Village People Lead Singer Victor Willis Dies at 74

Bill Archer, 98 (he started at Rice before transferring to Texas) - powerful politician mostly in the House of Representatives.

Robert Sloan, 77. Former Baylor University President, and the President of Houston Christian University for the past 20 years.

George Ellis Johnson (June 16, 1927 – July 6, 2026)

Lindsey Graham, 71, Republican Senator from South Carolina.

"On the evening of Saturday, July 11, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham passed away from a brief and sudden illness," his office said.

Sam Neill
I bet we have some of his DNA around here somewhere...

https://variety.com/2026/film/obituaries...236809330/

Janice McNair, owner of the Texans and philanthropist. Reading this morning about the substantial McNair Foundation gifts to Rice.

https://www.facebook.com/61552565077085/...174085502/

Not dead yet, but here's a Message from Tommy John, the former Yankee pitcher whose name will live forever for the elbow surgery named after him:

Quote:On this 78th Old-Timers’ Day, Tommy John shares a message to his fans, former teammates, and the Yankees organization as he battles health issues from his home in Bradenton, Florida.

{IMAGE of Message from Tommy John}

August 8, 2026

Quote:Chuck@ChuckSportsApp

288 Wins, agreed to be the guinea pig for the most important medical experiment in MLB history, a class act, and somehow 0/20 on HOF Ballots

Please fix this, Veterans Committee

Don Nelson, 86.

"The only person to win multiple NBA championships as a player and then win over 1,000 games as a coach."

https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/09/sport/don...coach-dies

Skip Bertman, 88. Legendary LSU baseball manager (and later their AD).

https://www.espn.com/college-sports/stor...es-dies-88

Tommy John, Yankees great who had surgery named after him, dead at 83

(08-16-2026 12:55 PM)GoodOwl Wrote:  

Tommy John, Yankees great who had surgery named after him, dead at 83

Yahoo sports wrote “John made it to the big leagues in 1963 with the Cleveland team”. What? Would that be the Indians?

Hayden Panettiere- actress from shows such as Heroes and Nashville- dead at just 36.

Very sad, sudden passing. I’m sure we will be hearing news shortly with more details.

(08-16-2026 11:58 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  Hayden Panettiere- actress from shows such as Heroes and Nashville- dead at just 36.

Very sad, sudden passing. I’m sure we will be hearing news shortly with more details.

Shocking!!

She died at a residence in Greenville, S. Car., apparently of a drug overdose:

https://people.com/hayden-panettiere-suf...h-12061106

An autopsy, completed today, showed "no signs of trauma ... that would have contributed to the death."

I remember her from her role, when she was 12 years old, as the Ally McBeal's precocious daughter. She was 11 months old in her first role ... in a commercial for a Playskool toy train:

https://parade.com/entertainment/1993-ce...uld-become

Here's one for the Playskool Fold 'N Go Quilt:





A look back at her career: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c75g0n2wy6lo

Frank Beard

https://themusicuniverse.com/zz-top-drum...eard-dies/

IIRC, Frank Beard’s mom used to be a secretary in the Rice athletic department like in the 1960s or maybe early 1970s. I’m sure someone will correct me with the proper details. Eta - maybe even later than that because I now sort of remember she might have been Augie Erfurths Secretary (the AD in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

(08-18-2026 04:15 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  IIRC, Frank Beard’s mom used to be a secretary in the Rice athletic department like in the 1960s or maybe early 1970s. I’m sure someone will correct me with the proper details. Eta - maybe even later than that because I now sort of remember she might have been Augie Erfurths Secretary (the AD in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Billy Gibbons' mother Lorraine was Augie's secretary, and worked in the ticket office.
There is a scholarship in her husband's name in the Shepherd School.
The Frederick Royal Gibbons Memorial Award

(08-18-2026 04:02 PM)loki_the_bubba Wrote:  Frank Beard

https://themusicuniverse.com/zz-top-drum...eard-dies/

Well, that sucks.

RIP Mr. Beard!

Bill Rasmussen, co-founder of ESPN, 93.

https://apnews.com/article/bill-rasmusse...a5ee9eedb6

Actress Shelley Fabares, 82. Her breakout role as a teenager was on "The Donna Reed Show". A couple of decades later, she had a key role in the television sitcom "Coach". In 1962, she had a number one hit with "Johnny Angel" even though she couldn't really sing (her voice was doubled with another singer.

Dolly Parton, country singer, songwriter, actress ... 80.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/dol...rcna236277