquainted with football, Davidson wanted to acquire a football franchise[5]. In 1974, Davidson and college classmate Oscar Feldman enlisted ex-Detroit Lions great Joe Schmidt to be part of a group bidding on the Tampa expansion franchise. When the price went too high, the group bowed of the bidding.
After two months, Fred Zollner, a car piston manufacturer who transfered the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons to Detroit in 1957, was rumored to be selling his franchise as it hadn't made a profit in 17 years. Being a longtime basketball fan, Davidson bought from Zollner, his neighbor by way of their vacation homes in Golden Beach, Fla., the Pistons for $6 million[6].
Displeased with the team's location in downtown Detroit, Davidson relocated the team to the Pontiac Silverdome in 1978 and then to the The Palace of Auburn Hills, the first NBA arena financed entirely with private funds, in 1988. To help pay the $90 million construction cost, the Bob Bosnick-designed arena[7] featured lower-level suites, then a never-seen-before feature.
His Pistons were at the league's forefront with respect to amenities. The franchise has a state-of-the-art practice facility, solely designed for the Pistons. During the offseason, team members are able to use the facilities while working on personal off-season conditioning goals. Against the advice of friends, Davidson was also the first owner to buy an airplane for his team, nicknamed Roundball One. Roundball Two, a newer, larger, multimillion-dollar aircraft refurbished with 42 luxury seats and a state-of-the-art video system was purchased in the summer of 1998. Davidson was also the first to encourage globalizing the marketing of the NBA. He has served as Chairman of the Board of Governors and was active on several committees, including the one that selected former NBA Commissioner Lawrence O'Brien in 1975 [8].
In 2009, the value of the Pistons franchise has been estimated to be over $430 million. Regularly seen at the team's home games, Davidson had said repeatedly that he would never sell the Pistons and the franchise would remain in his family after he died.[9]
In 1999, Davidson put in an unsuccessful bid to purchase the Tampa Bay Lightning and gain a controlling interest in their home arena, the Ice Palace. They lost to insurance tycoon Art Williams, but only months later Williams sold the team to Davidson and Palace Sports at a huge loss. When Davidson acquired the Lightning franchise in 1999, the price was $100 million; its value has recently been estimated at $136 million. Tampa Bay won the Stanley Cup under Davidson's ownership in 2004. On August 7, 2007 Davidson sold the Tampa Bay Lightning franchise.
Davidson was honored by the Pistons in 2006 when he was given a banner next to the team's retired numbers. His name was also placed on the Palace floor along with Piston legends Dave Bing, Bill Laimbeer, Vinnie Johnson, Chuck Daly, Joe Dumars, Isiah Thomas and Bob Lanier.
In 2008, Davidson was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor for his successes as an owner of the Pistons and Shock.[10] He was also an inaugural inductee into the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.[11]
At the time of his death, Davidson lived in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan with his wife, Karen. He had two children, Ethan and Marla, and three stepdaughters, including actress Elizabeth Reaser.[12]

A noted philanthropist, Davidson had given extensively to various organizations. Davidson was one of the founders of the Pistons/Palace Foundation, a charity that has donated more than $20 million dollars in cash and merchandise since 1989. In 1995, the foundation partnered with the City of Detroit’s Parks and Recreation Department to establish the Partnership to Adopt and Renovate Parks for Kids (PARK) Program, which provided restoration of Detroit parks, basketball courts, baseball diamonds, running tracks and playground equipment.[13]
In 1992, the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan was created at Davidson's alma mater, the Ross School of Business. A gift of $30 million was given to provide assistance in a special program to help develop market economies throughout the world. In total, Davidson's gifts to the school exceed $55 million.
In 1997, the Council of Michigan Foundations honored Davidson for his lifelong philanthropic efforts locally, nationally and internationally[14]. He was listed as one of America’s most generous donors in a New York Times article that same year.
Davidson enabled the Detroit Symphony Orchestra to make long-term touring plans both in the U.S. and internationally with a renewable $2 million donation. He has pledged to fight cancer with a gift of $1 million to support collaborative research, prevention and early detection programs in breast and pediatric cancers at the Karmanos Cancer Institute and Children’s Research Center of Michigan.
After the Yom Kippur war, he along with fellow Detroit area philanthropist Dr. Lloyd J. Paul were flown to Israel by Prime Minister Golda Meir and given the Prime ministers club award for outstanding Philanthropic deeds towards Israel. In 1999, he gave $20 million to establish the Davidson Institute of Science at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel Education. This was then the largest private donation ever given to institue, a leading international science research center and graduate school.[15]. In addition, Davidson endowed the William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York with a $15 million gift. The excavations on the southern wall of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem have been named the Davidson excavations in tribute to his generous donations to the project. He also gave to the American Technion Society to establish the world’s first educational institution entirely dedicated to the international management of technology-based companies at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. Davidson was also a contributor to the Wexner Foundation which gives grants to post-undergrad students of Jewish Studies. In March 2007, Davidson donated $75 million dollars to the Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem.[16]


Davidson died on March 13, 2009 in his home at the age of 86. His health had been deteriorating for the years before his death; he had been confined to a wheelchair and very infrequently attended Pistons home games.[17] His wife Karen will succeed him as owner of the Pistons.[18]

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Ron Silver died he was 62

Actor Ron Silver died after a two-year battle with esophageal cancer, the New York Post reports. Silver, 62, had a long, distinguished career on stage, screen and television. He's probably best known for his recurring role as Bruno Gianelli on The West Wing and for his portrayal of famed lawyer Alan Dershowitz in the 1990 film Reversal of Fortune, starring Glenn Close and Jeremy Irons. Silver won the Tony Award for Best Actor in 1988 for David Mamet's Speed the Plow. His family is making arrangements for a private service.

Ronald Arthur "Ron" Silver[1] (July 2, 1946 – March 15, 2009) was an American actor, director, producer, and political activist.

Silver was born in New York City, New York, the son of May (née Zimelman), a substitute teacher, and Irving Roy Silver, a clothing sales executive.[1][2] Silver was raised in the Lower East Side of Manhattan and attended The East Side Hebrew Institute ("ESHI") and then Stuyvesant High School.[3] He went on to graduate from SUNY at Buffalo with a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and Chinese, and received a Master's Degree in Chinese History from St. John's University in New York and the College of Chinese Culture in Taiwan. He also attended Columbia University's Graduate School of International Affairs and studied acting at the Herbert Berghof Studio.

Silver made his film debut in Tunnel Vision in 1976. From 1976 to 1978 he played downstairs neighbor Gary Levy in the series Rhoda. Additional screen roles include Lovesick (1983), the devoted son of Anne Bancroft in Garbo Talks (1984), an incompetent detective in Eat and Run (1986), the pistol-wielding psychopath opposite Jamie Lee Curtis in 1989's Blue Steel. and the lead in Paul Mazursky's Oscar-nominated Enemies: A Love Story (1989). Silver also starred opposite Jerry Lewis in the "Garment District Arc" of the crime show Wiseguy (1988). He often said in interviews that growing up the son of a man working in the garment industry was a great help in preparing for the role. He also portrayed defense attorney Alan Dershowitz in Reversal of Fortune (1990), based on the trial of Claus von Bülow. In 1998, he starred opposite Kirstie Alley for the last 2 seasons of Veronica's Closet.
Silver was featured in such diverse films as Mr. Saturday Night (1992), Timecop (1994), and as Muhammad Ali's boxing cornerman Angelo Dundee in Ali (2001). From 2001 to 2002 and 2005 to 2006, Silver portrayed presidential campaign advisor Bruno Gianelli on The West Wing.
From 1991 to 2000, Silver served as president of the Actors' Equity Association.
In February 2008, Silver began hosting The Ron Silver Show on Sirius Satellite Radio, which focused on politics and public affairs. The show aired live at 9–11am ET on Indie Talk, Sirius 110.


Silver traveled to more than 30 countries and spoke fluent Mandarin Chinese and Spanish. He taught at the high school level and was a social worker for the Department of Social Services.
He was a co-founder in 1989 of the entertainment industry political advocacy organization the Creative Coalition.
Silver was a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. In 2000, he co-founded the organization One Jerusalem to oppose the Oslo Peace Agreement. Its purpose is to maintain "a united Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel."[4]
Silver, a Democrat for many years, left the party and became an Independent, and a supporter of President George W. Bush, citing the September 11, 2001 attacks and Democratic policies regarding terrorism as reasons. He spoke at the United States 2004 Republican National Convention and continued to support President Bush. Silver was appointed Chairman for the Millennium Committee by New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. He had a blog on the Pajamas Media website.
On October 7, 2005, Silver was nominated by President Bush to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the United States Institute of Peace.
On September 8, 2006, it was announced that Silver had joined an advisory committee to the Lewis Libby Legal Defense Trust.[5]

Silver died on March 15, 2009, in New York City after a two-year battle with esophageal cancer. He is survived by both parents, brothers Mitchell and Keith, son Adam, and daughter Alexandra.[6] more