Kaye Stevens, American singer and actress, died from breast cancer and blood clots she was 79.

Kaye Stevens was an American singer and actress  died from breast cancer and blood clots she was 79..

(July 21, 1932 – December 28, 2011)


Born Catherine Louise Stephens, her big break in show business came at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas, when the headliner for the night, Debbie Reynolds, became ill and Stevens filled in for the night. She then went on to do small shows at the Plaza Hotel's Persian Room, New York's Waldorf Astoria, and Caesars Palace on the Las Vegas Strip. She went on to appear on such television game shows as Match Game, Hollywood Squares, Celebrity Sweepstakes, The Price is Right, and Password.

Acting

Stevens started out in film in 1962 in The Interns, where she played the character Didi Loomis, and its 1964 sequel, The New Interns. In 1963 she appeared in "The Man from the Diners Club". In 1975 she had a role in another movie, Let's Switch! and in 1983 appeared in the film, Jaws 3.

Vietnam

Stevens went on a USO tour with Bob Hope in 1965. She traveled to Vietnam with Hope and a group of fellow entertainers in the hopes of boosting the morale of thousands of American soldiers. She was quoted as saying “I came back in 1965 and my life was in shambles because of what I saw.”
She later became an alcoholic and her marriage ended in divorce. It wasn’t until 1985 that she finally made a call to N-E-W-H-O-P-E, a telephone counseling service. That call changed her life for the better and she found a new faith in Jesus and started her own ministry. The Brewer Christian College and Graduate Schools (Florida) awarded Stevens with a Doctor of Humane Letters for her humanitarian efforts as well as her role in supporting the US soldiers in Vietnam with Bob Hope's USO tour.^{[citation needed]}

Singing career

After Stevens big break at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas, she went from singing to small audiences to singing sold out audiences in New York City, Miami and Los Angeles. From there she went on tour with The Rat Pack, Johnny Carson and Bob Hope.

Soap opera work

In her role on Days of our Lives, Stevens introduced a new song, “You Light Up My Life” to the television audience. Her new song was a huge success and soon after Kaye decided that she had to write new songs and create an album. “I knew then that if I got the kind of response from one song, I had to do an album of inspirational, motivational, spiritual-pop music”.^{[citation needed]}

Personal life

Stevens, an only child, was born in Pittsburgh as Catherine Louise Stephens. Her family eventually moved to Cleveland, where Stevens got her start as a drummer and singer as a teenager. She later married bandleader and trumpet player Tommy Amato. The couple performed throughout the eastern United States. She was married five times. She had no children. Amato predeceased Stevens.^[1]

Later years and death

In her last 20 years, Stevens did Christian ministry and only performed Christian or patriotic music.^[2]
She lived in retirement in Summerfield, Florida. Stevens died on December 28, 2011, aged 79, after battling breast cancer and blood clots. She left no immediate survivors.^[3]

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
On TV	Hollywood Squares	Herself	TV Game Show
On TV	Tattletales	Herself	TV Game Show
On TV	To Tell the Truth	Herself	TV Game Show
On TV	Celebrity Sweepstakes	Herself	TV Game Show
On TV	$25,000 Pyramid	Herself	TV Game Show
On TV	The Price is Right	Herself	TV Game Show
On TV	Password	Herself	TV Game Show
1964	Toast of the Town	Singer	Talk Show, 5 Episodes
1962-1964	The Ed Sullivan Show	Singer/Comedian	Talk Show, 6 Episodes
1967	The Dean Martin Show	Herself	Talk Show, 2 Episodes
1967	Everybody's Talking	Herself	Talk Show, 1 Episode
1967	The Hollywood Palace	Herself -Singer	1 Episode
1968	Family Affair	Julie Madden	1 Episode
1969	Playboy After Dark	Singer	1 Episode
1973	The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson	Herself	Talk Show, 4 Episodes
1974	Match Game	Herself	TV Game Show, 15 Episodes
1974-1979 on television	Days of our Lives	Jeri Clayton
1975	Let's Switch!	Flo Moore
1979	CHiPs	Woman in Phone booth	3 Episodes
1979	240-Robert	Valerie Barnes	1 Episode
1983	Jaws 3-D	Mrs. Kellender
1989	B.L. Stryker		1 Episode
1989	Police Woman	Roz	1 Episode
1990	Superboy	Mother	1 Episode
1992	Miss America: Behind the Crown	Monica

Albums

• “Ruckus at the Rivera” – Columbia Records
• “Kaye Stevens Live at the Copa” – Liberty Records
• “Not So Great Songs from Not So Great Movies” –Liberty Records
• “Playgirls” –Liberty Records
• “The Grass Will Sing For You” – Liberty Records
• “The Temptation Shows guest starring Kaye Stevens” –Motown Records

Singles

• “You Brought Me Back To Love Again” – Sun Records
• “Someone Must Have Hurt You A Lot” – Capitol Records
• “Friends are Friends Forever” – NLT Records
• “I'm Going Back to Tennessee” – NLT Records

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Jon Roberts, American drug trafficker, died from cancer he was 63.

Jon Pernell Roberts , was a noted drug trafficker and government informant who, after leaving the northeast where he associated with the Gambino crime family, operated in the Miami area and was an associate of Colombia's Medellín Cartel during the growth phase in cocaine trafficking, 1975–1985 died from cancer he was 63.. After his arrest, he was able to avoid a lengthy prison sentence by becoming a cooperating witness and proactive informant for the federal government. He is the coauthor with Evan Wright of American Desperado.^[1]

^{(born John Riccobono; June 21, 1948 – December 28, 2011)}

Early life

Roberts was born in New York City to Sicilian American parents.^[2] His father Nat Riccobono had earlier moved with his brothers from Sicily and made a living through involvement with various shady businesses throughout New York in the late 1940s.^[2] After being apprehended by police for kidnapping, Roberts was given an opportunity to expunge his record with military service. Roberts claims to have served with the 101st Airborne for four years in Vietnam. He received injuries during the war that required a metal plate to be attached to his skull. After working for members of the New York Mafia as a club manager and restaurateur, he moved to Miami to distance himself from business partners he believed were targeted by rival criminals.^[3]. However in his book American Desperado he claims he moved to Miami because both the mafia and law enforcement were after him because he was suspected in the murder of a police officer.

Introduction to Cartel

As demand for cocaine increased, Roberts found his Cuban suppliers unable to meet his demand. Through Roberts' girlfriend, he met Mickey Munday. Munday was a trafficker who introduced Roberts to Medellín agent Rafael "Rafa" Cardona Salazar. At first, Munday was apprehensive of Roberts, who had driven up in a black Mercedes Benz, which Munday described as having "drug dealer written all over it". He also stated that Roberts' flashy car and flamboyant lifestyle made Roberts look like "someone I wanted nothing to do with".^[4]
Nevertheless, Roberts and Munday began working under the supervision of Max Mermelstein, who had an agreement with Salazar to manage the transportation of cocaine from Colombia to Miami. He then oversaw the delivery of the loads to cartel safehouses in the Miami area. Roberts was able to increase his monthly cocaine business through this direct connection. Mermelstein and Munday established the routes for trips to Colombia, using boats, tow truck companies, safehouses, and airstrips, thereby setting up an effective transportation route for the cartel. Roberts claims to have made over $100 million USD dealing cocaine during this period. He spent $50 million of that money on his extravagant lifestyle.^[4]

Horses

In American Desperado, Roberts describes: "After I made my first big score selling coke to Bernie Levine in California, Danny Mones told me racehorses were a good way to launder money." He and Danny Mones "started Mephisto Stables in 1977".^[5][6]
In Chapter 62 of the book, Roberts recounts a variety of processes by which he used horses to launder money. Additionally, "[He] also learned how to fix races. There were many tricks."^[5]
Also in chapter 62, Roberts describes another benefit to horses: "Dealing cocaine had promoted me into high society. Owning racehorses took me into the stratosphere." He recounts prominent people he met through his racehorse connections, such as "Judge Joe Johnson, who hosted horse auctions", and through him, "We got friendly with Cliff Perlman, who owned Caesar's Palace. When I'd go to Caesar's and get comped, everybody assumed it was because of my Mafia connections. No, I was connected to Caesar's Palace by a Kenucky judge." Through the same circle, "We ended up becoming friends with Al Tannenbaum^[7] and his girlfriend, Gloria. Al was a guy who'd made it big in stereos."
He describes a particular horse in the epigraph to his book:^[5]

Desperado, the horse that I thought would win the Derby and make me famous as something more than a gangster, was a baby when I got him. He hadn't been trained how to run, but he could already fly on the grass. He had good instincts. He didn't like other horses. You don't want a sociable horse. They stay in the pack. You want a horse who likes to run in front of all the other horses. Desperado was a killer. I named him Desperado because I saw myself in his eyes.

Roberts also describes an honest jockey he had hired, and that jockey's demise:

At Calder, I had a jockey named Nick Navarro who worked for me. He was one of the good guys. He wouldn't hold horses or charge them or run them on dope. He was very skilled, and when I ran my horses clean, I used Nick.

One day in 1977 [sic] he ran a race for me at Calder. I walked up to him after he finished. He put his hand up to wave, and there was a powerful explosion. A bolt of lightning came out of the sky and hit him.

Multiple news outlet reports support Jon's recollection, except they fix the date one year later. As they document: on December 28, 1978, jockey Niconar "Nick" Navarro was killed by a direct lightning strike after completing the second race at Calder Race Course. The remaining eight races at the track that day were cancelled.^[8][9]

Downfall

Mermelstein acted as high-level trafficker working under cartel member Salazar and with the Munday transportation group. He was apprehended in 1985 by Miami Police as a multi-kilo dealer. Mermelstein was implicated by a California trafficker who gave information to the DEA in return for a lighter sentence; this trafficker was busted along with John DeLorean during a 25-kilo cocaine sting. Mermelstein then turned state's witness against the Medellín Cartel and supplied information that lead to the dismemberment of Medellín in Miami. On the morning of September 20, 1986, a little over a year after Mermelstein's arrest, the DEA (in conjunction with local and federal authorities) raided sites across Florida used to store and transport cocaine by Munday and Roberts. Roberts was arrested and then went on the run, becoming a fugitive living in Colombia and other parts of the world. He was later apprehended and became a cooperating witness and proactive informant for the federal government.^[4]

Later years and Death

According to his ex-wife and various other sources, Roberts used his past to gain trust within the criminal community and report their activities to the authorities in order to maintain his prison-free status. Others have also accused Roberts of being a confidential informant; one of the Fort Lauderdale officers who arrested him in 1997 for stalking an ex-girlfriend, possession of a firearm, and resisting arrest w/ violence — testified he "found out later he's been a snitch or something. He was a CI for somebody."^[2][3]
Gus Garcia-Roberts provides, in paragraph one of a 2009 Miami New Times article titled "Jon Roberts: Cracked Cowboy (Threats, violence, and kilos of coke are just the start for this cocaine cowboy)" and the line that follows, descriptions of Jon Roberts' lifestyle when the latter lived in Hollywood (a Florida suburb), Roberts' upcoming media projects, and Jon's character at that juncture:

Former mega-smuggler Jon Roberts, who flooded Miami with $2 billion worth of cocaine in the '80s, naps away his days in a quiet lakefront Hollywood home. But soon, if what he says is true, a book, a high-octane movie, and videogame contracts will again make him a player. But he doesn't want you to know this. He's worried this article could spoil the publicity for his book deal. When I told him last week this story would be published, the craggy, gray-mustached ex-gangster vowed, "You will never write another word in this town again... I will go on TV and tell them everything in your article is bold-faced lies. I hope you get hit by a truck, you little scumbag." "The outburst is in character with Roberts' gangster-flick biography, which he described in an on-the-record interview before changing his mind about publication".^[3]

In 2011, Garcia-Roberts interviewed Roberts' American Desperado co-author Evan Wright for a Miami New Times article (coincidentally dated one month before Roberts' death). In the article, titled "American Desperado: Co-Author Evan Wright on Coke Cowboy Jon Roberts' Memoir", the two authors discuss the book as well as their impressions and experiences when interviewing Roberts. For example, they share that Roberts was not completely reformed in his later days:

Garcia-Roberts: In the book, you write that Jon--who as a felon is not allowed to have guns--showed you silencers he kept buried in his backyard. One of his dogs regularly killed other dogs and cats in the neighborhood. Were you ever afraid during your time staying with Jon in Hollywood? Wright: Jon doesn't live in Hollywood anymore, and he's very sick, so I think I can say this. My most uncomfortable moment came when I was doing an interview, and he gets a call. He says, "Oh, that's my police friends. They're selling me some unmarked guns."^[10]

Roberts died of cancer on 28 December 2011, aged 63.^{[2][3][11][12]}



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Lucia Rikaki, Greek stage, film and television director, died from cancer she was 50.

Lucia Rikaki  was a Greek film director, documentarist, writer and producer died from cancer she was 50..^[1] 

(Greek: Λουκία Ρικάκη; 14 July 1961, Piraeus – 28 December 2011, Athens)

 From 1979 to 1981 Rikaki studied art history, graphic design, cinema and photography at the Dartington College of Arts in Devon, England.^[2] She is best known for her documentaries about socially sensitive issues such as immigration, education and the lives of the disabled in Greece.[1]

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Don Mueller, American baseball player (New York Giants, Chicago White Sox), MLB All-Star (1954, 1955), died he was 84.

Donald Frederick Mueller  was a professional baseball player who played mainly as a right fielder in Major League Baseball for 12 seasons from 1948 until 1959 died he was 84.

(April 14, 1927 – December 28, 2011)

The first 10 of those years were spent with the New York Giants, for whom he batted over .300 for three consecutive seasons (1953–55) and led the National League in hits (212) in 1954. Mueller, who batted left-handed and threw right-handed, never hit more than 16 home runs in a season. He earned the nickname Mandrake the Magician for being adept at consistently putting the ball in play and delivering hits through the infield.^[1] His lifetime batting average was .296.
He was born in St. Louis, Missouri on April 14, 1927.^[2] His father, Walter Mueller, was also a major leaguer who spent parts of four seasons during the 1920s with the Pittsburgh Pirates.^[1] The younger Mueller was signed as an amateur free agent out of Christian Brothers College High School by the Giants in 1944.^[3]
Mueller played a central, but painful, role in the famous October 3, 1951, playoff game that won the NL pennant for the Giants. With New York trailing the Brooklyn Dodgers, 4–1, in the ninth inning, Mueller singled Alvin Dark to third base. With one out, Whitey Lockman doubled to score Dark, but Mueller sprained his ankle sliding into third. He was carried from the field, and missed both Bobby Thomson's game-winning home run that followed Lockman's hit and the 1951 World Series.^{[citation needed]} But in 1954 - when he finished second to teammate Willie Mays in the NL batting race – Mueller batted .389 in the 1954 Fall Classic to help lead the Giants to a four-game sweep of the Cleveland Indians.
Mueller finished his playing career with the 1958–59 Chicago White Sox. Mueller died on December 28, 2011, six months after his wife, Genevieve.^[3]



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Charlotte Kerr, German film director and producer, died she was 84.

Charlotte Kerr was a German director, film producer, actress, writer and journalist died she was 84.^[1][2]

^{(May 29, 1927 – December 28, 2011)} 

She first performed on stage in Fritz Kortner’s version of Schiller’s Don Carlos in 1951. She became well known for her television role as commander of the spaceship Hydra in the Raumpatrouille series and for her appearances in the films of Rainer Erler, including Fleisch.
In 1971, she was a member of the jury at the 21st Berlin International Film Festival.^[3]
In 1983, during the filming of a film about the Greek minister Melina Mercouri, Kerr met the Swiss poet Friedrich Dürrenmatt. They became close after discussing his latest play Achterloo and were married in 1984.^[1] The two collaborated on the film Portrait eines Planeten and the play Rollenspiele. Dürrenmatt died in 1990. Her autobiography, Die Frau im roten Mantel, discussed her life with the writer. In 2000, her Centre Dürrenmatt was opened in Neuchâtel.
She took legal action against the writer Hugo Loetscher for an alleged affront of her dignity and personal rights in his book about Dürrenmatt's death and funeral, which was released 13 years after Dürrenmatt's death and published by Lesen statt Klettern.^[2]
She died on December 28, 2011 in a hospital in Bern.^[2]

Filmography

• Das Wunder des Malachias (1961)
• Raumpatrouille (Fernsehserie, 1966) - as General Lydia van Dyke
• Heißer Sand auf Sylt
• Die Antwort kennt nur der Wind (1974)
• Plutonium (1977)
• Fleisch (1979)
• Eine Liebe von Swann (1984)
• Raumpatrouille Orion – Rücksturz ins Kino (2003)

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Johnny Wilson, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (Detroit Red Wings), died he was 82.

John Edward "Johnny" Wilson was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and head coach  died he was 82..


(June 14, 1929 – December 27, 2011)

Playing career

After three seasons with the Windsor Spitfires, Wilson signed his first professional contract with the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League in September 1949, but spent most of the 1949–50 season with their farm team, the Omaha Knights. He was called up by the Red Wings late in the season and helped them win the Stanley Cup. After spending most of the 1950–51 season in the minors, Wilson joined the Red Wings on a full-time basis midway through the 1951–52 season and went on to help them win three more Stanley Cups (1952, 1954, 1955).
Soon after winning the Stanley Cup in 1955, Red Wings general manager Jack Adams traded Wilson to the Chicago Black Hawks as part of an eight-player trade. After two solid seasons in Chicago, he was reacquired by the Red Wings in the infamous Ted Lindsay trade. Wilson played two more seasons with the Red Wings before being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1959. A year later, the Leafs sent Wilson to the New York Rangers, along with another player, for Eddie Shack. After two seasons with the Rangers, Wilson retired from the NHL following the 1961–62 season.
During his NHL career, Wilson scored 161 goals and 171 assists in 688 regular season games and 27 points in 66 playoff games. He won four Stanley Cups with the Red Wings and appeared in two all-star games (1954, 1956). One of his most notable accomplishments was playing in 580 consecutive games between 1951 and 1960, making him the NHL's first "iron man".^[1][2]

Coaching career

In 1967, Wilson was hired as the head coach of the Springfield Kings of the American Hockey League, the minor league affiliate of the new Los Angeles Kings expansion team. Midway into his third season with Springfield, Wilson was promoted to interim head coach of the Los Angeles Kings after Hal Laycoe was fired following a dismal start. However, Wilson was unable to turn the team around and returned to Springfield after the season was finished. He ended up leading Springfield to a Calder Cup title the very next season.
After winning the Calder Cup in 1971, Wilson was hired by the Detroit Red Wings during the 1971–72 season as a midseason replacement. Despite having a winning record behind the Wings' bench, the team missed the playoffs two straight seasons and Wilson was let go. From there, he spent two years in the World Hockey Association, one with the Colorado Rockies (1976–77), and three with the Pittsburgh Penguins (1977–80), where he led the Penguins to two playoff appearances. Wilson returned to coach Springfield one more season and then retired from coaching in 1981.^[3]

Personal

Johnny was the brother of former NHL player and coach Larry Wilson and the uncle of former NHL player and head coach Ron Wilson.
Wilson made his home in the Detroit area, together with his wife Pat, and was frequently seen at Red Wings home games. On December 27, 2011, he died of pulmonary fibrosis at the age of 82. He had battled lung disease and colon cancer for several years.^[1][2]



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Dennis Utter, American politician, Nebraska State Senator (since 2009), died he was 72.

Dennis Utter  was a Nebraska state senator in the Nebraska Legislature died he was 72..

(February 21, 1939 – December 27, 2011)

Birth

Dennis Utter was born on February 21, 1939 in Wheatland, Wyoming. ^[1]

Residence

Dennis Utter's hometown is Hastings, Nebraska. ^[1]

Religion

Dennis Utter is Presbyterian.^[1]

Family

Dennis Utter is married to Kathryn Preuit, and they have three children named Mark, Ward, and Denise.^[1]

Education

Dennis Utter received his education at the following institutions:

• BS, Agriculture, University of Wyoming
• MS, Agricultural Economics, University of Wyoming
• Graduate, Colorado School of Banking^[1]

Organizations

Dennis Utter was a member of the following organizations:

• Board Member, Adams County Senior Servies
• Past President, Kenesaw Community Club
• Past President/Member, Kenesaw Public Schools Foundation
• Board Member, Mary Lanning Health Care Foundation
• Past President, Nebraska Bankers Association
• Past Member, Nebraska Bankers Association/American Bankers Association
• Past Member, University of Nebraska Medical Center Board of Councilors^[1]

State legislature

Utter was elected in 2008 to represent the 33rd Nebraska legislative district. He was a member of the Banking, Commerce and Insurance committee, the Revenue committee, and Rules committees. ^[2] Utter was replaced by Hastings lawyer Les Seiler, who was sworn in on January 14, 2012, following the second week of the 2012 legislative session. ^[3]

Death

Dennis Utter died in 2011 at the age of 72 from lung disease. ^[4]



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